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After three years, Sony finally dropped a new pair of flagship headphones — the WH-1000XM6 headphones.
I use the XM5s as my daily headphones (as much as I can as someone who tests headphones for a living), so I was especially curious to test out the performance difference between the two headphones that, at first glance, look nearly identical.
I won't bury the lede: if you're someone who owns the XM5s already, I don't think the XM6s are a must-upgrade — they're not different enough to justify an additional $450. However, I do think there are pros and cons to be weighed for folks upgrading from older models (or for folks dealing with a bad case of FOMO). Below, you'll find my full comparison.
XM6 vs. XM5: Specs
At a glance, here are the spec differences between the two headphones:
XM6 specs
Processor: Sony QN3
Microphones: 12
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (LDAC support)
Battery: 30 hours with ANC (40 hours without)
Quick charge: 3 hours in 3 minutes
Noise cancellation settings: Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, off
Spatial audio: Yes
Colors: Midnight blue, black, silver
Inputs: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Weight: Approx. 8.96 ounces
XM5 specs
Processor: Sony QN1
Microphones: 8
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2 (LDAC support)
Battery: 30 hours with ANC (40 hours without)
Quick charge: 3 hours in 3 minutes
Noise cancellation settings: Active noise cancellation, transparency mode, off
Spatial audio: Yes
Colors: Midnight blue, black, silver, smoky pink
Inputs: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack
Weight: Approx. 8.82 ounces
From a spec perspective, you might notice right off the bat that there aren't that many differences. Here's how that plays out in actually using both pairs:
XM6 vs. XM5: Sound quality
According to the XM6 press release, Sony worked with Grammy-winning and nominated audio engineers to make these headphones sound as good as possible.
In short, it does show. Out of the box, the XM6s generally sounded fuller and warmer, letting more elements of the song shine through. Mashable's Timothy Werth wrote in his standalone review for the XM6s that he found vocals to shine particularly, and I wholeheartedly agree.
That said, it wasn't as if every song featured a day or night difference — it was harder for me to pick out major differences on a live version of the Eagles' "Hotel California." But for the majority of the songs I tested, like Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl," to simpler songs that heavily feature vocals like Feist's "Now At Last," and Natalia Lafourcade & Los Macorinos's "Soledad y el Mar," the differences stood out almost immediately. Their vocals sounded more dynamic — not quite as if they were in the room with me, but marginally less like I was streaming it from my phone or computer.
With the app, both headphones offer plenty of equalizer settings. With the XM6s, you'll actually get fewer presets — eight compared to the XM5s' 12 — but the same two custom preset slots. The XM6s' presets also feel more distinct and offer helpful descriptions underneath each one, whereas the XM5s feature a couple of more vague names like "bright" and "excited." The XM6s also feature a gaming preset, showing an effort to make these headphones more seamlessly versatile for daily use.
Unlike the XM5s, the XM6s offer three listening modes: standard, background, and cinema. You can't use the equalizer with the latter two, but both are meant to simulate a certain experience — for background, a "distant ambiance," according to Sony's app, and for cinema, a more immersive experience powered by Sony's 360 Audio Upmix tech. Each of the three modes does actually provide a distinct sound, giving the XM6s an edge over the previous generation.
Winner: WH-1000XM6
XM6 vs. XM5: Noise cancellation
From a pure specs point of view, the XM6s should offer better noise cancellation than the XM5s: They have 12 microphones compared to the XM5s' eight microphones. The XM6s also feature a new QN3 processor, which Sony says improves the headphones' adaptive noise-cancelling capabilities.
In practice, I didn't notice a vast world of difference between the XM5s and XM6s. My partner records a lot of audio for his work, so noise-cancelling headphones are a necessity for our dual work-from-home space. With my first few wears of the XM6s, it was hard for me to tell if any less noise was getting through — only after being very nitpicky did I think his voice was slightly more dampened by the newer headphones.
This isn't necessarily a knock against the XM6s, considering that the XM5s do have really impressive noise cancellation. More so, it feels like a limit of what noise cancellation in general can do — I've never tested a pair of headphones that offer pure silence in every situation. Relatively speaking, though, both of these headphones sit near the top of the pack from what's available on the market these days.
