Sony's WH-1000XM6 upgrade one of the best headphone series around
Big claims of even better sound and ANC
Sony is back with a new pair of flagship full-size wireless headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM6.
We’ve been fans of this series since it emerged all the way back in 2016. And this latest pair promises improvements in almost every area.
The most important of these are probably the sound and the ANC, active noise cancellation. Sony claims the WH-1000XM6 have its “most advanced noise cancellation yet,” which like so much in tech these days is partly powered by AI.
There’s more to it, though. The Sony WH-1000XM6 have a whopping 12 microphone around and in the headphones, brought together by a QN3 processor chip Sony says is seven times faster than its old tech.
This is also used to make sure your calls come through clear over on the other end, which is essential if you make calls while out in the city.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 have an Auto Ambient Sound mode that attempts to balance your music and external sound, letting in elements it thinks you might need to hear. We’re thinking train announcements — no-one wants to miss a train platform alteration or notice of a stop being missed out, right?
These headphones use 30mm drivers, which Sony says provide “studio-level precision” in the sound. This series tends to lean towards a bassy, warm sound signature, but that’s often a good fit for the way pairs like this are used — out and about rather than chin-stroking in a listening room at home.
A charge of the Sony WH-1000XM6 battery will last up to 30 hours with active noise cancellation switched on, or 40 hours with it turned off. And they support the high-quality LDAC Bluetooth codec as well as the usual suspects like SBC and AAC, for great wireless sound quality.
You can also use the Sony WH-1000XM6 as a cabled pair too, but they don’t support audio over USB-C, which would be handy for connection to some laptops.
There’s one potential snag. The Sony WH-1000XM6 don’t come cheap at £399. But if your budget’s up to it, you can pick up a pair from May 23, in blue, black or silver.
