I’ve been testing the Sony WF-1000X6 for a few weeks now, but from the moment I first unboxed them and saw what lay in store, I had a feeling this article could be the end result.
You see, I’ve been here before. Following the launch of Sony’s previous flagship wireless earbuds, the WF-1000XM5, I wrote an article explaining how there was one thing I’d change, and it wasn’t the noise-cancelling.
As much as I had time for their sound quality and ANC, I wasn’t finding the buds quite as comfy as some of their close rivals from around that time.
Now, when I heard that Sony had tweaked the design of the new WF-1000XM6 during their launch event earlier in February, I was excited to see if this might improve overall comfort levels. But my excitement was tempered when I saw that Sony was insisting on persisting with the same eartips as before.
If you haven’t been following Sony eartip developments over the past few years (and I’m sad to say I have), then please indulge me in a bit of scene setting.
Sony introduced this particular tip back with the WF-1000XM4 back in 2021. Explaining it in our WF-1000XM4 review, we said, “Made from polyurethane, which feels like a cross between silicone and foam, Sony claims they help secure a tighter, more stable fit. The thousands of tiny bubbles in the tips are also supposed to help reduce and dissipate noise.”
Back then, you had only three sizes of tip to choose from to help you get a seal (small, medium or large). For WF-1000XM5, Sony introduced an extra-small tip, presumably for people with small ear holes who found the other sizes uncomfortable.
For XM6, though, nothing has changed. An extra-large eartip might help, but I’m not sure it’s the actual size that is the issue for me, more that choice of material.
You see, it’s neither proper memory foam, nor silicone. The hybrid that Sony has settled on just doesn’t feel pliable enough. I don’t think it’s related to the shape of the earbuds either – they seem to fit well in the curve of my inner ear – it’s more that I can feel the tips pushing against my ear, and that you sometimes have to move the tips around a bit more to get the seal right.
I don’t have to look far in the What Hi-Fi? stockroom to find pairs of wireless earbuds that immediately feel more consistently comfortable.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 3, have new “foam-infused eartips” with “a new layer of foam-infused microspheres” which feel slightly thicker and a bit more substantial. I’ve tried them and like them.
I also get on swimmingly with Bose’s slightly shallower, less domed silicone eartips, which don’t burrow as far as some rivals but still give you the feeling that they’re sealing the parts of your ear that they need to.
Also, the tips for the Award-winning Technics EAH-AZ100 are relatively bulbous, but the dome of each tip is relatively thin, which doesn’t seem to rub my ear up the wrong way either.
Having canvassed the opinion of other members of our review team, it appears I’m not the only one who is slightly unsure about this issue. And the law of averages suggests that there will be plenty of others out there who feel the same way.
Don’t get me wrong, when you do get the fit right with the Sonys, the results are great; and you do have to remember in all of this that no pair of ears is the same – fit is always about personal preference.
I just spend a bit too much time adjusting and readjusting the fit before every listening session and wondering, “is that right?”. It’s not a terrible fit; it’s just that I can get rival earbuds settled in my ears quicker.
It’s not enough to put me off buying a pair or to stop me recommending them. I do, however, think that, for its next flagship buds, Sony might want to revisit the material it uses.
Ironically, I haven’t had any of these issues with Sony’s cheaper wireless earbuds, none of which uses this kind of tip. Perhaps that could be a starting point?
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