Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 noise-canceling earbuds are here, priced at $329.99, and they’re exactly the kind of refinement upgrade Sony fans expect from the 1000X line. Sony’s pitch is straightforward: better noise canceling, stronger call quality, improved connectivity, and a redesigned fit compared to the WF-1000XM5.
After testing the WF-1000XM5, WF-1000XM6, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, my takeaway is also straightforward. The XM6 is a big step forward in call quality and a smaller step in audio (though the XM5 already sound pretty great). But Sony still does not beat Bose where it matters most for a lot of people: noise cancellation.
Sony says the XM6 delivers a 25 percent further reduction in noise versus the XM5 and leans heavily into more microphones and smarter processing to get there. On paper, the approach makes sense. There’s a new HD Noise Canceling Processor and an Adaptive Noise Canceling Optimizer designed to keep performance high even when your seal is not perfect. In practice, I did hear an improvement in the kind of irritating, higher-frequency noise that can make cafés and offices exhausting. But if your nemesis is consistent, low-level sound – think HVAC, plane cabin rumble, or my personal torture test, a Dohm sound machine – the XM6 doesn't improve over the XM5. With the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2, my sound machine drops to almost nothing. With the XM6, I can clearly hear it.
Where the XM6 stands out versus both the XM5 and Bose is for music and, now, for calls.
Let’s start with music. The WF-1000XM5 already sounded excellent, and the WF-1000XM6 is a small but real improvement. I hear more definition in the highs and crisper bass. Sony says its new driver design and upgraded processing are meant to reduce distortion and improve clarity, including a redesigned diaphragm and higher-resolution internal processing than the prior generation. The company also says it tuned the sound with Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated mastering engineers to deliver richer bass, better clarity, and more precise instrument placement. That matches what I heard. It is not a new personality; it is a cleaner, more refined version of the one Sony already had.
Calls are the headline feature, though, and I think this is the most meaningful upgrade for everyday life. Sony says the XM6 uses multiple microphones plus an upgraded bone-conduction sensor, paired with AI beamforming noise reduction, to isolate your voice in noisy environments. In my testing, the WF-1000XM6 call quality is among the best in class. On a blustery day, it did an excellent job screening out wind noise. In a setting that wrecks most earbuds, the din of an elementary school recess, the person on the other end could still hear me clearly.
The other upgrade is comfort. Sony redesigned the body to be about 11% slimmer than the XM5, and that matters if you have small ears (I do). The big physical difference is the shape: the XM6 has a slimmer, longer capsule versus the rounder bud of the XM5. For me, the XM6 feels less ear-stretching over long listening sessions.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 on the left and the Sony WF-XM6 is on the right.
Battery life stays in the “good, not dramatic” category: up to 8 hours on the buds and up to 24 hours total with the case. The case offers Qi wireless charging. Sony also claims improved Bluetooth reliability with antennas that are 1.5x larger than the previous model, and it’s adding LE Audio support for ultra-low latency audio, which gamers will appreciate.
Should you buy the new Sony WF-1000XM6?
If you own the WF-1000XM5 ($329.99, on sale for $248.99) and love it, the XM6 isn’t a must-upgrade. The sound improvements are real but subtle, and the ANC, while improved, still doesn’t compete with Bose for low-frequency noise cancellation. The strongest reasons to upgrade are 1) you care a lot about call quality and 2) the new fit is more comfortable for your ears.
If you’re choosing between Sony and Bose right now, decide what “noise canceling” means in your life. If your priority is crushing steady background noise as close to silent as possible, Bose still has the edge, and the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) ($299.00) is its top in-ear ANC product. If your priority is excellent sound and some of the best call quality I’ve heard in an earbud, Sony’s WF-1000XM6 ($329.99) is an easy recommendation over the XM5.
[Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious]
