Updated May 20 with more analysis of the newly released headphones and pricing.<\/p>\n
The new noise-cancelling headphones from Sony, WH-1000XM6, have just been unveiled. It\u2019s about three years since the last pair, so you\u2019d have thought there would have been a lot of changes. You\u2019d have thought right. And the bonus of the new release is also that the prices of two earlier models have dropped. The Sony series of headphones have routinely been well-loved and admired. Here\u2019s what\u2019s changed since the last model.<\/p>\n
Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones in midnight blue<\/p>\n
Sony<\/p>\n
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Sony WH-1000XM6 Design<\/p>\n
At first glance, they look similar to the WH-1000XM5 headphones they supersede (but not replace, the WH-1000XM5 remain in the range at a reduced price: they were $399.99, now they\u2019re $349.99 from electronics.sony.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n ForbesApple\u2019s Surprise \u2018Game-Changer\u2019 Free Offer To All iPhone 13 Users Now LiveBy David Phelan<\/a><\/p>\n However, these headphones fold. The previous models let you turn the cups flat to be packed away, but you couldn\u2019t fold them in on themselves. A new hinge lets you fold them any which way, it feels like. The hinge includes metal supports which look and feel sturdy.<\/p>\n Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are just out.<\/p>\n Sony<\/p>\n Max Freeman-Mills at T3<\/a> commented on the new hinge. \u201cAround those ear cups, though, there are a heap of changes. The biggest is the arrival of stainless steel hinges, which operate noiselessly and let you fold the headphones away in a manner totally skipped by the XM5. That’ll put them among the best headphones for travel for many, then. The WH-1000XM6 can fold right up into a semi-circular shape if you like, although the case that comes with the headphones only puts them in a half-fold,\u201d he reported.<\/p>\n Subtler details have also changed, like the angle of the headband. The angle of the hinge has been changed to bring to give a cleaner appearance and bring the headband closer to your head. It\u2019s also designed to make it more comfy \u2014 the headband is also wider than before. The fold is helpful for when you\u2019re packing them away in the case or slipping them into a backpack.<\/p>\n Sony WH-1000XM6 case with magnetic closure<\/p>\n Sony<\/p>\n The case, by the way, is also a new design, with a magnetic closure replacing the zip from last time for extra convenience. Some users may still find the case on the large side, even if it is simpler to use (and to pick up, as there\u2019s a handy tag at the top).<\/p>\n Freeman-Mill likes it, though. \u201cThat case \u2014 which is color-matched to your black, blue or silver headphones \u2014 is now sealed with a nice little magnetic clasp, instead of the XM5-style zip, which Sony admitted to me was \u2018difficult to open\u2019\u2026 It works a treat and offers good protection thanks to a hard shell design,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sony WH-1000XM6 in silver finish<\/p>\n Sony<\/p>\n The new design also has more microphones: six on each earcup instead of the four on each side last time around. This is designed to improve call quality, with one pair of microphones facing back and up, to hear background noise accurately before quietening it. There\u2019s also a microphone inside each ear cup to hear noise there and deal with it.<\/p>\n The colors are the same as the original range for the WH-1000XM5: black, silver and midnight blue. Smoky pink was also added to the XM5s during its time as top-flight headphones.<\/p>\n Oh, one other change: Speak to Chat is no longer activated from the earcup. Speak to Chat is great: it quells what you\u2019re listening to, the second it hears you speaking. But some people, the sort who sing along to a song or find themselves shouting at a movie on the inflight entertainment, for instance, saw it kick into action when it wasn\u2019t wanted. You\u2019ll have guessed, dear reader, that I was one of the above people. The feature is still there but it\u2019s now activated from the Sony app instead.<\/p>\n Sony WH-1000XM6 Processor<\/p>\n Welcome to the new QN3 processor, which Sony claims is seven times faster than the chip in the last model and delivers a leap forward in sound quality, with or without noise-cancelling.<\/p>\n Sony\u2019s noise-cancelling has always been at the very highest level of quality, so any uptick will be impressive. T3 felt that this uptick was noticeable. \u201cThe XM6 sound phenomenal, with adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC) that defies belief,\u201d the report said, also saying that it was \u201cthe best noise-cancelling I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a new adaptive optimizer for noise-cancelling to help with this and to adjust air pressure, which can be a nuisance in noise-cancellers.<\/p>\n Sony WH-1000XM6 Availability And Price<\/p>\n The headphones are available to purchase from today, Saturday, May 17 and cost $449.99<\/a> or \u00a3399<\/a> in the U.K. Both prices are a touch higher than the original release prices for the WH-1000XM5 headphones \u2014 to be precise, the price in the U.S. has gone up by $50, while the U.K. price is \u00a320 more.<\/p>\n By the way, T3\u2019s major negative note in its commentary was the price increase, saying the extra cost was, \u201cnot too bad as a percentage, but it\u2019s not nothing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Note that both prices are still noticeably less than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones or Apple AirPods Max which cost $499 and $549 respectively.<\/p>\n