Immersive music with no interruptions: the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones set a new bar for active noise cancellation

Sony has been at the forefront of audio tech since its founding nearly 80 years ago, when it launched with Japan’s first tape recorder. In the years since, the iconic brand has dominated the audiovisual market, particularly in the personal audio space. The fact the Walkman became synonymous with portable music players is especially revealing.

In short, Sony is a brand you can trust for the best quality in personal audio.

A shining example is the company’s latest WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones, which represent the amalgamation of decades of expertise to deliver the absolute best noise cancellation currently available.

A champion nearly 10 years in the making

The Sony WH-1000XM6s arrive with an illustrious heritage. Their lineage can be traced back to the MDR-1000X headphones that launched in 2016. Sony claimed back then that its inaugural premium pair of headphones were noise-cancelling industry leaders, a claim that was certainly earned.

Four more pairs of class-leading cans have been launched since, all of which adopted the new WH-1000XM naming convention. With each iteration, Sony has improved its ANC technology even further, while also enhancing audio performance, comfort and extra features. They’ve all paved the way for the release of the latest WH-1000XM6 headphones in 2025, which once again see Sony take the crown for the best noise-cancelling over-ears – that's based on both Sony's own testing* and even in our objective and unbiased guide to the best headphones in Australia.

Whether you’re vacuuming around your home, walking down a bustling street or heading to work on a train, the XM6 will isolate you from the noise, even when used at lower volumes.

The tech used by the best

It takes more than just good design to be the best, it takes years of experience and industry knowledge to not only recognise the necessary components, but to be able to integrate them into a compelling whole.

In the WH-1000XM6, Sony didn’t simply take the (admittedly excellent) WH-1000XM5s and give them a couple of new features. Instead, the Japanese electronics giant went back to the drawing board and developed a new processor and new drivers.

Sony claims its new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 is 7x faster than the one found in the previous XM5s, allowing it to instantly analyse external sounds via the headphones’ 12 microphones, and counteract them to prevent most external noise from reaching your ears.

The 30mm drivers inside the earpieces have also had an upgrade, including a new perforated voice coil for improved performance in the higher frequencies, and a new soft-edge dome surround that is more flexible than in the previous model, helping the whole driver move greater quantities of air and enhancing bass performance.

Where Sony’s pedigree further makes itself known is in the overall sound profile, which is incredibly well-balanced out of the box. Other brands may focus on one frequency range over another, but Sony manages to bring them all together for a truly cohesive and flexible listening experience.

Headphones tailored to you

The Sony WH-1000XM6s come expertly tuned, delivering a balanced profile that caters to all genres. It’s an incredibly revealing listen, and you’ll likely hear nuances in some of your favourite songs you never knew were there. Should you wish to experiment with the sound profile, Sony gives you the tools you need to tailor it to your personal tastes via its feature-packed Sound Connect app.

Head into the app and you can access a 10-band equaliser for comprehensive calibration, or to make things easier, the Find Your Equaliser feature allows you to easily pick your favourite sound signature from a list of presets.

You can also enable DSEE Extreme, a Sony technology that up-mixes lower quality audio files, breathing new life into them with extra detail and the best sound possible. Plus, the XM6s support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial technology, which can also be used to turn any song into one with greater immersion.

Case closed

The final feather in the XM6’s cap is their travel-friendly design and superb carry case. Sony has reintroduced and reengineered a folding mechanism last seen on the WH-1000XM4, that allows the latest set of headphones to be stowed away more easily in a bag or in their case.

The carry case is equally tough and features a magnetic clasp for simple opening and closing – no more needing to worry about a zip breaking!

*As of March 1, 2025. Ambient noise reduction according to research by Sony Corporation, measured using IEC-compliant guidelines for the top 10 brands (by market share) of headband-style of wireless noise-cancelling headphones market.