ATH-M50xBT2 vs WH-1000XM6 Comparison

Compare ATH-M50xBT2 vs WH-1000XM6 side by side: specs, ratings, pros and cons, and which one fits your room best.

On this page
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2
ATH-M50xBT2
Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless noise canceling headphones in black and platinum silver
WH-1000XM6

At a Glance

ATH-M50xBT2

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is the wireless version of the well-known ATH-M50x studio headphones. It uses 45 mm drivers, the largest in this group, with a 15 Hz-28 kHz response and an AK4331 DAC.

View on Audio-Technica (opens in a new tab)
Best For
Music listeners
Style
Over-ear, closed-back
Weight
307 g
ANC
None (closed-back passive isolation)
Mics
2
Boom Mic
No
Talk Time
—
Connect
Bluetooth, 3.5 mm cable
WH-1000XM6

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is Sony's current flagship over-ear headphone. It pairs adaptive noise cancelling with 30 mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3 and the widest codec list in this group: SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3.

View on Sony (opens in a new tab)
Best For
Frequent flyers
Style
Over-ear
Weight
254 g
ANC
Adaptive noise canceling (auto optimizing)
Mics
12
Boom Mic
No
Talk Time
30 h
Connect
Bluetooth, 3.5 mm cable

Review Scores Compared

Expert Score

  • ATH-M50xBT27.1/10
  • WH-1000XM67.3/10 Leads

Voice & Mic Clarity

  • ATH-M50xBT25.8/10
  • WH-1000XM66.3/10 Leads

Comfort & Ergonomics

  • ATH-M50xBT28.0/10
  • WH-1000XM69.0/10 Leads

Connectivity & Range

  • ATH-M50xBT27.5/10
  • WH-1000XM67.8/10 Leads

Battery & Charging

  • ATH-M50xBT2—
  • WH-1000XM66.2/10

Certification & Controls

  • ATH-M50xBT28.0/10
  • WH-1000XM6—

Why ATH-M50xBT2 Beats WH-1000XM6 (and Vice Versa)

Why ATH-M50xBT2 beats WH-1000XM6

  • Driver Size: 45 mm vs 30 mm
  • Frequency Response: 15 Hz - 28 kHz vs 4 Hz - 40 kHz (JEITA, wired, powered on)
  • Music Time: 50 h vs 30 h

Why WH-1000XM6 beats ATH-M50xBT2

  • Better comfort & ergonomics: 9.0 vs 8.0 out of 10
  • Better voice & mic clarity: 6.3 vs 5.8 out of 10
  • Weight: 254 g vs 307 g
  • Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW (on) vs 99 dB/mW
  • Active Noise Cancelling: Yes vs No
  • Microphones: 12 vs 2

Review-score leads of 0.5+ points out of 10 first, then specs where only one comes out ahead.

Full Specifications

General

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Best ForMusic listenersFrequent flyers
Wearing StyleOver-ear, closed-backOver-ear

Design & Build

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Weight307 g254 g Better

Audio

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Driver Size45 mm Better30 mm
Frequency Response15 Hz - 28 kHz Better4 Hz - 40 kHz (JEITA, wired, powered on)
Bluetooth CodecsLDAC, AAC, SBCSBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Driver TypeClosed-back dynamicDynamic
Impedance38 Ω48 Ω
Sensitivity99 dB/mW103 dB/mW (on) Better
Spatial Audio—360 Reality Audio, 360 Upmix for Cinema
Custom EQA-T Connect app EQ—
Wired ListeningYes (1.2 m 3.5 mm cable included)Yes (1.2 m detachable cable)
Stereo / MonoStereoStereo
SidetoneYes—

Noise Cancelling

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Noise CancellingNone (closed-back passive isolation)Adaptive noise canceling (auto optimizing)
Active Noise CancellingNoYes Better
Transparency Mode—Yes (Ambient Sound Mode, Speak-to-Chat, Quick Attention)
Adaptive ANC—Yes (Adaptive NC Optimizer)

Microphone

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Microphones212 Better
Microphone Setup2 MEMS, beamforming12 MEMS (Multi Noise Sensor) Better
Call Noise ReductionBeamforming—
Boom MicNoNo
Mute ControlMute button—
Mic Frequency Response85 Hz - 15 kHz—
Mic Pickup PatternOmnidirectionalOmnidirectional

Battery & Charging

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Talk Time—30 h
Charging Time3.5 h3.5 h
Fast ChargingYes (10 min = 3 h)—
Music Time50 h Better30 h
Charging PortUSB-CUSB-C
Talk Time (ANC On)—24 h
Music Time (ANC Off)—40 h

Connectivity

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
ConnectionBluetooth, 3.5 mm cableBluetooth, 3.5 mm cable
Bluetooth Version5.05.3 Better
MultipointYes (2 devices)Yes (2 devices)
Wireless Range10 m10 m
Low-Latency ModeLow latency mode—
Bluetooth ProfilesA2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSPA2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP, CCP, PBP, GMAP
Cable Length1.2 m1.2 m
LE Audio / Auracast—Yes (LC3)
Google Fast PairYes—

Controls & App

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Management SoftwareA-T ConnectSony Sound Connect
Voice AssistantAmazon Alexa Built-in, Google Assistant, Siri—

In the Box

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
In the Box30 cm USB-A to USB-C cable, 1.2 m audio cable, pouch—
Warranty1-year limited—
Carry CaseYes (pouch)—

Identifiers

ATH-M50xBT2WH-1000XM6
Model Number—WH-1000XM6

Takeaways

  • It's a tie on our rating (3.5/5) between ATH-M50xBT2 and WH-1000XM6, so choose on the rows that matter most to you.
  • Choose ATH-M50xBT2 for music listeners.
  • Choose WH-1000XM6 for frequent flyers.

Pros and Cons

ATH-M50xBT2

PROS

  • 45 mm drivers, largest here
  • LDAC, AAC and SBC
  • About 50 h battery
  • Multipoint and low latency mode

CONS

  • No active noise cancelling
  • Heavier at 307 g

WH-1000XM6

PROS

  • Adaptive noise cancelling
  • SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 codecs
  • Up to 30 h with ANC (40 h off)
  • Multipoint and wired 3.5 mm option

CONS

  • No boom mic for noisy calls
  • LDAC only helps with Android or other LDAC sources

Similar Comparisons

Quick Verdict

  • ATH-M50xBT2 7.1No outright category lead
  • WH-1000XM6 7.3Best overallLeads in Voice & Mic Clarity, Comfort & Ergonomics, Connectivity & Range