Here's how the Sony WH-1000XM6 compare to the WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max
It's been over two years since Sony had a new pair of headphones in its 1000X lineup, but the newly announced WH-1000XM6 seem worth the wait. From the outside, the new ANC headphones look similar to the streamlined WH-1000XM5 from 2022, with the only major change being the return of ear cups that rotate and fold flat. Inside, though, Sony's packed in improvements that put the WH-1000XM6 ahead of the competition in terms of both sound quality and active noise cancellation.
That's mostly thanks to the new QN3 processor on the inside, the addition of four new built-in microphones (from eight on the 1000XM5 to 12 on the 1000XM6) and an updated system for adapting ANC performance around fit and pressure. All three combine for noticeably better ANC. Those changes haven't led to shorter battery life either — you'll get the same 30 hours with ANC activated on the WH-1000XM6 that you were able to get on the WH-1000XM5.
The WH-1000XM6 is not only able to play spatial audio tracks like the WH-100XM5 and AirPods Max can, the headphones can also convert any stereo track you throw at it into 360-degree audio. For most people, though, the more immediately useful new feature will be the ability to keep using the headphones while you charge them, something oddly missing from previous models.
At $450, the WH-100XM6 are a good $50 more expensive than WH-1000XM5 and tiptoeing closer to the exorbitantly priced AirPods Max. The best way to know if Sony's new headphones are right for you is to read Engadget's review and ideally, try them for yourself. Until then, we've put together an overview of how the WH-1000XM6 compare to the WH-1000XM5 and the AirPods Max.
WH-1000MX6
WH-1000MX5
AirPods Max
Pricing (MSRP)
$450
$400
$549
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Transparency mode
Yes
Yes
Yes
Adaptive audio
Yes
Yes
Yes
Multipoint connectivity
Yes
Can switch between 2 Bluetooth connections
Fast Pair with Android devices
Swift Pair with Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices
Yes
Can switch between 2 Bluetooth connections
Fast Pair with Android devices
Swift Pair with Windows 11 and Windows 10 devices
No
Automatic device switching between Apple devices only
Battery life (rated)
Up to 30 hours with ANC on
Up to 40 hours with ANC off
Up to 30 hours with ANC on
Up to 40 hours with ANC off
Up to 20 hours with ANC on
Up to 20 hours with ANC and Spatial Audio on
Up to 20 hours of talk time
Wired charging
USB-C
USB-C
USB-C
Water & dust resistance
No
No
No
Size & weight
8.96 oz
8.82 oz
13.6 oz
Chip(s)
Sony QN3
Sony QN1 + V1
Apple H1
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.3
Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
SBC, AAC, LDAC
AAC, SBC
Spatial audio
Yes
360 Audio
360 Spatial Sound Upmix for converting stereo audio
Yes
360 Audio
Yes
Control type
Touch controls for playback and volume
NC/AMB button for ANC
Touch controls for playback and volume
NC/AMB button
Digital Crown dial for playback and volume
Noise control button for ANC
Mics & sensors
12 microphones total: six microphones for calls
Touch sensors
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Eight microphones total: four microphones for calls
Touch sensors
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Nine microphones total: eight ANC mics, three mics for voice pickup (two shared for ANC)
Optical sensor
Position sensor
Case-detect sensor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/heres-how-the-sony-wh-1000xm6-compare-to-the-wh-1000xm5-and-airpods-max-193706730.html?src=rss