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

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.

I had Bose before I got these, and I was ready to buy more Bose until I researched headphones. The WH-1000XM6 are recommended pretty much across the board for wireless headphones, and I understand why now. Songs I thought I knew note for note sound completely new. I hear things in the background that I never knew were there. Music is a totally different experience with these headphones. To a non-expert, they seem perfectly balanced right out of the box-no tinny sounds, no muffled sounds-just crisp and clear and perfect. It also seems to maintain its Bluetooth connection better than my Bose set did. With those, they would randomly lose connection and I would have to restart them to get my connection back. The Sony headphones haven’t done that once, and I didn’t even realize it was an issue with the Bose until I experienced not having the issue. These headphones also have several “modes” for noise cancellation, and I’ve been appreciating that. You can go full cancellation or no cancellation like usual, or you can do in-between modes that dim background noise but still keep it audible, or mix background with music 50/50 like you’re listening to a speaker in the room. One thing I love about the way it cancels noise is I can hear my voice singing but I hear my voice outside of my skull. Nothing irritates me more than hearing my internal vibrations when I’m trying to sing. The controls are touch and haven’t been annoying yet. They don’t activate Willy nilly and I also haven’t had issues activating them. Battery life seems to be great as well- only one charge needed so far. One opportunity is there is no way to use these for console game chat- so you can use it for gaming but you can’t talk through them. They are so amazing in all other ways that I don’t care.

I have a variety premium headphones (Bang & Olufsen H95, Bose 700, Bose QC 2, Air Pod Max) and I got to say that the Sony 1000Xm6 by far is the best sounding headphones I own, I love how the black looks on these XM6’s. Even if it is made entirely of plastic, it does not feel cheap and it is very light weight with clear fantastic audio, very responsive touch sensor control, very visible power button. The app is tricky the first time you pair your XM6 bit once done, the app is fantastic. The nose cancellation is better than Bose which I cannot believe I am saying this given there legendary status in that field. I paid $1K for Bang & Olufsen H95 and the XM6 headset blows the H95 out of the water and cost almost $700 cheaper although the H95 does have better build quality. I absolutely am in love with the XM6. The battery is very good, I have had these headsets for 5 days and I only had to charge them once which was the day I bought them and gave them it’s initial charge. I do plan to eventually get Bose QC Ultra’s because I hear they are equal to the XM6. Nevertheless, the XM6 is the best I have owned thus far. Pros: Absolutely fantastic nose cancellation Superb crisp clear Audio & Sound Good build quality (not great but good) Great microphone Very comfortable Very light weight (no metal) Sony Connect app is very nice Battery. Cons: Headphones built completely out of plastic (though I do love how light it feels) but for $450, these headphones need to have some metal in it. The Sony Connect app can be a little tricky when it comes to connecting your headphones for the first time. Headphones does not have a very visible right side or left aide making it confusing when it comes to making sure you are putting the headphones on right. You have to look inside just above the ear cuffs to see a very tiny R for right ear and L for left ear. Cushions are thinner than normal and the faux leather can get a little warm after a while. Verdict: Even with it’s all plastic build, lack of clear Right side Left aide, the thin faux leather, these headphones are worth the $450. They are truly one of the best if not the best headphones I own thus far. You’ll love the technology, great audio, and how comfortable they are to wear. If you have the means, I recommend purchasing a pair.

Great headphones. Terrible shipping. FedEx is a nightmare! The Sony XM6 has a great battery life lasting all day as long as I charge it at night. The volume controls can be a bit fiddly and hard to get used to, but it's nice to have a dedicated ANC button. The passthrough mode is crystal clear it's almost as if I don't have the headphones on at all, and changing the setting can give you "super hearing". They are decently comfortable, although I find the inside pressing in my ears more than I'd like which means I have to adjust it quite a bit to keep my ears from aching. The top of the headband easily bends forward and backwards which means they don't stay in place very well. The design is alright, although I think it could use some flare. They are a bit bulky but I wish the ear separator foam was quite a bit thicker. Having both LDAC high qualityand lc3 low latency codecs are nice bonuses. Although I can't personally tell the difference between LDAC and the normal codec, I'm sure audiophiles will be happy with it. Now for the most important part for me, the active noise canceling. It works very well turning the humbub of a busy diner or a museum into a very low din. While still barely audible with nothing playing, some very low level music completely drowns it out. Wind doesn't affect the ANC in any meaningful way, unlike other headphones which sound like blowing into a microphone when there's any wind.

I bought the Sony 1000XM6 from Amazon, and Bose QCU Gen 2 from Costco for $429 which also had a $75 rebate. Compared both for a week, I took the Bose on one trip and took the Sony to Hawaii. IMO the Sony fit better and even on a 5.5 hour flight it was pretty comfortable. The noise cancellation worked very well on both headphones, but the Bose was annoying where the ANC would pause whenever I turned my head in a certain way thinking there was ambient sounds to hear. The Sony ANC was flawless and worked no matter which way I moved my head. The movie/music only paused when I took the headphones off to order a drink which worked as it should. Overall both Bose and Sony sounded great, but I thought the Bose sounded a little more crisp when both EQ’s were on flat. But whether you like highs or bass both delivered and both had EQ adjustments so I think the sound is more to a personal taste that can be adjusted per each EQ app. However, I will say the Bose was a little easier connecting to my iPad Pro 13 inch or iPhone 16 Pro on the first try, whereas the Sony took a little more effort on first connection. But once connected to both devices, it was seamless to switch between them. The two reasons I decided to keep the Sony: 1) Overall comfort/fit and ANC that did not pause when I moved my head in a certain way; 2) The Sony had a better functioning case with a magnetic closure, and well thought out pouch for the accessory cords/adapters. Although the Bose’s case was a little more compact, it had a side pouch for the wires/adapters that sometimes got in the way when closing and the cords could easily fall out if you’re not careful in the dark, and the case was a little klugy trying to zip the case closed especially if the headphones were not properly in their fitted cavity. The Sony was much easier to put the headphones in the case and the magnetic latch was a breeze to open/close. I’d say the Sony designers put a little more thought into the case design whereas Bose failed to improve what it had from their Gen 1 headphones. Big opportunity miss there.

