Sony WF-1000XM6 review: Facing tougher competition

Posted on by

Sony’s 1000X earbuds have been at the top of Engadget’s best wireless earbuds list since we first published it. With each new generation, the company managed to retain its crown, primarily thanks to a massive collection of features and an effective mix of sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) performance. Today, Sony revealed the latest entry in the series, the WF-1000XM6, delivering yet another redesign both inside and out. The company’s tried and true formula of features and audio performance remains, but it may no longer be enough to elevate the M6 above the competition.  

For the third time in a row, Sony overhauled the 1000X earbuds’ design. While the WF-1000XM5 was a clear revision of the WF-1000XM4, the M6 is a departure from both of them. The company managed to reduce overall size even further by using a rounder, pill-shaped enclosure for the earbuds’ main housing. I certainly applaud Sony for making these as tiny as possible, but I’m still not a fan of the company’s foam ear tips. 

Sony introduced foam ear tips on the 1000XM4 earbuds and that led to an unstable fit during my testing. In fact, I ended up switching to the silicone M3 tips for a better feel. Things were slightly better on the M5, but the company regressed here on the M6. I tried every size of ear tips in the box and the fit test in the Sound Connect app only ever confirmed an air-tight seal in my right ear. This can impact sound quality and ANC performance, and the earbuds don’t feel like they’re sitting far enough inside my ears. I never got used to the fit in my three weeks of testing. 

The exterior panel of the WF-1000XM6 is still touch sensitive, accepting a variety of taps for playback controls, calls, noise settings and more. Sony also included a repeated tapping gesture that’s used for volume control. Keep tapping on the right earbud to raise the volume and do so on the left to lower it. My disdain for touch controls is well-documented at this point, but the M6 reliably and quickly responded without me having to repeat a tap sequence. 

The WF-1000XM6 accepts taps for touch-based controls.
The WF-1000XM6 accepts taps for touch-based controls.

As is typically the case with its 1000X earbuds, Sony has loaded the M6 with features. Nearly all of these are holdovers from previous models, including Adaptive Sound Control that can automatically adjust settings based on your activity or location. Speak-to-Chat still pauses audio and activates ambient sound when you start talking, but it’s also still easily duped by coughs or clearing your throat. A quick access feature can put Amazon Music, Apple Music, Endel, Spotify and YouTube Music two or three taps away, depending on how you configure it.

The M6 earbuds also allow you to accept and reject calls with head gestures and you’ll have the option to pipe in your own voice during a call. Sony retained its existing option of operating the earbuds with voice commands: If you say “Assistant,” you can then ask it to play, pause, skip and replay songs. It will also adjust the volume for you, but that’s the extent of its abilities. 

Sony included some handy power management features as well. First, there’s an Auto Power Save mode that will disable any custom EQ settings, DSEE Extreme upscaling, Speak-to-Chat and voice control/voice assistant to reduce power consumption when the M6 hits 20 percent battery remaining. A Battery Care tool will extend the life of the earbuds’ battery by stopping charging before it reaches 100 percent. Lastly, Automatic Power Off will turn the earbuds off when they’re outside of the case and haven’t been worn for some time. 

Basic conveniences like multipoint Bluetooth, wireless charging and IPX4 water resistance are also here. Wear detection is onboard and you can use Sony’s EQ presets to alter the sound profile, or make your own and save them for future use. The Sound Connect app puts the battery levels of the individual earbuds and the case front and center, and you can edit the main screen to hide the features displayed there if you don’t need them.

Sound quality is one of Sony's strengths and that continues on the M6.
Sound quality is one of Sony's strengths and that continues on the M6.
Billy Steele for Engadget

If Sony’s long list of features is its top advantage over the competition, overall sound quality is number two. For the WF-1000XM6, the company built new drivers with soft edges for deeper bass and a more rigid, lightweight dome for clearer treble. There are also notches around the edges for “clearer and smoother” sound quality overall, according to Sony. And of course, DSEE Extreme upscaling helps to recover details lost to compression while 360 Reality Audio and Spatial Sound Optimization are available for more immersive listening. 

