Sony WH-1000 XM6 review: You’ll have to speak up, I’m wearing the XM6

Bottom Line: Arguably the best noise cancellation I’ve ever experienced.

Back in May, when Sony announced its latest pair of flagship noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000 XM6 for $699.95, I got very excited about the possibility of revisiting one of the world’s most well-reviewed family of headphones.

You see, I haven’t had the chance to use a WH-1000 series pair of headphones since the XM2 back in 2017. That review is sadly only available in the Wayback Machine these days, but it tells a tale of headphones with exceptional noise cancellation, but disappointing microphones and unreliable touch controls.

After spending most of the past month reviewing the WH-1000 XM6, I’m happy to report that Sony has improved every aspect of its flagship headphones since I last wore them.

The XM6 are, in a word, exceptional. Particularly when it comes to the noise cancellation.

The $699.95 price tag means that these headphones will not be right for everyone, but if you can justify the expense, then these headphones will not disappoint.

What makes the Sony WH-1000 XM6 special?

Sony is one of those brands that is just synonymous with personal audio. The WH-1000 XM6 are the company’s flagship offering in the consumer headphones space, offering the best tech the Sony engineers have to offer.

In the case of these headphones, it’s the noise cancellation that takes centre stage. Standing next to my range hood on the maximum setting and the XM6 on my head, I couldn’t hear anything apart from my music being piped into my ears.

This is thanks to Sony’s new “HD Noise-Cancelling Processor QN3”, which Sony claims is seven times faster than the XM5. It uses the XM6’s 12 microphones to finely tune the audio and actively cancel out external sounds.

I can’t speak to the comparison with the XM5, but against the AirPods Max and the Sonos Ace, there is another level of noise cancellation happening here.

Sound quality, as you might expect, is equally impressive. Sony made a big deal of working with audio mastering engineers at top studios to ensure the sound reproduction is an accurate reflection of the artist’s intention.

Sony offers a pretty comprehensive app experience that lets you fine-tune how you listen to music, including several features I preferred to leave off. I’ll get to them a bit later.

With 30 hours of ANC music playback and fast charging offering three hours of playback from three minutes on the charger, the WH-1000 XM6 have everything you need to get through a long flight, a frustrating commute or even just some quiet time in the kitchen. They aren’t cheap, but boy, are they worth it.

Design and build quality

Materials and construction

Made from a combination of recycled plastic and carbon fibre, the XM6 boast stainless steel hinges and a vegan leather headband to help make them more comfortable for extended wear.

They feel robust for plastic. There is a clear difference in quality between these and Apple’s AirPods Max, but the Sony headphones are significantly lighter to wear and carry.

The ear cups fold in and pivot cushion down on your collarbones, unlike the AirPods Max, but they do pull in a bit too tightly to be comfortable to wear around the neck for an extended period of time.

The headband also extends a lot, so people of all head shapes and sizes can wear it comfortably.

Comfort and fit

The WH-1000 XM6 are comfortable. The ear cups fully wrap around your ears, creating a solid seal that helps block out external sounds.

There’s a reasonable amount of clamping pressure with the headphones on, but it’s nowhere near as intense as the AirPods. I’ve been able to wear these headphones with glasses on for hours at a time without it feeling like my brains are being squished to a pulp.

Because of the plastic build, the XM6 are really lightweight to wear, which helps them feel comfortable for extended sessions. They can get a little sweaty thanks to their fully enclosed design, though.

Aesthetics

The Sony headphones come in three colour options: black, silver or midnight blue. I tested the silver option, though I think I would lean towards the midnight blue if I was spending my money.

Regardless of colour, the design is a little understated. By that, I mean that the headphones don’t necessarily look like they will sound as good as they do. However, with a fairly generic over-ear design, they are suitable for both personal and professional environments.

In the box, you’ll get an easy clip case to carry the headphones around. I’m not going to lie – it took me far too long to work out how to fold them in the right way to fit the case the first time. However, once they are in, the latching case is convenient and a useful addition.

Performance

Sound quality

The WH-1000 XM6 are some of the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever used, particularly for wireless, closed-back noise-cancelling models.

This is true regardless of what type of music you want to listen to. My listening tastes tend to run between the grungy rock of the 1990s to the more acoustic-style folk-rock of the early 2000s, with a bit of 80s hair metal thrown in.

But everything I threw at the Sonys sounded fantastic. Audio is well-balanced, with the bass clear and defined without being overwhelming even at maximum volumes.

I spent a lot of time listening to Paul Dempsey’s Shotgun Karaoke album this past month, and there’s a real clarity to each note from the acoustic guitar. His cover of the INXS classic Never Tear Us Apart gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it through these headphones.

