Sony WH-1000XM6 launch in Ireland: can the best ANC headphones get even better?
Tech giant Sony has unveiled its eagerly anticipated WH-1000XM6 active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones which the firm unsurprisingly says are its most advanced to date.
Sony was the market leader in noise cancelling headphones for many years, with Bose coming a close second place. But on the third and fourth generation of the WH-1000 headphones, Sony added an abundance of clever features and improved the audio and noise cancellation quality to the point that they moved way ahead of the pack.
The fifth iteration WH-1000XM5 received some criticism over their non-folding design - it was a mis-step by Sony in a now crowded marketplace in which it faced stiff competition from new challengers such as Sennheiser (with 60-hour battery life and better sound quality), Apple (with AirPods Max which seamless integrated with the rest of its ecosystem) and Bose (whose QuietComfort Ultra are the current noise cancellation kings).
Fans of Sony's cans had expected the WH-1000XM6 to launch in 2024, so there has been heightened interest in this May 2025 arrival. The first bit of great news is that the new cans bring back the much-loved folding design and the second is the price is only €30 more expensive than the launch price of the WH-1000XM5.
Here's everything you need to know about 2025's most exciting new over-ear ANC headphones…
Building on the legacy of Sony's famed 1000X series, this latest upgrade WH-1000XM6 combines premium sound with the best noise cancelling in a refreshed design to create what the company said is an unparalleled audio solution for music lovers, fashionistas, travellers and business professionals.
The new WH-1000XM6 bring back a folding mechanism, one that is crafted using advance metal injection for what the company calls a seamless and durable fold designed to slip seamlessly into bags and airplane pockets. The case now features a magnetic closure while the headband on the cans is infused with vegan leather for what should be a more comfy fit.
Sony WH-1000XM6 are powered by an advanced processor and adaptive microphone system. The company said processor speeds seven times faster than the predecessor mean the active noise cancellation is optimised in real-time. The new chip fine-tunes one dozen microphones and Sony said this results in a dramatic leap in both noise cancelling and sound quality.
The precise detection of the twelve optimally placed microphones allow the noise cancellation to adapt more precisely to fit you and your environment.
A new Adaptive NC Optimiser further boosts the unmatched noise cancelling precision, adjusting instantly to any form of external noise and air pressure. And the firm said its Auto Ambient Sound mode is even better at adapting to your surroundings in real-time, balancing your audio content with any external sound.
Audio quality has been refined on the new cans. The WH-1000XM6 headphones were developed in collaboration with world-renowned mastering engineers at three of the industry's leading recording studios, Sterling Sound, Battery Studios and Coast Mastering. And Grammy nominated artist Post Malone has partnered with Sony for its marketing campaign.
Sony WH-1000XM6 support both High-Resolution Audio and High-Resolution Audio Wireless, and utilise LDAC, Sony's industry-adopted audio codec. In addition, using Edge-AI, the firm's DSEE Extreme tech upscales compressed digital music files in real time to restore high range sound lost in compression.
The new headphones work with Sony's Sound Connect app which features an array of helpful features including a 10-band EQ. While Game EQ, developed with Sony's expertise from its Inzone range to enhance sound quality for FPS gaming. The WH-1000XM6 also feature a new 360 Reality Audio Upmix for Cinema that brings spatial sound experience just like you are in a cinema from stereo sound by employing the company's unique upmix and 360 Spatial Sound technology.
Sony also promises much improved call quality on the new headphones.
Sony WH-1000XM6 are available in black, platinum silver and midnight blue with a suggested retail price of €450. You can buy them from Sony, Harvey Norman, Currys and Amazon.
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