We're big fans of Sony's noise-canceling headphones. Of course, the WH-1000XM5 catapulted them to the top of our list of best noise-canceling headphones, and we're excited to see what Sony is going to do to improve them with the WH-1000XM6.

But what do we know about the next pair that could be the best wireless headphones? And moreover, what are we looking for in these headphones?

I scoured the Internet for all the latest information on headphones and spent some more time considering what I wanted from the WH-1000XM6.

Information about the WH-1000XM6 is really scarce. Recently, we saw rumors telling us that we would not see them; GSM Arena reported that the Linkbuds series of headphones would get an update and that we would not see the WH-1000XM6 flagship at the same time. Sure enough, we saw the Linkbuds Open and Linkbuds Fit, but no mention of the over-ear headphones.

Instead, it is expected that we will see them in the first chunk of 2026, which would match pretty well with the two-year update cadence that Sony seems to be sticking with in its flagship headphones. There have been other similar leaks, but they have all disappeared from the Internet.

Some, like The Walkman Blog, leaped on import documents featuring the product code “YY2984,” which apparently reads “Bluetooth headset, 2.4GHZ Bluetooth connectivity, Manufacturer: Sony, for testing,” “3.5mm, PVC Plastic shell, software update signal transmission for Bluetooth wireless headset”. This could be the WH-1000XM6, but it could also be other Bluetooth headsets Sony is testing.

Again, this is not much, but it is the most information we have on the XM6.

Now that we know a little bit about when the WH-1000XM6 will be available, what do we actually want to see from the headphones? There are a lot of things we want Sony to do with the next set of headphones.

The WH-1000XM5's noise-cancellation is, without a doubt, excellent. They block out no small amount of noise and prevent outside noise from entering my music listening experience. However, as with anything, there is still room for improvement.

Sony's algorithm focuses on low-frequency noise, so some of the more piercing noise gets through.

Next time, we'll look at a more holistic approach to noise cancellation and ANC that may eventually overtake the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.

I have no complaints about the comfort of the Sony WH-1000XM5. It is the most comfortable headset I've ever had and I can wear it for hours. However, I do not like the construction of certain parts. Whereas competing products rely on metal hinges and premium materials, Sony's headset feels entirely made of plastic. For example, the arms that connect the ear cups to the headband are noticeably hollow. We would like to see Sony's next set of headphones made of more cushioned, longer-lasting materials and with a more luxurious feel.

The WH-1000XM5 has Spatial Audio, but it is not very good; other options available for purchase, like Sonos' Ace, are often better. Hopefully Sony will improve the Spatial Audio in the WH-1000XM6 to bring a wider soundstage and better surround sound. Even better, it will work with movie streaming services to allow users to watch movies while listening to surround sound through headphones.

The case that came with the Sony WH-1000XM5 was nice, but a step down from the case that came with the WH-1000XM4. Let's get the WH-1000XM6 to fold up properly again so it can fit in more backpacks, and bring back a decent hard case so we can feel more confident.

The 30 hours you get from the XM5 is fine; better than Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but far from the 70 hours of the Marshall Monitor III. Other manufacturers have proven that they can get tremendous battery out of noise-canceling headphones. Sony must now use its engineering wizardry to get a high-capacity battery in the WH-1000XM6.