Sony WH-1000XM6 review: Excellent noise cancelling and sound — but missing one key feature£399, sony.co.uk
Sony’s flagship wireless WH-1000X series has consistently topped review charts since its release, and it’s now been three years since the critically-acclaimed WH-1000XM5 came out. So it’s fair to say the WH-1000XM6 has been keenly anticipated, and Sony has done much more than tinker around the edges.
There’s faster processing, hardware changes and more software options than you can shake a stick at. But in a relatively crowded marketplace, do they still have what it takes to beat the competition?

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The design of the M6 is similar to its predecessor but with a few differences. For starters, the cups now fold down, making them much easier to transport in the hard case they come supplied with. The headband is a little wider than before, and the pressure is slightly greater to ensure a more secure fit and also to assist with noise isolation. At 255g, they are comfortable to wear for long periods and, despite the over-ear design, don’t become overly warm. The band is stepless, meaning you can adjust it precisely to suit your head.
The headphones charge over USB. A USB-A to C cable is supplied, an odd decision in 2025 when most people have a USB-C charger. Battery life is 30 hours with noise cancelling turned on, and 40 with it off, which is the same as the previous model, but also powers a much more advanced processor. A full recharge takes 3.5 hours, and a three-minute charge with a PD-compatible charger will get you an impressive three hours of playback. For the first time, you can now use the headphones during charging (although with a longer cable than the extremely short one supplied), which is likely to be of use given the prevalence of battery packs now, letting you play back and recharge on the move.
WH-1000XM6 in Midnight Blue. Image: Press
Sadly, you can’t listen to audio over USB-C. This feels like a bizarre omission — it’s a feature found on competing headphones like the Master & Dynamic MW75 and Bowers and Wilkins’ Px8, both of which offer uncompressed digital audio at the highest sample and bit rates.
There is a regular 3.5mm connection, however, with a cable in the box for connecting to hi-fi or other hardware. The headphones use Bluetooth 5.3 and support LE for low-latency gaming or movie modes, SBC, AAC and LC3, plus higher quality LDAC codecs. Two-device multipoint is available too; a must in today’s world.
There are well-placed onboard controls for power, pairing and ANC, but you’ll need to download the free Sony Sound Connect app to manage headphone settings from your mobile device. There’s the usual stuff: configuring how the touch-sensitive surface reacts for playback and invoking commands, choosing a preset or manual EQ and general power management.
Then, other more unique features include the useful Quick Access, where you set up your preferred music streamer like Apple Music or Spotify to trigger directly from the headphones, to the arguably more niche ‘scene-based listening’, which uses sensors to try to guess your surroundings and make audio settings accordingly. This works as advertised, though many people may prefer having a little more manual control.
WH-1000XM6 in Midnight Blue. Image: Press
Speaking of sensors, the M6 has twelve — count’em — microphones as well as some gyroscopes, the latter used to optionally accept and end calls with head movements and for head tracking. Mostly, though, the mics power the exceptional noise cancellation, something for which these models have long been lauded. The modes are mostly familiar; full cancelling, ambient and ambient with auto adjustment, with some fun extras too, including speak-to silence, which will stop playback and switch on ambient mode when you speak, then revert after you have finished.
You can also place a hand over the right cup to do the same, which is invaluable when needing to hear announcements. The cancelling really is first rate and right up there with the best I’ve ever experienced. Across a range of scenarios, it does a tremendous job of isolating sound without adversely changing its character, which ANC headphones often can’t manage.
That’s a ton of tech, so we do need to talk about the sound. The 30mm drivers are made of carbon fibre and the headphones have a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz, standard for most headphones of this type. Sony states they are capable of 4Hz – 40kHz, but this seems to be in wired mode only, or 20Hz – 40kHz when using LDAC streaming. Both 4Hz and 40kHz are well outside the range of human hearing, so while these are nice to have for sure, you’re not going to miss any detail. It’s arguably not a deal-breaker.
User wearing the WH-1000XM6 in Black. Image: Press
Taking the somewhat more common scenario of streaming over Bluetooth from an iPhone, the M6 headphones still blow me away. Leaving the EQ off (I don’t find it necessary), they produce an incredibly detailed and powerful soundstage. Tonally exceptionally well balanced, the M6 picks out instruments with expert skill, making mixes feel totally alive, sparkling and rich.
Nils Frahm’s Spells from takes on new life, pulsing with life, and every stereo movement is a joy to hear. Mogwai’s 2021 album As The Love Continues fizzes with primal energy. Calmer material works just as well — everything I throw at them sounds joyous.
There is competition around this price point. Apple’s AirPods Max have Apple-centric integration with your other products and USB-C listening, but cost £100 more and are quite dated now. Bose QuietComfort Ultra can be found on sale for around £349 and has solid specs, though slightly worse battery life. Ultimately, the M6 can take advantage of the latest tech, which does give it an edge.
While the app could be less cluttered (Sony software is often less elegant than its hardware) there are loads of cool features, like real-time spatial upmixing from stereo, for movie-style listening, head tracking and more. And while they’re not gimmicks — some people will find them invaluable — it’s the basics that really set these headphones apart. The build is superb, the sound exceptional. The noise cancelling is among the best around and the battery life too. If you’re in the market for a premium pair of wireless headphones, they’re a pretty easy sell.

Key features

30mm carbon fibre drivers
USB-C charging with up to 40 hours of playback
4 Hz – 40 kHz response in analogue wired mode
20 Hz – 20 kHz response in Bluetooth mode
AAC, SBC, LC3 and LDAC codecs
12 microphones
Multi-mode active noise cancellation (ANC)
Head tracking
Virtual surround upmixing
Quick link to streaming services in app
Scene-based automatic adaptive audio

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