In May 2022, Sony launched the WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, which immediately reclaimed the position as a market reference in active noise cancelling headphones and personal audio. Three years later, the new WH-1000XM6 model, powered by next-gen processors, 12 microphones, and intelligent algorithms, combines the best noise canceling into a new seamless, foldable design. This time, guided by world-renowned mastering audio engineers, Sony expects the WH-1000XM6 headphones to set a new standard for music lovers, travelers, and music professionals.
The WH-1000XM6 headphones are powered by the new HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 that is seven times faster than the previous model and uses 1.5 times more microphones than the WH-1000XM5 to fine-tune sounds in real time. The precise detection of the twelve microphones allows for more accurate and adaptive noise cancellation to fit the user’s environment. Additionally, Sony’s new Adaptive NC Optimizer adjusts noise canceling to any form of external noise and air pressure.
Because of the new processing platform and audio front-end, Auto Ambient Sound mode is even more accurate at adapting to listeners’ surroundings in real time, balancing music and external sound, letting only important signals like announcements and conversations pass through. Users can easily switch between noise canceling, ambient sound, and muting the mic with the tactile buttons and a responsive touch panel on the earcups, adjust settings automatically, or fine-tune them manually in the Sound Connect app.
According to Sony, the specially designed drivers in the WH-1000XM6 headphones, using a high-rigidity carbon fiber composite material dome and uniquely developed voice coil structure, are also optimally tuned for enhanced noise cancellation. And the headphones’ response was developed in collaboration with world-renowned mastering audio engineers at three of the industry’s top recording studios — Sterling Sound, Battery Studios, and Coast Mastering.
“Sony has always been a benchmark for premium quality, and the WH-1000XM6 headphones take it to a new level,” says Randy Merrill, Mastering Engineer from Sterling Studio who took part in the co-creation of the WH-1000XM6 headphones. “They transport me to a different world with their excellent bass, frequency response, soundstage, and detail and truthfully represent the sounds of the recordings that we work so hard to make.”
Mike Piacentini from Battery Studios states, “We, as mastering engineers, spend a lot of time with the artists and producers to make their vision sound as intended. With the WH-1000XM6, listeners will have a more enjoyable experience because they’re hearing every emotion, engineering decision, and songwriting choice that the artist and engineer have made.”
The renewed platform for the headphones is now a Bluetooth 5.3 radio that is ready for LE Audio and Auracast, and supports Bluetooth multipoint and Auto Switch. Thanks to LDAC, Sony’s industry-adopted audio codec, the WH-1000XM6 headphones also support High-Resolution Audio Wireless, apart from working in wired mode with the USB-C cable. In addition, using Edge-AI, DSEE Extreme upscales compressed digital music files in real time to restore high-range sound lost in compression. It remains off when listening to an AAC source.
The Sony Sound Connect app includes a 10-band EQ, Background Music Effect that expands the soundfield, and a Game EQ mode, developed with Sony’s expertise from INZONE, its gaming gear brand, to enhance sound quality. For those watching movies on the go, the WH-1000XM6 also features 360 Reality Audio Upmix for Cinema, converting 2ch stereo to 360 Spatial Sound.
With an advanced six-microphone AI-based beamforming system that isolates the user’s voice from background noise, even in noisy environments, the WH-1000XM6 headphones support even better calls. And the new Scene-based Listening feature uses sensing technology to automatically play music according to the user’s activity and adjust noise cancellation level based on their environment and location. Quick Access and Scene-based Listening can connect to music services including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music.
In terms of design, when compared with the WH-1000XM5, changes might seem subtle, but in reality, the familiar headphones design of the 1000X series has been taken to the next level with a new soft fit wider headband featuring synthetic leather, ensuring a pressure-free fit. The earpads are designed for all-day wear thanks to stretchable material that provides a secure yet gentle fit to reduce pressure while still blocking external noise. And the folding mechanism is crafted using advanced metal injection for a seamless, durable fold, while designed to slip easily into bags and airplane pockets. Also, the compact case now features a magnetic closure for convenient access. Both the headphones and the carrying case are now made with recycled material from post-consumer waste. The WH-1000XM6 packaging uses an environmentally conscious paper material made from bamboo, sugarcane fibers, and post-consumer recycled paper.
Users can now listen and charge at the same time by simply plugging in the USB-C charging cable. Battery life remains mostly unchanged, with the WH-1000XM6 headphones allowing up to 30 hours of battery life with noise cancelling on, and three hours’ worth of charge in just three minutes with a fast charger.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are available now in Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue with a suggested retail price of $449.99 USD.
www.sony.com
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