Your ears will be the big winner with the arrival of Sony's latest noise cancelling headphones
Sony has launched its WH-1000XM6 noise cancelling headphones, with an improved chip and 12 microphones for noise cancellation.
It's hard to believe we are coming up to 10 years since Sony launched its flagship WH-1000X series of headphones. The first generation launched in 2016, but it was the second-gen WH-1000XM2 where I first got to experience just how good Sony was at balancing audio quality and noise cancellation.
Today Sony has announced the sixth generation of the product, the WH-1000XM6, and it promises to be one of the best pairs of noise cancelling headphones launched this year.
Sony has given the chip that processes noise cancelling a big boost this year. The "HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3" is seven times faster than the XM5, the XM6 fine-tunes the input from 12 microphones to actively cancel out any external sound.
Sony has also designed the driver unit to be tuned to enhance the noise cancellation, while improving the ambient sound mode by using a combination of those 12 different microphones. You can adjust the level of ambient noise with Sony's Sound Connect app.
Because Sony is not just a tech company but also an entertainment company, with both movies and music labels, it's no surprise that Sony is rolling out Post Malone to try and promote them.
But more interesting is that Sony has collaborated with world-renowned mastering engineers at three of the industry’s top recording studios, Sterling Sound, Battery Studios and Coast Mastering, to deliver exceptional sound just as the artists intend it to sound.
The WH-1000XM6 supports High-Resolution Audio and High-Resolution Audio Wireless, through Sony's LDAC audio codec. It also supports 360 Reality Audio Upmix for Cinema, which turns stereo into a spatial audio experience.
The headphones themself have a wider headband than previous models, with an asymmetrical design that makes it easy to determine which way the headphones go.
The ear pads are designed with a stretchable material that make them comfortable for all-day wear, while the headband has a vegan leather material making it comfortable on your head.
The headphones offer tactile buttons for noise cancellation and mute control, as well as a touch panel for music control.
The XM6 promises up to 30 hours of music playback with noise cancelling switched on, and can give three hours of playback from just three minutes on the charger. you can also charge while listening in an emergency, which is a nice touch.
Pricing and availability
The WH-1000XM6 will be available in Black, Platinum Silver and Midnight Blue in Australia from June 2025.
You can pre-order from today, with the headphones selling for $699.95 RRP.
Specs:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Sony WH-1000XM6 |
| Type | Over-Ear, Wireless |
| Driver Unit | 30mm |
| Frequency Response | 4 Hz - 40,000 Hz |
| Impedance | 48 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on) , 16 ohm (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off) |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP, CCP |
| Supported Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) |
| Battery Life (ANC On) | Up to 30 hours |
| Battery Life (ANC Off) | Up to 40 hours |
| Charging Time | Approx. 3.5 hours |
| Quick Charge | 3 min charge for up to 3 hours playback |
| Weight | 254 grams |
| Wearing Style | Over ear |
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Nick Broughall
Nick Broughall
Nick Broughall
