Sony WF-1000XM6 Review: Class-Leading Noise Cancelling at a Premium Price

The Sony WF-1000XM6 arrived in February 2026 as the latest flagship in one of the most closely watched wireless earbud lines. At $329.99 in the US, £250 in the UK, and AU$500 in Australia, these earbuds are aimed at people who want the best noise cancelling and call quality they can get in a pocketable package and are willing to pay for it.

The early consensus is strong. Both SoundGuys and What Hi-Fi? single out the noise cancelling and microphone performance as excellent. SoundGuys goes further and calls these Sony's best wireless earbuds to date, pointing to improvements in ANC, sound quality, microphone performance, and fit. That makes the XM6 an easy recommendation for frequent commuters, travellers, and anyone who takes many calls on the go. If you already own the WF-1000XM5, though, the case for upgrading is less clear-cut, as explained below.

This is an iterative upgrade rather than a reinvention. Where it improves, it improves in the areas that matter most for premium earbuds: noise cancelling, call clarity, sound, and fit. Those are meaningful gains, and they are why the XM6 earns a high score here.

The weaknesses are real, though:

• Little change in the fundamentals: SoundGuys reports that battery life and codec support are unchanged from the previous generation. A new flagship ideally moves these forward too.
• A higher US price: The XM5 launched at $299, and the XM6 now costs about $330. In the US and Australia, Sony is also more expensive than the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), which sell for $299 and AU$450. UK buyers fare better, because the XM6 is cheaper than both its predecessor's launch price (£259) and the Bose (£299).
• Practical niggles: What Hi-Fi? criticises the limited eartip options and the bulky case. SoundGuys also notes that the sound changes when ANC is switched off, which matters if you often listen with noise cancelling disabled.

On balance, the XM6 is an excellent pair of noise-cancelling earbuds whose core strengths outweigh the drawbacks. The rating reflects top-tier ANC and call quality, tempered by modest generational progress and pricing that is hard to justify against key rivals in some regions. Our assessment draws on two published reviews and a limited spec sheet, so it does not account for things like long-term comfort or real-world battery figures.