Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: How do Sony's latest flagship stack up?

They're finally here — the Sony WH-1000XM6. The long-awaited sequel to Sony's flagship headphones, with a handful of upgrades in tow. There's the new folding headband. The wider, more plush foam. Improved noise canceling, better call microphones — the list goes on.

The headphones they're replacing, the venerable WH-1000XM5, are still no slouch. They've sat at the top of our best headphones and best wireless headphones lists for quite some time now, and there's good reason. They also have good noise canceling, good sound, and a comfortable fit — and they'll still be available to buy even after the release of the new model.

So. Which should you buy? The brand new shiny XM6, or the older, but now much cheaper, XM5? Let's find out.

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Specs compared

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Price and availability

The XM6 have risen in price. They're more expensive than the XM5 where at launch to the tune of $50 — rather than $399, they'll set you back $449. That not only makes them more expensive than their predecessor, but also some of their main competitors.

The XM6s are $20 more than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. You'll get better sound out of the newest Sonys, but you'll miss out on Bose's incredible noise canceling.

It makes them $100 less than the AirPods Max — but the gap is ever shrinking between Apple's expensive over-ears and the flagship options of the competition. You're still better off with the Sonys in most situations, but the space between the two is narrowing.

The WH-1000XM5 launched at $399 — less than the new XM6. Even better, they can often be bought for a discount, sometimes as low as $299. That's a $150 saving on the new model, and the price is only going to go down even more now that the new model has been released.

Even better, Sony will still be offering the WH-1000XM5 for sale, rather than phasing them out. That means you'll potentially be able to save money on a more permanent basis, rather than waiting for sales events like Black Friday.

You won't have any problem finding either pair of headphones. They're available on Amazon, as well as other retailers like Best Buy.

Given their lower price and continued availability, the WH-1000XM5 take an early win.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Design

While they're the latest pair of headphones from Sony, you'd have to really know what's changed to tell whether someone is wearing the XM6 or the XM6. The visual updates are few, but they are at least noteworthy.

The new model has redesigned hinges and sliders, in order to aid the new folding mechanism. There's no great visual distinction, but it does make things feel slightly flimsier than the previous model. It does mean they can fold though, so they can fit into their new carrying case.

The carrying case is the biggest visual and stylistic departure from the XM5. This new case is a clamshell design, and it omits the zipper of the old in favor of a new magnetic clasp. I think it looks much sharper than the old case, and the magnetic connection is a solid way of closing the case.

Back to the headphones, and you'll find a wider headband for a more comfortable fit. Our reviewer Nick found them more comfortable than the old pair as a result.

They're still an attractive pair of headphones mind you, and the subtle design changes don't do anything to dampen their simplistic style. There is just one, final bugbear: You can get them in Black, Silver, and Navy Blue; but sadly, no Smoky Pink. Devastating.

Given that there's not much new with the new model, buying the old one means you'll get a very similar looking pair of headphones. Again, a good looking pair of headphones — but, the small changes to the design to improve the usability and comfort.

The first win for the XM6.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Controls

As with the design, the controls between the XM6 and the XM5 haven't really changed all that much. The good touch controls remain untouched, with the swipes and taps doing the same thing as before.

That means a swipe forward and back will change tracks, a tap will pause, and swipes up and down will change the volume. The useful transparency control is still here as well — hold your hand over the right earcup, the volume drops and the noise canceling switches to transparency. Great for buying a train ticket, or a sandwich in the shop.

The biggest difference is in the power and ANC buttons. The old model's buttons are quite hard to differentiate. They're roughly the same size and shape, and when you can't see what you're doing it's easy to switch the ANC off instead of turning them off.

The XM6 feature a round power button so that it's easier to find and tell apart from the ANC button. That lends the XM6 another win.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Sound quality

Despite housing the same 30mm drivers as the XM5, the XM6 have a different (and better) sound profile. Where before the WH-1000XM5 where known for a bassy, spacious sound, the XM6 have instead opted for greater vocal clarity so that you can hear more detail in your music.

Our reviewer Nick loved the way that the XM6 in his review, noting that he'd "never heard the lyrics in as much detail as I have on the M6" when testing the headphones while listening to Seal's Kiss From A Rose.

There's still plenty of bass on tap — more perhaps than the Tom's Guide audio team would tend to appreciate — but they're an all together cleaner listen than the XM5.

Where they miss out on the older model is the space to proceedings. The XM5 have a more open soundstage, with slightly better instrument separation.

Both feature Sony's 360 reality audio, although it remains tough to find platforms that use the feature beyond Amazon Music Unlimited. What's new is Sony's "Upmixing to 360 spatial sound." We've yet to try it out on our test units, but we'll see how it works when the software update launches.

Some of this section will come down to personal preference — do you want vocal clarity or space — but the XM6 are definitely the better sounding pair of headphones.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Features

If you're looking for a pair of fully featured headphones, then you'll be fine with either the WH-1000XM5 and the XM6. The latter does have more features on account of their 'newness,' but there's still plenty to enjoy should you choose the older model.

New features in the WH-1000XM6 include the aforementioned "360 spatial upmix," although that's yet to actually arrive on the headphones. There's also an increase in Bluetooth version — 5.3 instead of 5.2 — and an increase of bands in the EQ customizer; there are now 10 instead of 5.

Otherwise, the features remain pretty much the same. There are still the dizzying array of different noise canceling modes, including the one that changes depending on your physical location. It's cool, and a solid way to dial in the noise canceling if you don't want to dip back into the app.

Both headphones use the same app — the Sony Sound app. It's a good app. There are loads and loads of menus on board, so it can take a bit of getting used to, but it's easy enough to use after you've acclimatized.

Inside, you'll find all the ANC modes, along with the codec selection, battery saving modes, and EQ customizers.

Given their new features, the new XM6 are going to take the Features category home.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: ANC

Thanks to extra mics on the XM6 (12 as opposed to 8), the ANC built into the Sony WH-1000XM6 is better than the older model — but it's not as 'better' as you might hope. It's still excellent noise canceling though.

Turn it on just about anywhere and you'll find the outside world mostly silenced. Offices become a whole lot more tolerable, and trains and other public transport melt away into nothing.

Nick did find that it struggled with louder noises though, like nearby crying children. The only pair of headphones that don't struggle with that are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which are yet to beat for noise canceling.

The XM5 noise canceling might not be quiet as good as the XM6, but it's still very good. If you don't mind missing the minor ANC update, then you should save money and buy the XM5.

Still, the ANC on board the XM6 is better, so they take the win here.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Battery life

The battery life is a disappointment, although it's not a massive problem. Both headphones will give you 30 hours of battery life with the ANC, or 40 hours when you turn the ANC off.

The biggest difference here is the quick charge options. The WH-1000XM5 have a quick charge option, where 3 minutes of charging nets you 3 hours of use. Unfortunately though, it only works with USB power delivery chargers, which are more expensive to get hold of.

The quick charge with the XM6 is much better. With a normal USB charger, you can get 3 hours of playback with a 3 minute charge.

While the basic battery life specs remain the same, that easier quick charge means the XM6 take the win — although you won't be missing out on much if you buy the older model.

• Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Verdict

With their host of updates and new features, the WH-1000XM6 are the better pair of headphones. They come away from our little competition with only one loss on the board, and that's something that only a miracle would have given them.

Despite their rise in price, the WH-1000XM6 are a great addition to the headphone space, giving you a compelling option over the competition. They sound great, look nice, and feature decent battery and very good ANC.

However (and it is a big however), that shouldn't put you off choosing the XM5. They're still a great pair of headphones even years after their release, and the upgrades on the new pair are perhaps not worth the extra $50.

The XM5 might actually be the better buy, if you wait for sales and deals that bring their price down even lower. The XM6 win the competition — but the XM5 might still win your dollars.

Ratings scorecard

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