New leak reveals specs and pricing for Sony's redesigned XM6 flagship earbuds

Sony’s WF-1000XM6 premium earbuds are launching this week. We’ve seen what the earbuds look like, so there’s a fair idea of what to expect. If you can’t wait for the launch to learn more about these upcoming earbuds, a new leak sheds light on the specifications and expected pricing for the WF-1000XM6.

A report from Dealabs suggests that the WF-1000XM6 will bring several upgrades over the nearly two-and-a-half-year-old WF-1000XM5. The new XM6 earbuds are said to feature a QN3e processor that is three times faster. The earbuds are also said to come with two additional adaptive microphones (for a total of eight; four per earbud) for more stable, effective noise reduction. Additionally, Sony is said to be upgrading the speaker, DAC, and amplifier, too.

Other new features expected on the XM6 include better airflow management, 360 Reality Audio with head-tracking, a more intelligent Ambient Mode with three automatic profiles, more comprehensive integration with LE Audio and Auracast, five more equalizer bands (for a total of 10), and a fitting guide integrated into the Sony Sound Connect app.

Even with all these improvements and a new design, the battery life is said to be the same as last generation, with up to eight hours with ANC on the earbuds and another 16 hours from the charging case. The case is said to support “fast charging” and wireless charging.

Pricing for the Sony WF-1000XM6 is expected to be $329.99 in the US and €299.99 in Europe. The earbuds are expected to be available in Black and Silver, though another leaker mentioned a Sandpink color as well. For context, the WF-1000XM5 launched in July 2023 at $299.99.

We’ll have to wait two more days for Sony to officially take the wraps off the WF-1000XM6, but so far, these look like a decent upgrade, even for existing XM5 users. Sony is doing the smarter move by not releasing new models every year, given the slower pace of innovation and diminishing marginal returns in the earbuds market. However, there’s plenty of room to improve in marketing, especially with the name of these earphones.