Sony WH-1000XM6 or AirPods Max? I picked these headphones after weeks of testing

CNN

11 hours ago

Comparing the AirPods Max headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM6 is one of the toughest assignments I've ever been given. This wasn't a huge shock, as the battle for the best noise-canceling headphones often hinges on slight differences. Every company brings their A game when it comes to their best over-ear headphones, requiring us to conduct many hours of testing to see how well these cans can squash the noise in our lives. Fortunately, I had a flight taking place during this testing window, and there's also construction taking place right below my home office. This made me a perfect candidate to decide which of these headphones is worth the hundreds of dollars in their costly price tags.
Apple AirPods Max USB-C
Apple's sole pair of over-ear headphones is arguably in need of an update, at least when it comes to comfort and its case.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Over-Ear Headphones
Sony's newest pair of over-ear headphones costs $100 less and competes strongly with the AirPods Max in every single way.
Yes
Yes
13.7 oz.
8.9 oz.
Blue, Midnight, Orange, Purple, Starlight
Black, Midnight Blue, Platinum Silver
Up to 30 hours with ANC enabled
Up to 40 hours with ANC enabled
Via USB-C
Via headphone jack The AirPods Max and the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are most similar when it comes to how their music sounds, as I've learned in the field. I've had coworkers and strangers give me puzzled looks as I repeatedly swapped these headphones over my ears, struggling to hear a difference as I listened for subtle details.
With volume set to 50% on both headphones, I listened to a playlist full of rock, pop, rap and more, starting with one of Post Malone's 'Congratulations' remixes, where the Sony XM6 stood out by offering stronger and clearer bass sound than the AirPods Max. Drums and vocals sounded clear on both headphones when I listened to Lily & Madeleine's 'Can't Help the Way I Feel,' whereas the XM6 offered a slightly warmer sound. Turning on Foxanne's 'So Excited,' I heard both the AirPods Max and XM6 deliver singer Chelsea Gohd's high notes well, though the XM6 made the song sound wider and more immersive. Sony's pair took another win when I compared rock outfit Ghost Tour's 'NBA Playoffs,' which erred on the muddier and crunchier side in some of the smaller moments.
A tighter comparison came when I listened to some of my favorite podcasts and YouTube videos on these headphones, where everything mostly sounded the same, though some voices were a tad warmer on the XM6.
Both the AirPods Max and WH-1000XM6 offer spatial audio modes to try to give your music extra dimensionality and depth, but I'm still not sold on this trick. It's too much of a gimmick and just makes songs sound wrong or warped to me. There is one new feature I do find slightly useful: the XM6's Background Music mode that basically makes your music sound like it's off in the distance, as if you're controlling the playlist at your favorite coffee house. You might think this just means lower volume, but it actually sounds like it's coming from farther away. I've enjoyed using this trick in public when I'm reading and don't want to focus on my music.
TL;DR: You'll have a hard time saying the XM6 and AirPods Max sound a whole lot different, but I found the Sony cans to be slightly more pleasing to my ears.
Sat in a window seat flying over Kentucky, I donned both the AirPods Max and Sony XM6 (as well as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones) to see which set of cans truly thrived in the situation many buy them for: whittling down the exhausting amount of sound that frustrate fliers on their way to their destinations.
For my testing, I didn't play any songs or podcasts — I simply turned on each pair of headphones' noise-canceling modes. And while the AirPods Max did a good job of drastically reducing the sounds around me, they didn't eliminate the overhead air circulation whooshing or the ambient hum coming from the window. The Sony XM6's active noise cancellation (ANC) performed better, eliminating more of what I was hearing overhead and some of what was to my left. For what it's worth, Bose's ANC was between the XM6 and the AirPods Max on the overhead sound but let in much more of the sound coming from the window.
On my commute to work once my vacation was over, I tested how well both headphones erased the sounds of the chaotic New York City subway system. Standing on the platform watching multiple trains pass, I noticed that cars farther away sounded quieter with the XM6's noise cancellation than with the AirPods Max, while both headphones muted closer trains at similar levels. Both headphones also eliminated equal amounts of chatter from people talking into their phones around me on the platform. I continued to swap the headphones back and forth once I got on a train, and there the XM6 won again, by another close margin.
