
Sony has introduced the WH-1000XM6, the most recent flagship within the firm’s fashionable vary of wi-fi noise-canceling headphones. The XM6 enhance in virtually each single approach over their predecessors but in addition are available at a better value.
Beginning with the audio high quality, Sony claims enhancements to the readability and backbone of the sound. The corporate has listed the assistance of a number of skilled studio engineers — equivalent to Randy Merrill and Chris Genringer of Sterling Sound, Mike Piacentini of Battery Studios, and Michael Romanowski of Coast Mastering — for tuning the audio on the brand new headphones. The WH-1000XM6 are stated to have “studio-level accuracy”, letting you hear your music “because it was meant to be”, however now we have seen these claims earlier than they usually not often maintain up for consumer-grade merchandise.
The headphones have a 30mm driver with excessive rigidity carbon fiber composite materials dome and a brand new voice coil construction. The digital to analog conversion has a brand new superior look-ahead noise shaper that enables it to foretell and optimize quantization noise whereas responding shortly to sudden sound modifications. By way of codecs, you get SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 with Sony’s DSEE Excessive upscaling algorithm and 360 Actuality Audio function with a brand new Upmix for Cinema mode that turns stereo content material into spatial sound.
The lively noise cancellation has additionally been improved. The XM6 function 12 microphones together with a brand new QN3 HD Noise Canceling Processor, which is claimed to be 7x sooner than the QN1 on the XM5. This permits the brand new Adaptive NC Optimizer to adapt extra shortly and successfully to ambient noise modifications. The driving force design has additionally been tuned to enhance noise cancelation efficiency. The Auto Ambient Sound mode can be improved over the earlier mannequin.
Sony additionally claims enhancements to the decision high quality efficiency because of AI-assisted beamforming microphones that isolate your voice higher from the background noise.
Lastly, the XM6 even have an up to date design. The scarf is wider to scale back stress in your head and options an asymmetrical design to make it simpler to determine the left and proper sides. The hinge now has elevated articulation over the XM5, so the earcups can now fold in, one thing the older 1000X fashions might additionally do. The XM6 are available three colours — Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue — all with matte finishes. The headphones include a brand new carry case with a magnetic latch.
The WH-1000XM6 are priced at $450, which is $50 greater than the XM5, which had been additionally $50 greater than the XM4. Nonetheless, these older fashions are down in value now and if the brand new mannequin is not attractive sufficient to spend that a lot, now you can choose up the XM5 for $350 and the XM4 for $300.