Sony WF-1000XM6 Review: My New Favorite Earbuds

Parker Hall Gear Mar 13, 2026 6:34 AM Review: Sony WF-1000XM6 Wireless Earbuds Sony's latest flagship earbuds have the best noise canceling—and maybe the best bass—I've ever heard from wireless earbuds. Buy Now Multiple Buying Options Available $328 at Amazon $330 at Sony Save this story Save this story Rating: 9 /10 Open rating explainer WIRED Industry-leading noise canceling. Amazing transparency. Fantastic tuning, with bass that's dynamic and fun to listen to. Good touch controls. Very customizable app. Amazing transparency mode. Comfortable, secure fit. TIRED Stiff competition from Apple if you own an iPhone, Bose if you don't. Eartips have a learning curve. Wireless earbuds have now gotten so good, many folks forget how far they've come. From the generation that seemingly grew up with one AirPod in their ear to those of us firmly from the iPod generation, wireless earbuds have become more or less ubiquitous, and decent in quality. Where early, more clunky generations of buds may have struggled, modern earbuds offer nearly all-day battery life, excellent noise canceling, and great software. But even with all these changes, I never actually forgot I was wearing them until I tried Sony's latest pair. The WF-1000XM6 (“Wirefree 1000X Mark 6”) blend ergonomic design, memory foam eartips, and shockingly transparent microphones to create a pair of noise-canceling earbuds I genuinely spaced having in my ears. For four hours, I forgot I had them on in transparency mode when using my normal desktop speakers. I attended Zoom meetings, listened to background music, and watched YouTube videos, all on my desktop speakers, without noticing. Everything sounded normal enough that I didn’t catch it until the earbuds told me the battery was getting low. Whoops. If you’re shopping for premium wireless earbuds (read: You’re willing to pay more than AirPods Pro money), and you want to use them every day for everything, these are probably the best do-it-all solution I’ve ever tested. ...