Sony WF-1000XM6 Earbuds
Highest scored product for this feature based on supporting review evidence.
Highest scored product for this feature based on supporting review evidence.
Balances feature score, supporting reviews, and overall product strength.
Has the broadest review evidence for this feature.
Strongest overall product among items with scored evidence for this feature.
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Call microphone quality was widely considered much improved and often excellent, though one TechRadar reviewer heard muffled call audio.
Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Audio-video sync accuracy
Cons: Sidetone adjustment quality, Software/setup simplicity
Call microphone quality was a major strength across reviews, with several reports of clear calls in offices, traffic, or windy settings.
Pros: Codec support, Dongle
Cons: Sound leakage, Find My
Call microphone quality is generally strong, with reviewers describing clear calls, good voice pickup, and first-rate call performance.
Pros: Audio-video sync accuracy, Transparency mode quality
Cons: aptX, LDAC
Call microphone quality is generally good, with reviewers hearing clear calls and intelligible voice pickup, though not always perfect.
Pros: Audio-video sync accuracy, Multi-platform compatibility
Cons: LDAC, Weight comfort
Call microphone quality was one of the product’s most consistent strengths, with reviewers describing clear, understandable, or great call performance.
Pros: Charging, Instrument separation
Cons: Spatial audio, Sidetone adjustment quality
Call microphone quality was one of the strongest attributes overall, with many reviewers praising clear, natural calls, though a few measured softer or average results.
Pros: Integrated microphone, Frequency response accuracy
Cons: LDAC, Ear tip size options
Call microphone quality is usually good to excellent, with praise for loud, clear voices, though a few reviewers consider it merely adequate.
Pros: Android compatibility, Bluetooth
Cons: Smudge resistance, Cable quality
Call mic quality ranged from mediocre in one audiophile review to excellent in lab and mainstream reviews, with most evidence positive.
Pros: Weight comfort, Charging
Cons: Smudge resistance, Android compatibility
Call microphone quality is a strength overall, with reviewers reporting clear voice pickup and reliable call performance, except in harder windy cases.
Pros: Volume output, Audio-video sync accuracy
Cons: Multipoint connectivity reliability, LDAC
Call quality is generally good to impressive, with clear voice pickup in quiet or moderate conditions but some compression or limits in heavy noise.
Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Sound quality
Cons: Spatial audio, Software/setup simplicity
Call quality was usually acceptable to good in quiet conditions, with some strong praise, but several reviewers found it only average outside controlled environments.
Pros: Battery, Software/setup simplicity
Cons: Sensors, Voice assistant integration
Call microphone quality ranges from usable to excellent, with one reviewer reporting exceptionally clear call sound and others noting some tinniness.
Pros: Charging, Portability/foldability
Cons: aptX, LDAC
Call quality was generally usable to good, with several reviewers reporting clear voices, though others heard compression, artificial tone, or obvious earbud processing.
Pros: Design and Aesthetics, Software/setup simplicity
Cons: Voice assistant integration, Spatial audio
Call microphone quality is mixed: some reviewers call it exceptional or much improved, while others say it is merely fine or still affected by noise.
Pros: Active noise cancellation, Volume output
Cons: Preset EQ profile quality, Equalizer customization
Call microphone quality was mostly positive, but results ranged from excellent calls to one strongly negative lab-style experience.
Pros: Audio-video sync accuracy, Smudge resistance
Cons: Multipoint connectivity reliability, Equalizer customization
Call quality ranges from excellent to merely okay, with most reviewers finding voices intelligible but not always natural, loud, or class-leading.
Pros: Instrument separation, Codec support
Cons: Spatial audio, Volume output
Call quality is mixed, ranging from serviceable or excellent in some reviews to choppy, robotic, or poor in others.
Pros: Volume output, Maximum volume clarity
Cons: aptX, Auracast support
Call microphone quality ranged from clear and impressive to merely usable, with the best results in quiet or moderate environments.
Pros: Weight comfort, Android compatibility
Cons: Lossless audio support, Ear tip size options
Call quality is generally usable to good, with several reviewers praising clear voices, but others note it trails the Pro model or suffers in noisy conditions.
Pros: Comfort during long use, Audio-video sync accuracy
Cons: aptX, Lossless audio support
Call microphone quality was mixed: some reviewers heard crisp or strong calls, while others heard fuzziness, digitization, or minor wonkiness.
Pros: Volume output, Comfort during long use
Cons: aptX, LDAC
Call mic quality ranges from meh and passable to crisp or excellent, so the experience appears highly reviewer-dependent.
Pros: Weight comfort, Button control usability
Cons: Active noise cancellation, Smudge resistance
Call quality was usable but not flawless: one review heard crisp clarity, another reported a muffled voice, and the comparison piece expected clearer calls.
Pros: Comfort during long use, Soundstage width
Cons: Noise isolation (passive), Stability
Call quality was highly split: some reviewers called it excellent or much improved, while others found it subpar, robotic, or weak in harsher noise.
Pros: Weight comfort, Noise isolation (passive)
Cons: aptX, Find My
Call quality was acceptable to good, with clear voices but a slightly hollow character in one test.
Pros: Stability, Battery
Cons: Volume output, Cable quality
Call microphone quality is mixed: quiet-room calls can be clear, but noisy or windy conditions reduce reliability.
Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Stability
Cons: Spatial audio, Microphone noise reduction
Call microphone quality was the clearest weakness, ranging from loud and clear to thin, muffled, serviceable, or poor depending on reviewer and environment.
Pros: Interchangeable left/right bud design, Multipoint connectivity reliability
Cons: Sensors, Hinge durability
Call microphone impressions were mixed: one review called the mic the weakest area, while others found it improved or better than simpler mic setups.
Pros: Audio-video sync accuracy, Weight comfort
Cons: Sidetone adjustment quality, Microphone noise reduction
Call microphone quality is inconsistent: some hear clear voice pickup in quiet settings, but several reviews criticize noisy-call performance and background pickup.
Pros: Weight comfort, Multipoint connectivity reliability
Cons: aptX, Active noise cancellation
Call mic performance was a weakness in TechRadar’s testing, with acceptable voice clarity but below-best call quality.
Pros: Comfort during long use, USB-C
Cons: Microphone noise reduction, Water/sweat resistance rating
Call quality is a weak point overall; some calls are usable, but several reviewers report quiet, distant, or incomplete microphone pickup.
Pros: Water/sweat resistance rating, Weight comfort
Cons: Equalizer customization, Instrument separation
Call performance was weak because the earbuds lack a built-in microphone, leaving callers unable to hear through the buds.
Pros: Maximum volume clarity, Weight comfort
Cons: Water/sweat resistance rating, Microphone quality for calls