Doubling down on noise cancellation while boosting sound quality, the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds are the ones to beat when it comes to quality audio on the move.
Sony has always been a heavy hitter when it comes to high-quality audio and active noise cancellation, so it’s no surprise that its 2023 Sony WF-1000XM5 true wireless earbuds are still considered some of the best in the business.
That said, it’s far from a one-horse race, with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Apple AirPods Pro 3 also in strong contention.
Sony only updates the WF-1000MX earbuds range every two or three years, but it’s worth the wait when the new WF-1000XM6 deliver a range of improvements for the same (admittedly high) $499.95 price tag.
Table of contents
- First impressions
- Specifications and price
- Features
- Quality
- Who are the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds for?
Sony WF-1000XM6 first impressions
It has to be said that the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds don’t look overly fashionable, especially the ‘Platinum Silver’, which could be less generously described as beige.
The bulky, squarish charge case with a matte finish doesn’t help in the fashion stakes. The case lacks the rounded edges of its predecessor, but in return, it’s less likely to slip out of your pocket than the slick but notoriously losable AirPods case.
Of course, beauty is only skin deep when it comes to personal audio. The somewhat chunky design ensures the earbuds hold an eight-hour charge, with another 16-hours in the charge case. Along with a USB-C port, the case also supports Qi wireless charging.
Although chunky, Sony has actually tweaked the earbuds to make them a bit slimmer, while also helping them fit more firmly and comfortably in your ears. Of course, it comes down to the shape of your ears and personal preference, but they should stay in place for all but the most vigorous exercise.
They’re also a bit easier to keep a grip on when getting out of the charge case than some slender earbuds.
Set-up on iOS or Android is very straightforward using the Sony Sound Connect app, which carries over a few useful options from the old Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds.
Sony still supplies a choice of four hybrid, soft-foam silicone ear tips, from XS to L. Along with running an audio test to check the fit in each ear, the app also lets you compare the results from different-sized tips – which is handy if you’re uncertain or perhaps require different sizes for each ear.
As part of the setup, the app also requests GPS location access, so it can anticipate when you’re at home, work, the gym or on the move.
Along with the ability to automatically adjust the AI-powered Ambient Sound settings based on your location, you’ve also got ‘Wear to Play’, which automatically launches into your favourite playlist for that location. Just slip them in your ears and music starts, which is handy at the gym when you just want to get down to business.
Alternatively, the earbuds’ touch controls include Quick Access to launch your preferred music app. You can also use built-in voice control for noise cancellation, volume and playback, plus the earbuds support head gestures.
Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds specifications and price
| Headphone type | Closed, dynamic |
| Driver | 8.4 mm |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Microphones | 4 per earbud |
| Sensors | Head tracking |
| Smart assistant | Google Gemini |
| Ruggedness | IPX4 splashproof (i.e. sweat and light rain) |
| Battery life | 8 hours (earbuds) + 16 hours (charge case) |
| Charging | USB-C Qi wireless |
| Colours | Black, Platinum Silver |
| Weight | 6.5 gm each earbud 58.7 gm including charge case |
| Price | $499.95 RRP |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Official website | Sony Australia |
Features
Many key improvements with the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds rely on the new QN3e HD Noise Cancelling processor, accompanied by the V2 processor and improved DAC to support 32-bit audio.
The earbuds’ bulk also allows Sony to squeeze in extra smarts, such as a fourth microphone contributing to a 25 per cent improvement in noise cancellation, as well as enhanced call quality. Call quality also benefits from AI beamforming, bone conduction sensors and improved wind noise reduction.
Cramming even more into the earbuds, their Bluetooth antenna is also larger to allow for a more stable and solid connection with multi-point support. You can switch between prioritising sound quality or the stability of the connection, but it sticks with Bluetooth 5.3 rather than stepping up to Bluetooth 6.
When it comes to audio codecs, you’ve got access to standard SBC, Apple-friendly AAC, LC3 for Low Energy audio and Auracast. Plus, Sony naturally includes its high-resolution LDAC codec for connecting to Bluetooth devices. LDAC is supported by most mid-to-high-end Android handsets (but not iGadgets), but in return, you miss out on Qualcomm’s aptX family.
Be warned, you need to prioritise Bluetooth sound quality over stability in order to take advantage of LDAC. You also need music sources that can make the most of LDAC’s bandwidth, which might require signing up for a hi-res music service like Tidal or Amazon Music HD. While Spotify also offers hi-res music, it doesn’t take advantage of LDAC.
Finally, you’ve also got Sony’s DSEE Extreme processing for upscaling low-quality music files.
When you’re out and about, a single tap on the left earbud lets you switch from noise cancellation to Ambient Sound mode. You can set it to auto or manually adjust the amount of sound it lets through. Plus, there’s an optional voice pass-through, which makes it easier to hear people in noisy environments.
Similar to Apple’s Conversation Awareness, Sony’s Speak-to-Chat automatically engages Ambient Sound mode and turns down your music when you start talking, so you can hear the other person. You can change the sensitivity and the length of time before noise cancelling resumes.
Speak-to-Chat might be useful if you regularly need to interact with people, such as in a shared office. Yet it’s perhaps best avoided if, like me, you tend to talk to yourself a lot – a side effect of working from home for 20 years – which means you continually interrupt the music.
There’s also ‘Listening mode’, which makes your music sound like it’s background music playing in the distance. There are three settings, so it sounds as if the music is playing in the same room, the next room or in a café.
Listening mode seems like a strange feature, but it could be useful if you’re trying to get in the zone, such as working from home and looking to replicate the ambient soundscape of working in a busy environment. Sort of the opposite of noise cancellation.
In the pursuit of more immersive listening experiences, the Sony WF-1000XM6 features head tracking, 360 Reality Audio and 360 Spatial Sound, now supporting augmented reality games like Niantic’s Ingress.
Quality
To give them a chance to shine, I tested Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds with an Oppo Reno 15 Pro running Android 16, taking advantage of LDAC Bluetooth connectivity and hi-res audio on Tidal. I also threw my iPhone 17 daily driver and Spotify into the mix, which doesn’t support LDAC and falls back on AAC.
Side note, I tried LDAC on the Google Pixel 10a and Pixel 9a, but I encountered what seems to be a known issue where LDAC stutters when you enable the maximum 990 kbps in developer mode.
The WF-1000XM6 earbuds offer a warm and impressively full-bodied sound, while remaining balanced, detailed and clean. Even listening to AAC Spotify on the iPhone, the earbuds revealed tiny nuances in music that you may not have noticed before.
Switching across to hi-res Tidal on the Oppo Android handset really opens things up. Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me is a favourite of audiophiles, and the WF-1000XM6 earbuds make the most of LDAC to handle the extra bandwidth and detail. On Spotify, the same track sounds a bit murky and overblown in comparison, plus it loses some of the richness in the bass lines.
Checking in with the usual suspects, the WF-1000XM6 earbuds also do justice to the nuances, depth and wide soundstage of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” and Miles Davis’ “So What”.
Pick up the tempo with Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life, or crank up the bass with Macy Gray’s “Why Didn’t You Call Me”, and every instrument still gets its due respect without distortion. There’s certainly no shortage of low-end, even before you reach for the Sony Sound Connect app’s 10-band graphic equaliser.
Noise cancellation
As for noise cancelling, the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds stand tall – dulling a roaring kitchen exhaust fan to the whisper of rushing air, while still letting through the fine details of the chicken sizzling in the pan.
They also do an excellent job when it comes to less predictable background sounds, such as stripping away a lot of the low end, so ambient music also sounds a lot thinner and softer.
When it comes to Ambient Sound mode, which lets you hear the world around you, the WF-1000XM6 still fall short of Apple’s AirPod Pros.
AirPods Pros offer a choice of Activity Noise Cancellation, which blocks everything out, and Transparency mode, which lets everything through. Plus, there’s Adaptive, which blends ANC and Transparency, automatically adjusting noise control based on your environment.
Sony’s Ambient Sound mode is set to Auto by default, similar to Apple’s Adaptive mode. To get the equivalent of full Transparency mode on the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, you have to disable Auto and manually dial up the ambient sound, which is frustrating.
Unfortunately, Sony’s Auto mode can be a bit hit-and-miss, as can voice pass-through. If you want to use Sony’s Ambient Sound like Apple’s Transparency mode, so you can easily talk to people, it’s best to leave Auto disabled and the ambient sound setting dialled up. This is where the ability to customise Ambient Sound for different locations comes in handy.
Even then, Ambient mode on the WF-1000XM6 sounds like the world around you is being slightly amplified by microphones, including your own voice at times, just as reviewer Alice Clarke also noted when reviewing the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds. Meanwhile, Apple’s Transparent mode is literally that, sounding like you’ve removed the earbuds from your ears.
Who are the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds for?
Android lovers who aren’t deterred by the hefty $499.95 price tag can’t go wrong with the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds. Some of the best Active Noise Cancellation in the business, combined with exceptional sound quality, ensures an absolute premium listening experience.
Unfortunately, Ambient mode still falls short of what you’ll get from Apple’s AirPods Pro, but of course, AirPods aren’t an option for Android fans who want to make the most of LDAC (or aptX HD for that matter). If you’re an Android lover with an ear for the finer things, you’ll be impressed with the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds.
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