Customer Ratings & Reviews

I’ve been a long-time user of the Sony XM series, but the WF-1000XM6 is a genuine game-changer. Overall, I absolutely love them. Fit & Comfort: The first thing I noticed was the fit—it is significantly better than the XM5s. They feel much more secure and, more importantly, far more comfortable for long listening sessions. I can wear these for hours without the usual ear fatigue. Sound Quality: This is where the XM6 truly shines. The sound quality is drastically better. Previous generations, including the XM5s, always sounded a bit "muddy" to me. These are much clearer and finally deliver an enjoyable, high-fidelity experience. The separation is crisp, and they’ve finally nailed the tuning. Noise Cancellation (ANC): The ANC was already industry-leading, but it’s slightly improved here. It’s a subtle bump, but when combined with the better physical seal from the improved fit, the isolation is fantastic. Design & Battery: I’m not a huge fan of the change in case size, but it’s still compact enough to be pocketable, so it’s not a dealbreaker. My only real gripe is that I wish the battery life had received a bigger upgrade; I’m still getting a solid 5–6 hours per charge, which is good, but I was hoping for more. The Verdict: If you found the previous models lacked clarity or comfort, these are the upgrade you’ve been waiting for. The Platinum Silver looks premium, and the audio performance finally matches the "Best-in-Class" reputation.

I have been a long time sony headphone and earbud fan. I have owned every generation of both the WF-1000XM earbud line up and the WH-1000XM headphones. These earbuds are the first ones that I felt overall were not a major upgrade to the previous generation. They are definitely better in some ways, but they are also worse in others. Overall balancing out to about the same but for a higher price tag. Meaning especially since the WF-1000XM5s can be gotten on sale since the XM6s released, I'd highly recommend anyone shopping for ear buds in the class to go with the XM5s. So, I'll start off with the things that are definitely worse about the XM6s. Case size. It is quite a bit larger than the XM4 and XM5 case. On top of being larger, it has sharp edges on the bottom and top. A terrible design for something many people like to put in their pocket. Earbud size. Overall the earbuds are similar in size to the XM5s, but they are noticeably thicker. This means they protrude out of your ears more. Earbud tips. They chose to include foam tips only this generation. Personally I don't feel these add to comfort any over silicon tips, but the durability of them are far far lower than silicon tips. If they want to include the foam tips as an option, great, but either include two of every size, or include some silicon ones as well for people that need the durability. Active Noise Canceling. There are some things here that are a postiive, but also a negative. I've never been one to experience the pressure issues or anything like that with ANC. But the ANC on these earbuds remind me of holding a seashell to my ear. That sound you hear when you hold a seashell to your ear, I can hear when the ANC is enabled with these earbuds. It's the first time I've ever experienced this. Sound profile. So... sound profile is also going to be in my negatives and positives. Because part of the sound profile is better, but part of it is worse. The part that is worse is the mids. The mids on these earbuds out of the box is exceptionally weak. You have to really crank all the mid frequencies in the equalizer to really get a good sound. I'm the type of person that I almost always like to have a v shaped equalizer. I'm a bit of a basshead. These earbuds are the first ones ever that I have to do a W shape equalizer. The bass on these earbuds while better than the XM5s in general is a little muddy. All of that said now I'll talk about the improvements. As for the sound profile, everything other than what I mentioned in the negatives is better. Sounds are crisp and clean. It overall is an improvement over the XM5s. Earbud shape. They made some changes to the shape and the way they sit in your ear and I love it. I've worn these for up to 5 hours continuously without any discomfort. Active Noise Canceling. Other than the "seashell" sound I hear in the ANC, it is definitely improved from the XM5. It is even better at blocking out a lot of sounds and I'm overall impressed by it. One other thing I'll mention that isn't a positive or a negative is battery life. It doesn't seem like they really improved it any, but it also did not get worse. They claim 8 hours with ANC on, after that 5 hour session I mentioned before I had around 25% left on the lower of the two earbuds. So, not quite up to their 8 hour claim, but not terribly far off. Overall, given all this, I just can't recommend these earbuds at the higher price point to most people. One of the very important aspects to ear buds is the compactness. I don't know what Sony was thinking making the case and the earbuds themselves bigger. And with the case being less pocketable due to sharp edges, it is just a very bad design choice. The only people I would recommend this to would be that care solely about the sound quality, as with some EQ tweaking these definitely are the superior sound. But, really if you care that much about sound quality, why are you getting earbuds instead of headphones? The full headphone WH-1000XM6 is far superior in sound quality to these ear buds. Just to note, in my attached pictures the earbuds are XM4, XM5, and XM6 left to right.

From the second i put them in my ears, i already knew these were going to set the bar high. Great comfortable design( i have mixed feelings about the foam eartips though). The sound out of the box is already well tuned, but the sound connect app is there if you would like to change it among other things. Overall great set of buds, only thing i would change is that price tag!, but they are a worthy investment and a fair upgrade from the previous model.