I found the M6 earbuds at their best with the stock EQ and DSEE Extreme active, much like I have on previous 1000X models. The sound is deep and warm, with thick bass that’s adequate without ever overpowering the mix. Highs cut through and there’s ample midrange, keeping those finer details from getting lost. Erika de Casier’s atmospheric Lifetime is a great example of what the WF-1000XM6 can do. Vocals seem to float over the top of the bassline and drums, with percussive piano chopping though and subtle synth details popping up throughout. When strings arrive on “Seasons,” the M6 ushers them into a prominent position rather than relegating them behind the beat. 

On the WF-1000XM6, the chaos of Spiritbox’s “Holy Roller” doesn’t get condensed to a messy heavy metal roar either. And there’s plenty of texture in the synth-driven noise of Nine Inch Nails’ “As Alive As You Need Me To Be.” Even more straightforward rock tracks like Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American” have ample punch, with a wide soundstage that never feels claustrophobic or sounds compressed. Overall, the WF-1000XM6 holds its own against the best-sounding earbuds you can buy right now, though some of the competition, like Technics, have an edge in the way they handle the subtlest of nuances in songs.  

If you were hoping for knock-out ANC abilities, I must report that the WF-1000XM6 isn’t the noise-canceling powerhouse that is Bose’s QC Ultra Earbuds. The M6 struggles mightily with human voices. While that’s the downfall of many ANC earbuds, you’ll want to keep it in mind if you plan to wear these in the office. I found I could also still hear constant noise sources like fans and white noise machines when wearing the M6 — items that the QC Ultra Earbuds combat effectively.

The WF-1000XM6 isn't as adept at calls as Sony advertises.
The WF-1000XM6 isn't as adept at calls as Sony advertises.
Billy Steele for Engadget

For calls, Sony says the M6 uses AI for both background noise reduction and voice capture with the beamforming microphones. What’s more, the earbuds are equipped with eight total mics for ANC and calls, plus bone conduction tech for improved voice pickup. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t lead to stellar performance during calls. While the WF-1000XM6 is perfectly usable for voice and video calls, the overall quality is far from pristine. To make matters worse, the earbuds make you sound overly processed when you encounter significant background noise. Since the company prided itself on the upgrades here, the results are disappointing. 

Sony says the WF-1000XM6 will last up to eight hours on a charge or 24 hours when you factor in the full longevity of the charging case. During a battery test that I mostly ran with ANC active, I had no trouble hitting that single-charge figure. That’s with the volume around 75-80 percent and includes calls and virtual meetings where I switched over to ambient sound mode. 

It’s worth noting that I had DSEE Extreme upscaling active the entire time, which can impact battery life. Plus, if you use the aforementioned Auto Power Save mode, you can extend play time when you have about a quarter of a tank left. Going without some of the M6’s best features in the interest of having tunes for a workout or commute is a fair trade in my book. 

The WF-1000XM6 is still a compelling option, but it's not the clear favorite anymore.
The WF-1000XM6 is still a compelling option, but it's not the clear favorite anymore.
Billy Steele for Engadget

When sizing up the competition for the WF-1000XM6, you have to choose your priorities. Simply put, no other company offers the comprehensive suite of features that Sony does. That’s been true for a while now and it continues with this model. If you want the strongest active noise cancellation, that will be Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. If the best sound quality is your goal, the Technics AZ100 is your best bet in this price range. I’ll also mention Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 4 which offers great sound quality, respectable ANC and a comfier fit than the M6, but that set is almost two years old at this point.

Sony continues its run of great earbuds with the WF-1000XM6, but this model isn’t the polished package that some of its predecessors were. The two most obvious places the company is lagging behind the competition is ANC performance and overall voice quality, not to mention my continued dissatisfaction with the fit that Sony’s foam tips provide. The M6 is also more expensive than the previous version was at launch, which makes it even harder to overlook any flaws. What you will get on the WF-1000XM6 is a ton of features, great sound quality and reliable touch controls in a smaller package. And for some, that might be enough to make you forget about the rest. 

The WF-1000XM6 is available today in silver and black for $330.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-wf-1000xm6-review-facing-tougher-competition-160000652.html?src=rss

Belgian Designer Just Built the Alien Playground Kids Dream About

Posted on by

When you think of Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck, you probably picture bold runway shows and provocative collections that push boundaries. As a member of the legendary Antwerp Six, the group that put Belgian fashion on the global map in the 1980s, Van Beirendonck has built a reputation for work that’s colorful, fantastical, and always thought-provoking. But his latest project isn’t something you can wear. Instead, it’s something you can climb, jump on, and explore.

