Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM6 for Phones

Nothing's $399 Headphone (1) Pro launched September 29, immediately setting up a direct comparison with Sony's WH-1000XM6, listed at $448 on Amazon according to SoundGuys' review. In the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM6 matchup, Sony's official specifications confirm built-in Bluetooth Multipoint and a six-microphone call array, while Nothing counters with wired USB-C lossless audio, an IP52 rating, and a parametric EQ that goes beyond Sony's band-based equalizer.

Searching Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs Sony XM6 for phones usually turns up codec specs first, and here it's close to a wash. Both list SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3 support, with LC3 relevant to LE Audio/Broadcast Audio use, confirmed in SoundGuys' testing of the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro and in Sony official specifications for the WH-1000XM6. Matching codec lists doesn't settle anything by itself, though. What varies is whether your phone exposes LDAC, whether you're listening wired or wireless, and how your phone's USB-C port handles digital audio, which the sections below walk through.

A quick note on where this comparison's evidence comes from: Sony's feature descriptions, including its call array and QN3 processor claims, are company specifications and press materials, not independent lab results. SoundGuys' 87.4% attenuation figure, along with its battery and weight numbers for the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, come from that outlet's own lab testing. The glasses-fit comments from The Verge and SoundGuys are single-reviewer observations, not a controlled study. Battery figures from both brands are manufacturer-rated estimates unless stated otherwise.

Check these points before buying

Android users should confirm LDAC is available in their phone's Bluetooth settings before assuming wireless high-res playback is automatic. Nothing's review coverage confirms USB-C listening and a DAC rated up to 24-bit/192kHz, per SoundGuys, but the supplied reviews don't establish compatibility with every handset or a lossless USB-C-to-Lightning setup on iPhone. Test that specific combination in person if wired high-res on iPhone is the reason you're buying.

Matching codec support also doesn't guarantee matching sound quality, switching reliability, or battery drain between the two headphones. Those differences play out section by section below.

Wired connectivity: where the two headphones actually diverge

Sony's wired option is a detachable, single-sided 3.5mm analog cable with a gold-plated plug, per Sony official specifications. If your phone doesn't have a headphone jack, you'll need an adapter just to use it.

Nothing's wired path runs through USB-C instead, with a built-in DAC rated up to 24-bit/192kHz, according to SoundGuys. That's the stronger setup for USB-C Android phones with lossless files on hand.

Don't conflate Nothing's two high-res numbers, either. The Verge specifies the wireless LDAC ceiling tops out at 24-bit/96kHz, while 24-bit/192kHz applies only to wired USB-C playback. Confusing the two overstates what streaming over Bluetooth actually delivers.

Sony WH-1000XM6 phone compatibility: multipoint, calls, and charging speed

Sony official specifications list Bluetooth Multipoint as a built-in feature of the WH-1000XM6, letting it hold two device connections at once.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro also connects to two devices, but it swaps audio streams between them rather than offering true Multipoint, according to SoundGuys. How that holds up switching between a call and a laptop meeting hasn't been settled by independent testing.

Sony says its six-microphone array, paired with an AI beamforming system, isolates the user's voice from background noise on calls, according to the Sony Japan press release announcing the WH-1000XM6 last year. The same release notes Sony's USB-C quick charging delivers roughly three hours of playback from a three-minute charge.

Noise cancelling and fit: what reviewers actually found

The Verge's hands-on review currently places the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro behind Sony's WH-1000XM6, Bose's Ultra Headphones Gen 2, and Apple's AirPods Max 2 for ANC, even while finding it handles airplane rumble and street traffic well on its own.

SoundGuys' lab testing measured 87.4% average attenuation with the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro's ANC switched on. Its reviewer flagged that getting an ideal ear-cup seal is unusually difficult on this pair, a problem that hits both noise cancelling and bass response.

Fit matters most here for glasses wearers. The Verge's reviewer, who wears glasses, found the seal let in more midrange airplane noise on the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro than on Sony's XM6, Bose's Ultra Headphones Gen 2, or the AirPods Max 2. SoundGuys' reviewer, also a glasses wearer, described the seal as inconsistent in separate testing. Two single-reviewer accounts don't prove Sony fits every glasses wearer better, but they point the same direction, so try the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro on with your own glasses before buying.

Sony describes its QN3 noise-cancelling processor, working with 12 microphones and an Adaptive NC Optimizer, as automatically adjusting to fit, noise type, and air pressure, per the Sony Japan press release. That lines up with where The Verge currently ranks the two headphones.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro battery life and ANC: manufacturer claims vs lab testing

Nothing rates the Headphone (1) Pro at up to 68 hours with ANC off and 30 hours with ANC on, while Sony rates the WH-1000XM6 at up to 40 hours with NC off and 30 hours with NC on, per Tom's Guide and Sony official specifications. Both numbers are manufacturer ratings rather than results from the same independent test, so compare them cautiously instead of treating either as settled. SoundGuys notes its own battery score for the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro still reflects the company's advertised figure until independent lab testing replaces it.

Streaming over LDAC trims Nothing's published estimate to about 53 hours with ANC off and 28 hours with ANC on, according to Tom's Guide. Android owners who leave LDAC on should plan around that lower number, not the 68-hour headline.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro carries a confirmed IP52 rating for dust and light moisture resistance, per SoundGuys. Sony's spec sheet doesn't list an equivalent rating, though that absence alone doesn't confirm the WH-1000XM6 has none.

Weight is confirmed at 254 grams for Sony, per Sony official specifications. Nothing's weight is less settled: Tom's Guide lists the Headphone (1) Pro at 11.53 ounces, about 327 grams, while SoundGuys lists 383.5 grams. That gap is real enough to flag outright, so weigh the headphones yourself in a store if the difference matters to you.

Sound tuning splits differently than the battery specs suggest. The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro pairs a triple-driver design, a 40mm bass driver, a separate midrange driver, and an xMEMS tweeter, with a physical Flat EQ switch and a parametric EQ, per The Verge and SoundGuys. Sony answers with its own 10-band equalizer, according to the Sony Japan press release. Neither is objectively better; it's parametric granularity versus band-based simplicity, and which one you'd rather fiddle with comes down to taste.

Which one fits your phone habits

Sony fits better if confirmed multipoint, hands-on ANC performance, or frequent calls on the move matter most to your routine. Its six-microphone array and QN3 processor are manufacturer specifications rather than independent test results, but the dual-device connection is something Sony lists as built-in, not something swapped between sources like Nothing's stream-switching.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro fits better if wired USB-C lossless playback, an IP52 dust and light-moisture rating, or parametric EQ control matter more to you, provided your phone exposes LDAC where you need it and you've tested the fit with your own glasses first. Compare the battery ratings cautiously: Nothing's 68-hour claim and Sony's 40-hour claim are both manufacturer estimates rather than results from the same independent test, and Nothing's own published figure already drops to 53 hours with LDAC streaming and ANC off, or 28 hours with ANC on.