Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sony WF-1000XM6 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WF-1000XM5, AirPods Pro 3, WF-1000XM4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, AirPods Pro 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, OnePlus Buds Pro 3, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Sony WF-1000XM6 Review in Short
The Sony WF-1000XM6 takes the crown for the current #1 all-arounder in the wireless earbud class, due to elite noise cancelling performance, mic quality, and audiophile sound quality. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Sony WF-1000XM5, Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, AirPods Pro 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Status Pro X, and Sony WF-1000XM4.
Pros and Cons
- Best noise cancelling performance
- True audiophile sound quality
- One of the best mic quality
- Pricy
- Comfort could be slightly improved
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
Comfort
The Sony WF-1000XM6 comes with 4 pairs of hybrid silicone-like and memory foam eartips to find the perfect fit for you.
The design looks similar to the previous-gen XM5 earbuds, but is actually a little more compliant and form-fitting due to the hybrid materials.
I find the XM6 earbuds to be comfy enough, but nothing exceptional. They are pretty secure once nestled into the ear canal, however.
If for whatever reason the stock eartips aren’t to your liking, I’ve really enjoyed using these aftermarket ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
The wireless earbuds that I find more comfortable and secure-fitting include:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd and 1st Gen
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Features
The Sony WF-1000XM6 was originally released in February 2026, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX4 water resistance rating (sweat and light splashes)
- LDAC high-res codec support
- Auracast and Bluetooth LE
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- USB-C and Qi wireless charging case
- 360 Reality Spatial Audio
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- iOS and Android app support
The most notable feature for audiophiles is the LDAC high-res codec support.
Also, it’s nice that there is a native app offered for both iOS and Android users alike.
Microphone Quality
The Sony WF-1000XM6 improves upon the previous XM5 earbuds to deliver one of the best microphone quality in the class, thanks to 8 microphones and bone conduction sensors.
The XM5 introduced bone conduction sensors and is actually still one of the more impressive for mic quality years after its release, but the XM6 is a noticeable improvement.
I would still say the AirPods Pro 3 delivers the absolute best and most natural mic quality in the class, but other than that, there isn’t anything better than the XM6 currently.
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
This battery life is about average for the class, as most competitors are 6-8 hours on a single charge, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Noise Cancelling Performance
Noise cancelling performance has always been a strength of the Sony audio brand, for both headphones and earbuds alike, and the XM6 is easily one of the best yet.
I’ve tested over 20+ wireless noise cancelling earbuds to date, and the XM6 immediately impressed me with its noise cancellation strength.
Simply put, this immediately jumps to the top along with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.
The AirPods Pro 3 is excellent for ANC as well, but I prefer either Sony or Bose when it comes to pure sound-blocking of the most relevant frequencies.
The XM5 earbuds are actually still also in the “elite” tier of noise cancelling, even today, but similar to mic quality, the XM6 is a noticeable refinement from “great” to “excellent”.
Noise Cancelling Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sound Quality
The Sony WF-1000XM6 has performed exceptionally well so far when it comes to noise cancelling performance and mic quality, but how does it sound?
I actually still enjoy listening to the previous XM5 earbuds due to their audiophile-friendly tuning and LDAC support.
So my expectations for the XM6 are probably higher than the average person.
Let’s start with the high-res codec support of LDAC, which makes sense since this is a Sony product, but is actually a pleasant surprise as there’s modern earbuds that don’t support any high-res codecs at all.
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.
Upon my first listening impression, I was surprised at how neutral, balanced, and “reference-like” the XM6’s stock sound profile is. It’s the most “accurate” wireless Sony earbud to date.
Everything is there, from a present yet clean bass response, full mids, and detailed highs.
Starting with the bass, it’s full and impactful, but focused enough for an audiophile to enjoy. The sub-bass extension reaches down lower than before, and there is a nice textured detail to the bass response.
The best part is that the prominent bass doesn’t interfere with the mids, and create that usual muddiness that is common for the more consumer-friendly earbuds in the class.
The mids are one of my favorite aspects of these, as both male and female vocals are fuller-sounding with nice detail and realistic timbre.
The vocals never get too lost in the mix, and have a nice texture to them that is more natural-sounding.
Thanks to the mid response, most instruments have decent timbre and are fairly believable.
Finally, the treble is detailed yet always smooth, never really bordering on sibilance.
Personally, I’d like even a bit more treble energy, excitement, and airiness, but the smoothness suits the XM6 and allows the mids and bass to shine through.
I put the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds in the same league as the “high-end audiophile” options like Technics AZ100, Noble FoKus Rex5, Denon PerL Pro, Status Pro X, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, and SoundPEATS H3 – all of which are some of the best wireless earbud listening experiences available.
I find the Sony WF-1000XM6 to be superior in sound quality to the previous WF-1000XM5, WF-1000XM4, AirPods Pro 3, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and Google Pixel Buds Pro 2.
Sound Quality Score: 8.6 out of 10
Value
The Sony WF-1000XM6 is a new release that retails at $329.99 USD, so it’s on the higher-end of the wireless earbuds class.
It’s more direction competition of the AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM5 are typically between $229 to $249 on sale, although the Bose retails at a similar $299.
Although the XM6 earbuds are not as good of a value if we’re talking a price difference of $100 or so, I do think they are now the #1 overall all-arounder when you factor in noise cancelling performance, sound quality, and mic quality.
So for that, I think they are worth their price, but just not an incredible value.
The one value-standout would be the SoundPEATS H3 at under $130, which has a similar level of audiophile sound quality, and above average noise cancelling.
But the XM6 is clearly superior in its noise cancelling and mic quality over the H3, somewhat justifying the price difference.
Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 9.0 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.6 / 10
Value (10% of score): 8.0 / 10
Total: 8.7 out of 10
Is the Sony WF-1000XM6 Worth it?
The Sony WF-1000XM6 is the strongest all-arounder available in the market today due to its elite noise cancelling performance, mic quality, and audiophile sound quality.
It does carry a premium pricetag, but I believe it’s worth every penny as the ultimate daily-driver.
I would personally choose the Sony WF-1000XM6 over the AirPods Pro 3, but it is a $100 price difference and the AirPods Pro 3 still has arguably the best mic quality, not to mention convenience factor for Apple users.
If your only priority is sound quality, I still do think there are more enjoyable and slightly higher fidelity wireless earbuds such as the Technics AZ100 and Noble FoKus Rex5 to name a couple.
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
AirPods Pro 3rd Generation Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen 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)
