Keepers Updated October 19, 2026
Sony WH-1000XM6

Is it worth it?

Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony · Headphones · May 15, 2025

67Not yet

Not a Keeper. It scores 67 and a Keeper needs 80. The weakest part is how long it gets updates.

Where the 67 comes from

Reviews26/30

Engadget 94. That averages 94 out of 100; a 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.

Updates8/25

Sony publishes no firmware support period. The battery is screwed in rather than glued, but Sony sells no parts or manuals, per iFixit.

Repairable12/20

iFixit scores them 6 of 10: the drivers, headband and charge port are separate parts, but Sony sells none of them.

Timing21/25

They came out May 15, 2025. Sony took two years between the XM4 and XM5 and three to the XM6, so a successor is unlikely before 2027.

26 + 8 + 12 + 21 = 67

Image: electronics.sony.com

Reviews: Engadget. Updates: iFixit. Repair: iFixit. Timing: Engadget. Numbers checked September 29, 2026; timing is worked out again every day.

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How the score works

Tech

  • Reviews, 30. The average of the published scores from outlets that score, like Engadget, CNET, PCMag, Tom's Guide and TechRadar. A 60 earns nothing and a 100 earns all 30.
  • Updates, 25. Years of software updates, from the maker's promise or, where there isn't one, what its last comparable model got. Seven years earns all 25.
  • Repairable, 20. iFixit's repairability score, doubled. Where iFixit hasn't scored it, we read the parts and guides.
  • Timing, 25. Where it is in its line's usual refresh cycle, the MacRumors question. Full points for the first half; nothing once the next model is due.

A Keeper is our bet on what lasts. Some releases show it right away: the reviews, the players and the people behind them all point the same way, the way they did for Elden Ring. For albums, games, films, shows and books, 85 or above is a Keeper and 75 to 84 is worth your time. Things and tech need 80. We score everything again as time goes by, and a Keeper that fades loses the label. Nobody pays to be here or pays for a score. Every score links to where its numbers came from. Each one has a link to find it on Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate, Keepers earns from qualifying purchases.

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