Look, let's just jump into the elephant in the room. Sony's wf1000xm6's have the same foam tips as the previous model. So if you had an issue with the fit because of those tips...you will have the same issue here. Now what might make all the difference in the world could come down to the proper venting they put into the xm6's, finally. The XM5's are claimed to have venting, but it either was a lie, or it never had enough because they always caused my ears to plug up with pressure. The XM6 has perfect venting, and this made a huge difference with me. The next thing was the understanding that you might need a large tip if you are used to having a medium tip for the earphones. I could never get a good seal from the medium tips or smaller tips, even though I always use medium tips all the time with earphones. This is different. And the biggest thing to avoid is trying to insert them too deeply into your ears if you use the large tips. You don't need to do this, as the seal and fit can be made at just medium depth. Once you get the proper fit, you will then understand that the Sony xm6 could possibly be the best sound earphones in bluetooth history. I have all the top earphones in bluetooth even the $500 ones, so trust me when I tell you I was surprised when this XM6 took over my number spot. What Sony did with the producers and engineers that they sought after when tuning these earphones was nothing short of transcendent. The sound stage is the largest ever placed on a bluetooth earphone. The vocals are the most intimate details and realism ever put on bluetooth. The Mids, treble, and Bass are absolutely perfect, with perfect tonality, otherworldly imaging, and timbre to boot, especially once you take advantage of the DSEE, LDAC, and 10-band EQ. Then to makes thing worst on the bluetooth challengers out there, their ANC is one of the very, very best in the world today. They dropped a 9-12-hour per charge battery life on these. They even managed to keep all their cool amazing features and upped their phone quality and hear thru. And to put the icing on the cake ...they read your text messages automatically, you can finally activate Google Voice or Gemini on command words, and finally have decent phone call quality. Look, the bottom line ...nothing checks this many boxes and dominates so many areas than this Xm6. It is truly worth every bit of the money they asked for.

I received it the first day it was commercially available. Somehow they overnighted it, which is nice. I've used Pixel Bud Pro2s, Samsung Pros, other lower Sonys to compare. I think the positive reviews after a day or two are pretty biased. The silver is more like a matte gray with recycled material texture on it. It is extremely wide and bigger than all major flagship earphones, but I think that's a double edged sword with the questionable look. However, it's super light and it never falls out even when changing (esp out of gym clothes a plus other brands tend to fail at like Apple) and isolates noise very well. The noise cancellation in these is second to none by a large margin. Ambient mode has no ringyness that Apple and Samsung can have, or even cheaper Sonys. Where they have gaps in the current software is that the ambient sound mode picks up your bangs or any hairs that rub against it pretty loudly (even with app adjustments) if you don't have short hair around your ears (they'll probably fix it). Otherwise, ambient is nice at work without being too pitchy. I can wear these without fatigue, and they did a much better job equalizing these than previous generations. The battery on the case is not amazing, as it lasts about 1.3 charges on average. Out of my Pixel, Samsung, Sony, Senn, B&O, these are the most battery draining buds. I wish they had an auto switch off feature and retained charge like the Sony WFC700Ns, which if you want the least charging for bang for the buck, that is the best all around. Case is also sharp and bulky but light in weight, which they should've either rounded out or used the extra space for battery capacity. There's also a gap in the back as you see in the pics bc they didn't bevel it like other brands do, but that doesn't bother me personally. If you value noise cancellation with a customizable sound stage, I think this is a no brainer and has no competitor in the environment modes. Miles better than the Airpods if you're willing to pay the premium. Imo I wouldn't upgrade if I already had the previous generation, but for anyone else who has the extra cash with other flagships, it's worth the spend.

