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I am a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies and books. In the film, an evil force creates several magical “Rings of Power” to be worn by various “heroes” of Middle Earth. Then, unbeknownst to the wearers of these rings, a malevolent force creates a single, omnipotent ring that controls the others and their wearers.
I find that regardless of my activity, Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 model ring a pair of headphones to rule them all, and there’s a lot to unlock with that statement.
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Categories |
Sony WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|
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Relatedness |
Bluetooth® 5.3, Multi-point support |
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Drive units |
8.4 mm driver |
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Codec support |
SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 w/Auracast |
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Waterproofing |
IPX4 |
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Battery life |
Up to 8 hours / Up to 22 hours total (ANC on) Up to 12 hours / Up to 30 hours total (ANC off) Only 24 hours with bag |
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Filling up |
USB-C, wireless charging; Quick charge 5 minutes = 60 minutes playback |
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Software support |
Android, iOS |
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Audio adjustment |
10-band EQ (app), Sony DSEE Extreme |
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Microphone |
A total of 8 microphones |
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Colors |
Black, Platinum Silver |
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The new Sony WF-1000XM6 ANC headphones come in a minimalistic package. You get a very small box and inside you’ll find an instruction manual, a ridiculously short charging cable and three extra pairs of earbuds. While I found a good fit with one medium and one small eartip pre-installed, I would have liked to see more options for the flagship product.
Equipped with USB-C and wireless charging, the case is pocketable but on the larger side compared to direct competitors Technics EAH-AZ100 and the like Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Its charging light sits behind the front like some of its competitors, though I had no problem seeing it while charging.
This year is also taller and more angular than the previous generation. It has a very fine-grained texture that resists slipping in the hand and laughs at your attempts to leave fingerprints on it.
Opening the case, you’ll find bean-shaped buds that look bulky, but are deceptively light and have the same matte texture as the box, in contrast to the glossy finish of the XM5.
You get eight microphones for calls and ANC and a fairly long list of features, so the size is forgivable. However, even during dynamic exercises, they never felt heavy. It is probably the result of the ergonomic shape of the earcups that fit the concha.
Normally, I’d get to the sound quality notes here, but let’s go with the “one ring to rule them all” analogy. I enjoyed the XM6 for high-intensity workouts in the gym and slower powerlifting movements. Thanks to the new QN3e processor, which Sony says is 3x faster than the QN2 in the XM5, their excellent ANC filters out even more low-frequency sound this year.
This allowed me to stay connected and focus on my mind-muscle connection while doing an admirable job of softening and quieting high-frequency noises, such as the sudden clinking of plates and nearby conversations. With the music on at about 65% of max, I didn’t hear any noise from the gym.
However, living in beach-friendly Southern California, I would like to see more durability. They’re IPX4 rated, which means no submersion and dust protection, but you’re good for sweaty workouts, splashes, and the occasional light rain. I have to be careful in the sand, especially during many beach trips.
The ear tips are not as easy to clean as silicone ear tips, but the advantage is that the hybrid foam material does a great job of passive noise cancellation and providing great comfort. The ear tips have metal mesh screens to prevent wax from transferring to the drivers (pictured above).
As always, I had issues with the Talk to Chat feature during training. It’s nice, but I often forget it’s on, start singing, and stop my music. I’ve even accidentally activated this feature during strong breaths. You can control the sensitivity in the Sound Connect app, which helps, but I turn it off during practice unless I’m practicing with a partner.
For calls, the XM6s are an improvement over their predecessors WF-1000XM5s By adding bone conduction technology to the headphones, it provides better call quality on windy days. The only part of the calling experience that I found a bit boring was enabling ANC during a call. When you do this, the volume drops briefly, so you’ll miss a few words from the person you’re talking to before ANC is fully operational. It is fast, but you in use will be feel the effects.
My favorite feature, which is available on the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and some LinkBuds variations, but not on the WF-1000XM5, is offline Voice Commands. Sony takes things a step further by offering more commands. Additionally, through the Sound Connect app, you can set up the headphones to activate your Voice Assistant by simply saying “Assistant” and then giving your command.
All of these worked reasonably well in my tests, but be aware that you have to choose between one or the other, and how well Voice Commands or Assistant works will depend on the background noise level. Not ideal for a concert, but I was able to handle the headphones well with the volume on busy streets with heavy traffic noise.
Voice commands are well complemented by the Head Gesture feature. Like AirPods, answer/end calls, etc.
Flagship ANC doesn’t always mean flagship sound quality. Not anymore. Bluetooth audio quality has come a long way in bridging the gap in audio fidelity between wired and wireless connections, and the Sony WF-1000XM6 exemplifies this growth. With LDAC or LC3 connectivity, the XM6 is as good as it gets for Bluetooth.
Wearing them during the review period and A/B testing them against some of my current favorite earbuds, they really shine as The One Buds to rule them all. Their clarity has a glow that feels alive, and the dynamic range ensures deep listening with high-quality audio formats. The search for detail is illuminating, teasing out nuances in music that you previously missed.
The soundstage is really open and big. The bass extension will please bass lovers like myself, the transitions are quite well handled and it’s well suited for those with eclectic tastes who can listen to a minute of bass-heavy Boom Bap and classic analogue instruments.
One A/B test where the XM6s excelled was a comparison of how they handled the frenetic, multi-layered instrumentation of Charles Mingus’ wild jazz track “Moanin’.” This song is a serious stress test for everyone headphones or headphones and XM6s with default settings (EQ off, DSEE off) with care. Except in the most energetic moments of the song wireless headphones mash the mixture, losing the character of the individual horns. However, these headphones separate sound well, so you can still pick out individual instruments.
The same track demonstrates how smooth the treble handling is and how well it captures detail, which is further demonstrated by the song “Violin Duel” from the Chevalier soundtrack on the XM6. The attack of the bows between the violin strings is realistically reproduced when listening to high-quality audio. You feel like you are sitting there with the orchestra and the first violinist. The presentation is as holographic as I’ve heard from Bluetooth headphones.
Ambient Sound Control and Scene Detection are excellent. They use your location and/or activity to automatically change ANC settings. They work so well that I had to turn off Walk Detection because when I left the house and walked to my car, it would turn on ANC and start my Apple Music playlist.
I enabled run detection as well as geolocation based gym scene detection. The only downside is that if you’re in a room or doing an activity that activates scene detection and you try to manually change the ANC setting, it will automatically revert to the default ANC settings.
With all that turned on, I’m seeing just over seven of the eight hours that Sony says you’ll get out of the headphones with ANC on.
LC3 with Auracast is also very important for future testing! We have written a lot What Auracast promises for consumers and those with accessibility needs. For reasons we’ve coveredyou’ll want this feature baked in and easily accessible.
At around $300, the Sony WF-1000XM6 aren’t a rush buy, but they’re the best everyday carry headphones you can buy right now.
In the past I have had to say that something is good, but others may be better in specific areas. This “One Ring” rules it all and gives a product that doesn’t exist just excellent ANC, but also attractive, informative sound, well-executed smart features, solid call quality and competitive battery life.
If you’re looking for a new, cutting-edge headset, these are worth the perilous journey through Mordor to get your hands on.
The best just got better
The Sony WF-1000XM6 are some of the best wireless headphones money can buy, thanks to a more stable and comfortable design, improved ANC, and superior sound.