Welcome Little Stranger, which opened at C-mine in Genk, Belgium this month, marks Van Beirendonck’s first venture into interactive play design. The installation transforms an old industrial warehouse into an extraterrestrial playground where kids can meet a mysterious alien visitor through soft-play structures, vibrant colors, and immersive environments that feel like stepping onto another planet.

Designer: Walter Van Beirendonck (photos by Selma Gurbuz)

The project is part of C-mine’s new PLAYGROUND initiative, which invites artists to reimagine what play spaces can be. Rather than traditional playground equipment, these are designed as artistic environments where creativity and physical activity merge. For Van Beirendonck, this meant translating his signature aesthetic (think neon colors, fantastical creatures, and bold shapes) from fabric and runway to foam and physical space.

What makes this particularly interesting is Van Beirendonck’s stated motivation. He wanted to create an environment that encourages imagination without screens or digital distractions. It’s a refreshing stance from someone known for addressing contemporary themes like technology and identity in his fashion work. The space invites kids to wonder about the universe, discover new possibilities, and play together without boundaries.

The alien theme isn’t random. Van Beirendonck’s fashion work has long explored ideas about identity, diversity, and what it means to be different. By framing the playground around encountering a “little stranger” from another world, he’s essentially asking kids to think about otherness, curiosity, and welcome. These are heavy concepts, but they’re delivered through climbing structures and colorful shapes rather than lectures.

The design process itself was collaborative. C-mine worked with artist Emma Ribbens, an alumna of LUCA School of Arts, to run workshops where children from Genk contributed ideas and shared their thoughts. This participatory approach meant kids weren’t just the audience for the final product but had ownership in shaping what the space would become. It’s an increasingly common approach in public art and design, recognizing that the people who will use a space often have the best insights into what it needs.

Van Beirendonck’s visual language translates surprisingly well to this new medium. His fashion collections have always featured exaggerated proportions, vibrant patterns, and elements that feel like they could belong in science fiction or fantasy worlds. Those same qualities make for compelling playground design, where safety requirements mean everything needs to be soft and rounded anyway.

The location adds another layer to the story. C-mine is a former coal mining site in Genk that’s been transformed into a cultural and creative hub. It’s the kind of post-industrial regeneration project you see across Europe, where old warehouses and factories become galleries, theaters, and community spaces. Housing a whimsical playground in what was once an industrial building creates an interesting contrast between the building’s austere past and its colorful present.

For Van Beirendonck, who’s known for work that balances playfulness with provocation, this project sits comfortably in his career arc. He’s done book illustrations, scenography, and various collaborations outside traditional fashion. Welcome Little Stranger just happens to be one you can physically inhabit rather than view from a distance. Genk’s mayor noted that the project positions the city as creative and innovative while giving families and schools from across the region a new destination. It’s the kind of cultural infrastructure that smaller cities increasingly use to attract visitors and define their identity beyond industrial heritage.

Whether Welcome Little Stranger becomes a model for future artist-designed play spaces remains to be seen. But it does suggest interesting possibilities for what happens when designers step outside their usual mediums and apply their vision to physical environments meant for pure, unstructured play. Sometimes the best design isn’t about making something look good but about creating spaces where imagination can run wild.

The post Belgian Designer Just Built the Alien Playground Kids Dream About first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple’s 2026 AirPods Pro Leaks Reveal Infrared Cameras That ‘See’ the World Around You

Posted on by
Apple’s 2026 AirPods Pro Leaks Reveal Infrared Cameras That ‘See’ the World Around You 2026 AirPods Pro

Apple is reportedly preparing to launch a premium version of its AirPods Pro by 2026, aiming to set a new benchmark in the wireless earbuds market. Positioned strategically between the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max in terms of price and features, this upcoming model is expected to combine innovative technology with Apple’s signature design […]

The post Apple’s 2026 AirPods Pro Leaks Reveal Infrared Cameras That ‘See’ the World Around You appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Posted in Uncategorized

