I really love my Sony WF-1000XM5s. I take them with me almost everywhere, so you can imagine how excited I was when Sony finally announced their successor, the WF-1000XM6s. After using them for a month, I’m disappointed. It is not because there is anything wrong with the WF-1000XM6s, but because they aren’t much better than their predecessor. The $30 price hike doesn’t help, either. Let’s take a look at what’s actually new.
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Sony and did not receive any monetary compensation or free products for this review. My opinions are based solely on my personal experience. There are affiliate links at the bottom of this review. If you choose to use it, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Larger Charging Case, but Still Compact
Sony has made some changes to the charging case compared to the last generation. The new case is taller with sharper corners, giving it a more industrial look in place of the previous pebble-like shape. Sony also claims they made the hinge more robust, though I personally couldn’t tell the difference. Both cases have a satisfying snap when you close them.
What has not changed is the physical pairing button on the back, the USB-C port beside it, or Qi wireless charging support. Charging speed appears to be the same as before. Ironically, despite the larger case, battery capacity remains identical.
Larger Earbuds = Less Comfort
The earbuds themselves look quite different from the WF-1000XM5s. The new design is larger and pill-shaped, and I have mixed feelings about it. On the plus side, the matte finish is a welcome improvement. The old glossy piano-black finish was slippery, and I dropped them more than once (those foam tips are a pain to clean). On the downside, the larger size makes these uncomfortable for side sleeping. If you regularly fall asleep with earbuds in, you may want to skip this model. The eartips are the same as the last generation, with no changes to materials or size options.
More Microphones But Minimum Improvement
The WF-1000XM6s now feature four beamforming microphones per earbud, aimed at improving call quality. As someone who uses earbuds heavily for online meetings, this mattered to me. Despite the added microphones, the improvement was minimal. People on the other end didn’t notice any meaningful difference, likely because the WF-1000XM5s already had solid microphone performance. Even in noisy environments, the improvements were a bit of a wash. I could not say that the extra microphones made a consistent improvement here.
Same Great Sound
The sound profile of the WF-1000XM6s hasn’t changed much from its predecessor either. I haven’t noticed any difference in sound quality between generations. As before, if the default sound profile isn’t to your liking, you can fine-tune the EQ in the Sound Connect app.
Lots of New Software Features
Sony appears to have put most of their effort into software improvements this generation, porting over several features from their headphone line (WH-1000XM6). Frankly, I hope Sony brings these back to the WF-1000XM5s as well.
Battery Care: This new feature aims to extend overall battery lifespan by stopping the charge at around 80%. According to the app, the upper limit adjusts based on ambient temperature and usage conditions. This seems to be Sony’s response to reports of the WF-1000XM5’s battery degrading faster than expected. Time will tell if this actually alleviates that issue.
Auto Power Save: When the battery drops to 20% or below, the earbuds enter a power-saving mode that disables features like EQ, DSEE Extreme, Speak-to-Chat, and voice control. I saw minimal battery improvement, likely because I don’t use those features regularly anyway.
ANC on a Single Earbud: You can now enable noise cancellation when wearing only one earbud. This was an odd limitation before, and I’m glad it’s been addressed, though it’s hard to understand why it wasn’t always possible.
Microphone Toggle: You can now disable the earbuds’ microphones directly in the Sound Control app. This is handy if you frequently trigger voice commands by accident or simply want the peace of mind that the mics are off.
Active Noise Cancellation Remains Great
Over the month I tested the WF-1000XM6s, I didn’t notice a significant difference in ANC performance between the two models. SoundGuys’ testing suggests the XM6s should perform better, but in real-world use (across multiple transpacific flights and daily public transit rides), any difference was negligible.
Same Great Battery Life
Despite both the earbuds and case being larger, battery life remains largely the same. With AAC and ANC enabled, the WF-1000XM6s last roughly 7 to 8 hours, which is enough for a full workday or a transatlantic flight. You’ll need a top-up midway through a transpacific flight.
Final Thoughts
If you already own the WF-1000XM5s and enjoy them, there’s no compelling reason to upgrade. However, if the XM5s felt too small for your ears, the larger WF-1000XM6s might be a better fit.
The $30 price increase is a significant letdown. Even accounting for inflation and rising component costs, it makes the WF-1000XM6 a tough sell, especially when you can pick up the WF-1000XM5 for considerably less. That said, if the WF-1000XM6 goes on sale and gets closer to the going rate of the WF-1000XM5, it may be worth spending a little more for the newer model. I just wouldn’t pay more than $30 above what the XM5 costs.
If you decide to pick up the Sony WF-1000XM6 (affiliate link) or the WF-1000XM5 (affiliate link), using my affiliate link is a great way to support this independent review site. It helps cover the cost of running it and writing reviews like this one, at no extra cost to you. Happy Traveling! ✈️
Leave a Reply