After 3 months with Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones, I can't use anything else

CNN

a day ago

When I tested the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for my review this past May, I experienced something I've rarely encountered in my decade reviewing electronics: The XM6 sounded so good and felt so comfortable that I saw them as a device that I could rely on for my long-term future, my next everyday pair of headphones. But even though I love them, I know the XM6 are far from cheap, which makes them perfect for a long-term review that shows how they hold up over time. A diligent shopper can compare specs all they want, but there's nothing that can help you with an upgrade decision like hearing from someone who's truly lived with a device for more than three months. Here's why the Sony XM6 are my favorite new product of 2025.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Over-Ear Headphones
An unrivaled mix of sound quality, noise cancellation and comfort kept the Sony XM6 on my head all summer long. The Sony XM6's noise canceling and drivers makes music sound perfect
While I've preferred over-ear headphones for as long as I can remember, I first fell in love with pricier high-fidelity headphones back in 2017 when the since-retired second-generation Beoplay H6 headphones reintroduced me to my favorite music. In the eight years that followed, I've had to leave those headphones at my home office desk because they require a headphone jack. Fortunately, this wasn't the biggest loss, as the best noise-canceling headphones have caught up in audio quality. Sure, a Bluetooth connection doesn't provide the perfect reliability that a headphone cord does, but the XM6 are so good at immersing me in the sound that I don't miss the H6 that much. That immersion isn't easily won either, as I live in a noisy neighborhood and the sounds of tourists and traffic tend to leak through my windows and walls.
I'm happy to report, however, that I blocked out the chaotic summer rumble with the XM6's noise cancellation and just a smidge of my favorite tracks on top. For example, when I hit Play on Brooklyn-based electronica artist Jigitz's song 'Pressure,' I luxuriated in its bass lines thumping and bouncing around its sweet vocals. Even softer songs play exactly as intended, as David Byrne's singing and the twinkling instruments of the Talking Heads' 'This Must Be the Place' sounded natural, strong and accurate.
Sony's noise cancellation is so good, in fact, that I can comfortably hear what I'm listening to at less than 25% volume (my future self will thank me). I've only had to turn the volume to 50% while commuting to work on the subway. One recent morning, the hefty bass and high-pitch synths that surround Clipse and Kendrick Lamar's lyrics on 'Chains & Whips' combined with Sony's noise-canceling tech to form a barrier that protected me from hearing tweens compare their Labubus on the E train.
Oh, and if you're curious about the XM6's Ambient Sound mode, which lets you hear what's happening around you, I can confirm that it's good enough for when I want to be aware of my colleagues in the office or hear conductor announcements on trains. It's not the best mode of its kind, as there's a slight warmth to what you hear — kind of like when you play a vinyl record — compared to the AirPods Max's shockingly clear Transparency mode.
If this sounds like too much to focus on, Sony's Adaptive Sound Control settings can automatically adjust between Noise Canceling and Ambient Sound modes when you're walking, running, sitting and riding in a vehicle. I can confirm this works, but I personally just don't use it because I don't like to hand over that control to the headphones.
The XM6's microphones capture audio that sounded good to great on the other end, according to friends and family on phone calls during the last three months. My original review's testing, though, showed that sound quality on calls and recorded sound for the best noise-canceling headphones is highly subjective. The Bose QC Ultra and the AirPods Max took their own wins over the Sony XM6, depending on who was listening.
The XM6 offer long battery life and a comfortable fit
One of the best things about the XM6 is how their long battery life lets me stop worrying about charging times. Sony rates them for up to 30 hours of audio playback with noise canceling enabled, and I got similar (if not better) time from them. I used them throughout my week-long trip to Mexico City, including more than 11 hours of flight time.
Had I not charged them before the trip, it wouldn't have taken long to refuel. A Sony rep confirmed to CNN Underscored that these headphones support fast charging, as they're rated to gain up to 3 hours of battery life in 3 minutes. I was able to add 11% of a charge in three minutes, which translates to up to 4.4 hours of usage, based on my testing.
