Sony’s latest pair of headphones pack in 30 hours of battery life, improved ANC and a more comfortable fit for 2025.
The outgoing model of Sony’s headphones are still available to buy, and feature excellent noise canceling and sound quality for a lower price.
If you’re looking to buy a new pair of some of the best noise-canceling headphones, you’ll almost certainly want to consider the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the WH-1000XM5. There’s more to the two headphones than just a single digit in the name, of course, but at a glance, it’s easy to wonder what sets the two apart.
Let me take some time to demonstrate how the two headphones differ. We’ll look at key feature, design and even price differences so you can more easily tell the two apart. Finally, I’ll give you an idea of who the two pairs of headphones are for.
So — what’s different between the Sony WH-1000XM6 and the WH-1000XM5?
Price
The WH-1000XM6 are the newer of the two pairs of headphones, and they cost $449. That’s around the same price as their closest rivals, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3. They’re $100 less than the AirPods Max, a more premium pair of headphones from Apple.
The WH-1000XM5 are the older model, and they cost $399. That’s $50 less than the WH-1000XM6, and makes them a great option if you want flagship specs for a slightly lower price. They’ve also been out long enough that they go on sale all the time. I’ve seen discounts as low as $278. The best time to get a good deal on either pair of headphones is during deals events like Black Friday, Prime Day, or Labor Day.
Features
The two pairs of headphones have comparable feature sets, although the XM6 has updated versions of them on account of their ‘newness.’ Both sets of headphones connect to the Sony Music app. In the app, you can adjust the EQ of the headphones, although the WH-1000XM6 have five more bands of adjustment than the XM5.
Both headphones support the Sony DSEE sound enhancement feature that upscales lower resolution tracks from, say, YouTube or Spotify, to make them sound better.
Both headphones also mostly use the same codecs — SBC, AAC and LDAC — however the WH-1000XM6 add Bluetooth LE and Auracast to the list. Both feature multipoint connection so that you can connect them to multiple devices, like a phone and a tablet or a laptop.
Touch controls are the same amongst the two models, using swipe gestures to change track, play/pause, and more. The WH-1000XM6 differ slightly in controls, as their power button has been further differentiated with the ANC key to make them easier to use.
Finally, Both headphones feature a wired mode with an included 3.5mm cable, although you can now charge the XM6 while you’re listening. Neither model features audio over USB-C, unfortunately.
ANC
The Sony WH-1000XM6 feature a new chip, called the “HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1.” As a result, there is a tangible increase in the noise canceling over the XM5. The XM5 still block plenty of noise, mind you, and rank amongst the best noise-canceling headphones.
The XM6’s mic count is 12, while the XM5 only feature 9 mics. That’s part of the reason the ANC is better on the XM6. It also increases the call quality of the headphones, as we’ll find out later.
Call quality
The XM5 call quality is very good. The multitude of mics means that voices sound clear and natural, while the noise canceling is capable of picking out your voice in noisy environments. They’re one of the best pairs of headphones for frequent callers as a result.
The XM6 are even better. Thanks to the increase in microphones, they’re able to isolate your voice amongst the din when in a call. Voices sound very natural. Connection stability throughout a call is excellent, too.
Design
At first glance, there aren’t that many visual distinctions between the two pairs of headphones. They share a similar, simplistic design language that’s worked for Sony for a long time. Zoom a bit closer in and you’ll notice some key differences between them.
First of all is the new headband on the WH-1000XM6. It’s been widened over the WH-1000XM5, and the padding has been improved. This aids comfort, and means you can wear them for a longer time without feeling uncomfortable.
The hinges have also been redesigned. They now fold to help the headphones fit into smaller places. This is the reason that the protective case is now more compact. It also adds in a potential structural weakness, although we’re yet to see any issues in our testing.
The shape of the earcups has also been changed. They’re slightly small, so people with larger ears might be better off with the WH-1000XM5. The shape is slightly different as well. The covering over the entire headphones, however, remains the same. That means greasy fingerprints galore — just look at my pairs. I wiped them down vigorously before taking my comparison shots, and yet they’re still a bit grungy.
Finally, the two cases are very different. The WH-1000XM5 feels less protective and is much larger. On the other hand, the WH-1000XM6 case feels nicer in the hand and is much more compact. The magnetic clasp on the XM6 case also feels more premium and easier to use than the zipper of the XM5 case.
Battery life
The battery life of the two sets of headphones is, by and large, the same. They’ll both last you for 30 hours with the ANC turned on. Turn the ANC off, and they’ll both give you 40 hours of battery life. That’s about par for the course at this price, and more than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
Quick charge is available for both. Three minutes of charge gets you three hours of battery life for the XM6. The XM5 get the same, but you’ll need to use a USB Power Delivery-enabled charger.
WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: Which pair is right for you?
Given that you can still buy the WH-1000XM5 even though their ‘replacement’ has launched, it can be tricky to drill down on who might want which pair of headphones. With a $50 price difference, it might not seem like much, but both have clear user bases that Sony is aiming at.
The WH-1000XM6 are for those who want the latest and greatest, and don’t mind paying a bit more money to get it. People who want the bragging rights of the latest pair of headphones when they meet up with their friends. Perhaps they want to make sure the ANC is the very best there is, or they want to hear the new sound profile. The XM6 will appeal to long-time XM5 users who want the upgrade now that their older Sony headphones is starting to show their age.
The XM5, on the other hand, are for a more pragmatic buyer. They want the flagship features, but they don’t mind forgoing the very best if it means they spend less money. The smarter purchase, perhaps, but one that’s less fun.
Both headphones have their strengths, and both share common weaknesses like their soft touch coatings. Still, both are excellent in their own right.
Ultimately, you can’t really go wrong with the Sony ANC headphone family.