Products
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless
Sony WF-1000XM6
Tested using Methodology v2.1
Updated Mar 26, 2026 02:49 PM
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Tested using Methodology v2.1
Updated Mar 24, 2026 05:56 PM
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TypeIn-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Emphasized (4 dB)
WirelessTruly Wireless
Treble Amount
Balanced (-1 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
TypeIn-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
Bass Amount
Emphasized (4 dB)
WirelessTruly Wireless
Treble Amount
Balanced (-1 dB)
MicYes
Sound Signature
Warm
Our Verdict
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless
Sony WF-1000XM6
The Sony WF-1000XM6 feature incremental upgrades on the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless. The headline here is their improved ANC system and re-tuned sound, so if you're an XM5 owner who's happy with the sound and ANC performance, it might not be worth upgrading. The upgrades to the ANC do propel the XM6 to the top-tier of noise cancelling in-ear buds, though; they're highly effective at tamping down on external noise across the entire frequency spectrum. Depending on your ear shape and size, the new design could be a step backwards in terms of ergonomics, though. Their larger size means they can easily pop out of smaller ears. Otherwise, the newer generation introduces Bluetooth LE connectivity and improves mic quality while retaining the same battery life. Some will find that the recycled material used for the XM6 buds and case feels cheaper and less solid.
Variants
- WF-1000XM5 (Black)
- WF-1000XM5 (Silver)
- WF-1000XM6 (Black)
- WF-1000XM6 (Platinum Silver)
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Black
WF-1000XM5
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Black
WF-1000XM6
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Silver
WF-1000XM5
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Platinum Silver
WF-1000XM6
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Smoky Pink
WF-1000XM5
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Main Differences for
Sports And Fitness
Sports And Fitness
Threshold
Sports And Fitness
Full Comparison
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
Bass Amount
Treble Amount
Sound Signature
Frequency Response Consistency
Consistency L
Consistency R
Std. Deviation
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Raw FR R
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
Low-Frequency Extension
Low Bass
Mid Bass
High Bass
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
Low Mid
Mid-Mid
High Mid
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
Low Treble
Mid Treble
High Treble
Peaks/Dips
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
Dips
Stereo Mismatch
Frequency Response Mismatch
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch
Weighted Phase Mismatch
Cumulative Spectral Decay
CSD
PRTF
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)
PRTF Size (Avg.)
PRTF Distance
Harmonic Distortion
Harmonics Levels
THD Ratio
WHD @ 94 dB SPL
WHD @ 104 dB SPL
Electrical Aspects
Impedance
Sensitivity @1kHz-1V
Bluetooth Max SPL
Virtual Soundstage
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
Speaker Modeling
Room Ambience
Head Tracking
Virtual Surround
Test Settings
Firmware
Power
Connection
Codec
Test Instrument
EQ
ANC
Tip/Pad
Microphone
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Enclosure
Wireless
Transducer
Comfort
Comfort Picture
Weight
Clamping Force
Controls
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Ease Of Use
Feedback
Call/Music Control
Volume Control
Microphone Control
Channel Mixing
Noise Cancelling Control
Talk-Through
Additional Controls
Portability
Portability Picture
L
W
H
Volume
Transmitter Required
Case
Case Picture
Type
L
W
H
Volume
Build Quality
Build Quality Picture
Stability
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Noise Cancelling
Overall Attenuation
Bass
Mid
Treble
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
ANC Wind Handling
ANC Wind Handling Graph
ANC Wind Noise
Leakage
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
In-Line
Boom
Detachable Boom
Mic
Recording Quality
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
FR Std. Dev.
HFE
Weighted THD
Gain
Noise Handling
SpNR
SpNR
Noise Gate
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Continuous Battery Life
Additional Charges
Total Battery Life
Charge Time
Power-Saving Feature
Audio While Charging
Passive Playback
Charging Port
App Support
App Picture
App Name
iOS
Android
macOS
Windows
Equalizer
ANC Control
Mic Control
Room Effects
Playback Control
Button Mapping
Surround Support
Connectivity
Wired Connection
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
USB Audio
Detachable
Length
Connector
Latency - Analog
Latency - USB
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Bluetooth Connection
Bluetooth Version
Multi-Device Pairing
Quick Pair (Android)
Quick Pair (iOS)
Line Of Sight Range
Latency - SBC
Latency - aptX
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
Latency - LDAC
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
AAC Support
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
Line Of Sight Range
Latency - Dongle
Recorded Latency
PC Compatibility
Analog
Wired USB
Non-BT Wireless
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
PS4 Wired USB
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
PS5 Analog
PS5 Wired USB
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Xbox One Wired USB
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
Base/Dock
Type
USB Input
Line In
Line Out
Optical Input
RCA Input
Dock Charging
Power Supply
Check Price
Black
WF-1000XM5
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Black
WF-1000XM6
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Silver
WF-1000XM5
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Platinum Silver
WF-1000XM6
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Smoky Pink
WF-1000XM5
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Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless
Sony WF-1000XM6
Comments
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless vs Sony WF-1000XM6: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
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Both headphones work with LDAC. What determines whether they sound better or not relative to one another is going to be sound signature/frequency response, since codec-wise they’re on the same playing field. FR measurements don’t typically change based on the audio codec being used, either. In the objective metrics we assess they’re pretty close, so that just leaves listener preference (which as you might expect varies from person to person). To account for this, we intentionally didn’t say one is definitively better than the other in terms of sound.
FWIW, we do like the XM6’s profile with ANC off, as it smooths out the bass to mid transitions nicely.
Right now, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are already among the best truly wireless earbuds out there, especially for ANC, sound quality, and overall comfort. Sony really nailed the smaller design compared to XM4, and the noise cancellation is still top-tier. If you are confused between XM5 and XM6, definitely go for xm5 because its a safe choice, provides great ANC, and sound.
The fact that you would test flagship earbuds without using the best codec (LDAC) makes me question this entire review. Do they sound substantially better than the xm5’s? Yes. Is that easy to tell from your narrative review - not really. Most reviewers are saying they sound better than anything else they have tested. I’d be curious to see how they stack up against the Bowers & Wilkins in terms of music sound quality. You did get that they are less comfortable than the already-not-great-for-comfort xm5s.