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Long-term Sony WH-1000XM6 Review: The biggest problem after 3 months
This long-term review of the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones highlights their excellent sound quality and noise cancellation, but points out comfort issues due to the shallow earcup design and occasional software glitches. The recommendation depends on the user's tolerance for these issues and the availability of discounts.
1. 📦 Unboxing and box contents of the Sony WH-1000XM6
- ✅ The headphones come in a cardboard box with documentation.
- ✅ Includes a hard case with magnetic closure.
- ✅ 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable (4 feet).
- ⚠️ Ridiculously short USB-C charging cable (only 8 inches).
00:00 - 01:25
1. 📦 Unboxing and box contents of the Sony WH-1000XM6
- ✅ The headphones come in a cardboard box with documentation.
- ✅ Includes a hard case with magnetic closure.
- ✅ 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable (4 feet).
- ⚠️ Ridiculously short USB-C charging cable (only 8 inches).
01:26 - 02:32
2. ⚙️ Key technical specifications of the WH-1000XM6
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Frequency range (cable) | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
| Frequency range (Bluetooth) | 20 Hz - 20 kHz |
| Bluetooth codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC, LC3 |
| Driver size | 30 mm |
| Weight | 255 g |
| Battery life (ANC enabled) | Up to 30 hours |
| Battery life (ANC disabled) | Up to 40 hours |
| Charging time | 3.5 hours |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Number of microphones | 12 (6 for calls) |
02:33 - 03:13
3. 🎧 Headphone controls and physical connections
- ✅ Left earcup: Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) button.
- ✅ Left earcup: Power on/off and Bluetooth pairing button.
- ✅ Left earcup: 3.5 mm audio connection.
- ✅ Left earcup: USB-C charging port.
- ✅ Right earcup: Touch controls (volume, track, play/pause, call answer).
- ✅ Holding down the touch panel temporarily activates ambient mode.
03:14 - 04:02
4. 📱 App setup and recommended equalization settings
- ✅ Noise cancellation: Activated.
- ✅ Listening mode: Standard (background music and cinema modes are artificial).
- ✅ Adaptive Sound Control: Disabled.
- ✅ Speak-to-Chat: Activated (works well for conversations).
| Equalizer setting | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Mode | Manual |
| Mids | Slightly reduced |
| Treble and bass | Slightly increased |
| DSEE Extreme | Activated |
Other settings in the app are considered useless.
04:03 - 05:24
5. 🎶 Sound quality demonstration and DSEE enhancement
- ✅ The sound quality is extremely good, digitally enhanced to compensate for the small 30 mm drivers.
- ✅ Instruments and frequencies are reproduced accurately.
- ✅ Sound quality improves when DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) is enabled.
05:25 - 06:04
6. ✈️ Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) test
- ✅ Active noise cancellation is excellent.
- ✅ Filters out unwanted noise without exerting acoustic pressure on the ears.
- ✅ Ambient sound is very good.
06:05 - 07:27
7. 🤕 Comfort issues due to headphone design
- ⚠️ The headphones are not uncomfortable per se; they don't squeeze too tightly or exert much pressure on the top of the head.
- ✅ Adjustments available on the headband and earcups.
- ✅ Soft padding on the earcups and headband.
- ⚠️ The inside of the earcups is shallow.
- ⚠️ The ANC module protrudes and touches the ear.
- ⚠️ The internal sponges constantly rub against the ears.
- ⚠️ Head movement produces a "buzzing" sound due to the rubbing of the sponges.
- ❌ These comfort issues prevent full enjoyment of the headphones.
- ℹ️ Sony claims this design is normal.
07:28 - 08:16
8. 🎤 Microphone test in quiet and noisy environments
- ✅ In a quiet environment, the microphones work very well.
- ✅ In a noisy environment (wind, crickets, cars), the microphone eliminates ambient noise and the other party can hear well.
- ⚠️ The microphone has a problem with "S" sounds, which are slightly attenuated.
- ℹ️ This issue could be fixed in a future firmware update.
08:17 - 09:24
9. 🤔 Final recommendation and purchase considerations
- ✅ Recommended only if you are not bothered by shallow headphones and if they are on sale.
- ❌ The price is very expensive.
- ⚠️ Software glitches (problems with the voice notes app on iOS).
- ❌ The microphone is not very good in noisy environments.
- ✅ Good sound quality, excellent noise cancellation, good case, good build, good battery, and minimal sound leakage.