Nothing Ear (2) vs Sony WF-1000XM6

Nothing Ear (2)

Nothing

7.5

Solid

Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony

8.4

Best-in-class ANC, stagnant battery

Nothing Ear (2)

What Reviewers Agree On

Transparent design is distinctive and stylish
Good sound quality with customizable EQ
ANC is significantly improved over Ear (1)

Sony WF-1000XM6

What Reviewers Agree On

Class-leading active noise cancellation — Sony's QN3e processor and added mics give ~88% measured loudness reduction, modestly ahead of the XM5 and only just behind the AirPods Pro 3
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme and one of the deepest EQ apps in the category

Pros & Cons

Nothing Ear (2)

Pros

Transparent design is distinctive and stylish
Good sound quality with customizable EQ
ANC is significantly improved over Ear (1)

Sony WF-1000XM6

Pros

Class-leading active noise cancellation — Sony's QN3e processor and added mics give ~88% measured loudness reduction, modestly ahead of the XM5 and only just behind the AirPods Pro 3

Detailed Comparison

Sound Quality

Nothing Ear (2)

Balanced, detailed sound with good bass.

Custom 11.6mm driver delivers clear, balanced audio with punchy bass
LDAC and LHDC hi-res codecs supported — uncommon at this price

Sony WF-1000XM6

All-new drivers plus Sony's LDAC/DSEE Extreme and a deep EQ app draw strong praise, though a vocal minority argues the tuning still trails the best-sounding rivals in the price class.

All-new drivers (a soft-edge diaphragm for deep bass, a lightweight dome for crisp highs) deliver excellent, wide-range sound.
The driver grew from 6mm to 8.4mm; sound is good though not immediately 'blown away' impressive out of the box.

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Much-improved comfort: the body is ~11% smaller and reshaped, with an in-app fit test, so it can be worn for hours

Significantly better call/microphone quality than previous Sony earbuds

A smaller, sleeker charging case with Qi wireless charging and ~3-5 min quick-charge for ~60 min playback

Stable multipoint Bluetooth to any two devices regardless of ecosystem

Deal Breakers

Battery life is unchanged for three generations — still 8h ANC-on / 24h with case, with real-world figures often 6-7h
Price rose to $329/$330, a $30 hike over the XM5 for incremental gains
Top ANC and sound depend heavily on getting a good ear-tip seal — a poor fit noticeably degrades both
Sony's track record of battery degradation and update-bricked older models (XM4) is a real trust concern for long-term buyers

Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme and one of the deepest EQ apps in the category

Much-improved comfort: the body is ~11% smaller and reshaped, with an in-app fit test, so it can be worn for hours

Significantly better call/microphone quality than previous Sony earbuds

A smaller, sleeker charging case with Qi wireless charging and ~3-5 min quick-charge for ~60 min playback

Stable multipoint Bluetooth to any two devices regardless of ecosystem

Cons

Battery life is unchanged for three generations — still 8h ANC-on / 24h with case, with real-world figures often 6-7h
Price rose to $329/$330, a $30 hike over the XM5 for incremental gains
Top ANC and sound depend heavily on getting a good ear-tip seal — a poor fit noticeably degrades both
Sony's track record of battery degradation and update-bricked older models (XM4) is a real trust concern for long-term buyers

Sony retains one of the best EQ/customisation suites in the category, letting you dial in a personal sound profile.

Among the best Bluetooth earbuds this reviewer has heard, on par with the latest AirPods Pro for sound and ANC.

Dissent: despite the consensus, these are not the best-sounding ANC earbuds in their price category — historically Sony's XM line has been among the weaker-sounding flagship ANC sets.

iPhone users are limited to AAC — Sony's LDAC hi-res codec only works on Android, capping the sound ceiling on iOS.

Owner view: the WF-1000XM5 already sounded excellent, so the sonic gains are subtle generation-to-generation.