Is the Sony WF-1000XM6 worth the upgrade from the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 3?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Edifier NeoBuds Pro 3 to the Sony WF-1000XM6 buys you 15.6 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in noise cancelling (7.0 to 9.0), sound (7.5 to 9.0) and battery (6.5 to 8.0). You do give up ground on value (7.5 to 7.0). On paper: battery life 9 h to 12 h and battery life (anc on) 6 h to 8 h. Worth checking: bluetooth goes 5.4 to 5.3 and full charge time goes 60 min to 90 min. One caution: this steps down a line tier (NeoBuds Pro 3 to WF-1000XM6), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. That costs $136 more, or about $9 per point of score - reasonable value for the jump. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.59.0
- Noise cancelling7.09.0
- Battery6.58.0
- Calls6.58.0
- Value7.57.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | NeoBuds Pro 3 | WF-1000XM6 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 9 h | 12 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, LHDC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC | |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 | |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX4 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 6 h | 8 h | |
| Full charge time | 60 min | 90 min | |
| Driver size | 10 mm | 8.4 mm | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Quick charge | 15 min → 3 h | 3 min → 1 h | |
| Driver | 2-driver hybrid | 8.4 mm dynamic |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "NeoBuds Pro 3 to WF-1000XM6". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.