The Sony WH-1000XM6 arrived in May 2025 as the latest model in Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM series. sony.mediaroom.com More than a year later, it remains one of Best Buy’s best-selling over-ear headphones, with more than 1,300 customer ratings there. bestbuy.com
What Official Sources Say
Sony lists SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 as supported Bluetooth audio formats, and the WH-1000XM6 can maintain multipoint connections to two devices. sony.com · helpguide.sony.net Sony’s Sound Connect app is used to enable the two-device connection and also controls LE Audio settings, noise-canceling behavior, and other headphone functions. helpguide.sony.net The USB-C port has a narrower role: Sony’s help guide describes it as a charging connection. The dedicated headphone jack is the documented input for wired audio. helpguide.sony.net
Sony says the headphones can play through the supplied cable with the headset powered off. Noise canceling is unavailable in that state. With the headset powered on, noise canceling and Ambient Sound Mode can operate over the analog cable. For phone calls during wired use, Sony says the caller’s voice can be heard through the headphones. Your voice is sent through the phone’s microphone instead of the headphone microphone. helpguide.sony.net
What Professional Reviews Say
RTINGS describes the XM6’s noise isolation as outstanding and reports strong microphone performance for calls. rtings.com What Hi-Fi praises the ANC and call quality and also highlights the headphone’s detailed, spacious sound. whathifi.com Tom’s Guide found improved vocal clarity on calls and confirmed battery behavior close to Sony’s 30-hour ANC claim during its use. tomsguide.com
The recurring limitation is wired digital audio. What Hi-Fi specifically lists the lack of USB-C audio among its drawbacks. whathifi.com SoundGuys also flags the absence of USB-C audio passthrough and identifies USB-C charging as the port’s wired function. soundguys.com RTINGS notes another wired-use limitation: the headphone microphone does not function over the AUX connection. rtings.com A laptop or phone user wanting one USB-C cable for both audio and charging will not get that setup here.
What Users Say
Best Buy’s AI-generated summary of more than 1,300 customer reviews identifies sound quality, comfort, and battery life as the most commonly praised areas. It also surfaces a much smaller number of comments about ear-cup heat and maximum volume. bestbuy.com
Takeaway
A flagship headphone with a USB-C port should also support USB-C audio. Sony made the wrong tradeoff by omitting it from the XM6, leaving a top-of-the-line model with a wired setup that feels unnecessarily dated. The headphone’s other strengths can justify the purchase, but they do not make this design choice any less disappointing.