Sony’s 1000X earbuds have been at the top of Engadget’s best wireless earbuds list ever since we first published them. The company has been able to maintain its laurels with each generation, mainly thanks to its vast collection of features and effective combination of sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) performance. today, Sony has revealed The latest in the series, WF-1000XM6offering further redesigns both inside and out. The company’s proven formula of features and audio performance remains, but it may no longer be enough to elevate the product. M6 Beyond competition.
design
For the third time in a row, Sony has completely redesigned the 1000X earphones. The WF-1000XM5 was a clear improvement on the WF-1000XM4, while the M6 is derived from both. The company was able to further reduce the overall size by using a round pill-shaped housing for the earphone’s main housing. While I certainly applaud Sony for making this as small as possible, I’m still not a fan of the company’s foam ear tips.
Sony introduced foam eartips in the 1000XM4 earbuds, which led to an unstable fit during our testing. In fact, I ended up switching to the silicone M3 tip for a better feel. The M5 improved slightly, but the M6 took a step back. I tried all the sizes of ear tips in the box, and only one provided a tight seal in my right ear during the fit test in the Sound Connect app. This can affect the sound quality and ANC performance, and the earbuds don’t feel like they’re fully seated in your ears. I never got used to the fit during my 3 weeks of testing.
The WF-1000XM6’s exterior panel is still touch-sensitive and accepts various taps for playback controls, calls, noise settings, and more. Sony has also incorporated a repeated tap gesture used to adjust the volume. Tap and hold the right earbud to increase the volume, and tap the left earbud to decrease the volume. My disdain for touch controls is well documented at this point, but the M6 responded reliably and quickly, without repeating the tap sequence.
Features of WF-1000XM6
WF-1000XM6 accepts taps for touch-based controls.
As with the 1000X earphones, Sony has packed the M6 with features as well. Almost all of these are carried over from previous models, including adaptive sound controls that can automatically adjust settings based on activity and location. Speak-to-Chat pauses the audio and enables ambient sounds when you start speaking, but you can still easily be fooled by coughing or clearing your throat. The Quick Access feature lets you access Amazon Music, Apple Music, Endel, Spotify, and YouTube Music with just two or three taps, depending on how you set it up.
The M6 earbuds also allow you to accept or decline calls with head gestures, and there’s also an option to enter your voice during a call. Sony has maintained the existing option of controlling the earbuds with voice commands. When you say “Assistant,” you can tell it to play, pause, skip, or play a song. It also adjusts the volume, but that’s about it.
Sony also included some useful power management features. First, the M6 has an automatic power-saving mode that disables custom EQ settings, DSEE Extreme upscaling, Speak to Chat, and voice control/voice assistant to reduce power consumption when the M6 reaches 20% battery power. The battery care tool extends battery life by stopping charging before your earbuds reach 100% battery. Finally, the auto power off feature powers off the earbuds when they are outside the case and have not been worn for a while.
Basic conveniences like multipoint Bluetooth, wireless charging, and IPX4 water resistance are also here. It comes with wear detection and allows you to change the sound profile using Sony’s EQ presets, or create your own and save it for future use. The Sound Connect app shows the battery level of each individual earbud and case front and center, and you can edit the main screen to hide the features you see there if you don’t need them.
Sound quality and ANC performance
Sound quality is one of Sony’s strengths, and that continues with the M6. (Billy Steele for Engadget)
If Sony’s extensive feature list is its biggest advantage over the competition, its overall sound quality comes in second place. With the WF-1000XM6, the company built a new driver with soft edges for deeper bass and a stiffer, lighter dome for clearer highs. There’s also a notch around the edges for “clearer and smoother” overall sound quality, according to Sony. And of course, DSEE Extreme upscaling helps restore details lost through compression, while 360 Reality Audio and Spatial Sound Optimization deliver more immersive listening.
