Hardware Review · Purchased June 20, 2022 · $358.39 CAD via Amazon.ca
The Setup
Sony’s flagship true wireless earbuds, built around a 6mm driver and the Integrated Processor V1 chip for noise cancellation, with LDAC hi-res audio and 360 Reality Audio support. Mine is the “International Version” — a grey-market import SKU with the same hardware as the retail version, just without region-specific packaging or the standard local warranty path.
The Review
The noise cancellation is the headline feature and it lives up to the reputation — genuinely class-leading for a true wireless earbud, helped considerably by the memory-foam tips forming a much better passive seal than the silicone tips most competitors ship with. LDAC support is a nice bonus if you’ve got hi-res audio sources to feed it, and the Qi wireless charging case is smaller and more pocketable than the previous XM3 generation’s case.
The out-of-box tuning leans bass-forward enough that I ended up reaching for Sony’s EQ app to balance things out, and call quality in windy or noisy environments is a genuine weak point — the ANC that makes music so good works against the microphones during calls. Battery life is merely average for the class, which is a little disappointing given how good everything else about the ANC implementation is. Buying the international version saved some money over full retail pricing, with the only real downside being a murkier warranty situation if anything goes wrong.
What I Liked
- Class-leading active noise cancellation
- Memory-foam tips give a noticeably better passive seal than typical silicone tips
- LDAC hi-res audio and 360 Reality Audio support
- Compact Qi wireless charging case, smaller than the previous generation
What I Didn’t
- Bass-forward tuning out of the box needed EQ adjustment
- Weak microphone quality in windy or noisy environments during calls
- Battery life is average for the class despite the excellent ANC
- International version carries a murkier warranty path than retail units
The Verdict
Rating: 4/5
Still one of the best-sounding, best-ANC true wireless earbuds around — the import savings were worth the warranty trade-off.