How do I feel about these? I gave them a 5 star because they do the job well. The ANC is pretty absolute. While I haven't traveled with them yet, so far it blocks out all ambient noise. On a phone call the other day I asked how the reception was. Crystal clear was the response. I have a hesitancy to give 5 star only because of the price. Are they worth it? Maybe if you didn't know other things existed. Prior and still I use Soundcore Q35 which are also ANC and good ones. You can compare the specs from each website and clearly Sonys have more microphones etc. On paper Sony WH 1000 xm6 are superior. I paid $139.00 for the Q35s and they also fold into a smaller size and come with a hard case. Even an airplane adapter and 3.5 line. My only issue is, even with a huge head they didn't fit all that well. Sony's are a bit snugger. That said after long term use my ears sweat. Maybe my imagination as I am in the middle of hell in the summer. The most important thing to me is sound. For this pricepoint I should be blown away. AM I? I'm not so sure. There's a Sony appp that fine tunes the sound and it's nice. It sounds great, but is it better than the Q35s? I don't know. There are guys out there that have already done all the tests between Sony and competitors and they make a better case than me. I'm not an audiophile that needs perfection rather I'm an old guy that wants the best I can afford thats reasonable. I'm pretty sure the Sonys are better than the Q35s but so far not for the price difference.I need to become more immersed in this give a better review. That said, I also have a pair of Oneplus buds 2 pro that sound amazing. These also have spacial and a tuning app. And ANC. At the moment I'd say since I'm retired and don't have endless streams of money and have simpler needs, the equipment I was using is just fine and at a good price. If I was one of those guys that laid awake at night crunching decibel numbers I'd say spend the money, well worth it. So far they're easy to use, easy to set up. Not keen on the swipe controls instead of buttons but it works, i just need to adjust. A little learning curve for old guys like me. I usually watch videos while researching pre-purchase and so setup was a breeze. Battery life seems spot on 30 hours, just like Q35s. There are clearly things I missed or am not using that may enhance the experience, time and experimenting will help me with this review later. So these are 5 star cans, for sure and should be judged on their own merits and not off the price point. Still though if good enough is ok for you, comparing these to others may be like camparing cars. Upgrades cost more but don't get you there are faster.

Well, the headphones work as advertised. The app that's made for them adds a ton of functionality. They truly last a long time. With light use I can go for a few days without having to recharge them. The noise cancellation I bought them for works well. I often don't notice things going on around me when I have the noise cancellation on. I'm not an audiophile but I can appreciate good quality sound, and these do sound good. As a perfectionist I do wish the button actuator underneath the power button was centered. When I power them on and off if feels less like I'm pushing on the button and more like I'm pushing a tiny lever. But, well, not many people are likely to notice that. Also I really appreciate whatever material the ear cushions are made off. It's soft enough that my ears don't get tired, and because it's not woven cloth it doesn't accumulate dirt overtime. Keeping the cushions like new no matter how many times the headphones have been on. I also like the overall feel of them on my head, not too heavy, and they don't squeeze my head too hard either. The length adjustment is also easy enough to adjust while actually staying in place when you're not adjusting it. The touch controls, while some people might not like them just because they're touch controls, I like them because they're well made. Unlike some earbuds I've had, they react to touch exactly as promised.

I bought this headset for my husband and daughter for Christmas 2025. She did not like color silver (which is more like gray) so I decided to use it and bought the black one for her. YES, I bought 3 of them total. I will tell you why. Here are pro: The battery life is up to 30 hours! It is wireless, and the BEST noise canceling. I have never experienced this level noise canceling in my life. Once you put them on, imagine you enter into another world and closed invisible door. My husband standing in front of me talking, I do not hear him at all. Then I cover my right side headphone with my hand, and now I can hear him. It is magical. You can adjust your music and volume with a simple touch/swipe on the right side. My neighbor had a birthday party last night. Their music was really loud for 3 hours straight. My husband and I connect our headset to the TV, and we were no longer heard nothing but the movie we were watching together. I felt like we were at a movie theater. The sounds were so crisp as if we were inside the screen with those actors. Wireless connectivity: No struggle, no issues. It automatically connects via Blue Tooth every time it is on after I downloaded the Sound Connect app in my iphone 15. I also paired with my Samsung TV, and connected with 2 headsets at the same time. Durability: Feels solid in my hand. They adjust easy and snug over the head. Big bonus is that my ear entirely fits inside of ear cap, no pushing down my ears, super comfortable to wear them forever. Portability: They come with a nice hard-shell case with magnetic closure. It has a pocket with a charging cable and a AUX cable. Cons: The charging cable (USB to USB-C) is ONLY 9inch long, and does not come with a block with USB port to charge. I would like it little longer, but I guess it fits well in the tiny pocket inside of the case. It is HARD to put them back into the case. I decided to mark them with stickers. With 3 markings, now I can figure out how to put them into the case without struggle. (See the the first photo) Last con is the price. Well, not everyone is ready to spend $400 for headphones. But I don't think you would EVER regret when you buy this headphones. Believe me.