I have used pretty much every credible earbud in the last few years. Sony, Apple, Beats, Bose, B&W, Samsung, Klipsch, M&D, and more. I have also used every generation of Sony buds. In terms of overall use and features, these are not a giant change from the last gen XM4 buds. However, there are significant improvements in key areas. Here is the breakdown:Sound: There are moderate sound improvements here, over the last generation Sony's, which were already close to class leading. Sony put a larger driver in here and it makes a difference. Additionally, Sony added a lot of processing horsepower here. The put in their latest chip for audio, but then added a separate chip to handle all of the ANC duties. Sony argues, that by separating the tasks here, they were able to more finely tune the audio. You can hear the difference. Bass is thumping, highs are even more crisp, and the mid vocals definitely pop more. I am no audiophile but these are really good. To me, these sound better than the latest Bose and Airpod Pro buds. You have to get into the really high-end audio companies to find sound this good. As always, you get Sony's LDAC here if you can use it for high-end audio options and the DSEE Extreme tech that upscale regular more compressed audio. The DSEE really shines here. Your Spotify or Apple music app has never sounded so good. I think most folks will be very satisfied with what Sony has done here and, at the end of the day, sound quality is a big reason to make such an investment.Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): These are the best ANC buds Sony has ever made which is saying something. They were already 1b to the latest from Bose, but these have improved dramatically to me. The new dedicated chip just gets it done. These buds adjust the ANC to the noise around you. I honestly hear pretty much nothing other than my music when I have these in. The latest Quiet Comfort's from Bose are still at least as good to me in this arena, but that is pretty much the only area that Bose still is really on equal footing. At least in my opinion. Fit really determines great ANC, so while these are great, there is definitely some subjectivity that comes into play here. I think most will be very happy with the results they get here though.Form Factor: This is an area that Sony has absolutely nailed it and I am going to just say, FINALLY! Every bud Sony has made has always had an asterisk for me. "They sound so good but they just aren't that comfortable" was what I often told folks. Not anymore. Sony has made these buds significantly smaller and by adding the glossy interior, has created a bud I hardly notice in my ear. They have gone from a "yeah but" to a class leader in the fit and comfort space. I really cannot emphasize enough how good these are. These buds have an IPX4 rating so they should handle the gym with no issues. Sony has included a revised version of their hybrid foam tips from last year and they are great. They just hold the buds in snug and really help block ambient sound. Just so so good Sony. Thank you for the thoughtful redesign. I also want to give Sony a nod for the case redesign. Same battery (3 charges) but much smaller. I love it.Battery and Connectivity: The battery life is the same from last year. About 7 to 8 hours of real use. It is fine. Not class leading but not bad either. Connection here is BT 5.3 so the latest. Same as last gen. However, Sony said that these buds will be LE compatible when they finally start rolling this out over the coming year so you can expect even better sound and perhaps even battery life someday soon. This essentially future proofs these buds.Call Quality: Not much to say here other than these are about as good as it gets. Sony added bone conductive tech here and you can tell. Your calls sound great.Intangibles: There are too many features to unpack here. You really need to read all that Sony has packed into these. From the upscaling audio, to one touch audio play, to speak to pause tech to gestures and so so so much more. You can literally get lost in the app. Almost too much is going on here. Regardless, there is almost nothing that these buds can't do. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Sony has multipoint connection option here as well. It is only two devices, so there are more robust options out there, but this should be fine for most in real life application. Very good stuff.So, should you buy these? If you are an Android user, the answer is 100% yes. Apple users have to consider that Airpods are more tightly integrated into their space. Further, Apple is getting ready to launch their high end sound codec as well, which these will not support. They are still worth considering though as Sony has just made a better sounding product. To me, these might be the best all around buds I have ever tried. From sound to calls to comfort, Sony has just nailed all of it. There are companies that offer buds that do one thing better perhaps, but none are as complete as these in my opinion. So, yes, buy these. You will not regret it. I will update as I go here.