Anyone who has read my Sony WF-1000XM6 review will know I’m a big fan of these premium wireless earbuds.
However, as I’ve also written about previously, I don’t think they’re perfect. Put simply, I’m not the biggest fan of the eartips that come supplied with them.
If you’re new to my moaning (or what I like to think of as constructive criticism), I don’t find them particularly pliable, or super comfortable when in place.
If there was only one thing I could change about these five-star earbuds, it would be the material used and possibly the shape/sizing of the replaceable tips. After all, I think the buds’ sound quality, call quality and noise-cancelling skills are second-to-none.
So, in the name of journalism (and comfort), I’ve been on the hunt for alternatives.
I have been using the WF-1000XM6 since launch, and now I think my pair are in need of some attention, especially as the tips currently attached to them are starting to break up, which can be the case with foam designs. It’s like your favourite slippers when the soles have lost their grip and your heels start to wear through the furry surface.
The world of aftermarket eartips won’t be a surprise to many, but as someone who tends to believe that the manufacturer knows best when it comes to product R&D, it’s not something I’ve really looked into until now.
Hop on Amazon, and your choices are seemingly endless, whether you want memory foam or silicone, domed or flanged. Shapes and styles vary, as do prices. (Special mention to whathifi.com reader cyclonaut for bringing my attention to a couple of the popular brands in the eartip world)
I settled on four different options, one of which, Comply, actually reached out after reading one of my articles on a different pair of earbuds. Here’s what I picked and what I thought of them…
Comply Truegrip Pro £20 (L/L/L)
The Comply memory foam tips are a tiny bit shallower and more domed than the Sonys, with more of a pronounced tip. Their opening is larger, and like the Sonys, they have a mesh in the middle to protect from any debris.
I didn’t find them as comfortable as the silicone designs, and when it came to music, although they allow for an open, expressive and powerful delivery, I think they sacrifice subtlety, and there was less space between the different elements of tracks.
Buy the Comply Truegrip Pro at Amazon
AZLA SednaEarfit Max £27 (M/ML/L)
These were my favourite silicone tips. They feel premium and smooth to the touch and are easy to slide onto the tubes of the XM6 buds. There’s a nice balance between the flexible silicone dome and the more robust silicone nozzle.
I didn’t have any issues with fit or comfort, and I also like the fact that they have a built-in mesh guard. However, they don’t isolate as well as the Sony or Comply tips. They promote a balance which sounds more open but lacks the solidity and focus of the memory foam alternatives.
Buy the AZLA SednaEarfit Max at Amazon
SpinFit Omni £12.49 (L)
These looked and felt the most interesting tips. Their diameter was slightly smaller than the Comply and Sony alternatives. It was more of a struggle getting these onto the Sony tubes, but the tight fit means they won’t be slipping off any time soon.
The lack of any mesh in the tip would make me nervous that debris could make its way into the Sony tubes and potentially impact sound quality. Like the AZLA tips, they promote an open, airy sound, but it’s still a leaner balance, and the isolation wasn’t great.
The design includes a patented ‘spinnable core’ which claims to improve comfort. The silicon used here feels tackier than on the other pairs, which gives the impression it’s going to help with the seal. I didn’t have any issues with comfort or fit.
Buy the SpinFit Omni at Amazon
SpinFit Neo £11.49 (x1 L)
I found the sound quality of both SpinFit models to be very similar – there’s good detail and edges of notes sound crisp and precise. But, as has been the case with all the silicone tips I tried, music just doesn’t have the natural warmth or solidity as it does when heard through either of the memory-foam pairs.
The Neo tips were easier to fit than the Omni, requiring less force to slide them on. Comfort levels were very good, but once again, there’s no mesh protector in the nozzle to protect from wax.
Verdict
So, what did my eartip encounters tell me? The main conclusion I took away was that the Sony tips performed the best.
Is that a surprise, though? Sony must have spent a lot of time and money on research, learning about ear shapes, trying different materials, sizes, and fits. For me the WF-1000XM6 just sound better balanced, more subtle, and more natural when using their own tips.
But I can certainly see the appeal of trying something different. I don’t love the tips that currently come with the XM6, so if there was something more comfortable out there that didn’t sacrifice sound quality, then it would be foolish not to try to track them down.
I can see why some people might like a silicone alternative – there is something a bit more open and forward about the sound, giving the impression it’s more exciting – but for me, you are shifting the sound away from what Sony intended and what makes them arguably the best wireless earbuds on the market right now.
Not only does sound quality take a hit, but the switch to any of the silicone tips has a major effect on isolation and therefore noise cancelling. This is a big problem, because the eartips and earbuds will have been designed to work together.
Not only will the extra density of the memory foam give you more isolation just through the choice of material, but one would assume Sony will also have factored in which frequencies its tips are isolating and formulated its ANC to take this into account.
During testing, I found a track of ambient cafe noises, and the amount of information the silicone tips were letting through would seriously put me off using them long-term, especially in crowded environments or on places like the London Underground.
In conclusion it looks like I’m going to have to stick with a like-for-like replacement for my eartips for now, but that still won’t stop me asking for a slightly comfier design from an WF-1000XM6 successor.
MORE:
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review
6 settings you should immediately tackle on the Sony WF-1000XM6 wireless earbuds
Our pick of the best wireless earbuds you can buy for every budget
