Same mouthful of words as before, but the new Sony WH-1000XM6 is back to dominate the competition.
Polished, precise, and almost poetic in execution, the sixth iteration of Sony’s acclaimed 1000X series is, quite frankly, a masterclass in how far we’ve come from the tangled earphones of yesteryear.
Launched in May 2025, the WH-1000XM6 is everything its predecessor was and then some. It boasts faster processors, smarter sensors, and a revert to past designs that were more practical (folding mechanism, hint hint).
With Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue finishes to choose from, Sony wants you to wear your personality.
Sony’s engineers have been quietly working on making the world quieter. The new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN3 is seven times faster than the chip in the WH-1000XM5, fine-tuning a dozen microphones in real-time. The Adaptive NC Optimiser even adjusts to your altitude, should you be lucky enough to find yourself above the clouds.
Developed in collaboration with Grammy-winning mastering engineers—Randy Merrill (think Adele and Taylor Swift), Chris Gehringer (Lady Gaga, Rihanna), and Mike Piacentini (Bob Dylan, James Brown), these headphones are finely tuned instruments of sonic truth.
“Sony has always been a benchmark for premium quality,” Merrill explains. “The WH-1000XM6 headphones take it to a new level.” Sony claims the bass is taut but never overbearing, the mids are lush, and the highs are crystalline without ever veering into shrill territory.
With a specially developed carbon fibre composite driver and a reimagined voice coil, the WH-1000XM6 feels music.
As expected, Sony continues its romance with intelligent features. The WH-1000XM6 introduces Scene-based Listening, an intuitive experience that adjusts noise cancellation and playback depending on where you are and what you’re doing. Whether you’re taking a Zoom call, queuing at Don Don Donki, or chilling at Jewel, the headphones know, and they respond.
The call quality is equally impressive, thanks to a six-microphone beamforming system and AI-driven noise suppression.
For cinema buffs, 360 Reality Audio Upmix breathes spatial magic into stereo sound. It’s not quite IMAX, but it comes startlingly close for something that fits in your backpack.
The WH-1000XM6’s design takes the familiar and makes it feel fresh. Wider headbands, vegan leather padding, and asymmetrical contours that make “left” and “right” intuitive, not instructional. Tactile buttons and a responsive touch panel give you control without the guesswork.
The folding mechanism, crafted with metal injection precision, ensures the headphones slide into your carry-on like they belong there.
Sony’s global campaign with Post Malone isn’t just for show. The artist himself claims, “These new noise-cancelling headphones make you feel completely inside the music.”
And in line with the times, the WH-1000XM6 is eco-conscious. Packaging is made entirely from Sony’s Original Blended Material.
Available from June 2025 at S$649, the Sony WH-1000XM6 also comes with a tempting launch offer: up to $150 off with trade-ins, plus a custom name tag and patch between 14 June and 3 August with every purchase. You can grab yours via Sony Stores, authorised retailers, or online.
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