The XM4 are my current choice, but the XM6 are calling my name
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Sony's highly anticipated WH-1000XM6 wireless headphones were finally unveiled last week, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Sony has knocked it out of the park yet again, delivering yet another candidate for our best noise-cancelling headphones list.
While the sound quality is, of course, paramount to the success of these new noise-cancelling cans, what's appealed most to me is the new form factor.
I'm someone who never leaves the house (or, more recently, the country) without my trusty Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones; yes, the ones from 2020. Even though they are now half a decade old, and two generations behind, I have never felt the need even to consider upgrading to their successors, the WH-1000XM5.
Why? Simply put, the XM5's design is a functional downgrade from the XM4 for me. For some reason, Sony opted to ditch the neat and sturdy folding design on the XM4 for a sleeker set of cans where you can only rotate the earcups to sit flat.
In turn, this resulted in a larger case that was more of a hindrance than a help. Don't get me wrong, the XM4 case isn't perfect, as you technically only fold in one of the earcups, but it was still a better design than the XM5.
More importantly, they can be folded into a super-compact ball when required, which I find handy when I don't want to lug the case around and would rather just stick them in my coat pocket.
So, how have the WH-1000XM6 won me over? Sony has seen sense and returned to a folding design with a new durable metal hinge that makes the cans both "refined" and "resilient", according to Sony.
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The folding method to get the XM6 into its stylish case is almost identical to the XM4, and the magnetic clasp is a nice touch indeed. However, when needed, the headphones can be folded into a ball-like form – perfect for when I need to quickly stuff them in my pocket or throw them into a tightly packed rucksack.
This makes the latest iteration of Sony's legendary noise-cancelling headphones an extremely tempting proposition, as I now don't have to pick between performance and convenience.
That folding design, plus the upgraded noise cancelling, makes me think that the XM6 Bluetooth headphones could be a perfect addition to my carefully considered travel tech roster; an elite club of AV devices that I take with me for every flight or train journey.
There is the slight issue of price, though. The XM4 are currently an absolute bargain, dropping to just below £200 in recent sales, which is half the price of the comparatively pricey XM6 headphones.
For that reason alone, I'm going to try to squeeze as much life as possible out of my XM4s, but when the day comes that I have to retire my trusty travel companion, I know that the XM6 are likely my best bet.
Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.
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