True Wireless
Sony WF-1000XM5
88Outstanding
$250
Full review dataSony WF-1000XM5 vs t+a WF-1000XM6: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Sony WF-1000XM5 vs t+a WF-1000XM6, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
True Wireless
t+a WF-1000XM6
Not yet scored
Price n/a
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Sony WF-1000XM5 leads on 7 of 7 measures.
- Sony WF-1000XM5
- t+a WF-1000XM6
HearWiki score
88
-
Sound
9.0
-
Noise cancelling
9.0
-
Battery
8.0
-
Calls
8.0
-
Value
7.0
-
Price (USD)
$250
-
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Same generation
The t+a WF-1000XM6 is 3 years newer, but it is the same generation of hardware: nothing in the radio, the codecs or the noise cancelling separates them. Nothing separates them on convenience features either, so the choice comes down to tuning and price. For 3 years between them, that is a thin return - treat this as a restyle rather than a new platform.
- WF-1000XM52023
- WF-1000XM620263 yr newer
Level on: Top codec, LE Audio (LC3), Multipoint pairing, Wireless charging, USB-C, Transparency mode, Water resistance.
Specifications
WF-1000XM5WF-1000XM6
- Type
- True Wireless
- True Wireless
- Price (USD)
- $250
- -
- HearWiki score
- 88
- Not scored
- Released
- 2023
- 2026
- Driver
- 8.4 mm dynamic
- 8.4 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 8.4 mm
- 8.4 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- -
- Frequency response
- 20 Hz - 40 kHz
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Impedance
- 32 Ω
- -
- Sensitivity
- 102 dB/mW
- -
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.3
- Codecs
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC
- SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- Yes
- Yes
- Wireless range
- -
- 10 m
- Battery life
- 24 h
- 12 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- 8 h
- 8 h
- Battery incl. case
- -
- 24 h
- Full charge time
- 90 min
- 90 min
- Quick charge
- 5 min → 1 h
- -
- Wireless charging
- Yes
- Yes
- Active noise cancelling
- Yes
- Yes
- ANC type
- hybrid
- -
- Transparency mode
- Yes
- Yes
- Companion app
- Yes
- -
- Custom EQ
- Yes
- -
- Wear detection
- Yes
- -
- Controls
- touch
- touch
- Voice assistant
- Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri
- -
- Weight
- 5.9 g
- 6.5 g
- Case weight
- 39 g
- 47 g
- Water resistance
- IPX4
- IPX4
- USB-C
- Yes
- Yes
- Microphones
- 6
- -
- Call noise reduction
- -
- Yes
What reviewers said
Sony WF-1000XM5
These are high-end true wireless earbuds that focus on adaptive noise cancellation and detailed audio, supporting LDAC for high-resolution streaming. They offer a solid battery life of up to 12 hours without ANC, plus a comfortable fit and IPX4 sweat resistance for daily use. The touch controls and companion app add convenience, though the price reflects their premium status.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Long battery life (12 hours without ANC)
- Pro:Supports LDAC and AAC codecs
- Con:Premium price point
- Con:No higher water resistance rating than IPX4
- Con:Touch controls may take time to master
t+a WF-1000XM6
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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