Sony’s new earbuds deliver a slimmer build and enhanced features
Good audio products make you want to listen. Good consumer electronics companies make you feel heard. When designing the latest version of its flagship true wireless earbuds, Sony obviously heard user feedback and, just like the Japanese icon did with the redesign of the WH-1000XM6 headphones in 2025, it fixed the kinks. A less awkward shape. Check. A less shiny, fingerprint-friendly finish. Check. More powerful processors for even more effective adaptive noise cancellation and audio personalization. Check. Bose and Apple stole all the attention last year, but the WF-1000XM6 headphones bring Sony back to the top of the ANC headphone conversation.
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The design
The blob is out. The bean is in there. For me, the WF-1000XM5 (shown below, bottom left) was a more polished river stone, while the WF-1000XM6 is a matte pebble. The WF-1000XM5 was slippery, while the WF-1000XM6 has a soft, grippier texture. Fitting comfortably into the conch, it’s an ergonomic upgrade in black (above) or platinum silver (the rest of the images). One caveat: These aren’t sleep headphones, so stay upright when listening or you might wake up with an earache.
The wireless charging case, however, trades curves for edges. It’s less organic, more like a block of a child’s Shape Sorter, and feels like it takes up more pocket space despite being about the same size as its predecessor. The advantage is the usual Sony practicality: a battery life of 8 hours per charge, up to 24 with the case.
Despite being 11% thinner, the WF-1000XM6 packs more microphones (four on each earbud, up from three), bone conduction sensors to improve call/voice isolation, improved Bluetooth 5.3 (with LC3, Auracast and Multipoint support) and next-generation radios. Q3Ne HD noise-cancelling processors, as well as the 32-bit V2 integrated processor first found in the WH-1000XM6 travel-optimized headphones. The controls are still touchscreen.
The sound
A new driver design lies at the heart of the WF-1000XM6. Although it’s still an 8.4mm dynamic driver, a new “soft edge” contour helps it produce a deeper bass response, while the hard dome delivers crisper highs. This is a distortion-reducing, resolution-enhancing combo, evident whether paired with a FiiO M27 DAP via LDAC or an iPhone 16 Pro via AAC. While the up to 24-bit/96kHz LDAC codec is undeniably superior in expression (but rarer in execution), even AAC exhibits a soft, warm but clear character. Just like with the WH-1000XM6 headphones, Sony seems hesitant to add too much stink to the stock setting. The WF-1000XM6’s house sound is pretty fun, but still prioritizes texture and separation over midrange blooms or exciting but fatiguing highs.
Do you like edgier things? You’re lucky. The WF-1000XM6 now supports 10-band EQ (±6 dB) via the Sony Sound Connect app, so you can sculpt curves to suit your favorite moods and genres. That’s two to three times the tapes that most of Sony’s direct competitors allow you to edit. Personally, I found the EQ really brought the WF-1000XM6 to life, so I’ve shared two custom presets below. I really like the Custom 1 tight but not boxy with metal leads, and the Custom 2 more midrange/bright with indie/pop, basically anything that requires more vocal intelligibility. YMMV. (Adaptive and Scene-Based Listening, as well as 360 Reality Audio, are modes we have yet to explore after a firmware update.)
ANC, now 25% more powerful, according to Sony, ensures all that truth is transmitted. And where the headphones really shine (or is it really dull) is in the constant reduction of low-frequency energy. When it comes to aircraft noise attenuation, in the treble-bass/low-mid range surrounding 100 – 200 Hz, the WF-1000XM6 is significantly more effective in terms of rumble than the previous model. And when it came to chatter and pops, with the mid/treble band spanning from 300Hz to 3kHz, vocals were pushed out as well. On a flight from DC to LA, conversations never intruded on my thoughts…or, at best, my absence. This ANC, combined with the EQ, ensures that all the cues and coos in your music are intact.
Where Sony lets itself down (and by proxy us) is in the shape and selection of the tips. Included are four sizes of hybrid silicone/memory foam marshmallows, which, to me, were somewhat finicky for something the ANC seal depends on. Once I installed them, however, they were tight even during transport (your ears may only need a simple twist). Using third-party pure silicone tips was found to be more comfortable, although not as effective at suppressing extraneous syllables. Additionally, you should ask yourself if the replacement eartips have mesh in the sound tube to prevent earwax from entering the earbuds. With their oval-shaped mushroom tips, Bose and Apple have the upper hand when it comes to absolute fit and perceived insulation.
The conclusion
The ANC TWS earphone market is oversaturated, with options that appeal to all price points and sonic flavors. We’ll turn to Bowers & Wilkins and Technics, for example, when we’re in a certain mood. Yet the battle for the best really comes down to Apple, Bose and Sony. And who wins… depends on your priorities.
For pure comfort, it’s still the Bose QC Ultra (Gen. 2) for me, then the Apple AirPods Pro 3, although the WF-1000XM6 has made strides in the right direction. Choosing Bose or Apple, however, locks you into their settings, which emphasize bass more and skew more mainstream appeal than balanced. So sonically (especially if you like EQ), the WF-1000XM6 is the standout choice. Conversely, Apple is the best choice for someone with an iPhone/iPad/Mac who simply wants to listen with the least amount of friction (and appreciates Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio). When it comes to ANC effectiveness, all three are within a few percentage points of each other, so the real differentiator is what works best with your ear anatomy. However, silence the world and Sony’s WF-1000XM6 headphones are the first choice when you really want to hear what you’re listening to.
The Sony WF-1000XM6 true wireless ANC headphones are available for order for $329.99.
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