Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: which wireless headphones are better?

Sony’s flagship wireless headphones have been at the top of their game for a while now, and after a three-year wait, there’s a new pair in town, the WH-1000XM6.

They’ve got some big shoes to fill considering their predecessors, the WH-1000XM5, are still huge five-star favourites of ours, not to mention What Hi-Fi? Award-winners.

They’re also a bit of a bargain now, thanks to some meaty online discounts.

So, where does this leave the WH-1000XM6 in the pecking order? If you haven’t splashed the cash yet, should you skip the older model and proceed straight to the excellent WH-1000XM6? Or are the WH-1000XM6 that good that you should consider upgrading your current pair of XM5 to the newer model?

We’ve spent time comparing both pairs of Sony wireless headphones so you don’t have to. Read on for our verdict…

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: price

Given that the WH-1000XM5 launched in May 2022, you won’t be surprised to learn they win this category thanks to some big online discounts.

They originally launched for £380 / $399 / AU$550, but can now be regularly found with chunks of money off, and we’d expect prices to come down a bit more around key sales events such as Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.

By contrast, we doubt you’ll be finding discounts on the WH-1000XM6 anytime soon. They launched in May 2025 for £400 / $450 / AU$699. That’s obviously an increase on the XM5, but at the time of writing that’s not a huge surprise given the turbulent state of global economic markets.

Thanks to their age and the availability of decent discounts, it’s the WH-1000XM5 that win this round.

** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: design

Place the two pairs of headphones side by side, and you’ll find several differences in their design.

The biggest obvious change relates to the sliding arms, which are now hinged. Sony controversially ditched hinges on its headphones in the jump from WH-1000XM4 to WH-1000XM5, and after gathering customer feedback, has fitted them to the XM6.

This means they are properly foldable, unlike the WH-1000XM5 which can only fold flat for transportation.

It’s a slight shame, then, that the case for the WH-1000XM6 isn’t much smaller than the case for WH-1000XM5. You still have to store them flat – you could ditch the case completely and fold them up into a ball, but we think it could be risky doing this with the silver finish, which we worry could mark over time.

The two headbands are very different, with the WH-1000XM6 headband flatter, wider and asymmetrical to not only help with comfort but also make it easier to remember which way around the headphones should be worn.

The sliders on the headband are still noiseless and stepless, and both pairs give a comfortable fit. The WH-1000XM6 sit more snugly out of the two and we prefer wearing the XM6 for longer periods.

Their clamping weight is firmer than that of the XM5, which helps the headphones isolate you extremely well. They’re also a tiny bit heavier (4g), but this doesn’t affect comfort in our opinion.

It doesn’t feel vice-like, though – it’s nicely judged and the pleather material doesn’t overheat our ears, unlike on some rivals.

The earcups look pretty similar, but the WH-1000XM6 are slightly more rounded and are a seamless construction, unlike the WH-1000XM5, where the earcups have a seam running around the edge.

Both pairs have a touch sensitive control pad on the surface of the right earcup, but it’s more circular on the WH-1000XM6 and the external mics that are dotted around the edge of the cups on XM6 have a proper mesh to protect them and also help reduce the effects of wind noise when making and taking calls.

Button positioning for power and ANC/Ambient Sound mode is similar on both pairs, but one quite simple yet effective change relates to the power button. On the WH-1000XM6 it’s circular and recessed and your thumb is drawn to it much more quickly than the small rectangular power button on the older WH-100XM5.

** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: features

Unsurprisingly, the WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XM5 have a lot of features in common, but there are a couple of key differences between the two models.

First is the processor that powers each pair. The WH-1000XM5 launched with the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. The WH-1000XM6, on the other hand, use Sony’s QN3 processor, which is claimed to operate seven times faster than the original.

As part of the processing, the new model also includes a ‘look-ahead noise shaper’ to improve the digital-to-analogue conversion by minimising distortion and boosting dynamics.

The WH-1000XM6 also borrow on some of the technology from Sony’s own premium Walkman range or portable music players. This includes Sony’s low phase noise crystal oscillator, which aids timing and also the use of gold-infused solder in certain parts of the circuit.

On top of these new differences, there are several features that we’ve seen before and that have made the journey from the WH-1000XM5 to WH-1000XM6.

Sony’s DSEE Extreme audio processing engine returns to upscale low-quality files to near hi-res quality. And in our opinion, it's better to have it enabled on both XM5 and XM6.

