Sony is back with a new set of their outstanding over-ear noise cancelling headphones – WH-1000XM6

Sony has announced a new version of their top-class WH-1000 headphones with the XM6 available to pre-order today for $699.95.

Only yesterday I was on the radio recommending the XM4’s from Sony, a two generation old product which we still awarded Best over-ear headphones in the 2024 EFTM Best Magazine. Reason being, the XM5’s were great, but they didn’t fold flat, had only an incremental sound improvement so the additional price was hard to justify.

Today, it seems Sony has listened to the feedback from many and taken several design cues into these new XM6’s.

Sony say the WH-1000XM6 feature a new advanced processor and adaptive microphone system optimised in real-time for the “next evolution in noise cancelling”

So much so, Sony call it a “dramatic leap” in noise cancelling and sound quality.

The “Auto Ambient Sound mode” is tuned to adapt to your surroundings, helping ensure you don’t miss announcements or conversations and all this can be tuned in the Sony app.

As well as advanced noise cancelling, Sony have worked with mastering engineers at some of the world’s top recording studios to refine the sound profile for studio level accuracy.

These latest WH-1000XM6 will support High-Res Audio wired and wireless using LDAC, and can also upscale compressed audio files to create an even better sound.

Another area of focus will be call quality, using intelligent beamforming to isolate your voice from any background noise and you can mute yourself instantly via a button on the headphones.

Downplayed by Sony in their announcement other than to talk of the precision workmanship in the folding mechanism, it appears to me that these new WH-1000XM6 have all the angles of fold, both into their case, or in your back, plus flat when around your neck. And the case is now magnetic close making it easy to access.

They also come in three colours, Black, Platinum Silver and Midnight Blue, and have a battery life Sony rates at 30 hours with Noise Cancelling, 40 hours without.

You can pre-order today, they’ll be available in June.