With battery performance becoming such an afterthought, I was able to focus on a different kind of endurance: how long can headphones sit on my head comfortably? The answer is pretty damn long, as I never feel a need to remove the WH-1000XM6. This is extremely different from the AirPods Max, which I immediately notice pushing in on the sides of my head with a pinching maneuver the second I put them on. The XM6 on the other hand, spend entire afternoons on my noggin as I write articles just like this one, and I kept them on my head for the entirety of my last trip to New York City's Whitney Museum of American Art, as I used their noise-canceling to muffle the hum of fellow visitors.
That long-term comfort is why listening to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' soundtrack to The Social Network on the XM6 is as relaxing as when I listen to it on vinyl. That album, and others, simply plays until the very end, as I don't get distracted by heft or by feel. I've written more articles to that album than anything else, and I really love how I can get locked in when listening to its synths, strings and riffs on the XM6.
The XM6's comfort win is partially owed to their light weight, as they come in at 8.9 ounces (much less than the 13.7-ounce AirPods Max I used to wear a lot), but their design is also fantastic because of how it handles pressure. I can practically forget I'm wearing the XM6 on occasion — mostly when I'm in the zone writing — because these headphones don't actually feel like they're doing a whole lot on my head.
The XM6 also proved more comfortable than the 9-ounce Bose QuietComfort Ultra cans, though that comparison is far tighter. Whenever I put the Bose on to remind myself what they feel like, I think that their synthetic leather is just not as cushy or plump as the material that lines Sony's.
The Sony XM6's excellent case isn't the only design feature that I love
These new cans might look similar to the Sony WH-10000XM5 headphones that preceded them, but that all changes when you actually use them. My favorite part of the user experience is the included travel case that uses a magnetic clasp to shut, which I like more than the zipper case of the Bose QC Ultras. The XM6 case also won points because it's smaller than the XM5 case, which is possible because these headphones' hinges can fold in to reduce its overall size. The AirPods Max case also uses a magnet, but its design leaves so much of those headphones exposed it's hard to call it a case.
The XM6's design also benefits from little changes you might not value at first. My favorite stems from a problem I've found when donning the symmetrical Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Apple AirPods Max. I always have to look inside their cups to figure out which cans to put on my left and right ears. In a perfect world, motion sensors would automatically detect how headphones are being worn, and adjust their audio channels appropriately. But as we all know, this is not a perfect world.
Fortunately, the XM6 headband is placed in an asymmetrical position that puts them towards the 'front' of the cans, so I learned to pick them up and wear them correctly without even thinking. This happened just now when I put the XM6 back on my head to write as I listened to Iggy Pop's 'Fall In Love With Me,' and it's a stellar example of how to design hardware that helps people use it more easily.
Otherwise, the XM6 are fairly traditional Bluetooth headphones. Their power button is also used to let you pair with devices, and their slim ANC button is subtle enough that you'll never activate it accidentally. I'm not a fan of the touch controls used to adjust volume on the right can, but I get a bit of joy out of double-tapping to pause and unpause all the time. The rest of the time, though, the XM6's wearing detection does that work for me when I remove them from my head.
Oh, and Sony sells them in three different colors: black, blue and a clay-like off-white hue. I got the third option, which looks neutral without being boring and traditional.
Sony's app is annoying, but I still use it for one special feature
I spent a lot of time in my XM6 review mocking Sony's Sound Connect app that provides access to its many special features on Android and iOS. This app clumsily packs features in an outdated-looking interface, but not much more needs to be said about it, because you don't really need to use it often.
Instead, I'll take a moment to highlight Background Music mode, which lets you trick your ears into thinking the music you're listening to is coming from further away. While I thought it would basically function as providing lower volume, it does something different using spatialized audio, making me think Metric and Brie Larson's cover of 'Black Sheep' is playing on speakers near me, and not in my ears.