Battery life is identical on the WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XM5 at 30 hours with ANC and Bluetooth engaged. It would have been nice to get a boost for the newer model, but we assume the new processing demands might have meant this wasn’t possible.

There are changes to the number of the mics in the WH-1000XM6 compared to the XM5. The total number of mics has gone up from eight to 12. More on that in the ANC and call quality section below.

USB-C charging returns, but for the first time on Sony’s flagship headphones, you can listen to music wirelessly while charging. There’s still no wired audio playback over USB-C which is a little disappointing given many other rivals now support it. You can play music wired on both pairs through the supplied 3.5mm headphone cable.

Sony-specific features like Quick Attention and Speak-to-chat are available on both.

The former allows you to place a hand on the right earcup to lower your music’s volume and hear what’s going on around you, while the latter allows you to hold a conversation while still wearing the headphones. Start talking and the headphones cut the music and engage Ambient Sound Mode.

Those wanting to fine-tune the Sonys’ sound can access a ten-band equaliser for the WH-1000XM6 through the Sound Connect companion app. This offers double the frequency adjustments of the older model.

Bluetooth multipoint for two devices is also supported, while codec support is largely the same as before, with SBC, AAC and LDAC all on the list, with the addition of Bluetooth LE Audio (LC3) and Auracast support, should it be required, on the XM6.

** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: noise cancelling and call quality

Where the WH-1000XM5 had Auto NC Optimiser, the XM6 goes a step further with its adaptive NC optimiser, which constantly adapts to changes in your environment as you’re moving around. You can’t manually customise the ANC and set different levels, though.

The WH-1000XM5 still boast very good ANC for the money, but the newer model has the edge here and manages to subdue more midrange noise and low frequency rumblings. It results in a very clean, quiet environment in which to enjoy your tunes.

Call quality was already very good on the WH-1000XM5, but it has gone up a level with the WH-1000XM6.

Compared to the older model, the new Sonys use six exterior mics – that’s three per ear compared to two per ear on the WH-1000XM5. The XM6 us the three exterior mics closest to your mouth with beamforming AI and the company’s Precise Voice Pickup tech (which featured on the older model) to isolate your voice from surrounding noise.

And the call quality is spectacular. It’s even clearer and more audible than the XM5 – it’s almost like you’re speaking in a room by yourself, even if you might be standing in a relatively noisy environment.

Sony’s call processing is really on-point with the WH-1000XM6, and you won’t struggle to be heard whether you’re on a Zoom call at work or simply having a chat while strolling down the street.

** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: sound quality

The WH-1000XM5 have been the benchmark for sound quality at their price for quite some time, but the WH-1000XM6 deliver all of what their predecessors are good at, and more.

We’re talking even more detail and insight. In our review we lavished heavy praise on the WH-1000X6, noting “the level of intimacy created by the Sonys is very special”, and revealing, “The way the headphones draw the edges of strings feels like they are extracting every ounce of information possible, leaving nothing left in the tank.”

The XM6 also take the dynamics and the sense of expression up a notch too. And this is all aided by a sound field that’s as open as we’ve heard from a pair of wireless headphones at this price.

The XM6 highlight even more textures and fine details than the older model – the attention to detail around vocals is a particular highlight, as is the precision, power and solidity with which bass notes are rendered.

Both pairs display the trademark sense of musicality and drive that we’ve come to know and love from Sony’s wireless headphones, and the flavour of sound between the two is very consistent, which is just what you want from the brand.

But overall the XM6's sound quality is a step on from that which the WH-1000XM5 have to offer.

** Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6 **

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5: verdict

Despite this being a very closely fought contest, there’s no doubt in our mind that the WH-1000XM6 are the winner here.

Yes, they are more expensive than the WH-1000XM5, and if price is a sticking point then the older pair will serve you extremely well, and we don’t think you need to rush out and upgrade your existing XM5 pair.

However, if you’ve been weighing up the WH-1000XM5 for a while now and want to know if it’s worth going straight for the WH-1000XM6, if funds can stretch then we would suggest going for the new pair.

The WH-1000XM6 address many of the issues that some users raised with XM5. The hinges aid portability, but more importantly the comfort levels are excellent (including a more secure fit), and there have been improvements to ANC, call quality and ease of use.

These jumps shouldn’t be underestimated, and they all combine to help deliver a brilliant user experience and the best audio performance we’ve had to date from a pair of flagship Sony wireless headphones.

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