Introduction
This year, Sony released a new addition to the high-end noise-concerning (ANC) WH-1000X series after a gap of three years. The new WH-1000XM6 model comes with the promise of “best noise cancellation” (according to Sony’s official website), but is also an increase of $ 50 price.
I have been an enthusiastic user of the series since I have been an enthusiastic user, so it was a pleasure to see how well they are performing and compared to the older models of Sony.
Design and comfort
Sony WH-1000xm6 is a full-sized pair of over-ear headphones. They come in three colors: Black, Midnight Blue and Platinum Silver. They facilitate the standard two buttons on the left ear cup-to charge a 3.5 mm jack with a noisy/surroundings mode button and to charge on the right ear cup with a USB-C port. With XM6, Sony has turned the power button into a round shape, making it easier to detect by touch. The touch control remains unchanged from the previous model. The same carbon fiber is made of overall materials. The earpads cover my ears without covering them completely. The ear cups are more fingerprint-resistant than the XM5. Overall, they are comfortable to wear and do not cause improper sweating or discomfort during prolonged use. Although the headband is less padding than the XM5, it remains comfortable and does not cause any unpleasantness.
The case of headphones is slightly more compact and easy to open, thanks to a magnetic handle that is more convenient than the zipper used on the previous model. Inside, there is standard 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable with a small USB-C cable for charging. While the design is commonly similar to the preceding of the headphone, the hinges make a big comeback with the XM6. The headphones can be diverted and placed in a more compact case, such as the XM5 -older models. Of course, removing the hinges from XM5 was one of the most controversial design decisions made by Sony when designing the series.
Sony wh-1000xm6 folded.
Personally, I found the folding process finish and cumbersome compared to the previous model. At its top, the case is not so compact – it is only 3 cm short and 2 cm narrow. Additionally, the hinge enables the top band to pill oddly, while the ear cups move up and inward from the base of the headphone. Possibly due to this curvature, I found that XM6 is slightly more challenging to insert correctly, resulting in the earpads not sealing properly around the ears. A snug fit is important not only for comfort but for optimal ANC performance. Later on it.
Side-by-side in Sony WH-1000xm5 and Who-1000XM6 cases.
Overall, Sony WH-1000xm6 is well built and comfortable to wear. In my opinion, the folding feature is somewhat overrated, although it eventually comes down to personal preference.
Software and features
Use Sony WH1000xm6 iOS and Sony Sound Connect app on Android. The app, earlier known as the Sony headphone connect, has been unavoidable for many years for Sony wireless headphones.
I personally find the app very bloated and small car; For example, it will forget continuously specific settings that I have turned on or turned on (such as speech-to-chat). On a fresh installation, the app directs the user via cumbersome, unwanted, unwanted tutorials and other initial setup stages until they can reach the device settings. Recently, Sony has removed some impractical characteristics, such as a badge under the hearing activity tab.
At the same time, they have introduced the “view”, which allow users to adapt to the headphone behavior at a specific time of day or space, such as switching or closing. Of course, such a feature is useful, although some people may consider it unnecessary, given how simple it is to manually turn or close the headphone. A familiar feature from the previous model is a adaptive sound control, which automatically switchs between ANC and surroundings mode depending on the user activity. Personally, I do not use adaptive sound control or speaking-to-chat, as I struggle to listen to those who clearly speak in ambient mode. Therefore, I just remove the headset while talking.
For Sony Sound Connect app Android, there is visual feature.
Sony has introduced a hearing mode in the app, which is exclusive to the WH-1000xm6. There is an option between “standard”, “background music” and “cinema”. “Background Music” adjusts the sound to simulate a distant environment, such as a living room or cafe. “Cinema” is designed for video content and simulates a movie theater environment made possible by Sony’s 360 reality audio upmix technology.
In addition, the sound connect app offers familiar features from previous models, including a custom equipment, 360 reality audio setups, and spatial sound and head tracking, which all increase the hearing experience. The headphones support Bluetooth multipoint, allowing them to connect them to several devices simultaneously. They also offer Voice Assistant Integration (with an alternative between Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa) and also the option to customize the ANC/Ambient Mode button on the set.
Sony Sound Connect App Features: Hearing Mode, various device settings.
Like the previous model, the-1000xm6 can automatically stop the playback even when the headphones are removed from your ears. They are automatically closed even after a short time of inaction. While the headphone has a 3.5 mm jack, they do not support USB audio playback, which can close some users.