In said office, the XM6's ANC did a decent job of lowering the sounds of loud talkers who were collaborating on an assignment and playing their video aloud for all to hear. The AirPods Max were slightly better at lowering the sounds of their voices, but it didn't erase their chatter completely. I heard a much smaller gap on noise canceling these voices than when I was in the sky trying to muffle the noises of that Boeing jet.
Apple's ANC is no slouch, though. Check out our AirPods Max versus Sonos Ace face-off if you want to see an example.
TL;DR: The XM6 beat the AirPods Max when it came to bumping down the noise around us.
Next, let's talk about the inverse of noise cancellation: the transparency modes that let you know what's going on around you, which is crucial when bikes, cars and other vehicles speed around us constantly. Both the AirPods Max and the XM6 did a good job of letting me be aware of my surroundings, but the transparency mode on the AirPods is the most natural I've ever heard, with everything from strangers' conversations to passing music sounding as it would if I had the headphones off. The XM6 are a little overactive in this category, ever so slightly boosting the noises around me, so the sounds of an engine, a passing truck and little metallic noises like a gate shutting were more prominent.
That added warmth from the XM6 on the street also popped up on the AirPods Max's transparency mode when I boarded a NYC subway on my commute to the office. The twinkling noise of a stranger's jingling keys were a little more pronounced by both headphones, and the XM6's added warmth got louder on the train than the AirPods Max's. The metallic noise of the subway train speeding between stations was also more pronounced on the XM6.
Even in a private room at the office, I noticed the XM6's Ambient Sound added a slight warmth to what I was hearing, as if it were nudging up the sound of the air conditioning. By comparison, I couldn't hear much difference when I took the AirPods Max off and on, and that made them more 'transparent.'
TL;DR: In the end, the AirPods Max take the win on transparency mode, without a single blemish in this round.
Why would you even think of spending hundreds of dollars on something if it wasn't going to feel good? This isn't a Southwest Airlines flight; these headphones should feel plenty comfortable.
So I wore each pair of headphones to see which had the most luxurious feel. It didn't take long, though, for the difference to settle out. I quickly noticed the slight amount of pressure on my head when I wore the AirPods Max. I felt the force above my ears, and I still feel it today when I'm retesting the comfort at home.
Comfort wasn't the biggest problem when the AirPods Max were the only ANC headphones I had, but I noticed a real difference when I tested the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. The AirPods Max took the loss here, just like they did in my QuietComfort Ultra Headphones versus AirPods Max face-off, as I barely feel the XM6 against my head. I've only ever noticed their pressure briefly, when I adjust the arms to get a decent seal, a requisite for proper ANC. The headphones' actual weight likely has something to do with this, as the Sony XM6's 8.9-ounce frame makes them much lighter than the heavier 13.7-ounce AirPods Max.
Both pairs of headphones get things mostly right when it comes to buttons, as Sony's XM6 feature easily discernible power and ANC buttons that I got used to very quickly after years of using Apple's Magic Crown dial and Noise Control button. Even after years of using the AirPods Max, I still have trouble remembering which button enables Bluetooth pairing mode — a mistake I never make with the XM6, because they're Bluetooth headphones and I'll always hold down the power button to enable pairing. This is part of why I wish the AirPods Max had a power button, with the other issue being the fact that you shouldn't need their case to turn them off.
Speaking of design, the XM6 and AirPods Max are both sold in a nice range of colors, though Apple's got more juice here with its orange, purple and blue hues (sold in addition to Midnight and Starlight). Sony's black, Platinum Silver (think white) and Midnight Blue are good, just not as great. Oh, and you can even shake up the AirPods Max's colors if you want to pay more, as the headphones' ear cushions can be replaced and swapped in with other colors. The Sony XM6's ear pads cannot be easily replaced, and they're not designed to be pried off by hand.
The XM6's folding hinges allow them to contract and take up less space in your bag when they collapse, while the AirPods Max's only foldability perk is that you can rotate its cups flat — just like the XM6. Still, they're around the same size in their cases, as I'll explain below.
TL;DR: I like that you can replace the AirPods Max's ear pads, but the XM6 are more comfortable in every situation.