How to Set Any Song as an iPhone Ringtone in Seconds with iOS 26

Posted on by
How to Set Any Song as an iPhone Ringtone in Seconds with iOS 26 How to create a custom iPhone ringtone using iOS 26 features

With the release of iOS 26, Apple has introduced a highly anticipated feature that simplifies the process of creating custom ringtones directly on your iPhone. By using the enhanced functionality of the Shortcuts app and the Files app, you can now transform audio files or screen recordings into personalized ringtones without relying on third-party apps […]

The post How to Set Any Song as an iPhone Ringtone in Seconds with iOS 26 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Posted in Uncategorized

This 3D-Printed Headphone Celebrates Every Tangle We Hated

Posted on by

Remember the pocket archaeology of untangling your headphones every single time you pulled them out? That split second of dread when you’d fish them from your bag only to discover they’d somehow tied themselves into impossible knots? Designer Aleš Boem remembers. But instead of trying to solve that universal frustration, he’s immortalized it.

His project, Tangled Headphones for print, takes that chaotic mess of wires we all spent years battling and transforms it into something worth looking at. These aren’t functional headphones in the traditional sense. They’re 3D-printed sculptures that wear their tangles like a badge of honor, turning what used to drive us crazy into the entire aesthetic.

Designer: Aleš Boem

The design itself is striking. Boem has essentially frozen a moment of cable chaos in black plastic, creating headphones where the tangled cord isn’t a bug but the feature. The earcups are swallowed by loops and knots of wire, the headband twists and weaves, and even when you look at them straight on, your brain does that thing where it tries to trace the path of the cable and gets completely lost. It’s visually messy in the most deliberate, controlled way possible.

What makes this project so interesting is its timing. We’re living in the post-wire era. AirPods dangle from ears everywhere. Bluetooth has become the default. Most people under 20 probably think tangled headphones are some kind of abstract concept, like dial-up internet or waiting a week to see what your vacation photos looked like. But for everyone else, there’s this strange collective memory of the tangle struggle, and Boem is tapping directly into it.

There’s something almost archaeological about seeing these headphones styled in those moody editorial photos. The model on the subway, holding a cassette player. The vintage Sony Walkman making an appearance. It’s not just product photography; it’s visual storytelling about a specific moment in technology that’s already slipped into nostalgia territory. The fact that these are 3D-printed adds another layer. Modern fabrication technology creating a monument to obsolete problems.

The sculptural quality is what really elevates this beyond a novelty. Look at the headphones on their own, isolated on that white background, and they read as genuine art objects. The tangles aren’t random. They’re carefully designed loops and intersections that create texture and volume. The way the cable winds around itself has rhythm to it. If you didn’t know what you were looking at, you might think it was some kind of experimental fashion accessory or a piece from a contemporary art exhibition. And maybe that’s the point. Good design often involves looking at the everyday and asking what if we didn’t fix this? What if we leaned into it instead? Boem took something universally annoying and reframed it as something worth preserving. It’s a love letter to the physical quirks of older technology, the little inconveniences that somehow become part of the experience.

The project also raises questions about what we lose when technology goes wireless. Sure, nobody misses fighting with tangled cables at 7 AM while trying to catch the bus. But there was something tangible about wired headphones. They were physical objects with character. They got worn in. They had that one earbud that always died first. The cable would fray at exactly the spot where it bent coming out of your pocket. They broke, they lasted, they were real in a way that feels different from charging cases and Bluetooth pairing.

Tangled Headphones for print sits right in that weird space between functional design and art commentary. It’s too conceptual to be practical, but too grounded in real experience to be purely abstract. It’s a conversation starter, a nostalgia trigger, and a genuinely clever piece of design thinking all wound together. Whether you’d actually want to own a pair is almost beside the point. What matters is that Boem saw something everyone else was trying to eliminate and decided it was worth celebrating instead. In doing that, he created something that makes you look twice and remember a very specific kind of small, everyday chaos that barely exists anymore. That’s pretty special.

The post This 3D-Printed Headphone Celebrates Every Tangle We Hated first appeared on Yanko Design.

11 Google Keep Tips For a Fast Inbox with Quick Shortcuts & Labels

Posted on by
11 Google Keep Tips For a Fast Inbox with Quick Shortcuts & Labels Chrome extension saving a webpage to Keep, adding a short comment, and tagging it with a Clipped label.