In addition to my apartment, I used both headphones at a park next to a busy street, a cafe with plenty of music and patrons coming in and out, a busy press room at VidCon, and while taking walks in my neighborhood. In each of those situations, I didn't notice huge performance differences.
Considering the XM6s are $50 more, it's hard to make a case for why they're objectively better. The addition of a feature like manually adjustable ANC — something I've been seeing more and more on cheaper options like Skullcandy's latest earbuds — could've helped justify the higher price point.
Winner: WH-1000XM5
XM6 vs. XM5: Comfort and design
As similar as they look, the biggest difference between the XM6s and XM5s is a design change: the ability to fold up the ear cups.
The XM5s did away with the folding design found on the XM4s, making them a bulkier option for traveling. With this newer generation, Sony brought the feature back while retaining the overall look of the XM5s. While there will be some personal preference at play here, in my mind, this brings together the best of both worlds.
This design difference does result in an XM6 case that's both thinner and more compact, making it a better option for frequent travelers.
On a less dramatic note, Sony also switched up the button designs on the XM6s, making the power and Bluetooth button a circle. Though not drastic, it's a nice quality-of-life upgrade that makes it easier to identify which button is which without looking, or memorizing their positions.
Both headphones also feature the same exterior touch controls that can be toggled on and off.
As for the actual wear of both headphones, the XM6s are ever so slightly heavier, with a weight of 8.96 ounces compared to the XM5s' 8.82. Does this result in any real difference in comfort? For me, not particularly. The headband on the XM6s was also slightly thicker, resulting in a more cushioned feel, but overall, these headphones use the same exterior materials, making them virtually indistinguishable by touch alone.
Winner: WH-1000XM6
XM6 vs. XM5: App features
The WH-1000XM6s and XM5s both use Sony's Sound Connect app. The in-app functions are basically the same, with minor differences.
The XM6s have the listening mode section that the XM5s don't (as mentioned in the sound quality section), but beyond that, the app is pretty much identical. Sony's app isn't my favorite — though it offers a fair bit of customization for your device, it ultimately has so many different areas to navigate that it doesn't feel the most intuitive.
The app itself offers the standard fare, including automatic powering off, voice control settings, multipoint toggling, and automatic pausing. As someone who prefers buttons to touch controls, I wish the XM6s allowed you to toggle the NC button to pause or play music, but like the XM5s, it can only be set to quickly enable Spotify Tab, Endel, or Amazon Music Play Now. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a future update.
Winner: Tie
XM6 vs. XM5: Value
Sony still sells its circa-2020 WH-1000XM4 headphones for $350, so I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that it's keeping the XM5s available at $400, and upped the price on the XM6s to $450. Then there's the fact that competitors' headphones are priced similarly: Bose raised the price on the QuietComfort Ultra headphones to $449 from $429 sometime in the spring, while Apple's AirPods Max continue to sit at the impressively high $549.
But I'm not so convinced that we should expect a $50 price raise with each generation. If anything, the XM6s' new price makes the XM5s more appealing, especially if they drop to the $300 sale price we see them hit with some regularity. Sure, you won't be getting the absolute latest and greatest, but if you don't particularly care about folding ear cups, it's a much better value than going for headphones that don't make any hugely sweeping changes.
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Winner: WH-1000XM6s for frequent travelers, XM5s for everyone else
Like I said up top, if you have the XM5s, there's no real reason to upgrade to the XM6s. If your current headphones or on their absolute last legs or you travel frequently, the XM6s are a worthy upgrade.
But if the folding ear cups don't call to you, I recommend saving the $50 (or even more, depending on available deals) and grabbing the XM5s. The sound difference between the two headphones is noticeable side by side, but the XM5s are still excellent-sounding headphones in their own right — you'll just likely have to play around with the equalizer a bit more to draw out the best possible sound. And don't get me wrong, the other design differences are nice upgrades to the XM6s, but ultimately, they're minor and don't quite justify a price bump.
Despite being a 2022 release, the XM5s are far from feeling outdated at this point in time, making them a great option for sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation.
Still can't decide? Check out our full reviews of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones and WH-1000XM6 headphones.
