Sony WF 1000XM6 Review A Strong Contender Faces Stiff Competition Sony has long dominated the best wireless earbuds conversation with its 1000X series, consistently topping lists with a powerful blend of features, sound quality, and noise cancellation. The newly released WF 1000XM6 continues this legacy with another redesign, but in a more crowded field, its tried-and-true formula faces its toughest test yet. Design and Fit For the third consecutive generation, Sony has reshaped its flagship earbuds. The WF 1000XM6 adopts a smaller, rounder pill-shaped design, making them the most compact iteration yet. However, the fit remains a point of contention. Sony persists with its proprietary foam ear tips, which some users, including this reviewer, find unstable. Achieving a consistent, secure seal can be challenging, potentially impacting both audio fidelity and active noise cancellation performance. The touch controls on the outer panel, thankfully, are responsive and reliable, even supporting a repeated tap gesture for volume adjustment. Features Galore Sony’s strength has always been packing its devices with functionality, and the M6 is no exception. It carries over popular features like Adaptive Sound Control, which automatically adjusts settings based on your activity or location. Speak-to-Chat still pauses music and enables ambient sound when you talk, though it can be accidentally triggered. Quick access to major music services, head gesture controls for calls, and basic voice commands for playback are all included. Useful power management tools are present, like an Auto Power Save mode that disables some features to extend battery at low levels, and a Battery Care function to promote long-term battery health. Standard fare like multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, wireless charging, and IPX4 water resistance round out the package, all managed through Sony’s comprehensive Headphones Connect app. Sound Quality and ANC Performance Sound quality remains a highlight. The new drivers deliver a rich, warm, and detailed audio profile with deep, controlled bass and clear highs. Tracks across genres, from atmospheric pop to heavy metal, sound full and engaging with a satisfyingly wide soundstage. While excellent, some competitors like Technics offer a slight edge in rendering the finest sonic nuances. Where the M6 shows vulnerability is in active noise cancellation. While very good at damping constant low-frequency rumbles like engine noise, it struggles more than top rivals like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds with mitigating human voices and higher-pitched constant sounds like fans. For office environments or noisy cafes, this could be a noticeable shortcoming. Call Quality and Battery Life Call performance is another area where the M6 doesn’t quite meet its lofty promises. Despite using AI noise reduction, beamforming mics, and bone conduction sensors, voice quality on calls is merely adequate. In noisy environments, your voice can sound overly processed. For a device at this price, call clarity is disappointing. Battery life is solid, easily hitting the advertised eight hours per charge with ANC and upscaling active, and a total of 24 hours with the case. The Auto Power Save mode can extend this further when the battery is low. The Competition The landscape has changed. The WF 1000XM6 is no longer the undisputed champion. Your choice now depends on priorities. For the absolute best noise cancellation, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are superior. For the pinnacle of sound quality in this price range, consider the Technics AZ100. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 also remains a strong contender with great audio and a comfortable fit. Sony wins on the breadth of features, but it no longer leads in every critical category. Wrap Up The Sony WF 1000XM6 is a very capable pair of premium earbuds with superb sound, a vast feature set, and improved ergonomics. However, its shortcomings in ANC performance against the best, mediocre call quality, and a divisive fit due to the foam tips hold it back from being the clear recommendation it once was. At a higher launch price, these flaws are harder to ignore. It remains an excellent choice, especially for feature-focused users, but it now exists in a fiercely competitive field where alternatives excel in specific key areas. The Sony WF 1000XM6 is available now in black and silver for 300 dollars.
