Previous entries in Sony’s WH-1000X series were a steal. The high-end noise-canceling headphones offered supreme audio quality and ANC at a price $100 lower than Apple’s popular AirPods Max. Unfortunately, the new WH-1000XM6 headphones are priced at $450—just $50 less than Apple’s offering.
This is an odd situation, though it isn’t entirely unprecedented. The previous WH-1000XM5 headphones were $50 more expensive than their forebear, and the WH-1000XM6s cost $50 more than the WH-1000XM5s. Plus, U.S. tariff policy has led to price increases throughout the consumer electronics industry, and Sony is not immune to these tariffs.
Regardless of what led to the XM6’s $450 price tag, Sony is losing something that helped it stand out in the premium noise-canceling headphone market. The 2022 WH-1000XM5 headphones were less expensive than its two biggest competitors, the Apple AirPods Max and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but the new model is priced right between these competing products. (This lower price did not translate to a reduced quality, at least in my opinion. I’d take Sony’s poorly-named headphones over the AirPods Max any day of the week.)
On the bright side, these new headphones pack a ton of upgrades and improvements. The most notable thing here is the new 12-microphone array, which should offer far better noise cancelation and call quality than the XM5’s 8-mic system. Interestingly, six of these mics use beamforming technology to hone in on the wearer’s voice during calls, and a new Adaptive NC Optimizer leverages the massive mic array to automatically adjust ANC as it detects changes in environment and air pressure.
These extra mics also facilitate improvements in Ambient Sound mode, which pumps external noise into your ears for increased spatial awareness. Sony says that its Ambient mode is now better at focusing on useful noises, specifically “announcements and conversations.” I assume that the “announcements” bit refers to public transit, which though it should be useful in any context where you’re waiting for a name or number to be called.
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Sony also made some changes to the design of its headphones. The WH-1000XM6 features a wider headband with synthetic leather for a “pressure-free fit,” and the build is slightly asymmetrical in order to better differentiate the right and left earcups. The tactile power button on the headphones now has a rounded shape, so you’ll be less likely to confuse it for the ANC button, and there’s now a dedicated mute button for phone and video calls.
Battery life still clocks in at 30 hours with ANC enabled, and Sony has retained all of the proprietary tech that it offered in previous models—DSEE Extreme upscaling adds fidelity to low-resolution audio, 360 Reality Audio Upmix creates a virtualized surround sound environment for movies that lack a proper surround mix, while LDAC codec support facilitates high-res playback for select audio files and streaming services. Sony is still using its Connect app for custom EQ, and it continues to support multipoint pairing as well as Auracast.
That said, there’s also a new Scene-based Listing mode that automatically plays music and adjusts ANC based on the your activity and location. I imagine that this is intended for exercise or other routines where you need to go hands-free.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are available today for $450. You can buy them at the Sony web store or at an authorized retailer, such as Best Buy or Amazon.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Noise-Canceling Headphones
Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones feature an updated microphone array for improved call quality, noise canceling, and Ambient Sound. They also boast a refined design for extra comfort during long-term listening sesssions.
Source: Sony
