Sony WF-1000XM6

Where reviewers disagree

• ±Noise cancelling · 4 positive, 4 negative
  Which sources said this

  • TechRadar (FR) — negative: Writes that the noise reduction is not up to the standard of high-end models.
  • Yahoo Tech — negative: Says noise cancelling is not on par with Bose.
  • PCMag UK — negative: States plainly that Apple and Bose are better at noise cancellation.
  • ComputerBase — positive: Headline calls it the best ANC on the market (Das beste ANC auf dem Markt).
  • Engadget — negative: ANC performance lags behind the competition: the M6 struggles with human voices and with constant noise such as fans and white-noise machines.
  • SoundGuys — positive: ANC measured 8.8/10, beating 98% of the wireless earbuds the lab has measured.
  • The Verge — positive: Headline: the XM6 reclaim the noise-canceling crown, tuning out other people's conversations better than any other earbuds the reviewer has heard.
  • WIRED — positive: Industry-leading, nearly unrivaled noise cancelling: simulated 75 dB cabin noise was felt physically in the chest rather than actually heard.

• ±Call quality · 2 positive, 4 negative, 1 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • TechRadar (FR) — negative: Lists call clarity among the areas where Sony now seems somewhat outclassed.
  • Yahoo Tech — negative: Reports that your voice sounds a little metallic during phone calls.
  • CNET — positive: Says voice-calling performance is also top-notch.
  • ComputerBase — negative: Wind noise is transmitted to the other caller.
  • Engadget — negative: Subpar call quality: the earbuds make the wearer sound overly processed when background noise is significant.
  • SoundGuys — positive: Records great mic quality.
  • The Verge — mixed: Great call quality overall, but traffic caused swishy noises and the voice sounded a bit compressed in heavy traffic and wind.

• ±Comfort and fit · 3 positive, 2 negative, 1 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • TechRadar (FR) — mixed: The buds are 11% thinner than the WF-1000XM5 but also taller, and the case is bulkier.
  • CNET — positive: Reports a slightly better fit than the WF-1000XM5.
  • Engadget — negative: Fit can be an issue: the app's fit test only ever confirmed an air-tight seal in the right ear across every bundled tip size.
  • SoundGuys — positive: Comfort 8.5/10: the fit is harder to screw up, and a good seal was easy to get even when the buds went in at slightly different angles.
  • The Verge — negative: Inconsistent fit with the included tips: a secure, long-lasting seal only in the right ear, fixed by silicone tips that were not in the box.
  • WIRED — positive: Comfortable, secure fit, provided the foam tip is twisted and compressed as instructed; that fit is a large part of why the ANC works.

• ±Battery life · 2 positive, 1 negative
  Which sources said this

  • Yahoo Tech — positive: Calls the battery life above average.
  • PCMag UK — negative: The same battery figures as the WF-1000XM5, which it calls disappointing given the larger case.
  • ComputerBase — neutral: Reproduces Sony's rating of 8 h with ANC on and 24 h in total with the case, without adding a measurement of its own.
  • Engadget — positive: Hit Sony's single-charge figure over three weeks at 75-80% volume with DSEE Extreme enabled.

• ±Software and app · 2 positive, 1 negative, 2 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • TechRadar (FR) — negative: The companion app lacks intuitiveness and new users can easily get lost in the menus; it is not a complete hearing test.
  • Yahoo Tech — mixed: Says the app is no longer atrocious but instead almost decent.
  • PCMag UK — mixed: The Sound Connect app can occasionally feel overwhelming given how much Sony has packed in.
  • The Verge — positive: Lists lots of customizability among the things it likes about the app.
  • WIRED — positive: Describes the app as very customizable.

• ±Value · 2 positive, 3 negative
  Which sources said this

  • TechRadar (FR) — positive: Says Sony contained the price rise and adopts a rather aggressive pricing strategy: the earbuds are slightly cheaper in France than the XM5 were.
  • CNET — negative: Calls the earbuds pretty pricey at the $329.99 US price.
  • ComputerBase — positive: Records a EUR 299 recommended price against the WF-1000XM5's EUR 320, with the cheapest street price starting at EUR 249.
  • SoundGuys — negative: Value 6.5/10: better everywhere except your wallet, and XM5 owners may want to wait for a sale.
  • The Verge — negative: Says the earbuds have been hard to recommend over the last-generation model because of the price.