You’re likely buying these either because you’re looking for the best noise canceling ear buds or you’re looking for the best sounding earbuds. Luckily you can check both boxes with the WF-1000XM6’s. Noise Canceling The noise canceling on these are fantastic. When working in a noisy environment or you just want to cancel out distracting noises when trying to focus, I’d hesitate to say there’s any other earbuds that would do better. While I didn’t get the chance to fly with these, I literally have a construction zone outside of my home where they’re building new houses. I took the opportunity to open my window while working while using noise canceling and I couldn’t tell they were making noise. While impressive, and likely the peak of consumer noise canceling technology, you can still very loud sounds and at very low volume, certain sounds. I found that if not listening to any music, you can still pick up on voices and louder sounds, but you really have to be looking for it. With music, they’re almost non-existant. Music Quality I love the sound quality and especially how far along deep bass has come in earbuds. I will preface that I’m not an audiophile, so I cannot articulate sound profiles the way a more trained ear could, but what I can say is how clear and clean the sound is, especially if you do some tuning to the EQ included with the Sound Connect app. Earbuds have gone a long way to delivering deep bass while not muddling out the treble or creating distortion. Within the app you can also prioritize sound quality over connection, along with Sony’s DSEE Extreme which enhances compressed audio sources to improve sound quality. Calibrating spatial audio can create a surround sound experience that makes videos and movies more immersive. Also unique within the app is an option to set your music to “Background Music” which adjusts the audio to sound more like ambient music in a café or walking through a mall. Transparency Mode One thing that is hard to get right is transparency mode and there’s only a few earbuds and headphones I’ve used that do this well. It easily picks up on the environment, voices, and really any sound as if you weren’t wearing them at all. You can also adjust different levels of transparency. At about 12 I found it’s enough to still be aware of my surroundings but still keep surrounding noise from being a distraction. Good if you don’t want to miss someone talking to you or catch an overhead announcement. The only thing I wish it did better is when you talk it does sound a bit like your voice is in your head. It’s hard to describe but it can be a bit distracting in a conversation. Design The headphones are comfortable and have a very modern and sleek design. They’re not too heavy in the ear and the foam tips fit comfortably. There are a total of 4 different ear tips to swap between and you can do a fit test within the app to help find the one that’s best for you. They’re fairly easy to pop off and back on if you need to swap them out. They stayed in my ears nicely and I haven’t had any issues with fit or falling out from my ears. I find that the case fits nicely in my pocket. I don’t really find the edges to be harsh and the lid has a satisfying snap when it closes. The earbuds fit nicely inside the case and are easy to pull out. No issues with battery life for my use case. I wear them off and on throughout the day, placing them back in the case to grab a quick charge. I like that wireless charging is included and charges from the bottom. The capacitive controls are easy to use and responsive. It took me a few tries to get used to where to find the touch zone but they can be used to answer the phone, skip tracks, or adjust the volume. Other Thoughts I found that call quality is great. People who I’ve talked to reported very clear phone calls, even in a noisy environment. I really like that the app includes an EQ that extends beyond 3 sliders and the app allows 2 custom presets. The ability to connect to two devices and switch between the two is very convenient. To go from one device to another seamlessly, especially for work when you’re switching between music on your phone and calls on teams, is a nice to have. I love the texture of the case and earbuds, they feel premium and look great. The gray color goes with almost any color you wear. Sony is a top player in ANC so I’m not surprised when they say they’re the best ANC as of the release of this product. It certainly seems from my experience that they can make that claim. Along with an app that allows customization of sound, features, how much ANC you actually want, and Sony’s great sounding speakers, it’s easy to love these and even easier to recommend.

The Sony WF series of buds has been at the top or near the top of most music listeners lists for years. 2026 welcomes the XM6 and the buds have changed their shape a bit and added more microphones and the audio is easily as good if not better than previous years. My previous model is the XM4 and while still great, they are well worn and the XM6 is worthy upgrade for call quality and daily listening. The app is far more open to allow changes to make the buds more you and less some engineers sonic idea of perfect. Yet, even without the app, Sony has tuned the buds as close to my listening preference right out of the eco-friendly box. Pros: ANC is far superior when paired with the foam tips Call audio is more isolated for clearer conversations Easier to get buds out of the case and replace to charge Better app features to manage sound preferences Decent battery life. Minutes of charge for hour of use is great Cons: Adaptive sound control not working for me Touch controls not always easily repeatable as touch zone is lower than expected Sleeping with buds in is still not really possible Price likely keeps many from buying App: Sony has unlocked just about everything for the menu layout and audio settings in the app for these buds. Move the settings most used to the main page. A few custom 10 band EQ's to dial in the levels I like most. Best of all, custom taps for what you do most. Each setting has decent descriptions so you know what each setting does or might do. Top shelf app. Fit and touch controls: The memory foam tips might not be everyone's cup of tea. They can be removed/swapped and have several sizes included. The overall fit is very secure and unlike my XM4's do not feel like they are slipping or need adjusting while I worked outside for hours. As the XM6 does sit a bit more pronounced in ear. I would not classify these as sleep capable. A nap in a chair yes. Side sleep in a bed with normal pillows, not so much. The new jelly bean like shape sits in my ear securely, but the angle for touch seems to be lower than where I naturally want to touch. Practice might help, but for me I usually tap the top of the bud and nothing happens and have to hunt for the side tap zone. The touch zone is not as defined as the older buds. Sound: I get the most time use of my buds anytime I am doing chores around the house. With ANC at full isolation, it can be very immersive when the right songs come on. Bass thump is still not rock concert level, but at half volume with custom EQ. It is enough to get into the songs that motivate me to get going. Higher bitrate tracks are super clean and where the audio quality shines for the XM6. I still want to use spatial audio, but it is not common in my music. LDAC works perfectly for me and my top of the charts music selection. With a several days of use, never a connection loss. ANC: Clearly this has improved quite a bit and where the money spent to buy the XM6 goes. I don't know if the extra microphones or the new chip or Ai is doing the magic. It just works. Call quality is really better for the other end not knowing you are somewhere noisy or just sounding hollow. I tested with a loud TV and a call to my wife. She could not hear the TV in the background. For those who play hooky from work or school, have these on when you call from where you shouldn't be. The bigger issue might be not being too loud in public as I don't hear my voice as much. Ambient Sound/ transparency will likely help here. As for blocking noise that mess with my music. ANC on (Ambient Sound Control/ Noise Canceling) kept a noisy gas pressure washer almost completely silent while cleaning my truck and driveway for a couple hours yesterday. I look forward to blocking my zero turn mower noise this spring. Notice: On max ANC (Noise Canceling), be prepared to be startled a lot by people you thought snuck up on you. A 6am trash truck crew can hide in the silence Sony XM6 creates. Look around occasionally or allow pass through audio. Noteworthy: The Adaptive Sound Control gets setup when you first use the buds. I did day one update and while sound control was on. The several hours I was pressure washing it kept switching between full ANC and maybe the Ambient transparency mode every few minutes for some reason. Silence and music to hearing roaring engine is surreal. I turned Adaptive off and the buds locked out the world as I wanted. Maybe it works as intended or buds need update/reboot. I will leave it off for now. Lastly, the touch zone as mentioned above is not as defined as the XM4. Might be my ear angle or more practice to get it right. The XM6 is a very worthy upgrade for me over my much older XM4's. The new light gray color is easier for me, a guy to choose now. The older champagne color was what my wife liked as I went black last time. Wish Sony carried the blue over from their over ear headphones. If your budget allows, these are very good earbuds and worth a look.

