Now available: Sony's new flagship headphones WH-1000XM6
16.5.2025
Translation: machine translated
Outstanding sound, excellent noise cancelling and an improved ambient mode: this is what Sony promises with the WH-1000XM6.
Sony has launched the latest model in its flagship WH-1000 headphone series: the WH-1000XM6. Instead of the previous eight microphones, the XM6 has a total of twelve microphones built into the ear cups to capture ambient noise. This is intended to improve the noise cancellation and ambient mode.
The headphones are available in black, silver and dark blue.
The 30-millimetre drivers are designed to provide rich sound, which you can adjust to your needs using the 10-band equaliser in the Sony app. Technologies such as High-Resolution Audio and DSEE Extreme should also offer better sound. The latter is designed to restore details in the recordings that were lost when the file was compressed.
Active noise cancelling and ambient mode
According to Sony «, the WH-1000XM6 promises the best noise cancelling». The QN3 processor developed by Sony is supposed to ensure this by analysing and neutralising the ambient noise recorded by twelve microphones.
Using a button on the ear cup, you can switch from noise cancelling mode to ambient mode. This allows the headphones to let ambient noise through to you. Whether you're in traffic, talking to others or listening to announcements, you don't need to take the over-ears off in ambient mode. The volume is adjusted depending on the background noise in your surroundings, Sony promises.
My colleague Flo is very satisfied with the noise cancelling and ambient mode. You can read about the points he still criticises in his test.
Calls and multipoint collection
Sony is also very confident in its product when it comes to phone calls and says that «has the best call quality» from the manufacturer to date. With the help of AI, your voice should be captured and reproduced cleanly even in background noise
You can connect the headphones to your laptop for business calls and switch to another paired Bluetooth device thanks to Multipoint Connection. According to Sony, the headphones are compatible with iOS, Android, Windows and MacOS.
Now foldable design again
In contrast to the predecessor model, the WH-1000XM6 is foldable and comes with a transport bag that you can close with a magnet.
According to the manufacturer, the battery lasts for up to 30 hours of playback. You don't have to do without the headphones while charging. You simply continue to use them. There is a 3.5 millimetre jack connection on one of the ear cups if you don't want to blast your content into your ears via Bluetooth.
Header image: Sony
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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