As with previous 1000X models, we found the M6 earphones to be at their best with the stock EQ and DSEE Extreme activated. The sound is deep and warm, with plenty of deep bass without overwhelming the mix. The treble comes through, and there’s plenty of midrange to ensure no detail is lost. Erika de Cassier’s vibe lifetime A great example of what the WF-1000XM6 can do. Vocals seem to float above the bassline and drums, while percussive piano chimes in and subtle synth details pop throughout. When the strings appear on “Seasons,” the M6 brings them to prominence rather than relegating them to the back of the beat.
The WF-1000XM6 also doesn’t condense the chaos of Spiritbox’s “Holy Roller” into a messy heavy metal howl. There’s also plenty of texture in the synth-driven noise of Nine Inch Nails’ “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” It packs enough punch for even more straight-forward rock tracks like Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American,” with a wide soundstage that never feels claustrophobic or compressed. Overall, the WF-1000XM6 compares favorably with some of the best-sounding earphones you can buy today, but competitors like Technics have an edge in the way they handle a song’s most subtle nuances.
If you were expecting overwhelming ANC power, I have to report that the WF-1000XM6 are not as powerful noise-canceling as Bose’s QC Ultra Earbuds. M6 strongly resists human voices. This is a drawback of many ANC earphones, but keep this in mind if you plan on wearing them to the office. I also found that I could hear constant noise sources such as fans and white noise machines when wearing the M6. This is an item that QC Ultra Earbuds effectively address.
Using WF-1000XM6 for calls
The WF-1000XM6 isn’t as adept at making calls as Sony advertises. (Billy Steele for Engadget)
When it comes to calls, Sony says the M6 uses AI for both background noise reduction and audio capture with a beamforming microphone. Additionally, the earbuds are equipped with a total of 8 microphones for ANC and calls, as well as bone conduction technology for better audio pickup. Unfortunately, not all of these result in good performance during calls. The WF-1000XM6 is perfectly usable for voice and video calls, but the overall quality is far from pristine. What’s worse, when you encounter loud ambient noise, the earphones make it sound overly processed. The results are disappointing, as the company was proud of this upgrade.
battery life
According to Sony, the WF-1000XM6 will last up to 8 hours on a single charge, and 24 hours if you factor in the lifespan of the charging case. In our battery tests, which we performed primarily with ANC activated, we had no trouble hitting this number on a single charge. This is when the volume is around 75-80% and includes calls and virtual meetings where you switch to ambient sound mode.
It’s worth noting that I had DSEE Extreme upscaling active the entire time, which can affect battery life. Additionally, the aforementioned auto power save mode allows you to extend your playtime when you have about a quarter of your tank left. Skipping out on some of the M6’s best features to enjoy your workout or commute tunes is a fair trade in my opinion.
competition
The WF-1000XM6 is still an attractive option, but it’s no longer a clear favorite. (Billy Steele for Engadget)
When sizing the WF-1000XM6’s competitors, you need to choose your priorities. Simply put, no other company offers a more comprehensive suite of features than Sony. That’s been true for a while, and it continues with this model. If you want the most powerful active noise cancellation, it’s Bose’s 2nd generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. If you’re looking for the best sound quality, the Technics AZ100 is the best choice in this price range. I would also like to mention Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4. It offers excellent sound quality, respectable ANC, and a more comfortable fit than the M6, but this set is almost two years old at this point.
summary
Sony continues to release great earphones with the WF-1000XM6, but this model doesn’t come in as sleek a package as previous models. The two most obvious areas where the company lags behind its competitors are ANC performance and overall audio quality, not to mention my continued dissatisfaction with the fit provided by Sony’s foam tips. The M6 is also more expensive than previous versions when it launched, which makes it even harder to overlook its flaws. The WF-1000XM6 packs a ton of features, great sound quality, and reliable touch controls in a small package. For some people, that alone may make them forget the rest.
WF-1000XM6 is available today $330 in silver and black.