My Sony WF-1000XM6, the earphones of the year for 2026, are so amazing. Every day I spend with them, and even the days I spend using others, keeps proving how special they are. The Sennheiser MTW5s have killer sound, but they do not have the complete package that the XM6s have. The ability to read text messages, activate Gemini vocally, play DSEE LDAC codecs, and have amazing touch controls and battery life—long before you even consider the superior ANC and amazing transparency mode—is just showing off. Being compatible with both iOS and Android in the same way is just genius. Having the ability to auto-switch for multipoint is also something they included, just before the touch-to-aware, head-shake-to-answer, and environment recognition features, which are just destroying the competition, especially combined with their amazing sound.
But the true star of the show for me was the $6 silicone ear tips from Amazon. This changed everything. Finally getting an ear tip that didn’t require gymnastics to get them in my ears was outstanding. Having an ear tip that made them feel one with my ear instead of something being shoved inside them is a next-generation difference. This changed the XM5 from something I only wanted to wear sitting on my La-Z-Boy to something I wanted to wear anywhere.
It is just the most complete package in my opinion. You can align every single earphone up next to it, and nothing does better than the XM6 at what it provides, especially for both smartphone operating systems. You could say the Apple ecosystem has similar things, but it is only for iOS users. Sony makes it universal, which is why this is impressive, all while giving you battery protection modes to ensure they last for years to come.
