Sony WH-1000XM6 The Best Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones, HD NC Processor QN3, 12 Microphones, Adaptive NC Optimizer, Mastered by Engineers, Studio-Quality, 30-Hour Battery, Black
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ProductTypeDriverMicValuePrice
WH-1000XM6 The Best Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones, HD NC Processor QN3, 12 Microphones, Adaptive NC Optimizer, Mastered by Engineers, Studio-Quality, 30-Hour Battery, Black
Sony★★★★4.3🔥 DEAL -$30
Wireless
30mm
Yes
D
$428
$398
Specifications
TypeWireless
MicYes
ANCYes
Driver30mm
PERFORMANCE
82%
Customer Reviews★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews
★★★★★Headphones... Goooooooooooooooooood
Kinda expensive but well worth the price, you cannot hear anything in them, weither that be someone screaming at you or a blowdryer going off. The sound quality is also unreal, you can bop to this all day and it still hits the next time you put it on. Also the battery life is quite good, I barley have to charge it even after 3-4 days of heavy use. A lot better then my previous Hesh ANC headphones.
Also while it isn't mentioned anywhere it is quite water resistant, I wash dogs for a living and they tend to shake and get you soaked and they have'nt rusted or degraded at all, at least from what I can see.
Also unlike my previous headphones it has not pulled out my hair a single time when adjusting it, but that makes sense for $500 dollar headphones, the middle section bends quite a lot to but puts little force on your head so it remains quite comfortable for different sized heads. Also unlike my previous headphones again it never interupts you music to say low battery, it only does that once at 10% and lowers your music a tad to say that then ramps the volume back up again.
I will say however I kinda like the physical buttons of my previous headphones a lot more then the swipe controls, even though they do not fail as often as you might think physical buttons just, never fail, its annoying when you go to up the volume and you skip the song thats all.
It is a buy for me, and I would do it again, the ANC is just to good, you feel like your in a library all the time, even if someone is leafblowing right next to you, it is actually unreal.
Joseph Smith · 2026-04-24 · via amazon
★★★★★But are they enough of an upgrade over what you already have?
I have a headphone problem, or so my wife says. I’ve owned the Apple AirPods Max, the Sony XM5’s, the Bose QC and QC Ultra the QC 45’s and 35’s both I and II, the Sonos Ace, and the Beats Studio Pro. Going into my XM6 purchase, my favorite are/were the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. I bought the QuietComfort Ultra during Prime Day for an unbelievable $329! I have found that they offer the best combination of comfort, sound and ANC for the price. So, how does the XM6 compare? The ANC is second to none. I augment our central air with a window unit, which sits right behind my head, and I can completely eliminate its sound. But static sounds are pretty easily muffled by most of newer ANC headphones, so how about dynamic sounds like a tv or normal conversation? The XM6 excel there, too. Put simply, they offer the best ANC of any of the aforementioned headphones. They are also pretty comfortable and clamp down relatively tight, though I haven’t found anything to be as comfortable as either the QC or QC Ultra. The XM6 are designed to be over ear headphones, yet my ear doesn’t seem to fit inside the cup like other over ear headphones. This, in my opinion, makes them less-comfortable then they could/should be. However, the memory foam is a nice touch and does help.
The sound is well-balanced and pretty good right out of the box, though I had to make use of the ten-band EQ to get them to sound just a tad better than my QC. With my current EQ settings, I would say they offer the clarity of the Apple AirPods Max, but with the bottom end of my Bose QuietComfort. The bass isn’t overpowering, it’s actually pretty accurate (after EQ tinkering).
In the final analysis, the XM6 offer the best sound of any of the headphones I mentioned, but not by much. Furthermore, the ANC is superior to everything else I’ve owned, but not by a staggering amount.
So, which should you buy? If you’re like me and in search of the best possible sound, and won’t settle for anything less than the best ANC, then get the XM6. If, however, you prioritize comfort and value, and don’t mind making some very minor concessions regarding sound and ANC, then get the Bose QuietComfort or the QC Ultra (wait until you catch them on sale, which is pretty often). I hope that helps. Happy listening!
Update: “6/02/2025: Intermittent crackling in left speaker. Had to return them. I have replaced them, though.
Update 06/07/25: I received the replacement pair and everything seems great.
I neglected to mention in my previous review how great the Sony app is and how customizable the XM6 are. First, you get a ten band EQ, instead of the Bose three bands. Additionally, there are some awesome (optional) features that are missing from Bose. Sony has speak to chat, which mutes your music and puts your headphones in aware mode when you speak. Also, there is an option to accept or reject calls by simply nodding or shaking your head, which is very cool. If you’re into features like that and general customization, then the Sony XM6 are for you.
UPDATE 06/17/2025. Started hearing crackling again in the right speaker this time. This time I did a Google search to see if others were having the same problem, and it seems like turning on DSEE Extreme could be the culprit at high volumes. The DSEE Extreme setting is supposed to upscale compressed files. I turned off the setting and no more crackling. I replayed the same part of the same song with and without it engaged, it it’s definitely the DSEE Extreme. Consequently, I’ve turned off that setting and now everything seems fine.
S Werley · 2025-05-22 · via amazon
★★★★★Are the Sony WH-1000XM6 worth the price? Here's my opinion
I purchased the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones from Amazon for $298.00 about two months ago as an upgrade to the WH-1000XM5 headphones, and I use them regularly.
First and foremost, the Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) on these new headphones is the best in its class. With an array of 12 microphones, they capture and cancel-out most frequencies of background noise. It's a nice improvement over the older XM5 model.
The sound quality is impressive. The frequencies are well-balanced with regard to bass, midrange and treble. They offer decent bass without being overbearing.
They are lightweight and feel comfortable to wear, although they have small earcups which might not fit entirely over the ear. They also have a tight clamping force on the head, which probably loosens over time. This close fit could make the headphones feel uncomfortable if you wear eyeglasses, like I do.
The battery life is decent, and they recharge quickly.
These headphones offer a plethora of useful features like a transparency mode to hear external sounds and very clear phone calls.
In summary, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are expensive and, depending on your individual taste, may or may not be worth the price. I gave them a borderline 5 star rating. My opinion is that if stellar ANC and great sound quality are your objectives, then these headphones might be right for you. If so, make sure that you purchase them while on sale because the regular price is way too expensive.