Between the ATH-MSR7b and WH-1000XM6, the ATH-MSR7b comes out ahead in driver size, while the WH-1000XM6 wins on weight and active noise cancellation. Overall, the ATH-MSR7b scores 66.2 and the WH-1000XM6 scores 60.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ATH-MSR7b edges ahead on the Mars Score (66.2 vs 60.5), but the 5.7-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the ATH-MSR7b if you care most about driver size. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size.
Pick the WH-1000XM6 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. Its strongest claims are weight, active noise cancellation, spatial audio, among others.
Both ship with comparable water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ATH-MSR7b is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b wins
- ▲Driver size — 50.00% more. 45 mm vs 30 mm.
Why Sony - WH-1000XM6 wins
- ▲Weight — 36.00 g less. 254 vs 290.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Has LDAC.
- ▲Battery life: 30 h vs 0 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sony - WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 290 g | 254 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sony - WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 45 mmlead | 30 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 36 Ωlead | 16 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 101 dB | 101 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sony - WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 0 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-MSR7b | Sony - WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 0.0 | 5.3lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | truelead |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, ATH-MSR7b or WH-1000XM6?+
WH-1000XM6 lasts 30 hours vs 0 hours.
Do ATH-MSR7b or WH-1000XM6 have active noise cancellation?+
WH-1000XM6 has ANC; ATH-MSR7b does not.
Which supports LDAC, ATH-MSR7b or WH-1000XM6?+
WH-1000XM6 supports LDAC; ATH-MSR7b does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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