Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Is it worth upgrading?

Three years later, Sony finally dropped a pair of new flagship headphones – WH-1000XM6 headphones.

I used the XM5 as my everyday headset (testing as many headsets as possible to make a living), so I was particularly curious to test the performance differences between the two headsets, which at first glance, looked almost the same.

I won’t bury Lede: If you already have someone with XM5, I think XM6 is essential – they are not different enough to prove an extra $450. However, I do think that people who upgrade from older models (or people who involve bad FOMO cases) weigh the pros and cons. Below, you will find my complete comparison.

XM6 and XM5: Specifications

At a glance, this is the specification difference between the two headphones:

XM6 specifications

• processor: Sony QN3

• microphone: 12

• connect: Bluetooth 5.3 (LDAC support)

• Battery: With ANC 30 hours (no 40 hours)

• Fast Charging: Within 3 minutes and 3 hours

• Noise reduction settings: Active noise reduction, transparency mode, off

• Space Audio: Yes

• color: Midnight blue, black, silver

• enter: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack

• weight: Approximately 8.96 oz

XM5 specifications

• processor: Sony QN1

• microphone: 8

• connect: Bluetooth 5.2 (LDAC support)

• Battery: With ANC 30 hours (no 40 hours)

• Fast Charging: Within 3 minutes and 3 hours

• Noise reduction settings: Active noise reduction, transparency mode, off

• Space Audio: Yes

• color: Midnight blue, black, silver, smoky pink

• enter: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack

• weight: Approximately 8.82 oz

From a normative perspective, you may immediately notice that no That Many differences. This is how to actually use two pairs of them:

XM6 and XM5: Sound quality

According to an XM6 press release, Sony worked with Grammy Award-winning and nominated audio engineers to make these headphones sound as good as possible.

In short, it does show. Out of the box, the XM6 usually sounds fuller, making more elements of the song shine. Mashable’s Timothy Werth wrote in his independent comment on the XM6S that he found the vocals particularly glowing, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

We tested both headphones with various songs.
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

That said, not every song has a day or night difference—I have a hard time picking out a big difference on the live version of the Eagles’ “California Hotel.” But for most of the songs I’ve tested, like Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl”, simpler songs that feature Feist’s “Now” and Natalia Lafourcade & Los Macorinos’ “Soledad y El Mar”, these songs are almost instantly emanating. Their voice sounds more dynamic – not like they were in the room with me, but slightly less like I was streaming it from my phone or computer.

Using the app, both headphones offer a lot of balanced settings. With XM6 you will actually get fewer presets – you will get fewer presets compared to the XM5S’s 12 – but the same two custom preset slots. The XM6S’s presets are also more unique and provide useful descriptions below each, while the XM5 has more vague names like “Bright” and “Excitement.” The XM6 also features gaming presets, showing everyday use that makes these headphones more seamless and versatile.

Sony XM5 Equalizer Presets.
Image source: Screenshot: Sony

Compared with XM6 equalizer preset.
Image source: Screenshot: Sony

Unlike the XM5, the XM6S offers three listening modes: Standard, Background, and Cinema. You can’t use the equalizer with the latter two, but both are meant to simulate some kind of experience – for the background, “far-distance atmosphere,” according to Sony’s app, for cinemas, it’s a more immersive experience powered by Sony’s 360 Audio Upmix Tech. Each of these three modes actually provides a unique sound, giving the XM6 an advantage over the previous generation.

winner: WH-1000XM6

XM6 and XM5: Noise cancellation

From a purebred perspective, the XM6S should offer better noise cancellation than the XM5S: they have 12 microphones compared to the XM5S’ eight microphones. The XM6 also has a new QN3 processor, which Sony says can improve the adaptive noise reduction of the headphones.

In practice, I have not noticed the huge difference between XM5 and XM6 world. My partner recorded a lot of audio for his work, so noise-cancelling headphones are a must for our dual workspace. With my XM6 outfit, it’s hard for me to tell if there’s less noise – only after it’s very harsh, I think his voice is Slightly Newer headphones suppress more.

Considering that the XM5 does have impressive noise cancellation, this isn’t necessarily a knock on the XM6S. More importantly, it feels like a limit that generally eliminates noise – I’ve never tested headphones that offer pure silence in every situation. However, both headphones are now at the top of the market.

In addition to my apartment, I also used two headphones in the park next to a busy street, a cafe with lots of music and customers in and out, in the busy news room of Vidcon, and while walking around my home. In each case, I didn’t notice a huge performance difference.

