Sure, These Wi-fi Earbuds Sound That Good

Being the champ ain’t straightforward, but it surely does have its perks. One of these perks is that, to be the champ, you’ve seemingly already constructed the inspiration for future success. In Sony’s case, a part of that basis is its 1000-series earbuds and headphones, particularly the wi-fi earbuds, the WF-1000XM5.

When these earbuds launched approach again in 2023, we referred to as them “the best wireless earbuds you can buy,” which is excessive reward, but additionally properly earned—they had been smaller, had higher lively noise cancellation, and sounded higher than their predecessor. That’s nice for anybody out there for brand spanking new wi-fi earbuds, but it surely additionally implies that any successor has large footwear to fill.

Well, three years later, it seems {that a} successor is right here within the type of the Sony WF-1000XM6, they usually usher in excellent news for each Sony and audiophiles alike: these wi-fi earbuds rise to the problem.

And the Grammy goes to…

This installment within the WF-1000-series earbuds guarantees to do a number of main issues, and a type of guarantees is delivering higher sound—an necessary a part of a tool that you simply’re going to be utilizing to take heed to music and podcasts actually on a regular basis.

According to Sony, the WF-1000XM6, this time round, are tuned in collaboration with “Grammy winners,” particularly mastering engineers. Which Grammy winners? I have no idea. But primarily based on my testing of the wi-fi earbuds over the previous week, I’m going to take Sony’s phrase for it. They sound nice.

In phrases of sound high quality, these wi-fi earbuds are even higher than the Technics EAH-AZ100, which had been arguably my favorite-sounding wi-fi earbuds of the previous yr. The Sony WF-1000XM6 sound natural, clear, and nuanced throughout genres, and when you can alter the EQ in Sony’s companion app, I felt no want to take action because the tuning sounded nice proper out of the field. Midrange frequencies are a specific spotlight, particularly when listening to rock music. Guitars sound clear, current, textured, and well-placed within the combine.

The bass tuning can be to my liking. There is not any overpowering, artificial-sounding amplification, however the low finish nonetheless has presence and energy when it’s fascinating. Comparing the WF-1000XM6 back-to-back with the Technics EAH-AZ100, I can’t assist however really feel just like the Technics sound just a bit flatter at occasions, the place Sony’s tuning by no means misses—you’re going to listen to every notice, muddiness be damned.

It’s laborious to say the place the good audio comes from—the drivers or the tuning—however Sony’s WF-1000XM6 do characteristic Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) Extreme, which is Sony’s upscaling tech designed to reinforce audio that’s compressed and performed over Bluetooth. Whatever magic is occurring behind the scenes, the outcomes communicate for themselves.

If I needed to deduct any factors within the sound division, it might be as a result of the WF-1000XM6 don’t get notably loud. This might sound like a bizarre grievance, however I reside in New York City, and typically cranking the amount might be the distinction between tuning out the subway and having to take heed to an agitating practice ruckus. Still, that’s hardly sufficient for me to name the WF-1000XM6 something aside from nice on the subject of sound high quality.

Same word-garble identify, however completely different look

If there’s one factor that followers of the WF-1000XM5 will discover instantly, it’s that the WF-1000XM6 look a bit completely different. Unlike Sony’s 2023 earbuds, the WF-1000XM6 are rather less bulbous, and in response to Sony, they’re 11% slimmer than the WF-1000XM5. That design tweak positively makes them look rather less apparent in your ears, however I can’t say I’m an unlimited fan of the form and look. There’s nothing deal-breaking right here, however I nonetheless suppose the Technics EAH-AZ100 have slightly extra type to them and really feel barely much less cumbersome once I put on them.

The case additionally will get a redesign and is fabricated from the identical matte plastic because the earbuds. There’s nothing to lose your thoughts over right here design-wise, however I do like how clicky the highest is once you shut it. Like principally each different charging case on the market, it has a USB-C charging port and a button on the again for pairing.

Sony says it designed the WF-1000XM6 to be extra ergonomic and match higher to the contours of the ear, however I can’t say that I used to be blown away by the consolation. I’m not saying these wi-fi earbuds had been essentially uncomfortable, however I don’t suppose they moved the needle for me. That being stated, everybody’s ears are completely different, so there’s an opportunity that once you put them on, you’ll have the proverbial Cinderella second. An ideal match! For me, nonetheless, they’re about common.

One factor I don’t love is the ear suggestions, although. I attempted all 4 sizes Sony supplied, however none felt too tight in my ears. Maybe it’s the form? Or the design of the earbuds themselves? Even Sony’s companion app appeared to agree, telling me—regardless of which measurement I used to be utilizing—that the match allowed ambient sound in. Don’t get me fallacious, they by no means felt like they had been going to fall out of my ears or something, however the match of the ear suggestions continues to be fairly necessary, particularly on the subject of ANC.