I’m not totally sold on the case’s flat oval shape—I prefer something more rounded that feels nicer in a pocket or pouch. The matte gray finish is great, though, since it hides fingerprints. The buds themselves are a nice step up from the last generation. The cylindrical shape fits better, and while I’ve always had mixed feelings about Sony’s foam tips (they can be stiff and tiring over time), the new bud design helps reduce that discomfort. You can also swap the tips for softer foam or silicone tips. Just note that the buds stick out quite a bit and are only IPX4-rated, so they handle light rain and sweat but not dust. The case has no rating at all. Bluetooth 5.3 pairing was quick with my Android phone, and the connection stayed solid—even about 30 feet away. Multipoint with my PC and phone worked smoothly. I got around 8 hours of battery with ANC/Ambient on at 50% volume, and the case adds another 13–16 hours. A 10 minute quick charge gives about an hour of playback, and the case supports wireless charging, which I appreciate. Sony’s dual beamforming mics and bone conduction sensors do seem to improve call quality. The voice came through clearly even in wind and heavy traffic. The sound quality is what you’d expect from good wireless buds. Touch controls are very responsive, even in cold weather. They’re a bit confusing at first, but the Sound Connect app makes it easy to rearrange them. ANC is excellent—not class leading, but strong enough for a noisy subway ride. High pitch sounds and announcements still sneak through a bit. Ambient mode is helpful while walking, though it picks up a lot of wind noise, so I often turned it off. Indoors, it’s much more pleasant. Audio-wise, these are a joy. They support the usual codecs, but LDAC is where they shine. Out of the box, the bass is punchy and controlled with good sub bass, the mids are clear, and the slightly recessed treble still adds nice detail. Dialogue sounds natural, imaging is solid, and the soundstage leans intimate. They’re not audiophile-grade, but they’re lively and fun. And if you want to tweak the sound, the app offers presets and a full EQ. Speaking of the app—it’s packed. You get battery info, ambient controls, pass through settings, auto EQ, DSEE, voice assistance, listening modes, and more. There are also advanced features like 360 headtracking, gestures, and spatial audio, though they feel more like novelties. The one feature that still disappoints is Adaptive Sound. It’s supposed to adjust ANC and ambient mode based on your activity and location, but it’s inconsistent and often distracting. Are they worth the price? For me, yes. If you only need the basics, there are cheaper options. But if you want a premium, feature-rich, and unique listening experience, the XM6s are a strong pick.

I just "upgraded" from the WF1000XM3 earbuds and got the XM6 earbuds. Sony is lost which is prob why they sold out to TCL. The only thing better the XM6 seems to have VS my XM3s is ambient sound just overall a little clearer when talking to somone. My XM3s feel better when it comes to quality, noise cancelation, sound is louder, the tap feature and just as clear as the XM6 w a good bass. Also, when you switch between ambient sound, to ambient sound off, and then to noise canceling, the earbuds actually talk to you and let you know what prompts you're giving it. Which leads me to the end of my review... I found the WF1000XM3 earbuds on Mercari NEW for $50 w shipping. That's how much I stand behind this review. Test it out for yourself.

