You asked for cheap Sony earbuds. The WF-1000XM6 costs $30 more than that.

When we ask over a thousand SoundGuys readers wanted to see in Sony’s next earbuds, the answer was clear: make them cheaper. 42% of respondents to our WF-1000XM6 wishlist survey—the largest share by far—voted for “cheaper price tag.”

The WF-1000XM6 launched for $329.99, a $30 increase over the WF-1000XM5’s starting price of $299.99. That’s confusing, especially when the competition isn’t moving.

What did you want?

Before we get into what Sony has delivered, let’s take a look at what you asked for. Our poll, which has been running since the release of the WF-1000XM5, has attracted 1,179 votes. Here is the breakdown:

• 42% – Cheap price tag
• 18% – aptX Bluetooth codec
• 15% – Full matte finish
• 14% – Very strong IP rating
• 11% – Quiet bass reproduction

The message was unmistakable: price matters. Almost half of you wanted Sony to make flagship performance accessible, affordable.

In addition, the only thing Sony brought to the above application was the overall matte finish. Bass emphasis is a little stronger with ANC enabled, although it’s quieter and tracks closer to the curve in our house with ANC disabled. The XM6 is still IPX4, like the XM5, and still has the same codec system as before: SBC, AAC, LDAC, and LC3.

To their credit, Sony focused on performance improvements instead: better ANC (88% average flattery), much improved microphone quality, greater fit, redesigned, and arguably better sound quality with custom EQ with twice as many bands as before. This is a logical development; they were not what most students wanted.

The competition holds the line

What makes Sony’s price hike so frustrating is that competitors haven’t raised costs.

• Apple AirPods Pro (third generation) launched at $249—the same price as the second generation. Apple added clinical-grade hearing aid features, heart rate monitoring, and live translation, all while keeping the price $80 lower than Sony’s offering.
• The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) launched at $299.99—unchanged from the first generation. Bose refined the formula with minor improvements and kept the sticker price the same.
• The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 also sits at $299.95, offering aptX Lossless (something readers really want) and better dust/water protection (IP54 vs IPX4) for $30 less than Sony’s asking price.

As it stands, Sony is now the most expensive option in the wireless earbuds category, offering fewer features than others.

Students are not happy with the price

The response from the SoundGuys community has been swift and consistent. Within hours of our review going live, readers made their feelings clear:

• @IvanScore4life sums up the sticker shock many are feeling: “Wait did you think $330???”
• @malekinception was highly rated but equally frustrated: “The price is ridiculous.”
• @101.red.pill21 offered the opinion of a former Sony customer: “I’m pretty sure these are hidden. There were real ones back then but no need to spend $350 when hidden more than half the price is close enough these days.”

The WF-1000XM6 are excellent earbuds that deliver meaningful improvements over the XM5. But at $329.99, Sony is asking customers to pay a premium while competitors offer similar performance for less. Whether that bet pays off depends on how far brand loyalty can stretch—and based on the response so far, Sony may be testing its limits.