Sony launched the WH-1000XM6, the company’s latest flagship headphones, in India back in September. This has an improved design, better noise cancellation with QN3 chip, and the price has also increased. Is this a good upgrade to XM5? Let us dive into the review to find out.
Sony continues its trend of eco-conscious packaging, with zero plastic in the box. Inside the “Original Blended Material” packaging, you are greeted by a redesigned, significantly more compact carrying case. The case now features a satisfying magnetic latch instead of a zipper, making access quicker and quieter.
Box Contents
- Sony WH-1000XM6 in Platinum Silver colour
- Case in the matching color
- USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm connector
- User manual
Design and build quality
The biggest sigh of relief for many Sony fans will be the design change: foldability is back. Unlike the fixed-shape XM5, the XM6 brings back the ability to fold the earcups into the headband, making them significantly more portable. They collapse neatly into a new, more compact carrying case that now features a magnetic latch instead of a zipper, which feels premium and is easier to access.
Weighing in at approx 254g, they are slightly heavier than the XM5 (250g), but you likely won’t feel the difference. Sony has redesigned the headband to be wider and flatter, distributing weight more evenly across the head to reduce the “hotspot” pressure many complained about with the previous generation.
The earpads use a new “Soft Fit Leather” synthetic material that feels cooler against the skin and provides a tighter passive seal without increasing clamping force. The hinge mechanism, a point of failure on older headphones, has been reinforced with an internal metal structure, feeling reassuringly stiff and durable.
The 3.5mm audio jack, power button, NC/AMB button are present on the left side, and the USB type-c port is on the right side. You can visually see four microphones on each earcups, but there are twelve microphones for real-time optimization, says the company.
There is a touch panel on the right earcup which has improved, but it can still register accidental swipes when adjusting the headset or wearing a hoodie.
One notable omission is the lack of an official IP rating. Like its predecessor, the XM6 is not water or sweat-resistant. While they can likely handle a light sprinkle, we would strongly advise against wearing them during heavy gym sessions or in heavy rain, as moisture damage is not covered under warranty.
Sound Quality
Sony has retained the 30mm carbon-fiber reinforced driver unit from the XM5 but has paired it with the all-new Integrated Processor V2 and the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3.
The bass is tighter and less muddy than the XM5, offering deep sub-bass rumble without bleeding into the mids. Highs are crisp without being sibilant, and the instrument separation is excellent, likely due to the improved processing power.
Equalizer & “Find Your EQ”
For those who find Sony’s default bass-heavy sound too aggressive, the app offers a fully customizable 5-band Equalizer with a separate “Clear Bass” slider.
New to this generation is the “Find Your Equalizer” feature. Instead of asking you to slide frequency bars (which can be confusing for non-audiophiles), it plays a music loop and lets you tap on numbered bubbles to choose the sound you prefer (e.g., “Do you prefer A, B, or C?”). After three rounds of choices, it builds a custom EQ curve tailored specifically to your taste. It’s a brilliant, user-friendly way to tune the headphones without needing a degree in audio engineering.
A new addition is the dedicated “Cinema Mode” (accessible via the app). This DSP setting widens the soundstage artificially to mimic a theater environment. While usually a gimmick, it works surprisingly well here.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
The new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 is claimed to be 7x faster than the previous QN1 chip, working in tandem with a massive array of 12 microphones (up from 8 on the XM5).
While the XM5 was already great at canceling low-frequency hums (like airplane engines), the XM6 excels at silencing higher-pitched frequencies—human voices, clicking keyboards, and street chatter are dampened significantly better.
Adaptive Sound Control uses AI to detect your actions and location to switch modes automatically:
- Staying: Maximizes ANC (e.g., sitting in an office).
- Walking: Switches to Ambient Sound so you can hear traffic.
- Transport: Max ANC to kill engine drone.
While this feature existed before, the transition is now seamless. On the XM5, you would hear a distinct chime and a brief pause in audio when it switched modes. The XM6 fades the modes in and out so smoothly you often don’t notice the switch until you realize you can suddenly hear the surrounding cars.
Ambient mode and call quality
Thanks to the new 12-microphone array, the transparency mode is miles ahead of the XM5. In the past, Sony’s ambient mode often sounded slightly processed or “hissy.” On the XM6, it is startlingly natural. You can hear your own voice clearly without that “plugged ear” sensation, making it viable to keep them on while ordering coffee or chatting with a colleague. The app allows you to adjust the ambient sound level from 1 to 20, with a dedicated “Voice Passthrough” toggle that boosts human speech while suppressing low-frequency background noise.
For calls, the 12-mic setup combined with AI beamforming ensures your voice is isolated effectively. In our tests, wind noise reduction was superior to the XM5, making these a reliable choice for taking calls outdoors.
Connectivity
The headphones come with Bluetooth 5.3 and support Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair. Multipoint connectivity is available out of the box, allowing you to connect to two devices simultaneously—for instance, your laptop for meetings and your phone for calls.
Sony has also future-proofed these with support for LE Audio (Low Energy Audio), which includes Auracast support for broadcasting audio. The companion app (Sony Sound Connect) remains feature-rich, allowing you to tweak the EQ, adjust ambient sound levels, and configure the “Speak-to-Chat” sensitivity.
In the app, you now have granular control over the touch panel on the right earcup:
- Disable Touch Panel: If you wear hoodies or sleep with headphones on, you can completely disable the touch sensor to prevent phantom inputs.
- Quick Access Customization: You can map a “double tap” or “triple tap” to instantly launch specific apps like Spotify Tap or Endel (for focus sounds) without touching your phone.
- NC/AMB Button: The physical button on the left earcup can be customized to cycle through “Noise Cancelling / Ambient / Off,” or it can be repurposed to wake your Voice Assistant (Google/Alexa).
Battery Life
Battery life remains consistent with the predecessor, which is a bit of a mixed bag if you were hoping for a huge leap. You get 30 hours with ANC turned on and 40 hours with ANC off.
While competitors like Sennheiser offer 60 hours, 30 hours is still plenty for most users, easily covering long-haul flights or a week of commuting. The fast charging is impressive: a mere 3-minute charge gives you 3 hours of playback, which is incredibly handy for last-minute emergencies.
Conclusion
The Sony WH-1000XM6 is a refined, mature evolution rather than a revolutionary reinvent. The return of the foldable design fixes the biggest practical complaint of the XM5, and the jump to the QN3 processor cements Sony’s lead in the noise-cancellation game.
Should you upgrade? If you own the XM5, unless you desperately need the foldable design or slightly better voice isolation, the XM5 is still excellent, and the upgrade might not justify the cost.
If you own the XM4 or older, this is a fantastic upgrade. You get the best ANC on the market, superior comfort, and a return to the portability you loved in the XM4. Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and Sennheiser Momentum 4 are other alternatives that are cheaper.
At Rs. 39,990, the price is steep, but for those who want the absolute best noise cancellation and travel-friendly design, the WH-1000XM6 is a good option. You can get it from Amazon.in, ShopatSC.com and other online retailers as well as Sony Centers, select Croma and Reliance outlets offline.
Pros
- Foldable design returns
- Class-Leading ANC
- Improved Comfort
- Good audio quality with “Cinema Mode” Audio
- Impressive call quality
Cons
- Steep price
- Similar battery life as the predecessor
- No IP ratings