Sure comparing new to discounted prices always favors the discounts, but the Sonys will be on sale soon enough. The Sonys are already $40 more expensive than new APP3s so its hard to imagine they will ever be under $200.
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Sony Launches $330 WF-1000XM6 Earbuds to Take on AirPods Pro 3
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carswell
macrumors regular
FWIW What Hi-Fi? is impressed, especially with the sound quality (though they don't mention things like claasical or solo piano) and declare them the new benchmark in that category/price band. Actual comparisons are pretty much limited to the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Technics EAH-AZ100.
www.whathifi.com
I’ve tested Sony’s WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds, and they should worry Bose and Technics
Can the Sony WF-1000XM6 improve sound performance ever further?
jz0309
macrumors P6
Crazy timeline where Apple isn't only the best option (or at least amongst the best), it's also the reasonably priced option 😂 Same with laptops these days. I recently checked how much windows laptops cost and the Macbooks often come out cheaper when compared to similarly specked Windows laptops.
sw1tcher
macrumors 604
Well, I guess that settles it then. Since you don't care, it's obvious no one else in the world would care either.
sw1tcher
macrumors 604
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are $329.99 (originally priced at $299.99 when they were released back in 2023; or $318 when adjusted for inflation) and they've sold plenty of them.
These will go on sale and they'll sell even more.
There are a lot of people out there who have money and don't know what to do with it. Take all the people buying the $1337 Razer gaming mouse, or all the people (over 7 million) who bought the EssilorLuxottica / Meta A.I. glasses last year.
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WannaGoMac
macrumors 68030
I always find it humorous when people go crazy rating earbuds sound quality after a certain point. These are mini speakers, used with a mediocre amplifier, while walking anround outside (usually). Serious listening is done with far better equipment in a much better environment.
As long as they sound somewhat decent, after a certain point it really doesn’t make a big deal of difference for this type of listening device.
H_D
macrumors 6502
Just a heads up. I had the XM4 IEMs. A firmware upgrade by Sony destroyed the battery life, the headphones drained of batteries within minutes, one faster than the other, well documented bug after the FW upgrade. Contacted Sony, contacted their local service company. Was offered a repair for almost the price of a new set of XMs despite this obviously being Sonys fault. Even had to pay to have the EarPods destroyed. I am not alone with this problem, check Reddit. It's one thing to have a messy Firmware upgrade (although that should not have happened either), but it is another thing to not stand up to it and replace the hardware you destroyed. Never touched Sony again since then. Aftermarket service is as important as anything else.
H_D
macrumors 6502
While I agree that «Hifi» and IEMs are not really something to discuss, there are massive differences in sound with various kinds of EarPods (depending on what you like). I have wired 12-driver IEMs for my drum set that cost under 100€ and they blow my APP and the APM away, not to mention my old B&O and even my old Sony xtra-Bass-Overears.
I don't think FLAC/Good AIF makes a world of difference here, but «sound quality» is a point to discuss, even with tiny earbuds :-D
lol what? I have used my AirPods Pro 3 on my S25 ultra and no way just as well. Heck it will still hunt for my iPhone and re pair with it even tho I want to use them on my s25. Also ear detection doesn’t work at all. Also would love an EQ
Sony sound quality beats apples by quite a lot. If the mics are so much better I’ll sell my pro 3
All android phones will support LDAC since it has been baked into Android 8 I believe. I wished they did that with apt x lossless .
I have not tried these, but prior versions always sounded better (to me) than AirPods Pro. I had the original AirPods Pro from launch day, and similar for the version 2. And also had the XM3 from launch, and XM5. AirPods Pro usually fit a bit better and had slightly better noise cancellation and much better pass-through mode, but sound quality was always notably better on the Sony. So if people are buying to listen to music, the Sony might be a better purchase. Also, the Sony get heavily discounted through their lifecycle, so will ultimately become cheaper than the Apple ones.
emulator
macrumors 6502a
These are never sold at msrp and they are not directly target AP3 audience. The HL is just completely stupid.
Had the first gen WF-1000XM1, which had the annoying firmware bug that the case drained itself within a day because it constantly tried to charge the earbuds.
They were the first in-ears with NC, which is why I got them but it was a huge disappointment. Also they never stayed in my ear.
I'm an audiophile and the sound was maybe 1% better than the Airpods Pro 1, but everything else was so much worse. Sony always drops the ball with the small things.
They were the first in-ears with NC, which is why I got them but it was a huge disappointment. Also they never stayed in my ear.
