Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 earbuds sound sublime, but | Tech News

Sony has not determined to improve the naming scheme of its flagship earbuds vary, but perhaps that doesn’t matter on condition that the fifth entry, the WF-1000XM6, is the best model but.

The WF-1000X vary is already famed for its glorious lively noise cancellation (ANC) and best-in-class audio high quality, and I’m joyful to report that after two weeks with the new earbuds firmly lodged in my lugholes that Sony has finished it again.

The WF-1000XM6 handle not solely to improve upon 2023’s WF-1000XM5, in addition they outperform the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, with higher ANC and music sound high quality than these two rivals. Sony claims it has improved each facets over the older XM5, and I agree – which isn’t at all times the case when a company claims its new product is healthier than its final.

It simply relies upon if in case you have £250 spare to spend on earbuds.

The XM6 have a fully new design in comparison with the XM5. They are bigger and have a matte end, and include 4 eartip sizes within the box. Unlike the bulk of earbuds, the following pointers are a mouldable materials fairly than easy silicone. I used to be capable of get a good seal with the smallest XS dimension. A seal is needed for noise cancellation to work correctly and to get the best sound high quality.

But similar to I’ve skilled with each different technology of the WF-1000X collection, the XM6 usually are not essentially the most snug earbuds on the market, which makes me stop short of whole-heartedly recommending them. All our bodies are completely different, and my ear canals are on the smaller facet, but I discovered it tough to stop these buds from falling out. I actually needed to ram them in each time to get them to remain, then discovered them uncomfortable after an hour or so, needing to present my ears a break.

This is just not the case with all earbuds for me. I discover Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 snug enough to make use of for a number of hours at a time (in contrast to the newer Pro 3), and I additionally discover Google’s Pixel Buds 2a very simple to put on. That’s to not say the XM6 gained’t give you the results you want, but I think they’re higher for bigger ears – particularly because the new design should nestle in your outer ear.

The buds relaxation in an austere matte plastic charging case that’s angular enough to be uncomfortable in a skinny denims pocket. This case, totally charged, will keep the buds going for twenty-four hours, with eight hours of listening from a single charge earlier than you need to put them back in. You also can wirelessly refill it due to Qi charging tech inside the case, although it’s faster by way of USB-C.

The buds could also be more amorphous blob than AirPods clone, but that additional space is clearly working for Sony, with some of essentially the most full, well-rounded audio I’ve ever heard on shopper earbuds. New 8.4mm drivers push a very full sound that fits many music genres proper out of the box, though the wonderful Sony Sound Connect app helps you to tweak EQ whether or not you employ an iPhone or an Android cellphone.

Android customers get a slight benefit in that the buds will play utilizing LDAC, Sony’s hi-res audio codec, which sounds barely higher than the AAC codec you’re restricted to on an iPhone. Note you can solely get LDAC on Android with these buds if you happen to flip off the useful twin connection characteristic, which is annoying. This in any other case helps you to join to 2 units directly, and works nicely.

Cameron Winter’s Love Takes Miles sounds fantastically realised on the buds, with audio separation of devices not often seen on in-ear buds. Radiohead’s 15 Step is unbelievably concerned, with textures you merely can’t hear on lesser headphones. Fire up Fontaines D.C.’s Starbuster and also you’ll be strutting down the road such as you’re on Hollywood Boulevard, such is the highly effective copy.

I examined the XM6 related to an Android cellphone utilizing hi-res music service Qobuz, in addition to utilizing Qobuz and Spotify by way of an iPhone. The buds sound higher with the previous set up, but I readily admit that they’re so good within the first place, that even the technically inferior iPhone set up nonetheless rendered music excellently. You also can activate Sony’s DSEE Extreme device, which upscales compressed audio in real-time.

Touch controls on the skin of every bud are responsive and work very nicely, and you’ll customise what faucets and holds do within the Sound Connect app.

The design additionally makes room for 4 mics on every bud, which has demonstrably improved noise cancelling chops over current rival merchandise. When visiting London, I turned on the ANC on the noisy Jubilee Line and marvelled because the screeching fully disappeared, masked by the cancellation and music enjoying. It’s not nearly as good at blocking out loud noise as premium over-ear headphones from Sony, Bose or different manufacturers, but that is the best noise cancelling I’ve skilled on earbuds – even beating Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen that have been my earlier gold commonplace.

It’s good enough that I can’t hear what somebody is saying proper subsequent to me in a quiet room. If you need to block out sound with earbuds, these are those to get. The ambient sound mode lets the world round you in, and works very nicely.

Sony nails the fundamentals very nicely, but it additionally delivers on options and software program perks. The equaliser within the Sound Connect app is good, and you’ll even do an in-app check to help you set your most popular sound. Adaptive Sound Control robotically adjusts the noise cancellation and ambient sound ranges relying on if you happen to’re sitting or transferring and considering the noise round you, and there’s even a surprisingly good ‘background music’ mode that makes it sound as if no matter you’re listening to is occurring round you, prefer it may in a café or bigger room.

If I discovered the WF-1000XM6 more snug, I might have given them a uncommon five-star review, no questions requested. But regardless of their evidently superior ANC, sound and specs, with Sony’s very considerate app, I’ve discovered myself pissed off with the match, and that the buds fall out once I go operating or am eating.

But if in case you have ears that often cope nicely with in-ear buds and also you don’t thoughts the premium price tag, the Sony WF-1000XM6 are a luxurious selection that outperform the competitors.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 go on sale on February 14, 2026. You can buy them from Amazon.