Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver size | 11 mm | 8.4 mm |
| Battery — with case | 40 h | 32 h |
| Battery — buds | 8.5 h | 8 h |
| Spatial audio | false | true |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 g | 5.4 g |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX4 |
Between the Ear (3) and WF-1000XM6, the Ear (3) comes out ahead in driver size / battery — with case, while the WF-1000XM6 wins on spatial audio. Overall, the Ear (3) scores 79.8 and the WF-1000XM6 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (3) edges ahead on the Mars Score (79.8 vs 74.5), but the 5.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the Ear (3) if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, battery — with case, battery — buds, among others. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 30.95% more. 11 mm vs 8.4 mm.
Pick the WF-1000XM6 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are spatial audio. The single most decisive one: Has Spatial audio.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, multipoint, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (3) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Nothing - Ear (3) or Sony - WF-1000XM6?
Nothing - Ear (3) leads the current Mars Score by 5.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Nothing - Ear (3) if…
Nothing - Ear (3) has the measurable edge on driver size mm, battery life case h, battery life buds h.
Choose Sony - WF-1000XM6 if…
Sony - WF-1000XM6 has the measurable edge on has spatial audio.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Nothing - Ear (3) wins
- ▲Driver size — 30.95% more. 11 mm vs 8.4 mm.
- ▲Battery — with case — 25.00% more. 40 h vs 32 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 6.25% more. 8.5 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.80 g less. 4.6 vs 5.4.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - WF-1000XM6 wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.6 glead | 5.4 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8.5 hlead | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 40 hlead | 32 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Nothing - Ear (3) | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecsⓘ | LDAC,LHDC 5.0,AAC,SBC | LDAC,LC3,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, Ear (3) or WF-1000XM6?+
Ear (3) lasts 8.5h per charge vs 8h.
Do Ear (3) or WF-1000XM6 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, Ear (3) or WF-1000XM6?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.