Have you ever felt like your digital life is a chaotic mess of sticky notes, scattered to-do lists, and forgotten ideas? Jeff Su explains how Google Keep can transform that chaos into a streamlined, efficient system for managing your thoughts, tasks, and projects. With its intuitive design and powerful features, this app isn’t just about […]

The post 11 Google Keep Tips For a Fast Inbox with Quick Shortcuts & Labels appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Posted in Uncategorized

iPhone 17e Leaks: How Apple is Finally Fixing the Biggest Flaws of the iPhone 16e This February

Posted on by
iPhone 17e Leaks: How Apple is Finally Fixing the Biggest Flaws of the iPhone 16e This February iPhone 17e showcasing its sleek design with slimmer bezels

Apple is rumored to be launching the iPhone 17e this month, a new addition to its iPhone 17 series that combines affordability with advanced features. Priced at $599, this device offers a compelling mix of premium design, enhanced performance, and innovative connectivity. Whether you’re a first-time Apple user or upgrading from an older model, the […]

The post iPhone 17e Leaks: How Apple is Finally Fixing the Biggest Flaws of the iPhone 16e This February appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Posted in Uncategorized

Amazon’s Send to Alexa+ feature arrives on Kindle Scribe and Scribe Colorsoft

Posted on by

Amazon is launching a feature that will add a new artificial intelligence layer to its writing tablets. "Send to Alexa+" is rolling out to the current generation of Kindle Scribe and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft devices. This concept was announced when Amazon first debuted the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft last fall, but the company said that the feature wouldn't be available until this year.

As the name implies, “Send to Alexa+” lets users share their notebooks and documents from their supported Kindle with the Alexa+ AI assistant, making their information accessible on other Amazon platforms, including Alexa.com and the Alexa app. Prime members and Alexa+ subscribers will also be able to reach their Kindle documents on Echo and Fire TV devices. Alexa+ will be able to perform additional tasks such as summarizing notes, creating to-do lists and adding either calendar items or reminders.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/amazons-send-to-alexa-feature-arrives-on-kindle-scribe-and-scribe-colorsoft-140000093.html?src=rss

NVIDIA’s GeForce Now app lands on Amazon Fire TV sticks

Posted on by

NVIDIA's cloud gaming service, GeForce Now, has expanded to another platform. Starting today, folks with select Amazon Fire TV sticks can install a native GeForce Now app. While it was already possible to access GeForce Now through the Fire TV platform, you won't necessarily need to sideload an Android app to do so anymore.

At the outset, the new app is compatible with the second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max (running Fire OS 8.1.6.0 and later). It also works with the original Fire TV Stick 4K Max if you're running Fire OS 7.7.1.1 or later. 

On the Fire TV platform, GeForce Now streaming quality tops out at a resolution of 1080p and a frame rate of 60 fps, with SDR visuals, H.264 video encoding and stereo audio. So you won't necessarily get the best GeForce Now experience here as the service has support for up to 5K resolution and up to 360 fps, along with HDR10 and 7.1 audio at the highest tier. But it's not a bad option if you already have the right hardware. You'll need a controller too, of course.

NVIDIA announced the GeForce Now app for Fire TV during CES last month. It joins other cloud gaming services on the Fire TV platform, including Xbox Cloud Gaming (PC Game Pass titles are available on GeForce Now as well) and Amazon's own Luna.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nvidias-geforce-now-app-lands-on-amazon-fire-tv-sticks-140000516.html?src=rss

K-01 Titanium EDC Combines Pry Bar, Replaceable Blade & Adjustable Wrench

Posted on by
K-01 Titanium EDC Combines Pry Bar, Replaceable Blade & Adjustable Wrench The Lair K-01 titanium pocket tool shown beside keys, highlighting its slim size and lightweight build.

What if you could carry a sleek, pocket-sized device that effortlessly handles everything from opening packages to quick repairs, all while looking like a piece of modern art? Global Update explains how the K01 Titanium EDC by Lair is redefining everyday carry with its ingenious design and unmatched versatility. Crafted from durable grade 5 titanium, […]

The post K-01 Titanium EDC Combines Pry Bar, Replaceable Blade & Adjustable Wrench appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.

Posted in Uncategorized