I have been using Sony wireless earbuds for many years and with every new model, they make relatively modest incremental improvements but with the release of the WF1000XM6, they seem to have made a very substantial gain in sound quality. Im pleasantly surprised and these new M6s may have just dethroned my favorite earbuds by another maker. Contents of the box included the charging case, the earbuds, 4 sets of sized silicone ear tips ( XS,S,M & L), a USB A to USB C charging cable and the usual instruction/warranty booklets. I actually decided to use a third party foam ear tip as I prefer foam to silicone with all my earbuds. I chose the matte gray buds which are made of a soft plastic material. They also come in a matte black if that's your preference. They're rated IPX4 sweat and splash proof so they should hold up very well to most exercise activities. The battery life is listed as 8 hours for the buds and an additional 16 hours in the case. The case can be charged wirelessly or via a USC B cable. The shape of these new M6s is a bit larger and more bulbous than previous iterations. I assume they needed the extra space for the additional processors and internal components. They still posses touch control which can be customized via the app. In the app, you are given four tap control options for each bud and I have them set to the standard play/pause, fwd/rev, volume up or down and noise cancelling on or off. They are many more options offered but I choose to keep things simple. These buds offer multipoint connection so they can be connected to 2 devices a the same time and have an "Auto Switch" function that allows music to keep playing from the earbuds to a monitor of shelf speaker set when you take the earbuds out. Set up was fast and easy. I already have the Sony Sound Connect app but if you don't, it's really essential for getting the most of these amazing earbuds. Once connected to the app, there are a myriad of features and functions to choose from. I am focusing on the main ones here but definitely explore the app as it has so much to offer. These buds have a wear sensor so when you insert them, it chimes letting you know you're connected. The app offers noice cancelling options so you can customize ambient sound control versus strictly noise cancellation. Speak-to-chat is also featured which mutes playback when you start talking. There are a couple of listening modes including standard playback but it also offers "Background Music" which makes the music sound like it's coming from speakers farther away resembling background music. Interesting concept and it works quite well. 360 Reality/Spatial audio is also available and you can customize that experience within the app. This time, Sony offers up a 10 band equalizer which allowed me to really fine tune the sound stage. It worked extremely well for me and I was able to adjust the levels to hit my sound "sweet spot". I've attached my personal settings so you can give them a try and see if they also work for you. Sony continues to use their impressive LDAC bluetooth codec and these buds also can upres older/lower sound files via DSEE Extreme AI technology. Noise cancelling is also improved and this time, there are now 8 microphones and 2 processors inside that get the job done. Sony says its new QN3e processor is 3 times faster than the previous processor found in the M5s. I always test them while vacuuming my place and they were superb at keeping the hum to a minimum. Zero complaints there. I imagine the myriad of mics and the new processors also keep phone calls crystal clear. I never use my buds for calls so Im assuming this but I have little doubt in Sony's expertise when taking class from the M6s is concerned. The sound quality is without a doubt a substantial improvement in these new M6 buds. I noticed a significant difference immediately from the M5s. Sony says these new buds were designed with help from world-renowned audio engineers and it really shows. Everything has amazing separation-from highs to lows-and nothing gets muddied or sounds harsh. Depth and clarity is paramount and these buds have plenty of power to express deep base without it getting distorted. I am simply amazed at how good they sound. I have another set of 2025 earbuds from another manufacturer that were my top sounding earbuds of all time but Sony has now equalled and honestly surpassed them for the best sounding buds I have ever listened to. It's stunning what a difference a year can make in technology that allows for such a distance improvement in sonic quality. Overall, Im extremely happy and impressed and highly recommend these M6 buds to everyone.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 (henceforth to be referred as the XM6) marks the 6th generation of their 1000 series earbuds. Yet unlike its headphone counterpart, the earbuds seem to change design upon every release. Some for the better while others for the worse. It seems this time around, the exterior design is improved upon for the better (at least to me). The earbuds come in a more angular pill shaped case, which is odd since the XM5 before it was decently designed. The tip size is medium out of the box and comes included with 3 other size sets – extra-small, small, and large. Finding the right fit should not be a concern for many people. My size ended up being XS on left and S on right, which goes to show that everyone has different sizes and shapes for ears. The earbuds for the XM6 finally resolves a personal critical point for the previous generation XM5. The earbuds now have a matte surface which makes it easier to grip and take out of the case. This is in addition to the new pill-like design which also helps in gripping the earbuds themselves. Using a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL as my primary device, pairing is quick and easy. Google’s quick pairing system picked it up right away. And along with Sony’s Sound Connect companion app, it guides me along with the setup process. To make the most of the earbuds, the Sound Connect app is necessary. Some of the options and settings for the earbuds will definitely make the listening experience much better in the long run. The Sound Connect app makes available a variety of settings to fine tune how you listen to your media. There is a setting for how much noise cancellation you desire as well as a setting for “Listening Mode.” Listening Mode has only two settings – Standard and Background Music. For the latter, it applies some kind of audio effect to emulate audio being played back through speakers in a large room. A setting for Bluetooth Connection Quality is available to set a priority on audio quality, connection stability, or lowest latency (flagged as beta at the time of review). After going through my personal playlist that I use for testing audio devices, I can say that the audio sounds quite good and neutral. While I cannot say with absolute certainty how well it handles the three basic frequency levels (lows, mids, and highs), it sounds good to me and tuned so that I can listen to almost any genre of music without hearing something out of place. To me, that is more important than emphasizing lows/bass for a more punchy sound. Also of note, even after a 2 hour listening session, the XM6 did not feel uncomfortable, which is a big plus if you’re on a long trip. The ANC is better than its predecessor in that it cuts out more sound than before. All outside noise was cut out as I was chipping away snow chunks off the driveway. A fire engine came by with sirens blaring but I did not know how close it was until it was about (at rough estimate) 200ft away. I fear the ANC may work too well for people who commute in public transits. A little tweaking with the ANC level can be the difference between getting off at your stop or missing it entirely. With all the praises I’ve been giving these earbuds, it is not perfect. The bad parts are not with the earbuds themselves but outside of them. For one thing, the (charging) case is a bit odd. The previous generation had a more smoother shape and can easily slip into a pocket. With the new case, which is pill shaped yet extruded with no smoothness to the edges, it can really stick out. I am finding it a little confusing on this design aspect. It’s just a shame that the edges aren’t smoothed over like the XM5’s case. Lastly, and I do want to make it a point that I dedicate this entire paragraph to it, is the insanely and stupidly short charging cable. It is but a mere 6 inches in length. For many generations, be it on their headphones or their earbuds, the included charging cable has always been the dumbest choice Sony makes. I have called it out many times yet it always falls on deaf ears. It is nothing but a waste to include such a short cable. Either Sony includes a longer cable (preferably 18 inches or longer) or don’t bother packing one at all. There is no point in including a USB cable of that length. Overall, this is an iterative improvement from the previous generation. The ANC is still top tier as I expected. I like the new earbuds design since I have used its predecessor. But is it worth the upgrade from that predecessor? It’s very hard to say. The new price makes it hard to recommend with that in mind. But if you have something older than that, then it is worth spending extra just for all the improvements the XM6 has to offer. Owners of the XM5 may want to wait a bit for any flash sale or discount before jumping in. The Good: one of the top ANC for earbuds, good neutral sound, has XS, S, and L foam tips for that perfect fit, matte surface and pill shape for earbuds make for better gripping/handling The Bad: USB charging cable is still stupidly short The Ugly: the new case design? Verdict: Buy if your current earbuds are older than Sony’s XM5

