Well, not quite headphones, but dang! Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds surprised me.
treitz3
Posts: 20,185
in Headphones
So, gentlemen....I have a new job that requires travel to different states on occasion. I know that I can't stand being on airplanes, or dealing with today's general public, but as you all know? I absolutely LOVE music. The headphones I wear when I am out mowing the lawn are simply too cumbersome to bring with me on trips to block all that out, so I did some research and stumbled across this Sony product.
The reviews were pretty good, but I took all of them with a BIG grain of salt, after hearing the Bespoke T10 earbuds down at the Florida Audio show. Seeing as how those start at 3K? I was looking for a poor man's version (if you will) for something, anything that may be compatible for my needs in the time being. I have other priorities at the moment.
Well, I can tell you that I found it.
For a set of earbuds? These are pretty sweet. The noise cancelling pretty much cancels out all noise (you have to set it up correctly first). When that's done? Sweeeeeet. For BT technology to come this far is amazing to these ears. I can't wait to test it out while I am mowing the lawn. The headphones I have now cover the ear, but no noise cancellation. I can still clearly tell that I am on a mower. Sometimes, awe heck, many times, I will turn the mower off when I hear something special that I would want to hear on the big rig. 9 times out of 10, they end up spectacular on the big rig, but I would like to not stop what I am doing, just to hear that song.
Even as it is updating (I just got them tonight), I cannot hear jack from the outside world. That's just the noise cancelling aspect. When the music was playing earlier on (before the update)? It was so very nice. Surprisingly, it was as if no other sounds were there, but when the music was playing it sounded "full". Hard to describe but it was like you were in a world of music.
Nothing else mattered and the sound was surprisingly full. Not tinny or BS type sound. I was so impressed, I have already upgraded the earbud foam inserts to top gear quality with silicone covers with a lifetime warranty. I ordered those in different sizes, so my wife and son could use them and experience what it is what I am right now (based upon the size of their respective ear canal).
Now, I will say this. You HAVE to get the right size ear channel tip. They have to be tight, as well as vent to perform correctly. These are KEY to making or breaking these things. Once you get it right? the sound is nothing like you have ever expected out of an earbud. The world is gone and it's just you and the music. I cannot fathom how in the heck these things offer such solid bass/mid-bass.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like you will get chest pounding bass, but for earbuds? These are extremely impressive. Sound pressure? You got it. A feeling of pressure? You got it. Eerily impressive and definitely immersive and encompassing.
Are these compatible with the Bespoke T10's? Hell no. Nowhere even close. They have an estimated 1/100th the amount of features, but I will say this. At 1/10th the price? I could live with them at ease and with extreme pleasure until I get a pair of the Bespoke.
FWIW, I have been listing to these the entire time I have been writing this review. Two thumbs up for the much cheaper alternative, even after listening to the Bespoke T10's.
Tom
The reviews were pretty good, but I took all of them with a BIG grain of salt, after hearing the Bespoke T10 earbuds down at the Florida Audio show. Seeing as how those start at 3K? I was looking for a poor man's version (if you will) for something, anything that may be compatible for my needs in the time being. I have other priorities at the moment.
Well, I can tell you that I found it.
For a set of earbuds? These are pretty sweet. The noise cancelling pretty much cancels out all noise (you have to set it up correctly first). When that's done? Sweeeeeet. For BT technology to come this far is amazing to these ears. I can't wait to test it out while I am mowing the lawn. The headphones I have now cover the ear, but no noise cancellation. I can still clearly tell that I am on a mower. Sometimes, awe heck, many times, I will turn the mower off when I hear something special that I would want to hear on the big rig. 9 times out of 10, they end up spectacular on the big rig, but I would like to not stop what I am doing, just to hear that song.
Even as it is updating (I just got them tonight), I cannot hear jack from the outside world. That's just the noise cancelling aspect. When the music was playing earlier on (before the update)? It was so very nice. Surprisingly, it was as if no other sounds were there, but when the music was playing it sounded "full". Hard to describe but it was like you were in a world of music.
Nothing else mattered and the sound was surprisingly full. Not tinny or BS type sound. I was so impressed, I have already upgraded the earbud foam inserts to top gear quality with silicone covers with a lifetime warranty. I ordered those in different sizes, so my wife and son could use them and experience what it is what I am right now (based upon the size of their respective ear canal).
Now, I will say this. You HAVE to get the right size ear channel tip. They have to be tight, as well as vent to perform correctly. These are KEY to making or breaking these things. Once you get it right? the sound is nothing like you have ever expected out of an earbud. The world is gone and it's just you and the music. I cannot fathom how in the heck these things offer such solid bass/mid-bass.
Don't get me wrong, it's not like you will get chest pounding bass, but for earbuds? These are extremely impressive. Sound pressure? You got it. A feeling of pressure? You got it. Eerily impressive and definitely immersive and encompassing.
