Sony WF-1000XM6 vs Sony WF-C700N
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| SonyWF-1000XM6 | SonyWF-C700N | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | February 2026 | April 2023 |
| Sound | ||
| Type | In-ear | In-ear |
| Noise cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency mode | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial audio with head tracking | Yes | – |
| Driver size | 8.4 mm | 5 mm |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 | SBC and AAC |
| Chip | QN3e | – |
| Drivers | Newly developed 8.4 mm driver unit; the diaphragm pairs a lightweight, rigid dome with a soft, notched edge | Closed 5 mm drivers; the maker does not identify the magnet material |
| Chip | HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3e and Integrated Processor V2 (32-bit processing) | – |
| Noise cancelling detail | 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 | Active noise cancelling, adjustable Ambient Sound Mode and Focus on Voice; Adaptive Sound Control changes ambient settings according to activity and familiar locations |
| Audio features | 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 | DSEE processing, app equaliser and personalised 360 Reality Audio with compatible services; Bluetooth transmission range 20 Hz–20 kHz at 44.1 kHz sampling, not a measured acoustic frequency response |
| Battery | ||
| Listening time (maker's claim) | Up to 8 hours | Up to 7.5 hours |
| With the case | Up to 24 hours | Up to 15 hours |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No |
| Battery life detail | 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) | Maker claims up to 7.5 hours with ANC and 15 hours including the case, or ten and 20 hours with ANC off. The manual specifies AAC at 7.5 hours with ANC or ambient mode and ten hours with both off; SBC is seven and nine hours respectively. Equaliser and DSEE shorten runtime. Talk time up to five hours. SoundGuys measured seven hours 13 minutes with ANC. |
| Charging case | USB-C and Qi wireless charging; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone | USB-C charging; maker manual gives approximately 1.5 hours for the earbuds and three hours for the case. SoundGuys confirms that wireless charging is absent. |
| Fast charging | 5 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback | Ten minutes charging provides approximately one hour playback |
| Design | ||
| Weight (each earbud) | 6.5 g | 4.6 g (better) |
| Water and sweat resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Two devices at once | Yes | Yes |
| Controls | 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 | Physical buttons for playback, tracks, calls, voice assistant and noise modes. Updated firmware adds volume adjustment by pressing the right button four times or more to increase volume, or the left to decrease it. TechRadar's launch review predates this addition. |
| Microphones | 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 | 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 | About 47 g | Approximately 31 g; 4.6 g per earbud includes medium tips |
| Water resistance detail | IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant | IPX4 applies to the earbuds excluding the sound outlets; the charging case is not water resistant |
| Works with | Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; hands-free Gemini with compatible Android phones | Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP. Two-device multipoint requires updated firmware; the launch announcement scheduled it for summer 2023 and the current maker manual documents it. The European maker announcement gives April 2023 availability without a first-sale day; Sony’s US release gives 5 April and Japan’s gives 21 April. TechRadar’s 1 April claim is not substituted for maker retail dates. |
| Colours | Black, Platinum Silver | Black, White, Lavender and Sage Green |
| In the box | Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in XS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents | – |
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