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Journalism of Courage
There’s something profound and special about the WH-1000XM6, Sony’s latest flagship headphones, that’s hard to put into words. Ever since I landed in Delhi from London last week, the first package I picked up, out of many review units, was Sony’s new high-end cans, and they have been over my ears ever since. The truth is, I am obsessed with them. They felt so comfortable and sounded so good that for the first time in a long while, I felt someone had finally cracked how premium headphones should be made.
Here is my take on the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones after spending a week with them.
What: Sony WH-1000XM6| Price: Rs 39,990
I have a simple rule when reviewing headphones: I wear them daily – not because I need to test them quickly and rush to a verdict to meet a deadline, but because I am a headphone user first. My job becomes easier when I spend a lot of time with a product, taking notes as it almost becomes an extension of my personality.
Anyway, the process of using the Sony XM6 wasn’t much different from other headphones I have reviewed in recent months. A typical day with headphones begins as early as 6 am, when I go for my morning walk, a mix of brisk walking and running, with the XM6 over my ears, listening to music. Around lunchtime, I pick them up again to watch some YouTube videos or listen to a podcast. In the evening, I use the headphones once more during another walk, either to listen to music or take calls. And at night, before calling it a day, I wind down with some meditative music.
I follow this routine every day, but when I am traveling for work, I end up spending even more time with the headphones, especially on long-haul flights, where I often work with them throughout the journey or dive into long gaming sessions on my Nintendo Switch that can last for hours. Not to forget, I also wear headphones between press events, while transcribing interviews or writing stories on the ground. Now you can imagine how much of my day is spent with headphones, almost as much as with my phone.
One of the things that annoys me most about modern headphones is that there’s a limit to how long they can stay on my head. After a while, fatigue kicks in, and you just want to take them off. But the XM6 surprised me. I could wear them for a good chunk of time-at a stretch-without feeling irritated.
Wearing headphones on a short flight (say, San Francisco to Los Angeles) usually isn’t an issue. But I often take long flights, like Dubai to San Francisco or Delhi to New York. That means if I’m carrying a pair of headphones, they need to be comfortable enough to wear for the entire duration of the flight.
Just remember, my only source of entertainment during the flight is the in-flight system (and thankfully, you can now pair your headphones via Bluetooth on select airlines) or the device I carry along. When I travel, I carry fewer devices and have to be very selective, but headphones always come with me.
The XM6 headphones have received several design upgrades compared to Sony’s previous flagship cans. The headband is wider and a bit flatter, rounded ear cups and even the earcup material (now replaceable by Sony) has been improved, and a folding design.
Perhaps what won me over was the XM6’s comfort. They weigh 252 grams (compared to the AirPods Max’s 388 grams). Honestly, every time I have them on my head, I literally forget I’m wearing them. There’s plenty of cushioning on the ear pads and headband, which makes these headphones a delight to wear for extended periods. They still feature a matte finish along with a fingerprint-resistant coating, which I really liked.
Another great aspect of the design is the hinges at the end of each sliding arm on the headband, which allow you to fold the headphones for easier carrying and portability.
The power button has also been updated to a circular, recessed design, making it much easier to locate when the XM6 are on your head. It also doubles as the pairing button. The basic functionality remains unchanged, with the left ear cup housing the power button, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the NC/AMB button. The USB-C port is located on the right ear cup, which also houses the touch controls.
Although I am not a huge fan of the touch controls, especially for adjusting volume on the right ear cup, I had no issues with double-tapping to pause and resume playback. I do wish Sony had taken a leaf out of Nothing’s book and added a physical volume control roller, like the rubbery wheel you can spin, the one seen on the Headphone 1. The XM6 also supports wear detection, meaning music automatically pauses when the headphones are removed from my head.
The XM6 have that typical Sony flair, and I like that. Even more impressive is the case. Yes, the case. It’s a standard hardshell design, but cleverly engineered, with a recessed compartment and fabric netting that securely holds the headphones in place, unlike the flap-style compartment seen in the XM5 case. The new case is rounder, more compact, and travel-friendly, with a magnetic clasp closure.