Are these compatible with the Bespoke T10's? Hell no. Nowhere even close. They have an estimated 1/100th the amount of features, but I will say this. At 1/10th the price? I could live with them at ease and with extreme pleasure until I get a pair of the Bespoke.
FWIW, I have been listing to these the entire time I have been writing this review. Two thumbs up for the much cheaper alternative, even after listening to the Bespoke T10's.
Tom
~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
Comments
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No pics? You gonna make us look it up?
But yeah, the in-ear BT buds have come a long way in a short time. I've been using Samsung Buds2 Pro for a few years now and they do a great job of noise cancelling and the sound pretty darn good. Samsung partnered with AKG to make them. I'm sure the ANC has only gotten better since the ones I have were released in 2022. Glad you like the Sonys.
I should probably upgrade the ear fitting pieces of mine to some kind of better sealing foam types. They sound great when they are inserted just right, but then they tend to slide out and lose seal over time, especially if I'm active.
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Eh, this isn't something that I thought was picture worthy, since the only part you see is the black bubble popping out of you ear. But yeah, I should have included a pic anyways.
Man, it is amazing how cameras pick up the tiniest specks of dust! After I saw the pick, I took a look and there is nothing visible to the naked eye. Oh well, it is what it is.
The case it comes in, which also acts a a battery pack to recharge them is about 1.5" high, an inch deep and close to 2.5" wide. It charges them pretty quickly, unless the earbuds are completely drained. If they are, you can place them back in the case for 5 minutes and squeeze another hour of playtime out of them. Users say that on a full charge, the earbuds will last about 8 hours. This is situational and dependent on the settings though. On some settings, they can reportedly last up to 10-12 hours. Hopefully, I will not be at the airport and on a plane for that long, so I am good to go there.
Each one of the buds have two sensors or buttons that you can't really feel. I haven't played much around with what they can do yet. I know one of them stops the music, 'cause I hit that one by accident when I adjusted them one time, as I was trying on a different size foam ear insert.
As for the sound, I am really surprised at how much pressure your ears get with lower registers. They really do provide a good representation of bass. Much like a home system would do. You can feel the pressure in your head, but your body doesn't feel a thing. So If you have earbuds that sound tinny or unbalanced from top to bottom, these may be of interest to you. They are honestly pretty well rounded.
I would offer you a comparison between the sound of the Bespoke T10's and these, but that would not be a fair comparison. When I auditioned the Bespoke, I was at a very loud bar. I never heard them in silent or low volume rooms, like I do with the Sony's I got. I can say that the noise cancelling on the Bespoke was superior, plus it offered an adjustable slider on just how low or high you wanted the noise cancellation to go. The Sony doesn't have that option. It only offers normal, ambient (to where you can hear folks around you talking) and their version of full noise cancellation.
I have found that the best sound so far (to me) is when I keep them on full noise cancellation. It just offers "more" to the music. I haven't tried it with calls yet, but I am quite sure that it works just like every other phone BT I have ever had. That apparently also has noise cancellation for the listener you are talking too, when it comes to background noises. One of these days, I'll offer a comparison when it comes to phone calls to my Poly Voyager Legend 50 UC Bluetooth Headset, but today is not that day.
Oh, and you notice there is no hook for clipping it or wrapping it around your ear? I haven't had one fall out yet. They fit pretty snugly in your ear canal, and unless I am hit hard by something in the head? I don't believe they'll be flying out anytime soon.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Can you include an in ear Pic selfie?
Glad you dig them! 😁😁- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
I use these too, and am impressed with both the sound quality and the battery life. My only grip is that to make use of all features, you have to download the app from Sony.
All in all though, a great alternative, and like Tom said - very “un-earbud” sound.“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -
So, a little bit late on the review here, but it is what it is...I have been busy. I used these to mow the lawn about a week ago and oh, my. What a difference. I didn't need to stop to hear a stellar song, or hear the details within said song. I just kept on chugging. Of course, I could still hear the lawn mower going, but the sound from the zero turn itself was greatly reduced. Much more than the noise cancelling over the ear headphones I have been using for years. Pretty big difference between the two.
These things are great for ear buds. For bass, clarity (to a point) and overall enjoyment of music. I listen on Qobuz, so other streaming platforms may sound different, but for what I am hearing now, whether in a quiet room or loud environment? I am pretty daggum impressed. I do have the upgraded ear pods now, with the silicone and there was an improvement in comfort and sound (worth it to me), but YMMV on that aspect.
I an completely smitten on just how well these things sound. In no way at all are they ultimate in high fidelity, as I listen and compare to the big rig, but for $300 bucks? Dayum brothers. They sound pretty daggum good. MUCH better than I ever thought a pair of earbuds would ever sound like.
It sounds like a nice stereo system in your ears, with many of the nuances, detail and demanding things that audiophiles would want in their home systems. Are they perfect? Hell no. Are they leaps and bounds above what one would ever expect out of a pair of earbuds? Holy smokes, batman....heck yeah, man. And then some.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
All you need to do is listen to this song and you might be hooked on earbuds. Plenty of everything!
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
