Sony's WH-1000XM6 noise-canceling headphones, which earned our Techlicious Editor's Choice award, are $398 at Amazon today, down from their $459.99 list price. That's 13% off and the lowest this model has been at Amazon since it launched last year.
The XM6 is Sony's current top noise-canceling headphone, better than the newer 1000X The Collexion (Sony's $649.99 anniversary flagship). It uses Sony's QN3 processor with 12 microphones and an adaptive noise-canceling optimizer that reads your environment in real time, making it stronger than the XM5 in active noise canceling; the area where it matters most for commuters and frequent flyers. Battery life is 30 hours with ANC on, and it folds flat for travel, which the newer 1000X The Collexion (Sony's $649.99 anniversary flagship) notably does not. For a look at how the full Sony lineup breaks down right now, see our coverage of 1000X The Collexion.
Sound quality is excellent. Sony developed the XM6 in collaboration with mastering engineers, and the 30mm carbon fiber dome driver delivers a balanced, detailed sound profile that holds up against Bose's QuietComfort Ultra at a lower price. Hands-free calling is also improved over the XM5, with a six-microphone AI beamforming system that isolates your voice more effectively in noisy environments.
If you're weighing the XM6 against the XM5, which is currently $248 on Amazon, the main differences come down to noise canceling (XM6 adapts to unpredictable noises more quickly), the folding design (XM6 only), and sound quality (XM6 is noticeably cleaner with less muddy bass). At a $150 gap, the XM6 is the right call for anyone who uses headphones daily or travels regularly.
The WH-1000XM6 are available in Black, Midnight Blue, Platinum Silver, Sand Pink, and Sandstone (beige). Amazon is throwing in a $30 Amazon gift card when you purchase the Sandstone color.
[Image credit: Adam Doud/Techlicious]
