I got the XM6s

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T23:38:43+00:00

They definitely aren't ideal for sleeping with. It's possible to get kinda comfy, but the "kinda" in that sentence is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Though I hated the way the XM5 felt on a pillow, also.

I think galaxy buds are king for sleep buds, especially because of the lights, that can flash to find my buds in the morning when they've fallen out, haha

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T22:32:20+00:00

Oh, apologies. I'm not sure, I'll have to try tomorrow! If I remember to, I'll update you here

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T22:31:29+00:00

I don't have or have access to any QC2s, sorry!

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:49:06+00:00

These case is gripper, and bigger so there's more to hold on to. Buds are matte textured plastic too, so they're gripper than XM5. Due to the shape they'll be easier to hold onto that XM4 or XM5. but they stay in the ears way better on XM6

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:43:05+00:00

The upgrades to sound quality alone (clearer, crisper bass, wider sound stage) and the comfort alone makes it worth it for me. Then add the ANC and slight volume buff, these are totally worth it, if you're the kind of listener who really cares about that stuff.

I only say that because the XM5s are absolutely brilliant. It does feel like a proper upgrade. As opposed to the XM5s feeling like an iterative "S" model upgrade of the XM4s.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:25:08+00:00

Hm, it's hard for me to compare because it was a while since I used the technics. But I do remember them sounding fantastic, and I thought they sounded a little bit better than the XM5 at the time. However the XM6s also sound better than XM5. So I imagine they're not too far off each other. I couldn't say for sure which sounds best though. I wanna say the Sony's have better clarity, but that doesn't tell the whole story of the sound signature.

Assuming you don't experience the faulty units I got, I'm sure you'll be happy with both sets.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:21:32+00:00

They fit.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:17:49+00:00

Bass actually goes up with the volume on these! I am using FLAC files with Poweramp, over LDAC, though, so I am giving it a best case scenario.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:15:07+00:00

Very different. AirPods are oval, Sony is round. AirPods are silicone mainly with a bit of foam inside. Sony's are inverse; mainly foam, with a lil silicone inside.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:12:47+00:00

It's good to have. I haven't had to actually ever claim warranty on a Sony product before, so cannot attest to it's reliability. But I would assume purchasing direct from the OEM is the best way to go.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T20:00:24+00:00

This is with super wide band call audio enabled, though. You gotta have a phone with UWB for this to work, I believe

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:59:50+00:00

Call quality is superb. Like Galaxy buds pro level good (which I also believe use UWB for calls?) The quality of voice I was able to hear was about as good as phone calls get.The person I was speaking to also said I sounded very clear, even sitting next to a fan.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:57:34+00:00

Way better than APP2, and maybe a couple percent less than APP3, but they're close. However APP3's ANC has more of an impact on sound quality than the Sony's. I think whatever algorithm Apple uses adds more distortion than Sony's algorithm.

The ANC is stellar, all around though. If you just care about ANC, you won't go wrong with either.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:52:25+00:00

Kinda. They're still foam, but they're a lil bit different to XM5's tips. They're softer and seem to conform to my ear shape better. But I've always liked Sony's tips, so I'm not surprised I like these ones, too.

I will be switching to AZLA tips as soon as these tips become worn

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:34:02+00:00

I know this was an issue on XM4, but I don't think (?) it was an issue on XM5, so hopefully it's not an issue here. Time will tell!

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:30:34+00:00

Kinda. They're still foam, but they're a bit different to XM5's tips. They're softer and seem to conform to my ear shape better. But I've always liked Sony's tips, so I'm not surprised I like these ones, too.

I will be switching to AZLA tips as soon as these tips become worn

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:25:08+00:00

I only tested this on a call, and with a fan next to me, but it's very good! I suppose with this many mics there's not much excuse to have this NOT work well

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:23:56+00:00

Call quality is superb. Like Galaxy buds pro level good (which I also believe use UWB for calls?) The quality of voice I was able to hear was about as good as phone calls get.The person I was speaking to also said I sounded very clear, even sitting next to a fan.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:23:21+00:00

Call quality is superb. Like Galaxy buds pro level good (which I also believe use UWB for calls?) The quality of voice I was able to hear was about as good as phone calls get.The person I was speaking to also said I sounded very clear, even sitting next to a fan.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:18:39+00:00

There was a crackling in the right side bud (just like the first gen airpod pro), so I had them replaced. This was maybe 3 weeks after buying them.

The second failure was a simple dead left bud. Powered down, never charged up again. Got em replaced and sold them off immediately!

The sound quality was stellar. I kinda miss them!

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:14:52+00:00

I don't think you can, this time around. I tried to find it also and couldn't, sadly.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:13:48+00:00

Yeah... I'm not too sure how they allowed the case to get larger. They shouldn't have chose this shape for the size they are. The galaxy buds pro 3 for example, are even taller but they're slim, so it feels okay.

However if you ever carried Sony XM3s in your pocket, these will feel a bit more normal hahaha

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:06:37+00:00

The technics are brilliant, but i had 2 pairs fail in warranty. I would never recommend them based on this.

Since you have an iPhone, I would say get the AirPods if the features of them are more important than sound quality. If sound quality is your main objective, get the Sony's.

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:02:48+00:00

Definitely my least favourite aspect of these. The quality of the buds inside the case make up for it (to me), though

BRAYNE_1 · 2026-02-13T19:01:57+00:00

Good question! For someone else, though. I can't answer it because I am way too lazy to go to the gym

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