Sony’s flagship noise cancelling headphone is the one every other pair gets measured against. The sixth generation brings back the folding hinge that the XM5 dropped, which matters more than it sounds when the case has to survive a backpack.
Twelve microphones feed the noise cancelling, and the difference shows up in the places that usually defeat ANC: office chatter, train rumble, the low hum of a plane cabin. Battery runs to about 30 hours with cancelling on, and a three minute charge buys roughly three hours when you are already late.
The controls stay physical where it counts, with a real power button and a touch panel for playback. For anyone who works in noise and wants one pair to handle calls, flights, and focus sessions, this is the safe answer.