That brings me to my subsequent level…

Good ANC, however not the champ

Another large promoting level of the WF-1000XM6 is the improved ANC. The WF-1000XM6 now include a brand new noise-cancellation processor, the QN3e, and a further microphone (bringing the whole to 4) to assist assess your sound atmosphere and cancel out frequencies accordingly. With these tweaks, Sony says the WF-1000XM6 are able to cancelling as much as 25% extra noise than their predecessor, particularly frequencies within the mid-to-high vary, aka those you’re most definitely to come across frequently.

I admittedly don’t have a lot expertise with the WF-1000XM5, which makes a direct comparability tough, however I do have loads of expertise testing different wi-fi earbuds. Based on my sampling of the remainder of the sphere, I’m going to categorise the WF-1000XM6 as higher than common within the ANC division, however nonetheless not the most effective. In my compulsory subway take a look at, I used to be nonetheless capable of hear some ambient noise on the practice—sufficient to spur me to crank the amount up on my earbuds. It nonetheless managed to dam out fairly a little bit of noise, although, and definitely greater than latest opponents I’ve used just like the Nothing Ear 3 or the Pixel Buds 2a.

When it involves my favourite ANC wi-fi earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds (2nd gen), although, I’m afraid Sony doesn’t fairly take the cake. Bose nonetheless has the most effective ANC on lock to an nearly regarding diploma. When I put on them on the subway in New York, I can barely hear my environment. Awesome! Scary, slightly. But superior!

With that stated, there’s an opportunity that you’ll have a distinct (probably higher) expertise with Sony’s WF-1000XM6. As I discussed earlier than, the ear suggestions don’t appear to suit my ear form completely, so maybe an excessive amount of air is getting in and ruining the excellent ANC Sony has designed. I can’t swap out my ears, so I can’t say for certain, but it surely’s one thing to notice right here for certain. Generally talking, I nonetheless discover that Sony’s latest earbuds ship on the subject of ANC, even when it’s not fairly as spectacular as their sound.

name from Sony

Remember these microphones I discussed earlier than? Well, ANC isn’t the one factor of their purview. Another spotlight of the WF-1000XM6 is looking, and there’s a trio of applied sciences within the buds that allow it. One of these is a bone conduction sensor. That might appear to be a bizarre inclusion, but it surely is smart when you think about that half the battle of software-enhanced calling is definitely recognizing your voice. By utilizing bone conduction, Sony is ready to decide when the voice heard by its microphones is definitely coming from you after which singling out that voice for readability on the opposite finish.

In addition to its bone-conduction sensor, Sony is utilizing “AI beamforming” to direct its microphones at your mouth and software-based noise discount to silence ambient background noise. The outcome, I’m instructed, is a fairly rattling good name by way of readability. To take a look at the WF-1000XM6, I FaceTimed a number of of my good pals and requested them to price my name readability afterward. The common between three folks was about 8/10. Not dangerous in any respect! I nonetheless desire to not take calls with wi-fi earbuds in, but when I’m going to, the decision high quality higher be good.

If you’re the kind of one that takes longer calls (or simply listens to loads of music), you’ll even be joyful to know that the battery life on the WF-1000XM6 is strong. Sony advertises about 8 hours of battery life for the wi-fi earbuds with ANC enabled, and my testing means that’s correct. After about 4 hours of steady listening at excessive quantity, the WF-1000XM6 dropped from 100% to about 56%. This isn’t as spectacular because the Technics EAH-AZ100, which I’ve been evaluating to—these get 10 hours of battery with ANC on—however 8 hours is above common, particularly for buds with strong ANC. The charging case is on the not-so-impressive aspect by way of battery and tops out at 16 hours whole.

Feature-wise, the Sony WF-1000XM6 is about the identical as its predecessor. There are contact controls on the earbuds for play/pause, observe skipping, and turning ANC off or on (these work simply positive). There’s additionally a companion app the place you may alter the earbuds’ EQ, assign new faucet controls, and set choices like having them let you know the date and time once you put them on or autoplay.

Sony’s app additionally has a “Scenes” characteristic that allows you to set routines to your earbuds, in order that they know once you’re commuting or working and routinely begin taking part in music or podcasts. Unfortunately, this characteristic requires a studying interval that I wasn’t capable of full earlier than penning this assessment, but it surely’s a singular characteristic amongst companion apps, to say the least. I don’t suppose most individuals would discover one thing like Scenes revolutionary, but it surely’s at all times good to have the choice to mess around with it if you’d like.

Is it time for an earbud improve?

Sony’s WF-1000XM6 won’t be the most effective in each class—however within the areas that matter, they excel. Sound-wise, these is likely to be my new favourite wi-fi earbuds, and whereas they don’t unseat Bose on ANC, they’re nonetheless greater than strong—particularly should you’re evaluating to the earlier technology of flagship Sony earbuds. And with nice calling and good battery life, Sony’s WF-1000XM6 needs to be on the radar of anybody who’s searching for a pair of wi-fi earbuds that knock the basics of any pair of wi-fi earbuds out of the park. If sound is your precedence, Sony may need made the hit you’ve been searching for.