Sony WF-1000XM6 SPECS Reveal... 😮

08 Februsry 2026 - Singapore

So we now have the specs of the upcoming Sony WF-1000XM6 leaked by DeaLabs, with a few surprising details!

As we saw from the leaks of the product images, instead of just one microphone grill, we now have 2 on each earbud. Now it’s been confirmed that the WF-1000XM6 earbuds will have 8 microphones in total instead of 6. That’s a whopping 4 in each earbud. Would it have a big impact on noise canceling, mic pickup or transparency? That’s something I will confirm when I get my hands on them to review.

Of course the microphones are not the upgrades from the WF-1000XM5. On the hardware side, the WF-1000XM6 earbuds will also have the new QN3e processor said to be 3 times faster, so perhaps when cancelng noise, it’ll be more responsive to sudden loud noises. It will also have a new audio system, but we don’t know much about it yet. All we know is that the speaker is new, as well as an improved DAC and Amplifier. So will it sound better than the last version? We’ll see.

On the software side, it will also have 3 ambient modes this time, most probably a voice passthrough and wind noise reduction mode aside from standard transparency. Previously the XM5 only had voice passthrough. The WF-1000XM6 now also has the same 10-band EQ as the WH-1000XM6 headphones. I'm going to have so much fun with that.

Background Music Effect is something I’m looking forward to, because I do like its “cafe” setting which makes my audio sound like it’s coming from overhead speakers. Great for background music because it makes my regular music sound less distracting when I’m working. On the WH-1000XM6 headphones, Background Music Effect also contains a spatial audio setting called ‘Cinema’ mode which converts stereo sound into spatial audio, but that’s not something I use often.

As for 360 Reality Audio with head tracking, it does sound interesting too, but on the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, does it only work with 360RA content? Or will it work with regular content on YouTube also? Right now, we don’t know for sure yet.

And I’m also noticing a Quick Attention mode. It’s something the full sized 1000X headphones have, so most likely, it will work the same way. You just tap and hold on the Right earbud, and both buds go into transparency until you let go. As for controls, it now has a voice control, which is something we saw on the LinkBuds Fit. Using voice commands to operate the earbuds playback, volume and so on. No idea what ‘Smart Gestures mean, we’ll have to see.

Auracast is also listed as one of the new features. It allows you to connect an unlimited number of headphones, earbuds and speakers to a single Auracast source, but it only works with LE Audio mode. My question is, will the WF-1000XM6 be able to receive Auracast streams without rebooting into a different codec like the Sennheiser MTW4, or do we have to switch from the usual AAC or LDAC codec to LE Audio first? Again, big question mark there.

As for what hasn’t changed, I see no changes to IP rating or battery life, it’s still rated at up to 8 hours in the buds and 24 hours with case, just like the WF-1000XM5. And just like the XM5, it’s still IPX4 water resistant. It still LDAC codec, and unlike what we predicted, it still uses the same DSEE Extreme audio upscaling as the WF-1000XM5, not DSEE Ultimate.

Overall, it seems like a significant update. Given that it’s been almost 3 years since the WF-1000XM5 came out, I can’t wait to see what the WF-1000XM6 brings to the table. If you don’t want to miss my review of the WF-1000XM6 earbuds, get subscribed and tap the bell button to stay notified. Also, watch these videos for previous news and predictions about the XM6.