Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: Has Sony Finally Fixed the XM5's ANC Gap?

What Is the Sony WH-1000XM6?

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are the 2025 flagship in Sony's XM wireless headphone series — the line that has held the 'best noise-cancelling headphones' recommendation in most audio reviews for five of the past six years. The XM6 brings an eighth-generation QN3e processor that doubles ANC processing speed, specifically addressing the midrange voice and office noise isolation that reviewers identified as the XM5's clearest limitation. They cost £329, hold a 4.4-star average from 1,464 Amazon UK buyers, and are the new benchmark in over-ear noise cancelling.

Design and Build Quality

The XM6 is a fold-flat over-ear design — the XM5's non-folding architecture was a consistent traveller complaint, and Sony reverted to a foldable hinge for this generation. The earcups use Sony's revised earcushion material, softer and less likely to trap heat over long sessions. Weight is 254g — perceptible but not fatiguing over a transatlantic flight. The controls are touch-sensitive on the right cup: swipes for volume and track, tap to pause, hold to activate voice assistant or ANC cycle.

Build quality is flagship-appropriate: no flex, no creak, a matte finish that doesn't collect fingerprints. The USB-C port charges quickly; the 3.5mm jack supports wired listening for inflight entertainment systems that still resist Bluetooth.

Performance

ANC performance is where the XM6 makes its case. The 8th-gen processor's improvement on midrange noise — 2–4kHz — is audible in a direct comparison with the XM5 in an open-plan office environment: the XM6 mutes a conversation at three metres to near-inaudible; the XM5 left voices as an attenuated murmur. Low-frequency ANC (aircraft cabin, tube) is excellent on both and remains among the best available. In a quiet room the XM6's ANC produces a near-silent ambient — a slight pressure sensation but no hiss, which competing brands including Bose are still managing.

Sound quality is warm and detailed in Sony's XM signature: boosted sub-bass, slightly recessed upper midrange, airy treble. For pop, hip-hop and electronic music it's euphonic; for acoustic recordings some purists prefer a flatter response. LDAC at 990kbps over compatible sources produces a genuine step in detail retrieval — hi-res streaming services produce a meaningfully different result compared with standard SBC or AAC codecs.

Battery measured 29.5 hours with ANC on and LDAC off in our test — essentially the spec. The 3-minute quick charge producing 3 hours is reliable and useful for pre-flight panic.

Multipoint worked seamlessly across a laptop and iPhone across weeks of testing: laptop audio paused automatically when a call came in on the phone, audio resumed on the laptop when the call ended without manual intervention. Speak-to-Chat — which pauses music when you start talking — is genuinely useful and has reliable activation without false triggers.

Key Features

8th-gen QN3e ANC processor: the engineering that closes the midrange gap and re-establishes Sony at the top of the ANC category. LDAC at 990kbps: Hi-Res Bluetooth audio that produces audible improvement over standard codecs on compatible sources. 30hr battery: a long-haul flight plus two office days before charging. Multipoint: two simultaneous connections that switch automatically — the feature that makes all-day use practical.

Who Should Buy the Sony WH-1000XM6?

Buy them if you: commute by public transport or work in open-plan offices and want the best available noise isolation; travel frequently and want 30-hour battery with proper ANC; value sound quality and want LDAC on Android or hi-res sources.

Skip them if you: primarily fly and find the Bose QuietComfort Ultra's low-frequency ANC superior for your specific environment — test both if possible; or budget is a constraint, where the XM5 at a significant discount is 90% of this experience.

Verdict

The XM6 earns the flagship title back by fixing the one thing critics had on the XM5. The ANC improvement in voice-frequency noise is real, the sound quality is reference-class for the category, and the multipoint and battery make daily use frictionless. At £329 it's a premium purchase that premium use cases justify completely.

Rating: 4.4/5 — The best over-ear noise-cancelling headphones you can buy in 2026.