Display
audio quality
Who-1000xm6 is luxurious. They offer warm tuning, a strong bass appearance and better clarity. There is definitely a better midrange clarity, and overall, the headset seems soft and very full than its predecessors. The Sony Sound Connect app has an adaptable equalizer control, which makes it particularly useful for those who prefer to personalize their sound. The app also has a user -friendly “Find Your Equalizer” function, which makes users easily uncertain about their sound preferences to select Custom EQ settings.
Sony Sound Connect App EQ Settings.
Generally, Sony’s latest headset offers an excellent audio experience. Tuned with inputs from professional massers engineers, the XM6S studio-grade creates a balance between precision and enjoyment of everyday listening, making them ideal for both casual listeners and even some audiofiles.
Microphone
Sony WH-1000xm6 is equipped with a six-microphone AI-based beamforming system that separates your voice and filters background noise. While this is a technical upgrade on the previous model, the weakest feature of the microphone headset. In a studio setting, the quality of MIC is quite good for the headphones of this caliber. But outside, especially in a noise environment such as public transit, the microphone remains abijmal. Sony’s algorithm successfully distinguishes the background noise, but this process almost impossible to hear the sounds.
The Sony Sound Connect app in XM6 has an additional togle that turns on voice capture during phone calls. Voice capture should improve voice quality, but our tests did not have a significant improvement. It claims to offer an AI-based voice isolation, but in our experience, it behaves more like a noisy gate, cutting the sounds below a certain range, including sometimes your voice. Other companies, such as Nvidia, are miles ahead in AI Voice Isolation. Ultimately, while the Japanese company has made gradual improvement in microphone setups in recent models, there is still space for improvement in terms of voice clarity.
noise cancellation
As expected, the outstanding noise in the-1000xm6 is canceled. They come with an HD noise canceling processor QN3, which is 7X faster than Q1 in XM5. The ANC excels in reducing the repetition, such as engines and trains, so the headphones perform fiercely on an airplane, public transit or a busy road. Where technology often decreases, sometimes there is a fiery sharp noise, such as the announcement of the train, although rapid processing has better canceled such noise. The XM6 shows improvement on the previous model in pressing contingency noise, although the technology remains incomplete. Saying that, Sony produces some best, if not the best, then ANC headphones in the market, and XM6 are currently their best offering.
Regarding the ambient mode, on its maximum setting, external sounds are clearly clarified, and voices compared to the previous model come through crisp.
The only problem I found was difficulty finding a comfortable fit, as mentioned earlier. The curvature of the ear cup, as well as with the fact that I am wearing glasses, spoiled the fit compared to the previous models, resulting in a poor noise-making experience. This is not an important issue; This simply means that users should be more cautious when adding headphones.
Flightness and connectivity
We tested the WH-1000xm6 using AAC and LDAC Codecs, and there was no noticeable delay. The headset had excellent connectivity performance during the test. There were no connection drops or stutters during audio playback or phone calls.
battery life
Typically, the headphones of the WH-1000xmx series provide excellent battery life, and XM6 is no exception. Sony advertises up to a 30-hour battery life, and the headset supports fast charging (3 min charge for 3 hours playback). Our tests achieved even more impressive results: using a combination of music playback and voice calls with ANC competent, the headphone lasted for about 40 hours on the same charge.
conclusion
Finally, Sony WH-1000xm6 is undoubtedly the best ANC over-ear headphone available. They are light and relatively compact. The noisy experience and audio quality is far better than before. The headset claims a long and reliable battery life, ensuring that it will also run through the longest flights.
While the new model is an upgradation on its predecessor in terms of audio quality and ANC, the design remains largely unchanged, if not a little inferior. The hinging mechanism makes the headset feel less strong, yet provides very little benefit in terms of compactness. The microphone is best when used out. The high value tag of $ 499.99 should stop buyers. Although it can be appropriate given by global inflation, it is difficult to justify us the price proposal. Especially given that the older models are available from concessional prices or other hand, for example, WH-1000xm5 currently sells on Sony’s official website $ 299.99. In the opinion of this reviewer, which is a great purchase for those who upgrade from old models from WH-1000xm6 XM5 or Midrange ANC over-ear headphones.
Finally, Sony has added a strong to the WH-1000xmx family. XM6 set a solid benchmark for travel headphones and over-ear headphones.
