Sony officially unveils the WF-1000XM6 flagship earbuds — here are the 5 big upgrade areas you need to know

• Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds launch today (Feb 12th) for $329 / £249
• They promise improved noise cancellation and audio quality
• The new design is 11% thinner, with a bigger antenna for a better connection

Sony has revealed its new WF-1000XM6 earbuds – its latest high-end noise-cancelling true wireless offering. The Sony WF-1000MX6 cost $329 / £249 (about AU$475), and are available immediately from major retailers.

TechRadar has already spent several weeks testing the new earbuds, and you can read our in-depth Sony WF-1000XM6 review if you want to get straight to our verdict, or you can watch our video review just below.

Or, if you want the headlines on the key areas Sony has changed in the new model, to help them compete with the best earbuds on the planet, read on below!

1. Improved noise cancellation

Sony says that the new earbuds will deliver a 25% improvement in noise reduction compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, with particular improvements in mid and high sounds. There are now eight mics on the earbuds to detect sounds, combined with a new processor called the HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3e – a variant of the chip in the impressive Sony WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones.

There's improved real-time optimization of the active noise cancellation, and Sony says that its new ear tips should also create a better seal to boost noise blocking, too.

2. Better audio quality

Sony has developed an interesting new speaker driver for these earbuds, with a dual-material design. The outer edge is softer, intended to help deliver deep and controlled bass, while the center is rigid for crisp mids and highs. Like the WH-1000XM6, Sony also has a new approach to tuning in conjunction with studio sound engineers for a more neutral audio profile.

Sony also notes that its audio processing has been upgraded from 24-bit to 32-bit, though any Hi-Res Audio support is still limited to LDAC.

3. Upgraded call quality

Sony says that the new earbuds use two mics on each bud for AI-boosted beamforming to pick up your voice more clearly, plus a bone conduction sensor to add extra clarity, with the goal of making speech clearer on calls.

There's also an AI-powered background noise reduction system, again similar to what you get on the Sony WH-1000XM6 over-ears.

4. A new design

Sony has made the point that the new earbuds are 11% "slimmer" than the previous model, though the new shape also makes them larger in other ways – but Sony says the overall effect is that they should be more ergonomic.

One advantage of the new design is that the antenna is now significantly larger, which Sony says will improve connection stability and reliability.

That's certainly true when taking them out of the case – Sony has added a little ridge so they're easy to grip when removing them from the case. The case is larger than the XM5 earbuds' case, but it is tall and slim – still very portable.

5. More features and a different app

What Sony launch would be complete without new smart features? The XM6 earbuds have a few tricks up their sleeve – some practical, some more interesting.

You'll need to use the Sony Sound Connect app instead of the old Sony Headphones app, and in here you'll find a new 10-band EQ to customize the sound if you want, as well as a good 'Find My EQ' feature that lets you change the sound to your preference without having to know what you're doing.

There's also a Background Music Effect feature, which makes music sound more ambient (like it's coming from the speakers in a café, say), which can be great for when you're working.

Sony is also supporting Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec here, and offers the ability to set the earbuds to prioritize audio quality over Bluetooth connection stability, or vice versa.

A lot stays the same

The battery life from the buds is still a quoted 8 hours (24 hours from the case), they have Sony's DSEE Extreme audio upscaling to improve low-quality streams, they have Sony features, including a customizable Ambient Mode, Quick Access, and so on.

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