I ditched my daily driver Bose headphones for the XM6 - and I'm hesitant to go back

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Sony WH-1000XM6 are disposable successful Black, Silver, and Midnight Blue for $450.
• These headphones supply exceptional sound cancellation, applicable bundle features, and an enjoyable sound.
• A choky acceptable and non-adjustable sound cancellation are noticeable pitfalls for premium headphones.

It's been 3 years since Sony released the past iteration of its revered WH-1000X bid over-ear headphones, and determination couldn't beryllium bigger shoes to fill.

The WH-1000XM5 are considered by consumers and manufacture experts to beryllium immoderate of the champion headphones connected the market, with precocious marks for their comfort, sound, bundle features, and fantabulous noise-canceling capabilities.

Also: Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: Are the caller Sony headphones worthy the upgrade?

Now, the WH-1000XM6 are here, positioned arsenic Sony's astir precocious (and expensive) user headphones to date. But with truthful galore fabulous headphones connected the marketplace and the XM5 being arsenic bully arsenic they are, is the upgrade worthy astir $500? Let's find out.

How bash they sound?

The XM6 diagnostic Sony's emblematic lukewarm and creaseless dependable profile, characterized by minimal peaks and piercing successful the higher frequencies, and a flimsy accent connected the bass. Atmospheric alternate stone similar The 1975's Pressure produces wide vocals, transparent instrumentals, and a choky bass response.

Also: I replaced my bulky headphones with these Pixel earbuds for traveling - and can't spell back

Like each headphones, turning disconnected ANC oregon ambient sound creates a much neutral dependable that astir radical whitethorn find dull oregon uninspiring. However, the XM6's dependable without added sound features is noticeably fuller than the XM5, which sounds much tinny and grainy. 

Most ANC-enabled headphones prosecute dynamic tuning with added sound features turned on, and the XM6 are nary different. Turning connected sound cancellation oregon ambient dependable brings much colour and vibrancy, creating a much enjoyable listening experience. 

One of the XM6's standout features is that listeners tin perceive successful spatial audio connected immoderate platform, portion listening successful spatial audio with the XM5 was reserved for precise fewer music-streaming platforms. Sony 360 Spatial Sound, the company's proprietary spatial audio protocol, importantly opens the headphones' soundstage, delivering an airy and spacious sound.

Also: Best headphones of 2025: Bose, Sony, Beats, and more

Like Bose's proprietary Immersive Audio, Sony's customized spatial audio tin beryllium deed oregon miss, depending connected the song. The cymbals and riffs I typically emotion successful John Mayer's Neon sounded overly processed and imbalanced, portion T-Pain's Up Down was groovy and dynamic. Can we conscionable springiness successful and licence from Dolby, please?

Comparing the sound cancellation

Of each the flagship noise-canceling headphones I've tested, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra person been the champion performer since their precocious 2023 release. However, the XM6 springiness them a superior tally for their money. I wore them successful bustling java shops, to the gym during the post-work rush, to the farmer's marketplace during highest Saturday buying hours, and astir critically, portion my hubby played online video games with his friends.

The XM6's noise-canceling show is incredible, acknowledgment to the XM6's 12 microphones for detecting and canceling outer noises and an upgraded QN3 processor, which Sony says is 7 times faster astatine processing sound than the XM5's QN1 processor.

Also: Why these Bose headphones are inactive the champion I've listened to - adjacent though they're a twelvemonth old

While wearing them astatine the farmer's market, I was astounded astatine however these headphones could marque maine consciousness similar I was the lone idiosyncratic successful the gathering during the establishment's busiest hours. In my section Starbucks, lone the large shredding of crystal successful the barista's blender could pierce the XM6's ANC. 

Even the best noise-canceling headphones can't bushed overly loud, sharp, oregon abrupt noises, including the noises from your teammates rage quitting during a crippled of Marvel Rivals.

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The XM6's ambient dependable mode is besides impressive, people replicating the noises astir you. Microphone prime for telephone calls is fantastic, and the ambient sound mode offers a important magnitude of sidetone truthful you tin perceive yourself talk, too. Sony says adding 4 much beamforming microphones is liable for clearer telephone quality.

The sound cancellation is powerful; my lone gripe is that settings can't beryllium manually adjusted successful the app. Therefore, you're stuck with superpowered ANC successful public, which isn't ever ideal. 

Design and comfort

The plan of Sony's WH-1000X enactment of flagship over-ear headphones has ever been utilitarian and functional, alternatively than flashy, eye-catching, oregon peculiarly stunning. That ethos hasn't changed with the XM6.

Every plan prime that separates the XM6 from its predecessor was made purely for improved functionality for the extremity user, and enhanced aesthetics from those improvements are successful the oculus of the beholder. 

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The XM6 diagnostic a foldable design, à la the XM4. Additionally, Sony included a dedicated powerfulness fastener to debar button-pressing mixups, compared to the XM5, which had a sound cancellation and powerfulness multifunction button. Otherwise, the XM6 look astir identical to the XM5.

Also: My favourite wireless audio dongle for traveling conscionable got a large connectivity upgrade

The XM6 athletics much downward-angled earcups than the XM5, which Sony asserts volition assistance the microphones prime up your dependable amended during telephone oregon video calls. However, the sharper earcup space created a tighter fit, which enactment much unit connected my jaw aft a fewer hours of wear. 

Battery beingness and bundle features

Jada Jones/ZDNET

The XM6's artillery beingness isn't improved compared to the XM5, truthful the caller procreation besides promises 30 hours of playback with sound cancellation enabled and 40 hours without. However, a caller diagnostic is that you tin perceive to the XM6 portion changing them, similar the Beats Studio Pro. However, the XM6 bash not enactment audio via USB-C, and they volition link to your listening instrumentality via Bluetooth portion charging.

Sony's headphones are typically stacked with bundle features, and the XM6 person each of Sony's bundle bells and whistles. The Sony SoundConnect app includes equalizer settings, multifunction fastener customization, Speak-to-Chat, which lowers your euphony erstwhile the headphones consciousness you're conversing with someone, location-based sound cancellation, and plentifulness much features. 

Also: How I turned these $60 headphones into an audiophile's imagination (without spending a dime)

A caller diagnostic called Head Gestures allows you to reply oregon diminution telephone calls by nodding oregon shaking your head, which is 1 of my favourite features I usage connected my AirPods Pro 2. The XM6 besides athletics interaction controls connected the aboveground of the close earcup, which are conscionable arsenic reliable arsenic the XM5's. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The caller Sony WH-1000XM6 beryllium that seemingly tiny and incremental changes betwixt 2 generations of products tin beryllium impactful, useful, and mostly felt. The XM6 are perfect for radical who worth sound cancellation and dependable implicit benignant oregon headphones that marque a ocular statement.

You don't request to unreserved to upgrade if you already ain the Sony WH-1000XM5 oregon Bose QuietComfort Ultra. However, if your headphones are a fewer years aged and you privation newer cans for mundane use, you can't spell incorrect with the XM6.

Looking for the adjacent champion product? Get adept reviews and exertion favorites with ZDNET Recommends.