Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Sony WF-1000XM6

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WF-1000XM5 compared with WF-1000XM6

	SonyWF-1000XM5	SonyWF-1000XM6
Overview
Released
Released	July 2023	February 2026
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	8.4 mm	8.4 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Chip
Chip	QN2e	QN3e
Drivers
Drivers	8.4 mm Dynamic Driver X	Newly developed 8.4 mm driver unit; the diaphragm pairs a lightweight, rigid dome with a soft, notched edge
Chip
Chip	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN2e and Integrated Processor V2	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3e and Integrated Processor V2 (32-bit processing)
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Three noise-cancelling microphones per earbud (dual feedback and feedforward, six in total); Noise Isolation Earbud Tips for passive isolation; Ambient Sound Mode with adjustable level; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat	Four noise-cancelling microphones per earbud (three on the WF-1000XM5); Adaptive NC Optimizer adjusts to fit, ear shape and surroundings; Sony claims 25% more noise reduction than the WF-1000XM5; Ambient Sound Mode, Quick Attention Mode, Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control
Audio features
Audio features	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio, with head tracking on supported Android 13 phones; LE Audio (LC3)	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio; spatial sound with head tracking on Android devices that support it; 10-band EQ; BGM effect; LE Audio (LC3) low-latency mode
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 8 hours	Up to 8 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 12 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC), 36 hours with the case; with LDAC, 5 hours with noise cancelling on or 8 hours off; with LC3, 7 hours on or 11 hours off; talk time up to 6 hours (7 hours with noise cancelling off)	Up to 12 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC); with LDAC, 5 hours with noise cancelling on or 8 hours off; with LC3, 7 hours on or 11 hours off; 24 hours in total with noise cancelling on (8 from the earbuds, 16 from the case); talk time up to 5 hours (5.5 hours with noise cancelling off)
Charging case
Charging case	USB-C and Qi wireless charging; Xperia phones with battery sharing can charge it; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone	USB-C and Qi wireless charging; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone
Fast charging
Fast charging	3 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback	5 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	5.9 g (better)	6.5 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Touch sensor on each earbud, reassignable in the app (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks and holds for the voice assistant; tap four or more times for volume); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out and switch the earbuds off after about 15 minutes	Touch sensor on each earbud, reassignable in the app (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode, opens Quick Access, lowers the volume and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks, raises the volume and holds for the voice assistant); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out
Microphones
Microphones	Three microphones per earbud for noise cancelling; bone-conduction sensor and AI-based noise reduction for calls; wind noise reduction structure	Four microphones per earbud for noise cancelling; two microphones and a bone-conduction sensor per earbud for calls, with AI beamforming and AI noise reduction
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Noise Isolation Earbud Tips (polyurethane foam) in four sizes (SS, S, M, L); Sony says the earbuds are about 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the WF-1000XM4; either earbud can be used on its own	Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in four sizes (XS, S, M, L); earbud body about 11% slimmer than the WF-1000XM5; a ventilation structure reduces the sound of footsteps and chewing
Case weight
Case weight	About 39 g	About 47 g
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant	IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Works with	Sony | Sound Connect app (formerly Headphones Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; Google Fast Pair; Microsoft Swift Pair	Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; hands-free Gemini with compatible Android phones
Colours
Colours	Black, Platinum Silver, Smoky Pink	Black, Platinum Silver
In the box
In the box	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, about 20 cm), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in SS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in XS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents