Sony WH-1000XM6
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
What Buyers Say
Sony WH-1000XM6
The Sony WH-1000XM6 earns praise for its exceptional noise cancellation, clear sound quality, and comfortable fit for many users, with several calling it the best headphones they've owned. However, a significant number of reviews highlight serious drawbacks: uncomfortable clamping force and shallow earcups causing pain, buggy multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, a fingerprint-prone finish, and disappointing customer service regarding warranty repairs and promised free gifts. While the ANC and audio are top-tier, comfort and reliability issues prevent it from being a universal recommendation.
Pros
- Exceptional noise cancellation
- Clear and detailed sound quality
- Comfortable for many users
- Long battery life
- Foldable design
Cons
- Uncomfortable clamping force
- Shallow earcups causing pain
- Buggy multipoint Bluetooth
- Fingerprint-prone finish
- Poor customer service
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 are widely praised for their excellent, balanced sound quality that rivals the wired M50x, with rich detail, tight bass, and clear highs. Users highlight the solid Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, support for LDAC and AAC codecs, multipoint pairing, and exceptional battery life of over 50 hours as major advantages. While comfort is generally high, many note that the headband clamping force is strong, and the earpad and headband padding use a faux leather that tends to peel and flake over time, sometimes within a year. Build quality concerns, including fragile plastic hinges and a cheap-feeling headband, are recurrent complaints, though the overall value for sound performance is consistently rated very high.
Pros
- Excellent balanced sound quality
- Long 50+ hour battery life
- Stable Bluetooth 5.0 and LDAC support
- Multipoint device pairing
- Comfortable for long sessions
Cons
- Fake leather padding peels and flakes
- Strong headband clamping force
- Fragile plastic hinge joints
- Short included cables
- No active noise cancellation
Scores
Specifications
| Sony WH-1000XM6 | Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| Form Factor | over-ear | over-ear |
| Open/Closed | closed | closed |
| Foldable | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weight | 0.25 kg★ | 0.45 kg |
| Ear Cushion | synthetic leather | professional-grade earpad |
| Headband | synthetic leather | professional-grade headband material |
| Audio | ||
| Driver Type | dynamic | dynamic |
| Driver Size | 30 mm | 45 mm★ |
| Drivers | 1 | 1 |
| Freq Min | 4 Hz★ | 15 Hz |
| Freq Max | 40 kHz★ | 28 kHz |
| Impedance | 48 Ω | 38 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 103 dB★ | 99 dB |
| Hi-Res Audio | ✓ | ✓ |
| Codecs | LDAC | AAC, LDAC |
| Surround | Sony WH-1000XM6 The Best Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones, HD NC Processor QN3, 12 Microphones, Studio-Quality, New Sandstone Color | Sony WH-1000XM6 The Best Noise Cancelling Wireless | Sony | Sa | — |
| Noise Control | ||
| ANC | ✓★ | ✗ |
| ANC Type | adaptive | — |
| Transparency | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | 5.3★ | 5.0 |
| Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, PBP | — |
| Multipoint | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wired Connector | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
| Detachable Cable | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cable Length | 1.2000000476837158 m | 1.2000000476837158 m |
| Range | 10 m | 10.100000381469727 m★ |
| Battery | ||
| Battery Life | 30 hrs | 50 hrs★ |
| Charge Time | 3 hrs★ | 3.5 hrs |
| Fast Charging | 3 minutes for 3 hours playback | 10-Minute Charge for 3 Hours of Audio |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | ||
| Microphone | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mic Count | 6★ | 2 |
| NC Mic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boom Mic | ✗ | ✗ |
| Detachable Mic | ✗ | ✗ |
| Features | ||
| Voice Assistant | Siri, Google Assistant | Amazon Alexa |
| Touch Controls | ✓★ | ✗ |
| App | Sony | Sound Connect | A-T Connect |
| Gaming Mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Water Resistance | Waterproof | — |
Pros & Cons
Sony WH-1000XM6
- Strong connectivity (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong anc (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Strong sound (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Strong build (91st percentile)91st %ile
- Below average user sentiment (22nd percentile)
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2
- Strong sound (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong connectivity (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong battery (87th percentile)87th %ile
- Strong social proof (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Below average comfort (6th percentile)6th %ile
- Below average anc (32nd percentile)
Pricing
Audio-Technica M-Series ATH-M50xBT2 offers 1.2x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 96 overall, wins 7 of 7 usage categories and 10 of 41 specs.