This is admittedly a niche feature, but I've found it fun and nice to use. If you get the XM6, definitely try it out, and you'll get a sense of if you want it. Personally, I like the option to replicate the auditory sensation of listening to music on my home stereo speakers no matter where I am. I wish I could activate that without going into the app, but I can't figure out a way to map that control to any of the buttons. The Sound Control app offers many other features, but I found most of them — including Speak-to-Chat — to be more gimmicky than useful. You can learn more about those in my Sony WH-1000XM6 review.
After testing more of the XM6's special features, I accidentally enabled things I did not want, including my music resuming whenever I turned the headphones back on. This was similar to how the Bose QuietComfort Ultra defaulted to announcing the names of the devices I had connected. I disabled these options in the Sound Connect app by tapping the Scene tab and poking around inside of the Wear to Play and Voice Cue sections.
The Sony XM6 has flaws, but they far from unique
The only other flaws I can find with the XM6 are found in every similar headset. For starters, Sony's cans are not made for hot conditions, as they have zero water or sweat resistance, so I don't wear them out in public during heatwaves or on my long walks across the Manhattan Bridge. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and AirPods Max have the same flaw, which means wearing them during workouts (as I see people do at my gym) is setting yourself up for a pricey piece of broken tech.
The other major knock against them can be summarized as 'Wow, these things cost a lot!' Yes, at $450, the Sony XM6 exist in that upper echelon of gadgets so expensive that most of us wouldn't buy them impulsively. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones also go for $450, while Apple's AirPods Max are somehow $100 more at $549. That last price is a bit exceptionally high, considering how they've been out for five years and Apple's biggest change to them in that time was USB-C charging.
I used to be someone who pretty much lived within the Apple world. Aside from the rare product category Apple doesn't play in — soundbars, routers, e-readers and portable chargers — the things I rely on every day all bear an Apple logo. The Sony XM6 are so good that I didn't feel bad about leaving the AirPods Max behind. Yes, those headphones pair seamlessly with any other Apple device, but pairing is just the start of actually using a product.
You might notice that this review didn't talk about the AirPods Max sound quality, and that's basically by design. Aside from some time spent listening to them for my AirPods Max vs Sony XM6 face-off, the last three months didn't have a whole lot of listening to over-ear headphones that weren't the XM6. Sure, I've popped in the AirPods Pro 2 when I'm going to the gym or if it's simply too hot out for bigger headphones, but much like a fantastic song, the XM6 just took over my head this summer. And as we march into the fall and winter, I can only assume this trend will continue. I look forward to seeing if and how Apple and Bose attempt to take the crown back from Sony, but three months of joy is more than enough for me to confidently say the XM6 are the best noise canceling headphones you can buy.
What is the best way to pair the Sony WH-1000XM6 to a device?
What is the best way to pair the Sony WH-1000XM6 to a device?
The first time you pair the XM6, you'll simply turn on the headphones by holding down the power button (found on the bottom of the left cup) until the bootup sound effects play. Then, select 'WH-1000XM6' from your device's Bluetooth settings. When you pair the XM6 with a different device, hold the power button until you hear the headphones say 'pairing,' and then select the 'WH-1000XM6' from the Bluetooth menu.
When was the Sony WH-1000XM6 released?
When was the Sony WH-1000XM6 released?
The Sony XM6's release date was May 15, 2025.
What is the best way to clean the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones?
What is the best way to clean the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones?
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests the products we review and provides full transparency about our testing methodology. We're made up of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.
Electronics writer Henry T. Casey has written tech product reviews for a decade, during which he's been amazed by the amount of sound companies are squeezing out of the constantly shrinking earbuds, speakers and headphones. Casey also takes pride in being the relative and friend that folks turn to when it's time to figure out if AirPods are actually the best for every iPhone owner.