00:00Is Sony still the king of noise-canceling earbuds?
00:03The Sony WF-1000XM6 are finally here, and I've been testing them out for a few weeks already,
00:09putting them through the buy or skip treatment. In this video, I'll go over my pros, cons,
00:14and comparisons to the AirPods Pro 3, as well as the previous-gen Sony WF-1000XM5.
00:21And you guys know the drill. Links are in the description in case you want to check them out
00:26at any point during my Sony WF-1000XM6 review. Let's start with the WF-1000XM6 design and controls,
00:35because they've been redesigned quite a bit. By slimming the XM6 earbuds down 11%, they don't
00:41feel as bulky as the XM5 did. Even with a minor weight increase, the better weight distribution
00:46makes them feel lighter and more secure. Sony's signature spongy ear tips also help a lot with feel,
00:53and they mold to your ears so the seal you get is excellent, which gives Sony's earbuds
00:58a big advantage over Apple and Bose. Controls are fully customizable through the Sound Connect app,
01:05but I also think the out-of-the-box settings will work really well for most people.
01:09One tap of the left earbud toggles noise-canceling on or off, and the same gesture on the right earbud
01:15pauses and plays media. I can also lower volume by tapping rapidly on the left,
01:20and raise by tapping rapidly on the right. The only real miss in terms of design? The charging case.
01:28Not sure what Sony was thinking here. The chunky angular shape feels awkward in my pocket,
01:33and it doesn't sit right on some wireless chargers. Give me these buds in this case,
01:39and that honestly would have been much better. Speaking of much better, Sony improved its microphone game.
01:46The WF-1000XM6 have additional mics and better processing, resulting in clean call quality,
01:53natural sounding voices, and filtered background noises. They're not studio microphones, like I
01:59wouldn't record voice over on them, but they're very solid for calls. People say I sound pretty good on
02:05phone calls because of the XM6's abilities to tune out the noise around you and make your voice the focus.
02:10What do you guys think? Can you hear me pretty clearly? Do you hear all the cars and wind behind
02:15me?
02:16But also, I'm going to show you the AirPods mic, because I think the microphone sounds better than
02:22Sony's. But what do you guys think? Does this Sony mic sound better or worse than the AirPods Pro 3?
02:31Now, let's talk audio performance. The sound quality of the Sony WF-1000XM6 is outstanding. It's incredibly well
02:39balanced with clear separation between vocals and instruments, punchy but controlled bass,
02:46and zero distortion even on bass-heavy tracks. The XM6 handled everything effortlessly. Sony's
02:53DS-EE Extreme processing also makes compressed audio sound noticeably better, especially on iPhone,
03:00where LDAC isn't available. It doesn't replace true lossless audio, but it absolutely closes the gap.
03:06Noise cancelling? Simply put, this is the best auto noise cancelling I've ever used in earbuds.
03:13Flights, gyms, city noises, the XM6 creates a genuinely silent bubble. Ambient sound mode is also
03:20excellent, with granular control so you can stay aware of your surroundings without feeling like
03:26you've turned auto noise cancelling completely off. The AirPods Pro 3 performed well with noise cancelling
03:31too, but not as well as the Sony. Although I will say, when it comes to transparency mode,
03:37Apple does a better job at making me forget that I actually have earbuds in. But how long can I
03:43actually enjoy that top-notch performance? When it comes to battery life, the Sony WF-1000XM6 gets you
03:49eight hours with auto noise cancelling on and 24 hours total with the case, which puts the XM6 right in
03:56line
03:56with the best noise cancelling earbuds on the market. What matters more is how it performs in
04:02real life. And for me, that meant nearly a full week of mixed use, travel days, workouts, and long
04:08listening sessions. And when they finally did die, five minutes of fast charging gave me an hour of
04:14playback, which is exactly what you want from earbuds like these. I would say this battery life performance
04:20is on par with my AirPods Pro 3, but nothing beats being able to quickly check my earbuds and case
04:26battery by simply opening the case and placing it near my Apple device. So I think that the AirPods Pro
04:323 still have a slight advantage in that area. Now, I wasn't sure whether to label the price as a
04:37pro
04:38or a con, because on one hand, the Sony WF-1000XM6 are $100 more than AirPods Pro 3 when you
04:45factor in
04:46the sale price you can usually fetch. Given how Sony has been creeping their prices up across their
04:51entire lineup lately, I was fully expecting a new model tax. Seeing them stick to the same MSRP as
04:57the previous generation is a win for us, especially with all the improvements you're getting.
05:02If $330 still feels like a lot to you, you can still pick up the Sony WF-1000XM5 at a
05:09solid discount.
05:10They're still fantastic and are currently sitting around $250, so I'll link that deal below. But,
05:17if you already have the XM5, you might be wondering if it's worth the upgrade. Here's the short answer.
05:23Yes, if comfort and auto noise cancelling matter to you. The XM6 is smaller, more comfortable,
05:30and cancels noise better and sounds more refined. Battery life is the same, but the overall experience
05:36is better. If your XM5s are still working and you're happy, you don't need to upgrade. But,
05:42if you've had fit issues, or want the best auto noise cancelling Sony offers, or are just ready for
05:47something new after a few years, get the XM6. But then, there's the Apple AirPods Pro 3. The AirPods Pro
05:573
05:57are very well-rounded earbuds, especially if you're deep in Apple's ecosystem, like me. They're seamless,
06:03lightweight, and extremely convenient. And honestly guys, they've been my daily driver since their
06:09release. But when it comes to pure sound quality, EQ control, and noise cancellation customization,
06:16the Sony WF-1000XM6 are more impressive. Sony gives you more control over how your music sounds,
06:24and how auto noise cancelling behaves, while Apple prioritizes simplicity and ecosystem integration.
06:30But for me, being able to adjust my EQ is a huge win, and the sound quality is noticeably better
06:36with
06:37the Sonys. In the AirPods defense, however, they are, like I said earlier, $80 to $100 cheaper,
06:43have a better case design, and can provide those specific Apple features.
06:50So, buy or skip the Sony WF-1000XM6. For me, this is a strong buy. The Sony WF-1000XM6 fixes
07:00the biggest
07:00complaints about previous models, while pushing sound quality and noise cancellation even further.
07:06The case design isn't my favorite, but that's a small trade-off for what are genuinely some of the
07:12best noise-canceling earbuds you can buy right now. And that's all for today's episode of Buy or Skip.
07:18Be sure to leave a like and subscribe, and let me know in the comments what you guys think about
07:23the
07:23XM6. As always, I'm Phil Rodriguez, this is Tom's Guide, and I'll see you in the next video.
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