In a market flooded with all kinds of earbuds, Sony stands with a small number of others on top of the hill. The new Sony WF-1000XM6 are my new favorite daily drivers. Comfort, sound and quality exceeded all my expectations. I absolutely love them. Inside the eco friendly packaging you get the buds, case, charging cable, 3 extra sets of different size ear plugs and literature basically saying scan the QR code to download the Sound Connect app. As I already have the app for other headsets, pairing was a breeze. Just take out 1 bud while case is open and my phone asked if I wanted to pair instantly. Sound quality is great to amazing. Everything I listened to on my playlists, videos streamed and podcasts sounded perfectly and to my own preferences. In the app itself, you can use multiple presets for the EQ or you can create your own custom choices. The minor issue I mentioned in the title comes from the noise cancellation - pass thru option. What happens is that no matter what I do (I prefer turning on noise cancellation), after I take off the buds, place it down on my desk or even place back into the case, the buds keep turning off noise cancellation and activates pass thru every single time. I have yet to find out if I'm in the wrong here or I just keep missing an option to stop it but it gets annoying when I want to listen to my music and I keep hearing my co-workers gossip instead. Call quality is excellent as well. No issues making and receiving calls and the quality is on par with about all other high end buds. Battery life is great for a normal workday. Sony claims 8 hours on a charge and 16 more from a fully charged case. Also charging the buds for 5 minutes buys you 1hr of playback. So far the claims have held up pretty well. Another thing I should mention is comfort. The body is slightly bigger than I am used to with previous buds, but I got used to it within 5 minutes. Once on, you really can't tell they're in your ears and feel weightless. They do stick out a little, but I have not had any complains of discomfort at all. For the audiophiles, the only codecs I have the option of using are SBC and AAC. No aptX, LDAC etc. I have replaced my Samsung Buds and Sony WF-C710N with these and have never been happier. If you are wanting the best of the best, give a look at the new 1000MX6. You can't go wrong.

Bottom Line: The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds deliver class-leading sound quality, excellent active noise cancellation, and good call quality. Pros: excellent sound quality; good noise cancellation; microphones deliver good call clarity; feature rich app Cons: chunky design/fit Review: Sony is well-known for its ability to deliver superb sound quality, and the WF-1000XM6’s deliver on that front. I’ve tested a good range of headphones, and the mids and highs sound crystal clear on this set. Bass performance is remarkably deep and rumbly for earbuds and should not disappoint those who listen to bass heavy tracks. Soundstage is very good for earbuds, but performance in this area has not yet caught up to my two generation old over-ears. Sony’s companion app provides a roust equalizer and, one of my favorite functions, adaptive listening. This feature allows location-based settings, such as always having ANC on at home or automatically switching from ANC to ambient sound mode while outside and/or moving on the street. Active noise cancelling is on par with what one would expect for high-end earbuds. The microphone array does a good job of providing clear voice during calls. My wife remarked that the sound quality on her end is much better than my other earbuds/headphones, although she could still tell that I was using headphones. Design and fit, I think, often come down to personal preference. In this area, I’m a bit conflicted. On one hand, the WF-1000XM6’s are, for me, the most secure fitting earbuds I’ve ever owned. For whatever reason, earbuds do not fit securely in my left ear and tend to fall out easily. The WF-1000XM6’s, however, do not (I prefer to use the Large ear tip but even the Medium stays put). On the other, the design is somewhat like a “chunky” block such that about half of the earbud tends to sit outside of your ear. Although it really doesn’t have an impact on the sound quality, I think other earbuds have a more streamlined look.