The XM6 mark the return of Sony’s signature sound, and the great audio quality that had been missing in the last few iterations of the company’s flagship high-end cans. The brand-new 30mm driver does the trick, and this time, it’s both interesting and fascinating.
When I listened to “Perfect” by Guru Randhawa, the track had a solid punch; you could almost feel it. The sound was well-balanced, striking the right mix between thumping bass and clear vocals. The bass was never overpowering; instead, I consistently got a punchy low-end throughout.
Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” is another great example of how good the XM6 sounds. Both the vocals and instrumentation felt natural and accurate, and Swift’s magical voice carried so much passion and freshness that you instantly connect with the artist. “Pure” is the right word to describe the feeling.
I listened to a variety of music on the XM6, bouncing between hip-hop, EDM, jazz, classical, and local Indian music, and these headphones can handle it all, with or without ANC activated. If you are into jazz or classical music, the XM6 maintains the depth, width, and soundstage needed for those genres. I don’t know how audiophiles will react to the XM6, since audio is highly subjective and the listening experience varies from person to person, but if you are a music lover, you will enjoy Sony’s new premium cans.
The XM6 headphones also support high-resolution audio, including several hi-res Bluetooth codecs, most notably, LDAC. LDAC, Sony’s leading audio coding technology, transmits approximately three times more data than conventional Bluetooth audio, delivering exceptional high-resolution sound quality.
The XM6 also offers Bluetooth multipoint support for connecting two devices at once, Speak-to-Chat for hands-free commands, Quick Access, and Ambient Sound Mode.
These days, nearly every high-end pair of headphones comes with noise cancellation, and the Sony XM6 is no exception. However, each brand takes a different approach to tuning its noise cancellation. That said, the noise cancelling on the XM6 is just as effective as it was on Sony’s previous generation, the XM5. The new headphones have done an excellent job blocking out many everyday noises I have encountered, such as a fan, microwave, keys, sounds from buses and scooters, and announcements at metro stations.
The XM6’s Ambient Sound mode lets you hear what’s happening around you. It’s decent, but I felt it’s not on the same level as the Apple AirPods Max’s Transparency Mode. The headphones’ microphones also performed well, according to friends and family, my voice sounded clear during phone calls throughout testing.
One of the best things about the Sony XM6 is its impressive battery life. Sony claims up to 30 hours of audio playback with noise cancelling enabled, and I experienced roughly the same. You don’t need to worry about charging them daily…maybe just twice a week if you listen to music for an hour or two each day. However, if you are taking a long flight lasting over 13 hours, that’s probably the only time you’ll need to think about charging them in advance. These headphones also support fast charging, offering up to three hours of playback from just three minutes of charging.
I spent a lot of time with the XM6, and the one thing that disappointed me was the app. I appreciate that the headphones come packed with features, some of which are unique to the XM6, but the app interface is so clumsy that it makes accessing those features difficult.
The XM6 headphones don’t have sweat or water resistance, just like the Apple AirPods Max, which means you really have to check the weather before wearing them outside. I don’t have to think twice when using wireless earbuds, but with the XM6, I am hesitant to take them out even in light rain, as they could malfunction. I don’t want to take a risk with a pair of headphones that cost Rs 40,000.
I often get asked whether high-end headphones from Sony, Bose, or Apple even qualify as “audiophile-level.” Personally, I don’t think the question really matters. If you are someone who loves listening to music, travels frequently, and needs solid noise cancellation, the truth is- the Sony XM6 sounds good. It doesn’t matter whether they carry the “audiophile” label or not.
It’s like comparing a professional camera to a smartphone camera: at the end of the day, what matters is whether you liked the photo. Similarly, headphones like the XM6 offer plenty of power, an impressively wide soundstage, and solid instrument separation.
Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM6 are exceptional headphones, but don’t buy them for sound quality alone, thinking you will become an audiophile or suddenly start hearing intricate details, especially considering the Rs 40,000 price tag. Their main selling points are convenience and quality-of-life improvements.