I'm an audiophile and the sound was maybe 1% better than the Airpods Pro 1, but everything else was so much worse. Sony always drops the ball with the small things.
And what about sound quality? Slightly worse or better noise cancellation is pointless if they sound worse than the ones they are being compared to. I am amazed the main reason for the use of earbuds is not the main subject of an article. Good sound quality is the main issue and not reserved for audiophiles.
Not bad. But these are for convenience, if you are a true audiophile you'll get a Sony lossless HiRes Walkman or similar and a pair of very high end wired headphones. But for me my AirPods Pro gen 1 do, when they give up I'll put the what ever are the cheapest new Pro ones on my Chrimbo list even if they are last gen.
Bit cheeky asking by I need some new buds for my AirPod Pro gen 1's, any recommendations?
Bit cheeky asking by I need some new buds for my AirPod Pro gen 1's, any recommendations?
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chanchowancho
macrumors member
I was quite perturbed the other day when I found out, after years of using it, that if you go to the iPhone Bluetooth settings > select your wireless headphones and in “Device Type” change them to “Headphone” then the iPhone will enable Dolby Atmos in Apple Music!
(No head tracking unless supported by device, but will be in Atmos surround)
Works with all the Bluetooth headphones and earbuds I own!
I don’t know why it needs to be an extra step, and isn’t advertised… I just assumed Atmos only worked with Apple devices on iPhone.
H_D
macrumors 6502
My XM4 sounded a bit better then APP2, due to the simple fact that you could equalize them and got a more personalized sound response. But e.g. for audiobooks and Podcasts they always had a strange tinny hollow sound that was weird, as if some metallic flanger effect was overlaid. Good IEs for bass heads, especially as they were a tad louder than the Pros and you get more punch to older tracks or dynamically mastered songs.
The APP3 sounded better, more balanced and natural, more versatile (still no EQ though).
I think all Apple has to do is to come up with some sort of EQ, probably something that interacts with their own real time system and just tweaks it a bit better than the presets in Music, which are all frustratingly bad …
N0ughtsAndCr0sses
macrumors 6502a
Had the previous iteration, very good buds. Excellent really. At the time APP2 disappointed me by a crackling sound in one of them.
Sony today announced a new set of earbuds that are designed to compete with the AirPods Pro 3. The $330 WF-1000XM6 Truly Wireless Earbuds feature Active Noise Cancellation with a 25 percent reduction in noise compared to the prior-generation XM5 earbuds, with improved performance in the mid-to-high frequency range that's common in everyday environments.
The earbuds use Sony's HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3e with an adaptive noise canceling optimizer and four microphones on each earbud to detect sound to cut out. The earbuds analyze external noise and wearing conditions in real time to improve noise canceling performance.
Sony's XM6 earbuds are smaller than the AirPods Pro 3 because there is no stem, and they include noise isolating silicone ear tips with a USB-C charging case. Sony redesigned the earbuds with a more ergonomic shape that's meant to follow the natural curves of the inner ear to reduce discomfort, and the XM6 is 11 percent slimmer than the XM5. The updated design also reduces internal noises like footsteps and chewing sounds.
The battery in the XM6 earbuds lasts for up to eight hours, and the charging case provides an additional 24 hours.
More processing power delivers better sound, and Sony says the earbuds have a new driver unit that combines different materials on the dome and the edge. The soft edge offers deep bass, while the rigid dome provides clear and extended high frequencies. Sony is also using AI to restore compressed files in real time to improve sound quality.
For phone calls, there are two microphones and a bone conduction sensor on each side, with the earbuds using AI beamforming to isolate and capture the wearer's voice even in crowded environments.
Sony offers Adaptive Sound Control, Auto Play, multi-device support, and integrated voice assistance, with Google Gemini Live built in.
Reviews suggest the WF-1000XM6 earbuds are almost on par with the AirPods Pro 3 when it comes to noise cancellation. According to SoundGuys, the XM6 had an 88 percent average reduction in loudness across all frequencies, just behind the 90 percent average of the AirPods Pro 3. Passive isolation was better than the AirPods Pro 3 passive sound reduction.
Engadget felt that Sony's earbuds struggled with human voices and had fit issues, but The Verge said the earbuds tuned out conversations better than other ANC earbuds, including the AirPods Pro 3.
TechRadar said the AirPods Pro 3 had noticeably better ANC, Business Insider preferred the XM6 noise canceling, and CNET said the XM6 offered better sound quality than the AirPods Pro 3.
Sony's new earbuds are available from the Sony website for $330.
Article Link: Sony Launches $330 WF-1000XM6 Earbuds to Take on AirPods Pro 3