Sony WF-1000XM6 is one of the newest noise-cancellation earbuds on the market. I appreciate the simplicity of setting up the earbuds out of the box with my Google Pixel 10 Pro. It did prompt me to download the Sony Sound Connect app to update the device firmware. Obviously, with the app, you would have access to the additional features as well. One of the cool things that you find when setting up using the app, it featured a detector to make sure you’re wearing them correctly. Now, you may think that’s silly, but I did wear them incorrectly the first time around. (d’oh!) Sound quality is amazing already without having to adjust the equalizer in the app. But you can customize it further once you download the app. The noise cancelling feature is also top notch! I feel like I am invisible when the noise cancelation turned on! Using the app, you can also switch between standard listening mode or background music listening mode. With background music, it’s like the music switches to the back of your head. I don’t know how else to describe it but it does a wonderful job for when you’re working on something and wanting to listen to something without interrupting your own thoughts. You can also set up Adaptive Sound Control, unfortunately for more options, you need to create an account to “save” your settings. Having to download the app is already pushing it for me, but needing to create an account is a little bit inconvenience for me. The battery and charging time are really good. I’ve been averaging about 5 hours of usage before needing to charge. I wish the charging case is a little bit smaller, like the previous generation. The material for the earbuds and the charging case is kind of unique. It’s not smooth, shiny or matte like other earbuds. It’s slightly gritty but definitely not rough. I’m still adjusting to the feel. I know it’s supposed to be easier to hold and not as slippery, but I find the material, well, let’s just say a bit different! Pros: Noise cancellation, listening modes, adaptive sound control, sound quality Cons: Bigger charging case, a bit on the bulkier size for women, needing to create account to save additional settings.

I’ve been using the Sony WF1000XM6 for almost a week now and I have some thoughts. I have mixed feelings about these earbuds. I really want to love these earbuds but they fall a little short of being “the best”. As soon as I opened the box I said hmm, the carrying case feels a bit cheap. The shape is fine, I feel like Sony is trying to make its case look different than the competition. But the lid and hinge feel cheap to me. I’m kind of worried the hinge will break if I carry it in my pocket all the time. The earbuds are lightweight and have a grippy matte texture. The tips are squishy like memory foam. The tips that come pre installed provided the best fit for me. They are comfortable for long sessions, and I’ve even fallen asleep with them on a couple of times. The earbuds have touch controls. The left side toggles ambient sound mode, and the right side controls playback. The controls are kind of sensitive, and i find myself accidentally pressing them sometimes while adjusting the buds or moving my head while in bed. Not the biggest deal but you have to be mindful about it. The sound quality of these earbuds in my opinion is just alright out of the box. I think I was expecting to have my mind blown (Or ear drums for that matter). While the default settings is fine for most music, podcasts. I found myself digging through the Sony sound connect app to adjust the EQ. I have to admit that I am a little let down by their sound profile. The best thing about these headphones is the battery life and fit. I can use them for 3/4 hours a day and didn’t have to charge the case til 3 days later. At the end of the day though.. based on sound quality. It’s hard for me to recommend these over other earbuds. I’ll give them a 4 stars, because they aren’t terrible, but they certainly aren’t the best either.

The WF-1000XM6 is a great update from the previous XM5 in many ways. The redesigned pill shape is more comfortable and easier to wear for extended periods of time. The fit is good and they stayed firmly in place and did not feel like they were going to fall out easily. Battery life is amazing, I was able to use them during my work day using both ANC and transparency mode without any concerns about battery. The active noise cancellation is fantastic and does a wonderful job of blocking out the surrounding noise around me allowing for better concentration. Transparency mode is better than before and sounds and voices are crystal clear. Sound quality is amazing and having the option of multiple EQs allows for personalized sound. I really appreciate the custom sound options and the way it walked me through finding my preferred sound. The redesign of the case is nice and a change from the rounded edges found on other cases and is athletically pleasing. The matte finish look is also a nice touch. One slight issue I encountered was the new external mic causing some cracking as my hair brushed across it. The only other complaint is the ear tips could be a bit more comfortable but it could be that my ears may need some additional time to adjust. Overall these buds are a great update to an already great line.