Both headphones offer the right amount of noise reduction so you can focus on your work.
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

Given the XM6 $50 $50, it’s hard to reason why they are objectively better. Added a feature like manually adjusting the ANC (I’ve seen these more and more on cheaper options like Skullcandy’s latest earbuds, which can help prove a higher price.

winner: WH-1000XM5

XM6 and XM5: Comfort and Design

The biggest difference between the XM6S and XM5 is the design change: the ability to fold the ear cup.

It is easier to judge the difference between the two pairs now.
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

The XM5S cancels the folding design found on the XM4, making it a bulk option for travel. With this new generation, Sony brings back the feature while retaining the overall look of the XM5. Although in my opinion, while there will be some personal preferences here, this will be the best of both worlds.

This design difference does make the XM6 box both thin and compact, making it a better choice for common travelers.

The WH-1000XM6 case is good for the foldable ear cup, which is very small.
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

In less striking situations, Sony also switched the button design on the XM6S, making the power and Bluetooth buttons a circle. Although not intense, it is a great life upgrade that makes it easier to identify which button without having to view or remember its location.

Compared to the circular and rectangular combination on the XM6S, the XM5S (left) has two rectangular buttons.
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

Both headphones also have the same external touch controls that can be turned on and off.

As for the actual wear of the two headphones, the XM6 is once So, compared to the 8.82 of the XM5S, it weighs slightly heavier and weighs 8.96 ounces. Does this lead to any real difference in comfort? Not special to me. The headband on the XM6S is also slightly thicker, creating a more cushioned feel, but overall, these headphones use the same external material, making them almost indistinguishable by touch.

winner: WH-1000XM6

XM6 and XM5: Application functions

Both the WH-1000XM6S and XM5 use Sony’s Sound Connect application. The in-app functions are basically the same, with very small differences.

Side-by-side review of these headphones is essentially a different long game.
Image source: Screenshot: Sony

Image source: Screenshot: Sony

The XM6 has a hearing mode that the XM5 does not have (as mentioned in the Sound Quality section), but other than that, the app is nearly the same. Sony’s app isn’t my favorite – although it provides quite a bit of customization for your device, it ends up with so many different areas that it doesn’t feel the most intuitive.

The app itself offers standard fares, including automatic power supply, voice control settings, multi-point switching and automatic pause. As someone who likes button touch controls, I hope the XM6 will let you switch NC buttons to pause or play music, but like the XM5, it can only be set to quickly enable Spotify Tab, Endel, or Amazon Music playback. I will keep my fingers crossed for future updates.

winner: tie

XM6 and XM5: Value

Sony is still selling its approximately 2020 WH-1000XM4 headphones for $350, so it’s no surprise that it keeps the XM5’s availability at $400 and raises the XM6S to $450. Then there is the fact that competitors’ headphones are priced similarly: Bose raises the Unievercomfort Ultra headphones to $449 from $429 sometime in the spring, while Apple’s Airpods Max continues to be at an impressively high price of $549.

Sony headphones and Bose Quietcomfort Ultras are in the order of release date (from left to right).
Image source: Bethany Allard / Mixed

But I don’t believe we should expect every generation to raise the price by $50. If anything, the new price of the XM6S will make the XM5s more attractive, especially if they drop to $300, we’ll see some regularity. Of course, you won’t get the absolutely latest and greatest latest features, but if you don’t particularly care about folding ear cups, it’s much better than buying headphones that won’t make any big changes.

winner: Sony WH-1000XM5

Winner: WH-1000XM6S for XM5 for frequent travelers, everyone else

Like I said, if you have XM5, there is no real reason to upgrade to XM6. If your current headphones or absolute last leg or travel a lot, the XM6 is worth upgrading.

However, if the folded earmuffs don’t call you, I recommend saving $50 (or more, depending on the deal available) and grabbing the XM5. The difference in sound between the two headphones is obvious, but the XM5 itself is still the one that sounds great-sounding headphones – you may just need to use the equalizer more to attract the best sound. And don’t get me wrong, other design differences are upgrades to the XM6, but in the end, they’re small and don’t fully justify the price increase.

Although the XM5 is a 2022 release, the XM5 is far from feeling outdated at this time, making them ideal for sound quality, comfort and noise reduction.

Check out the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones

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Still can’t decide? Check out our full review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones and the WH-1000XM6 headphones.