{"id":471124,"date":"2026-02-12T23:06:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T23:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/471124\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T23:06:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T23:06:26","slug":"sony-wf-1000xm6-earbuds-review-the-new-noise-canceling-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/471124\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds review: the new noise-canceling king"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple, Bose, and Sony are in a running battle for the best noise-canceling earbuds, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 put Sony back in first place \u2014 if you can get a good fit with the included foam tips.<\/p>\n

With each iteration of the XM series, Sony has aimed for \u2014 and delivered \u2014 incredible noise-canceling performance with a pleasing and balanced sound profile, and features that work equally well with iOS and Android. The XM6 push even further by adding additional noise-canceling mics (for a total of 8), a new chip, newly designed drivers, and a new shape that\u2019s supposed to better fit a wider selection of ears. That\u2019s a lot of promises, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds fulfill them all \u2014 almost.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

$330<\/p>\n

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds have top-notch noise-canceling performance with excellent, balanced sound.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

One of the things I\u2019ve liked most about both the in-ear and over-ear Sony XM series is the sound performance. Out of the box, the XM6 sound balanced and clean. They use a new driver with a softer edge material that allows for deeper bass, combined with a high-rigidity dome for clear high frequencies. I was impressed by the bass response, even in the lowest notes of \u201cbury a friend\u201d by Billie Eilish, which sound resonant and punchy. Vocals, such as Jarvis Cocker\u2019s on \u201cCommon People,\u201d cut through thick textures, and cymbals and hi-hats have a nice sparkle to them. There\u2019s also more drive in the midrange than with the Apple AirPods Pro 3<\/a> or Bose Ultra Earbuds gen 2<\/a> \u2014 both of which are balanced a bit more toward the high end, especially the Bose.<\/p>\n

The top noise-canceling earbuds \u2014 the Bose Ultra Earbuds gen 2, Apple AirPods Pro 3, and these Sony WF-1000XM6 \u2014 are all great at blocking low-end frequencies like the engine noise in an airplane cabin. They\u2019re all good at tamping down midrange sounds, including voices, but the XM6 are better at tuning out other people\u2019s conversations better than any other earbuds I\u2019ve heard.<\/p>\n

Sony improved the bone conduction sensor in the XM6, and in conjunction with AI beamforming mics, the earbuds do a great job blocking out environmental sounds while on calls. I tested both sides of a call with the XM6, and found that traffic can cause some swishy noises. And when there was a lot of extra traffic and wind, my voice would sound a bit compressed, but not to an extent that was distracting or caused me to be unintelligible.<\/p>\n

Price: $329.99Battery life: 8 hours (24 including the case)Colors: Black, light gray (\u201cplatinum silver\u201d)Connectivity: Bluetooth, AuracastAudio codecs: SBC, AAC, LDACDust\/water resistance: IPX4Ear tips: XS, S, M, LWeight: 6.5 grams per bud, 47 grams charging case<\/p>\n

Sound quality and noise-canceling performance rely on a solid fit, and that\u2019s where the XM6 start to have some problems. I usually wear medium-sized ear tips, but I had difficulty getting a secure, long-lasting fit in my right ear with the included foam tips. I had similar fit issues when I tested the Sony WF-1000XM5<\/a> earbuds, but was eventually able to get those to sit properly for long listening periods.<\/p>\n

The Sound Connect app includes a \u201cTest wearing condition\u201d setting that plays a test tone and uses internal microphones to determine if there\u2019s an airtight fit. According to the app, I was only able to get a good seal in my right ear by using the large tip and jamming the earbud into my ear. After a short time I could feel the ear tip start to loosen. I had a couple friends try to fit the XM6 as well, and both had varying levels of issues.<\/p>\n

There is a solution. If none of the foam ear tips work for you after testing the fit with the app, an option to order silicone ear tips will show up and Sony will send them out, free of charge. The silicone tips solved my fit problem. Both earbuds felt more secure than with the foam tips, and the fit was more comfortable, although it does sound like the silicone ear tips let in a tiny bit more mid-range noise, voices in particular. It\u2019s a pretty minor difference and the noise cancellation is still incredibly impressive \u2014 still on par with the Bose Ultra gen 2 \u2014 but it\u2019s worth noting the best-in-class noise cancellation relies on the foam tips.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The included foam ear tips help the Sony earbuds achieve exceptional noise canceling, but I had trouble getting them to fit my ears. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

