Finally, a challenge to Bose’s noise-cancellation supremacy
The $449.99 Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones represent an iterative yet meaningful update to the three-year-old WH-1000XM5. For starters, they bring back the foldable design Sony skipped last generation, which makes them easier to carry. Audio quality has also been improved, though Sony was already ahead of the competition in this regard. Most notably, the headphones largely outperform the Bose QuietComfort Ultra ($429.99) when it comes to active noise cancellation, which makes them the new class leaders. Simply put, the WH-1000XM6 are the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy right now and easily earn our Editors’ Choice award.Design: Bringing Back Creature Comforts
The WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones have a similar design to their predecessors, but Sony makes two important changes that improve the experience immeasurably. First, it brings back folding earcups. This helps the headphones fit into a slimmer carrying case, addressing one of the biggest complaints about the previous model. Second, it widens the headband that crosses the top of your head, which helps distribute the weight more evenly and improves comfort.
Sony keeps other design tweaks to a minimum, but they add up. For example, the headband connects to the earcups more asymmetrically, which makes it easier to tell which earcup is which. If you do manage to put them on the wrong way, you’ll feel it. The headphones have no IP rating, so you’ll want to keep them clean and dry. (This is true of most over-ear noise-cancelling headphones.) They come in black, blue, or silver.
The button layout remains the same as the previous generation, but the buttons themselves are a little different. Sony has swapped out the slim power button for an indented circular one, which makes it easier to feel the difference between the power button and the noise mode button. The audio controls are largely unchanged. The right earcup hosts capacitive touch controls that you use to manage playback and volume, with a double tap for playing and pausing, a swipe up or down for adjusting volume, and a swipe left or right for skipping forward and back tracks.
By default, the noise mode button switches between noise cancellation and ambient modes. You can also set the button to perform an action with a double or triple press, with options such as launching Amazon Music Play Now, Endel, or Spotify Tap.
You can control some aspects of the headphones with head gestures. They are disabled by default, but when turned on, you can answer an incoming call by nodding your head or reject it by shaking your head. Sony isn’t the first to do this—Apple has added similar features to its AirPods.
Sony doesn’t disclose the frequency range or driver size of the headphones. They connect through Bluetooth 5.3 with support for Google Fast Pair and Bluetooth multipoint with up to two connections. They support the AAC, SBC, LC3, and LDAC codecs, as well as Auracast.
Apart from the headphones themselves, the box includes an auxiliary cable for wired listening and a USB-A-to-USB-C cable for charging. The charging cable is pretty short, and it’s high time Sony switched to a USB-C-to-USB-C cable. You also get a sturdy carrying case that closes with a magnetic clasp instead of a zipper. Battery Life: Just Fine
Sony says you can expect up to 30 hours of listening time with active noise cancellation (ANC) turned on and 40 hours with it off, which isn’t bad, but it also isn’t impressive.
