Yes, people, it’s time to annoint a winner of the 2026 Bluetooth of the year award. Now, look I get it. I know some of you are still waiting on the Sennheiser release and believe it to be better. But it won’t be. The Sennheiser, even if you love the sound won’t have the full complete package. It won’t have LDAC, it won’t have the read my text messages, it won’t connect to Google voice. It wont have options for voice controls. It won’t have DSEE, it won’t have push to awareness , or environment adjustment on the fly.
This is why I’m calling it before the launch. Sennheiser has never been able to match Sony in features and overall ability. And with Sony’s work put in for the new tuning, it’s even harder to beat them in sound. They truly went about things the right way, in all but one area: the tips.
But since I purchased these tips for the XM6s (they are for the XM5, XM4), I’ve never had a better-fitting Sony earphone in my life. These tips are a serious game changer. No more foam and pressure built into your ears. These silicone tips deliver the XM6 the way they should have shipped. But if you want, you can also call Sony yourself, and they might ship you a free pair of silicone tips without you buying them on Amazon.
This was literally the only area I would have held off on the award for. But since I corrected this, I don’t have a single thing to complain about that is in Sony’s power to handle. We all know the ANC is superior, the hear-through is very good, touch controls are spot-on perfect, and even the phone calls are decent. Lastly, the battery life is so good, and the battery protection software that basically kills the need for a replacement battery for years, well past the time frame I would keep them anyway. So the idea that the Sennheisers can be replaced means nothing to me because of Sony’s new protection software for the battery life that’s built into their software.
Lastly, let’s face it… I don’t believe there is a better match of earphones and headphones on the market today. The XM6 headphones are leaders, and now the earphones are leaders in their category. I have both, and the headphones already go with me every time I leave on business or vacations, and now, thanks to a $6.99 eartip addition, the earphones will too. So, to me, the combo of the headphones and earphones is my choice for the best overall package in their respective Bluetooth category. So, congratulations, Sony, “The Once and Future King”!
Tech-N-Things 