This is the Sony WF-1000XM6… My Thoughts!
02 February 2026 - Singapore
With the launch of the Sony WF-1000XM6 on the horizon, a Reddit user found images of the WF-1000XM6 that might prove to be authentic. As we can see in the images below, it is is markedly different from its predecessor, the WF-1000XM5.
This time, the case has a flatter base and top, looking rectangular when viewed from the front. The WF-1000XM6 earbuds now look more oblong compared to the round-ish shape of the WF-1000XM5, and they now have 2 visible microphone grills instead of just one. This could be a hint at the WF-1000XM6’s improved voice pickup quality, noise canceling and ambient mode performance versus the WF-1000XM5. (That will only be confirmed once I get my hands on them for testing.)
Gone also is the gold accent of the microphone ports, something Sony has kept since the days of the WF-1000XM3. Instead, the microphone ports now mirror the respective colorways, Black or Silver.
However, it appears from the graphics that Sony is retaining a similar type of eartips used in the WF-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM4. These silicone-foam hybrid eartips should plug into the ears in a similar fashion, requiring a bit of patience and elbow grease to get a snug fit. It remains to be seen whether the new oblong earbuds will fit snugly into the ears since the fit can vary from person to person, but it’s encouraging to see that Sony is now opting for a matte finish, instead of the slippery piano-gloss surface of the WF-1000XM5. This should allow the earbuds to grip better, even if our ears get damp or sweaty.
As for whether the XM6 is going to be bigger, less portable than the XM5, it could actually be smaller overall because if we superimpose the WF-1000XM5 over the WF-1000XM6 (see below) using the eartips as a guide, we can see that the XM5 earbuds are actually broader, while the housing of the XM6 earbuds are only a little longer. If we do the same thing for the XM6’s case, the case seems to be a little narrower, but a bit thicker than the XM5’s case, going by the depth of the lid.
About when the WF-1000XM6 could be launched and what features it could have, recent filings with the FCC states the short-term confidentiality date as the 31st March 2026. This means the FCC will not make details of the product public before 31st March, so we can assume that the product will be launched on that date or sooner.
The WF-1000XM6 might also support DSEE Ultimate because recent versions of the Sony Sound Connect app carried mentions of DSEE Ultimate, along with the function of updating earbuds powered by MT2855 which is a new MediaTek SoC that’s expected to power the WF-1000XM6.
DSEE Ultimate isn’t exactly new, it’s been in devices like Sony Xperia phones and DAPs. But it will be an improvement over the DSEE Extreme used in current Sony earbuds because the Extreme version only upscales sample rate frequency, but DSEE Ultimate will upscale both the sample rate frequency and the bit depth of compressed audio.
What this means is you’ll not only hear more air and transient detail, you can feel the ‘shape’ of the sound better with improvements to dynamics. Needless to say I’m super excited. When the WF-1000XM6 finally launches, I’m going to listen to all my music again, and come back to you with my review. Subscribe to the main channel to get all the updates.
