Real owners lean toward the ATH-R70xa: 63% of 27 owners recommend it, vs 35% of 571 for the Sony WH-1000XM6.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
“I listened to a bunch of highly rated headphones at the last CanJam in NYC and none of them made me want to upgrade from the R70xa.”— this_is_me_drunk on Reddit
“I got the r70xa as well, but had to get a new amp to give it more juice to make it sing. But man, being so light i hardly reach for my other cans now and using these as daily drivers.”— Waste_Search2125 on Reddit
“it has this really arfticial, unnatural sound to it that's neither analytic nor is it a smooth, rich entertaining sound”— Overall-Cupcake7073 on Reddit
“I then connected them to my android phone and everything was much crisper and detailed because it used LDAC. I then also played around with the equalizer and now they sound much better.”— Alanwake28 on Reddit
“Using XM3 daily since before covid, only headphone I own and do everything you say we shouldn't. Through pouring rain, snowstorms, at the gym, at my factory, stuffed into bags.”— electro_lytes on Reddit
“The issue I have with the Sony XM6 headphones is that they tend to cause my ears to become warm and sweaty, especially during extended use. This discomfort can be quite distracting”— No-Seaworthiness7880 on Reddit