After 18 hours flying economy with Sony’s WH-1000XM6, I may just have a new favourite pair of ANC headphones

When I travel, I always bring a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I pretty much have to. To listen to music and to block out as much of the outside world as possible. I’m quite fortunate in the job that I do that allows me to basically take a different pair of headphones or earbuds every time I go, and I think I’ve found the pair that’ll be sticking with me in the meantime.

There’s been a lot of travelling I’ve had to do this year – my first Gamescom in Cologne, press trips to Europe by plane and train, and the big family holiday to Florida. Nine hours each way on a plane with a busy Virgin Atlantic Economy cabin can be tiring at the best of times, so I wanted a pair of headphones I could rely on to get shot of as much noise as possible. Initially, I weighed up between my trusty Focal Bathys or the Nothing Headphone (1) that I’d taken to Cologne, although when the Sony WH-1000XM6 landed at my doorstep a few days before, it seemed like the ideal opportunity to test them.

Settling down into a long flight can be quite tricky if you’ve got a pair of headphones that isn’t too effective at cancelling out noise, whether it’s that of other passengers or the loud hum of the plane itself. Turning the XM6s on and pairing them to my Honor Magic V3 was easy, and I didn’t necessarily need to change any settings out of the box. They soon enveloped me in virtual silence with how effective the noise cancellation on these cans is, and I almost forgot about the noise of the plane and tried to drift off to sleep after some food and a gin and tonic or two.

The noise cancellation on the XM6 is much improved, even over the previous couple of generations that received high praise elsewhere. The number of microphones has doubled to 12, while it also has a new adaptive optimiser that automatically adjusts the level of cancellation based on the environment you’re in.

Combine this with a new QN3 processor to help both audio performance and ANC, the first chip upgrade in some time, and it deals with virtually any noise effectively. Higher-pitched noises, such as background chatter and wind noise, can be difficult for lots of headphones to deal with, and the XM6s cut it down immensely, while retaining excellent cancellation for lower rumbles and hums.

For when you want to hear the outside world, the transparency mode on these cans is natural-sounding and doesn’t sound too synthetic or processed, as other cans I’ve tested can do. Moreover, there are 20 levels to choose from in Sony’s app, plus a mode that specifically lets voice through while cancelling out other sounds.

The redesigned chassis makes the XM6s an easy headphone to travel with, especially with its folding stainless steel hinges. Sony has also made the headband wider and flatter than with the XM5s, resulting in improved comfort and a tighter clamping force for a stronger seal for ANC and improved passive isolation. At 254g, the XM6s are lightweight, especially against some rivals that push over 300g, and even on those lengthy flights, I didn’t notice much in the way of fatigue. The earpads are reasonably plush, and the earcups are deep for a comfortable fit. There is also a new carry case with a magnetic clasp that was easy to sling into my Mous backpack by my feet on the flights.

One thing that hasn’t changed from previous models is the inclusion of touch controls for play/pause, skipping tracks and more. They’re fine, although as with most other touch controls, a little finicky to use before you get used to them. On another note, the 30 hours of runtime also isn’t improved, although even with the 80 percent residual charge that was in the cans with ANC on when I turned them on, they got through the flight with ease and plenty of charge to spare. I probably could have gotten away without charging them back up for the return flight some three weeks later, but I did simply as a precaution.

Codec support is decent with the basic SBC and AAC means covered off, plus LDAC and high-res wireless certification for audiophile-grade sources. The XM6 also supports Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast connectivity, even if they aren’t too well supported as yet with other devices.

When it comes to audio, Sony has made some changes to the XM5. It’s a 30mm carbon fibre composite driver that’s newly developed, although its material and size are the same as the XM5. The profile of the XM6 is rich and luscious with detail, plus some lovely width and space and the classically tight and controlled low end that has helped Sony’s wireless cans in the past.

Spinning up Time Stand Still from Rush reveals all of this in droves, with some pleasant room between Neil Peart’s cymbal hits in the far right of the soundstage, Alex Lifeson’s guitar inflexions towards the rear, and Geddy Lee’s vocal in the middle-left. There’s plenty of depth and precision to the rumbling bassline, too.

Moving over to the new 2025 mix of Only You Know And I Know from Phil Collins revealed that lovely sense of space between the pounding synth bassline and the far-off guitar riff. The vocals came through with presence and excellent clarity. Similarly, a live cut of George Benson’s Turn Your Love Around accentuated the width and depth with the rich instrumental firing in from all directions, and his smooth, classy vocal atop a rich soundscape. Audience applause is also sprinkled towards the back, combined with its rhythmical drum fills and smooth treble.

Brand X’s Not Good Enough, See Me! It can be a technical minefield for any headphones, with the jazz fusion track’s constantly busy bassline, cymbal hits and piano. On some headphones, it can sound like a horrible mess with the different components blended together. With the XM6, however, its beefy low end came through with John Giblin’s heavy bassline and with the sheer power of the kick drum. Likewise, at the top end, the intricate cymbal work felt crisp and full of body, relentless in its approach. Indeed, the wide soundstage gave each element plenty of room to stretch its legs with gorgeous clarity.

Mellower tracks such as James Taylor’s Caroline I See You benefit from the XM6’s warmer feel, providing a wonderful richness in the mid-range for his vocal and the song’s acoustic guitar work, plus its strings in the background.

These headphones can be used for gaming too. Using the XM6 wired with a console or a PC in my testing yields a rich, wide and detailed experience in more cinematic games such as Forza Horizon 5, plus a lightweight fitment helps them work wonderfully for extended use. Having their class-leading ANC is a boon if you want to game on the go with a handheld, too – I can certainly see me pairing these headphones wired with a Steam Deck or a ROG Ally on a trip away.

With this in mind, there are limitations to the XM6’s gaming powers. These cans aren’t built for competitive gaming in the same vein as the Inzone H9 II, the XM6’s gaming brother that use the same 30mm drivers, are just as light, and have a proper low latency wireless input. Sony has given the XM6 some gaming chops it with a gaming EQ preset, and using its Bluetooth LE connectivity mode (in beta at the moment) can offer lower wireless latency if you have compatible hardware – this is a little few and far between, and these cans aren’t strictly designed as a gaming headset.

I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to necessarily be this impressed with the XM6s, even in spite of Sony’s enviable reputation for wireless cans and the reviews that waxed lyrical on them. Nonetheless, I think these things are some of the most complete wireless headphones you can buy – as long as you can stretch to their heftier £399/$458 price tag, of course. With Black Friday not too far away, though, these could be due for a discount at which point they’re a no-brainer if you’re a frequent traveller or you just want some of the best audio quality and noise cancellation out there.