I also listened to more classic grunge, like Nirvana’s Nevermind, and Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy, plus more relaxed lo-fi tunes when I was trying to relax.

No matter what I listened to, though, the quality was exceptional. You do get more detail from open-ear headphones like the Sennheiser HD 505, but the balance on these headphones was mind-blowing.

Where they fall behind is in surround sound support, either when watching Dolby Atmos or listening to Spatial Audio in Apple Music. Don’t get me wrong, the soundtrack still sounds incredible in these scenarios, but you don’t have that sense of immersion within the soundtrack that you get with Apple or Sonos’ headphones.

Technically, the headphones support the 360 Reality Audio format, but no service I use supports that particular format.

Active Noise Cancellation

While the headphones sound exceptional on their own, it’s the combination of excellent audio quality and noise cancellation that makes them really stand apart.

Honestly, I think the noise-cancelling here is the best I’ve experienced. While waiting for a media event in Sydney’s Circular Quay, I sat on the foreshore, enjoying the view and listening to the Live in Radio City live album from Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds.

About 20 metres from where I sat, a busker played the violin, and I couldn’t hear her at all. The 12 microphones on the XM6 and the newer processor do a phenomenal job of blocking out external noise, without creating a brain-crushing pressure.

There’s a dedicated button to swap between noise-cancelling and transparency modes, which does a reasonable job of balancing your music and external sounds. But there is a “Speak to chat” mode you can activate in the Sound Connect app that really limits the sound playback when it detects you speaking, so you can have a conversation without having to take off the headphones.

You may need to play around with the settings to get this feature working the way you want it, though. I found it was a bit too sensitive straight out of the box, silencing my music when I didn’t actually say anything. But it was a really welcome inclusion.

Features and connectivity

With Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, the XM6 lets you connect to two devices simultaneously, though you need to set it up through the Sony Sound Connect app.

The connection is really stable and clear. I never had the headphones drop out, even when I walked to the other end of my house from my phone, which is a bit further than the 10-metre range cited in the specs.

There’s actually a whole heap of advanced settings, including EQ, listening modes and creating a personalised audio profile within the app, which helps you create an ideal listening experience for the headphones.

The headphones have two physical buttons: The power button and the noise cancellation/transparency mode toggle. Everything else is managed by the touch control panel on the right ear cup.

Once I realised that play/pause is controlled by a double-tap, rather than a single tap, I had no issues controlling my music through the headphones.

I also appreciate that a long press of the touch panel opens up your voice control assistant, which can also read out notifications from your connected phone.

Battery life

Sony claims a 30-hour battery life with ANC switched on, and I feel that’s probably quite accurate. I had to charge the XM6 a couple of times over the month, with a fairly high listening regime.

Fortunately, you can quickly charge the headphones too, with 3 minutes on charge giving three hours of playback.

30 hours is long enough to get you from one side of the Pacific to the other if you’re on a long flight, so there aren’t any real concerns here.

Value and alternatives

At almost $700, the Sony WH-1000 XM6 are not a cheap pair of headphones. It’s even a $50 premium over the XM5’s launch price,

At that $699.95 price tag, the Sony headphones sit at $300 less than Apple’s AirPods Max, and right alongside the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2.

They are slightly pricier than the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4 headphones as well.

Let’s look at specs of some of the top headphones side by side:

Verdict

When I started BTTR, I analysed other review sites to see the products they recommended most to determine what product could be considered “best”. Sony’s WH-1000 headphones always ended up in those lists.

Now I see why. The WH-1000 XM6 offers impeccable performance, both for its audio quality and its noise cancellation.

It’s multi-platform, customisable in many ways through the app, and is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

It’s not cheap, but it is a flagship pair of headphones. If you are looking for a pair of wireless, noise-cancelling headphones that deliver best-in-class performance, then these are an ideal place to start. They are well worth the money in my opinion.

Buy the WH-1000 XM6 if:

• You want exceptional audio quality with noise cancellation
• You aren’t too fussed about Spatial Audio
• You like headphones that fold cushion-side down on your collarbones

Skip the WH-1000 XM6 if:

• You don’t like touch controls
• They cost more than your budget allows

Also consider:

• If you’re addicted to Apple, the AirPods Max do a good job, though aren’t as comfortable for longer wear
• The Sonos Ace offers great noise-cancelling, solid audio and cool integration with Sonos soundbars

Where to buy the Sony WH-1000 XM6

The Sony WH-1000 XM6 is available in three colours for an RRP of $699.95. It’s only been available for a few months, but you can already find it discounted if you shop around.

Here’s where you can buy it at the time of writing:

• Amazon
• The Good Guys
• Sony
• JB Hi-Fi
• Harvey Norman
• Telstra
• Officeworks

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BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall