Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5 comparison, as someone who has purchased both pairs of earbuds with my own money.
I’ve conducted thorough testing of both wireless earbuds, and I will break down a winner for each category including:
- Comfort and Fit
- Features
- Battery Life
- Microphone Quality
- Noise Cancelling Performance
- Sound Quality
- Value
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNOW YouTube channel with over 17,000+ subscribers and over 4 million+ views, where you can watch the video versions of all of our reviews and comparisons.
Let’s dive right in!
Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5 Comparison in Short
The Sony WF-1000XM6 improves upon the previous-generation Sony WF-1000XM5 in almost every meaningful way including audiophile-worthy sound quality, noise cancelling performance, and microphone quality. The WF-1000XM5 is still an excellent all-arounder, even by today’s standards. If the price of the XM5 earbuds eventually falls, then it makes for an interesting value. Until then, the XM6 is a worthy upgrade over its predecessor.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort, Features, Microphone Quality, and Battery Life
Comfort
The Sony WF-1000XM6 comes with 4 pairs of hybrid silicone-like and memory foam eartips.
The older Sony WF-1000XM5 comes with 4 pairs of memory foam eartips.
I personally prefer the smaller, more streamlined design of the XM5 earbuds over the bulkier and somewhat oddly-shaped XM6.
The eartips are supposedly more compliant on the newer hybrid material design of the XM6, but I found both eartips to be very similar.
I don’t love the stock eartips of either the XM6 or XM5, as they take a bit of force to get into the ear canal and conform to the shape.
But the good thing once they’re in, is that they stay relatively put and have good passive noise isolation even without ANC turned on.
Although the XM6 is bulkier, I do find it to be the more secure-fitting earbud once properly placed.
To improve the comfort and fit of both the XM6 and XM5, I’ve really enjoyed using these aftermarket ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
Features
Even though the WF-1000XM6 is about 2.5 years newer than the XM5 earbuds, the features remain largely the same.
Both support Sony’s high-res LDAC codec, which is a nice advantage for the audiophiles reading this, including myself.
The newer XM6 upgrades to Bluetooth 5.4 (from 5.3 on the XM5) and supports LE Audio, making it more future-proof.
Microphone Quality
The older XM5 earbuds are actually still one of the best options for microphone quality, thanks to its multiple microphones and introducing bone conduction sensors.
That said, the newer XM6 implements even more microphones and AI-powered features to improve that mic quality further.
Overall, the XM6 is the proper choice if microphone quality is a top priority for you, but the XM5 is perfectly serviceable as well.
Battery Life
Sony WF-1000XM5 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 12 hours on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 3 minutes = 1 hour of playback
Sony WF-1000XM6 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 12 hours on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback
Battery life is mostly unchanged from the WF-1000XM5 versus the WF-1000XM6.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Tie
Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Performance Compared
Sony is tied for currently making the best noise cancelling performance headphones and earbuds outside of Bose, and to an extent, Apple AirPods.
Even today, the older XM5 earbuds are still one of the best noise cancelling options, years after its initial release.
But with time comes technological improvements, and the newer WF-1000XM6 improves upon the already-great XM5 earbuds in the noise cancelling department as well.
The difference here is more noise cancelling strength and consistency across the frequency spectrum.
I also slightly prefer the Transparency Mode on the newer XM6.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Sound Quality
Before we begin the sound quality comparison, I actually am still a fan of the older XM5 earbuds for their sound.
Even by today’s standards, I find both the sound quality and tuning of the XM5 to be audiophile-esque.
I do think there is a tier of several audiophile-worthy earbuds above the XM5, but considering that it’s one of the most mainstream brands and products, I found them to be more audiophile than expected.
So that brings us to today and the new WF-1000XM6.
Does it take it a step further, or regress? Let’s find out.
First off, both of these products feature Sony’s LDAC high-res codec, as with all of Sony’s audio products, including headphones.
I think the LDAC support is one factor in the XM5 still sounding pretty good by today’s standards.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC support:
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
My expectations for the XM6 earbuds were rather high when you consider my esteem for the XM5 earbuds before it.
Thankfully, the newer WF-1000XM6 not only sounds good, but it presents a welcome evolution in the line of Sony wireless earbud sound quality. While I still enjoy the XM5 earbuds today, the XM6 is a noticeable jump up in all things audiophile.
Starting with the stock sound profiles, I actually find the older XM5 to be the more “exciting” and consumer-friendly tuning, while the XM6 is quite balanced, neutral, and more accurate.
The XM6 has a richer midrange that presents a more natural and realistic timbre to vocals and instruments, which is something lacking in the XM5.
Both earbuds have quite present bass, but the XM6’s bass is improved in both its clarity and ability to go deeper into the lower sub-bass frequencies. I prefer the bass response on the XM6 as a whole.
When it comes to the audiophile details and overall fidelity, the XM6 just edges out the XM5 in just about every way.
There’s more details, clarity, and the tonal balance is more refined with that excellent midrange response.
Overall, I actually think the WF-1000XM6’s sound quality is in a tier above the WF-1000XM5 entirely, and competes with audiophile earbuds such as Technics AZ100, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, and Noble FoKus Rex 5 to name a few.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.1 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 8.6 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Value
The Sony WF-1000XM6 is a new release that retails at $329.99 USD.
The older Sony WF-1000XM5 retails at the same $329.99, but is available market price for around $248 today.
If we’re just talking purely about price, then the XM5 seems like the better value, logically-speaking.
But for me, I do find the Sony XM6 to be in another level of audiophile-worthy sound quality, justifying its price a little more. The audiophile earbuds the XM6 competes with can cost $400 or more, to put things into perspective.
Factor in that the XM6 also improves upon the noise cancelling performance and microphone quality, and I’m seeing that extra $80 or so being justified.
I still think the WF-1000XM5 is one of the sneaky best all-arounders today, but I hope to see its price go down eventually as the newer XM6 is now here.
I’ll be sure to update the XM5’s value score if and when that happens.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Value Score: 8.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Overall Scoring Breakdown
- Best noise cancelling performance
- True audiophile sound quality
- One of the best mic quality
- Pricy
- Comfort could be slightly improved
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- One of the best mic quality
- Audiophile-friendly tuning
- Still a bit pricy for its age
- There’s better pure sound quality options
Our Verdict: Sony WF-1000XM6
If I can make one thing clear, I’m still a fan of the older Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds today as one of the best all-arounders in the class.
That said, the newer Sony WF-1000XM6 is both a refinement and evolution in almost every way that matters: sound quality, noise cancelling performance, and microphone quality.
Does this justify the $80 price premium?
For me, having tested both back to back extensively, I’d say yes.
If the XM5 were to go down more in price from its market price of $248, then I think that makes things more interesting.
But objectively, the XM6 is the better and more improved earbud all-around, and I think it’s worth upgrading.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Best Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review
AirPods Pro 3rd Generation Review
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds Review
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Review
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st Gen Review
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