Upon receiving the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds, I was glad to find them in the Platinum Silver variant. The package included a USB-C charging cable, ear tips in XS, S, M, and L sizes, a charging case, and of course, the earbuds themselves. Since my ear canals are small, I opted for the XS tips, which proved to be the most comfortable fit. After charging the earbuds to full capacity, I began the setup process. Having already installed the Sound Connect app on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, the earbuds were quickly detected once I pressed the pairing button on the back of the case, indicated by the blinking blue light. The app offers a wide range of features for these earbuds, and after exploring them, I was genuinely impressed. It's worth mentioning that a firmware update was offered, which took about 90 minutes to complete. My initial step was customizing the settings to suit my preferences. I enabled Noise Canceling, selected Standard for Listening Mode, and chose the Clear preset on the Equalizer as I intended to test phone calls first. These earbuds feature dual beamforming microphones, a bone conduction sensor, and AI-driven noise reduction technology, which effectively isolate the user's voice and reduce surrounding noise. I kept Adaptive Sound Control set to STAYING. When I called a friend, the audio on both ends was crystal clear, which made me very satisfied knowing I’ll frequently use these buds for calls. Next, I connected to Apple Music and was blown away by the excellent audio quality. Every track I played sounded remarkable. The earbuds provide a 10-band equalizer with presets including OFF, HEAVY, CLEAR, HARD, SOFT, GAME, MANUAL, CUSTOM 1, and CUSTOM 2. Personally, I found the Clear setting ideal for phone calls, whereas for music and YouTube videos, I preferred the SOFT preset, as I’m not much of a bass enthusiast. I experimented with all the equalizer options to find the best fit. The earbuds feature on-ear controls that allow me to toggle the microphone, adjust volume, and manage playback effortlessly. They also support built-in voice commands and head gesture controls, which can be activated through the app. By simply nodding or turning my head, I can control the earbuds without touching them. Additionally, it’s possible to connect to two devices at once, with the buds automatically switching between them when enabled. Under the CONNECTION tab in the app, there is an option to prioritize a Stable Connection, along with a Classic Audio only mode—though the latter is currently in BETA testing. Regarding battery performance, the earbuds nearly matched Sony’s claims. I was able to enjoy approximately 8.5 hours of continuous use, with an extended playback time of 15.5 hours when including the charging case. When pressed for time, a brief 5-minute charge can provide up to an hour of playback. Additionally, activating Battery Care through the Sony Sound Connect app helps minimize battery deterioration. Overall, my experience with the Sony WF-1000MX6 earbuds was excellent in every aspect I tried. They are comfortable to wear for long periods, clarity is excellent and the battery life more than sufficient. Sony has truly created a top-notch product, and I wholeheartedly suggest buying them. I’m very happy with mine!

The Sony WF1000XM6 earbuds have a premium feel and look. The build quality is solid without feeling heavy, and the included ear tips make it easy to find a good fit. The charging case is great and reasonably sized. Easy enough to carry around in a back or pocket. Noise cancellation is some of the best around and a definite standout feature. Sony describes it as “powerful, adaptive noise cancelling that keeps distractions out and your music front and center”. Although I don’t find it to be the strongest noise cancellation, it helps isolate the sound, so you can really hear the quality audio. The sound quality is clean, and the earbuds handle both music and podcasts well. I hooked up my handheld gaming console as too. Immersion and clarity are truly impressive. Call performance is also great thanks to the beamforming mics and AI noise reduction. Calls were clean and crisp even in noisy environments. Not the most critical for me, but as a daily driver, none the less important. Battery life is strong for daily use, and I found myself making it a full week with daily use. The Sound Connect app adds useful customization and the ability to update firmware. The biggest drawback for most might be price, but within the top typical consumer price bracket. Still, if you want top tier noise cancellation, excellent sound, and reliable call quality, these feel worth the splurge.

I’ve been wearing the WF-1000XM6 for the past ten days or so and they definitely live up to the hype. It took me about a day to find the proper foam-tip fit, which was definitely frustrating at times, but I’m locked in now. I’ve neither tried Bose, Technics nor AirPod Pro 3 yet, so I can’t say these are the best of all, but I’m loving them so far. It’s Sony, so the sound is amazing. I mostly listen to blues and each vocal and instrument are full, clearly defined and ring out beautifully. They sound great with my Switch 2, as well, and connect first try, every time. The ANC also lives up to the hype. Once I finally achieved the proper foam-tip fit, the ANC blocked out everything on the bus, sidewalk commute and even most of my noisy upstairs neighbor. The ambient audio is okay, even at the setting that allows in the most outside sound. Maybe I’m spoiled by the AirPod Pro’s similar Adaptive Audio, which is probably industry leading, but the ambient audio still sounds slightly muddled comparatively. It’s still good, but I don’t forget I’m wearing them like I sometimes have with previous AirPod Pro models I’ve owned. The touch controls have worked well so far and there are a fair amount of customization options available via the SoundConnect app; they’re still easily triggered while you’re fitting them into your ear, so be prepared for that (again). Battery life is as advertised and they’ve been comfortable enough for me to wear hours at the time without any pain or discomfort. I would definitely recommend buying these, as they’re the complete package. They might not be the biggest priority if you already have the XM5, though, since those will do you right until a good sale comes along.

With this newest iteration of the earbuds, they have: - Changed the shape of the earbuds: They are now more pill-like. By doing so, they are easier to hold in the hand, which means getting them in/out of the ears is easier as well as putting in/taking out of the case. That being said, when wearing them they stick out a little bit (at least for me), versus some other earbuds that sit more flush and don't stick out as much. - Added more mics: This results in improved ANC (which already was really good) as well as helps with call quality. - Redesigned the case: I like this the most. Instead of previous versions that had soft edges and curves (which is great for holding and pocketability, sure), this one has hard edges on the case. The benefit is that now it is able to stand by itself easily, which is nice. This means it is less likely to fall over when you have it sitting on a wireless charger. - New driver: The redesigned driver further improves the sound quality. Sony by default has a very neutral profile, but the app is very thorough in terms of offering an advanced EQ to tune it to your liking! I think Sony hit it out of the park with this model - improvements all around and after a week of using them every day throughout for work, exercise, and just listening to tunes, would definitely recommend!