The low-end frequency response is also slightly different with the silicone tips, with a tad less bass. It\u2019s such a minor difference, though, and isn\u2019t objectionable at all, just slightly different. The tom-toms at the beginning of Radiohead\u2019s \u201cThere, There\u201d from Hail to the Thief don\u2019t quite ring the same, and the low bass notes aren\u2019t as full. But if I had the ability to ABX test the two different tips (which would be impossible because I\u2019d feel the difference), I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to point to one as better. The XM6 sound fantastic regardless of tips. Our ears are highly adaptable to changes in sound balance, and within seconds using either set of tips I was enjoying everything I listened to.<\/p>\n

Still, the fact that I needed an additional set of tips to get a suitable fit \u2014 and that the foam tips didn\u2019t work for multiple people that tried them \u2014 isn\u2019t great. Sony should have included the silicone tips in the box. While three people certainly don\u2019t make a large enough sample size for a definitive conclusion, be aware you might need to wait for those extra silicone tips to arrive or plan on buying yourself some Comply foam tips<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also not a huge fan of the XM6\u2019s new shape. The earbuds are longer and narrower than the WF-1000XM5, and the body sticks out further from the ear. They are certainly not inconspicuous, though size does make touch controls easy to use. Only once did I accidentally cause music to play or pause \u2014 something that happened on numerous occasions with the Bose as I adjusted them in my ears during testing \u2014 and that was when I was motioning to my colleague about the size of them in my ear.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The XM6 (right) are a little slimmer than the XM5, but also longer. Photo by John Higgins \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The XM6 case (right) is slightly taller than the XM5 case and has sharper edges. Photo by John Higgins \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

For those that like to tweak settings, there are a lot of opportunities in the Sound Connect app. There\u2019s a 10-band EQ and five EQ presets (although I think the default sound profile is excellent and doesn\u2019t need to be altered for my taste), a 20-point slider to adjust ambient passthrough (or an auto setting), and touch control customization. There\u2019s also an option to set scenes, which causes the earbuds to adjust to predetermined settings based on your activity or location. And if you have a compatible device (including most modern Android phones), the XM6 support LDAC high-res audio streaming and Auracast.<\/p>\n

A new listening mode \u2014 currently available on the in-ear and over-ear XM6 series, as well as the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open \u2014 turns whatever you\u2019re listening to into background music. It changes the volume and EQ and adds reverb to make the music in the earbuds sound like background music in a cafe, living room, or \u201cmy room\u201d (all actual options in the settings). I could see it keeping the music from being too distracting, but for me turning the volume down is enough to give a similar effect.<\/p>\n

The XM6 have up to eight hours of battery life (24 hours including the case, which has wireless charging), which is comparable to the AirPods Pro 3, and a couple more hours in the buds than the Bose Ultra Earbuds gen 2 (although those also get up to 24 hours with their charging case).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The XM6\u2019s case provides an additional 16 hours of battery life and supports wireless charging. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sony added two more mics (one per bud) than the XM5 for improved noise cancellation. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The Bose Ultra Earbuds gen 2 are longer than the XM6, but they don\u2019t visually sit out of the ear as far. Photo by John Higgins \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

\"Hands<\/a><\/p>\n

The AirPods Pro 3\u2019s body is smaller than the Sony\u2019s, but the stem makes them more noticeable (for better or worse). Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

The Sony WF-1000XM6 have solid performance, following the pedigree of earlier XM series earbuds. They sound fantastic, handle ambient noise during calls well and, with the foam ear tips, deliver the best noise canceling I\u2019ve yet heard from earbuds. They sound better than the Bose buds, even though they stick out a bit more. If you\u2019re deep in the Apple ecosystem, nothing competes with the integration of the AirPods, but the XM6 are my favorite-sounding earbuds of the three, with broader compatibility than the AirPods and a nice array of features including Auracast support.<\/p>\n

Foam or silicone tips, the XM6 are excellent earbuds. It\u2019s nice that Sony will send along extra silicone tips if the foam ones don\u2019t work for you; I just wish they were included from the get-go.<\/p>\n

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