Sony WF-1000XM6 Revealed

The highly anticipated the WF-1000XM6 will be announced tomorrow. Fortunately we will not need to wait for all the details thanks to MrWalkman who provided the new leak and information. 

The WF-1000XM5 has been championed for class leading sound quality, battery life and noise cancellation. But over the years competitors have dethroned Sony with their new models. Will the new model regain the top position? We will need to wait for reviews to determine if this is the case, but for now, let us take a deep dive into the new leak and details.

The New Sony WF-1000XM6

• Premium Sound
• World-class Noise cancelling (as of Dec 1, 2025)
• Comfortable fit
• Stable connectivity
• Best Call Quality in Sony's History (as of Dec 1, 2025)
• 360 Reality Audio 

Pre-order the earbuds from Amazon. 

WF-1000XM6 Black - Amazon CA $429.99 | WF-1000XM6 Silver - Amazon CA $429.99 

WF-1000XM6 Black - Amazon US $329.99 | WF-1000XM6 Silver - Amazon US $329.99

WF-1000XM6 Black - Amazon UK £249 | WF-1000XM6 Silver - Amazon UK £249

UK pricing on Amazon shows £207, so hmm.

WF-1000XM6 Black - Amazon DE €251  | WF-1000XM6 Silver - Amazon DE €251

I will have links up for Germany once they appear 

Design

Sony has again redesigned the earbuds, this time more of an evolution than revolution. The glossy exterior has been ditched for a matte finish, and the shape of the body elongated. Sony claims the new model has an "11% slimmer profile", which "avoids the contours of the ear." Together with the rounded design, comfort should be improved. The WF-1000XM5 was never uncomfortable for me, but this may not be the experience for every user. 

Here is the first shot of the ear tip end, showing the built in mesh like in the WF-1000XM5 foam tips. Was hoping Sony would have moved the mesh to the actual body and not on the tips.

Not to scale

The new leak has no weight information, so we will need to wait for these details on Thursday. Here is the size comparison from my previous post (hopefully accurate).

May not be accurate

The new design has improved aerodynamics according to Sony, which is designed to reduce wind noise. This in turn has direct effect on improving ANC performance when outside.

Premium Sound

The WF-1000XM6 uses a newly developed driver, with a new diaphragm design and improved materials. The new materials allow for an ideal balance reproducing high quality sound with low distortion.

Sony WF-1000XM6 driver

Sony has updated the co-processor to the QN3e, which supposedly 3x faster than the QN2e found in the WF-1000XM5. The new processor has improved analog conversion technology revealing subtle sound details, previously buried in noise, to emerge with vivid clarity. Size of the driver is 8.4mm.

Sony has kept the V2 Chip (MT2833), but improved the Audio Signal Processing from 24-bit to 32-bit. This new processing enables the earbuds to perform fine adjustments of 0.1dB. As for the MT2855, we will see in an upcoming headset, just not the new WF-1000XM6.

The WF-1000XM6 sound quality was developed with the help of world renowned Mastering Engineers, just like the over-ear WH-1000XM6.

• Michael Piacentini (Battery Studios)
• Randy Merrill (Sterling Sound)
• Chris Gehringer (Sterling Sound)
• Michael Romanowski (Coast Mastering)

I suspected we will find out more details and quotes from these engineers in the press release and hopefully Sony engineer interview. 

World-class noise cancellation

According to Sony, the new model has 25% better noise reduction when compared to the previous generation. The earbuds utilize automatic optimization which adjusts to the external environment and wearing conditions. Sony calls it the "Adaptive NC Optimizer". Unknown if this is an evolution of the Auto NC optimizer, or something entirely new.

The 25% ANC performance is achieved through the use of additional microphones, the new QN3e processor, and improved aerodynamic design. Each earbud now has 4 MEMS microphones, with 2 near the driver (feedback) and 2 on the outside (feedforward). The WF-1000XM5 used 3 microphones per earbud.

Sony WF-1000XM6 microphones

Improved Call Quality

The WF-1000XM5 suffered from average call quality. Sony now claims the new WF-1000XM6 has "Sony's Bext-Ever call quality". This is achieved thanks to the 3 features:

• Bone Conduction Sensor - Captures the voice directly through vibrations, unaffected by ambient environmental noise
• Dual Beamforming Microphones: Two microphones on each side provide precise voice pickup
• AI Noise Reduction: Utilizes AI to isolate and separate your voice from environmental noise

The call quality will be further increased when the LC3 codec is used for the connection. It is Sony's best ever call quality, but is it the best call quality in the segment?

Enhanced Connection Stability

Sony has improved the wireless connection, so that there is a stable connection in heavily crowded signal areas like public transport. The new wireless antenna is 1.5x larger than the one in the WF-1000XM5, increasing reception sensitivity. 

An internal layout of the antenna has been optimized to prevent any signal blockage from the physical shape of the ear. There is also a new algorithm, but perhaps the translation is wrong from the leaked data.

I am looking forward to the FCC teardown to see the antenna design, to see if there is any visible difference.

Battery Life

There is no improvement in the battery life, with rated battery life of up to 8 hours with ANC on, and up to 12 hours with ANC off. The new model does have an extra ANC microphone and the improved QN3e, both which would decrease battery life. So perhaps this is why we have no increase in the battery life. Still, would have been nice to see up to 10h with ANC on with one charge.

Will be interesting to see if the battery capacity has changed when compared to the WF-1000XM5. If the FCC teardown does not show it, we will get it in the Taiwanese certification. 

That is most of the information off the new leaked information provided by MrWalkman. Thanks again for providing it. If I missed anything, or new details show up in the press release, I will add them to the post.

Other features include:

• Wireless charging
• 8.4mm driver 
• DSEE Extreme
• IPX4
• Multipoint support
• Codec support  - AAC, SBC, LDAC, LC3
• 10-band EQ
• 360 Reality Audio
• Background Music effects (like LinkBuds Fit)
• Auracast support 
• Case dimensions -  61.6 x 41.1 x 26.5 mm
• Case weight - 47g
• Earbuds - 6.5g each 
• Price - 299 Euros, 429 CAD, 329 USD

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