It's been approximately four and a half years since Apple released the AirPods Max, and the company still sells them with the case that only Apple calls a Smart Case. This thin sleeve only covers some of the cups of the AirPods Max, leaving the headband and arms open to the elements, which is only great if you have some sort of stand or hanger to hold them on. The sole perk of this case is that you can charge the AirPods when they're inside the case. Whenever I throw the AirPods Max in their case and into a bag, I always make sure there's nothing in there that could get caught in the headband's mesh lining. In short, the AirPods Max case is only technically a case and is long overdue for a revision. In the meantime, you'll want to get a third-party AirPods Max case for proper protection.
By contrast, the Sony XM6 come with my favorite headphones case ever, which completely covers the cans, arms and headband. Its best feature is a unique locking magnetic flap, one that's much stronger than it looks. This case is easier to use than a lot of other premium headphones cases, as it doesn't require you to zip and unzip the closure.
Stacked on top of each other, these cases take up about the same amount of space, though the AirPods Max are slightly wider in case.
TL;DR: The XM6's case actually covers it, and it takes the instant win for that alone.
While I use these headphones to make calls, I don't actually test their call quality with phone calls, as everyone's cellular service provider and signal clarity complicates things too much. Instead, I made voice recordings using the microphones in both pairs of headphones and sent them to my colleague Mike Andronico, who had no way to know which headphones were used for which recordings. He ranked the AirPods Max ahead of the XM6 in sound quality, and I agreed when I listened back to those recordings.
That said, I wouldn't necessarily use this as grounds to buy the AirPods Max over the XM6, as I've made many calls on Sony's headphones and have had no trouble getting the person on the other end of the line to hear me. But Apple does take this round.
TL;DR: I sounded better when recorded by the AirPods Max.
Apple's and Sony's own battery life estimations give you a fair sense of where this battle will go. Sony's rated the XM6 for as many as 30 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, which is 50% longer than Apple's rating of up to 20 hours of AirPods Max battery life with ANC on.
To see if these numbers bore out to testing, I listened to an hour of music (at 50% volume) on both headphones, with noise cancellation enabled. The XM6 lost 3% in that hour, while the AirPods Max went down by 4%. Those times would bear out to 33.3 hours on a single charge on the XM6 and 25 hours on the AirPods Max, estimates that make sense given what their manufacturers claim.
Neither pair of headphones supports wireless charging, but they differ greatly on how you actually turn them off. The XM6 feature a regular power button and will shut off when left undisturbed for a while, but (annoyingly) the AirPods Max don't have their own power button. You simply have to put them inside their case and close the magnetic flap, which basically turns off the headphones. Apple, though, doesn't refer to it as an 'off' position, as it instead uses the phrase 'ultra-low-power state.'
TL;DR: The XM6 should last 33% to 50% longer on a single charge than the AirPods Max.
Apple's AirPods have become a favorite for those who use iPhones, Macs and iPads, thanks to how they easily swap your connection between all devices where you're signed into the same Apple ID. They even work well with the Apple TV 4K. AirPods Max can pair with Android devices via Bluetooth, but you'll miss out on the system integration you get with Apple hardware.
In the XM6's defense, Sony offers the ability to connect to two Bluetooth devices at once, with something it calls 'multipoint connection.' This works well for me at work when I'm paired to my phone and laptop at the same time, as the audio connection would switch if I turn on a YouTube video on my laptop while listening to a song on my phone. The XM6 also support the more seamless Google Fast Pair connections for speedy Android pairing.
TL;DR: The AirPods will be best for connections if you're switching between many Apple devices, while Sony's XM6 are great if you're focusing on two devices (that aren't limited to Apple's hardware).
The AirPods Max are the only headphones of this pair to offer lossless audio, a feature added to the USB-C models in March 2025. This is a surprising loss for Sony, which looks like it should be the headphones with the best wired listening options since the XM6 are the only pair here to offer both the USB-C port and the 3.5mm headphone jack. But its USB-C is power-only. Oh, and Apple sells a USB-C to 3.5mm cable, so those headphones can also connect to airplane seat-back monitors and any other devices that don't offer Bluetooth options.
That said, both Apple's and Sony's high-quality audio support is limited by device. You'll need an iPhone, iPad or Mac to make lossless wired audio work on the AirPods Max, and the XM6's support for wireless high-resolution audio and LDAC streaming is limited to select models, including Galaxy S-series phones and recent Google Pixel phones. Additionally, you'll have to manually enable that option in your phone's settings.
For those curious, both the XM6 and AirPods Max come with a USB-C charging cable, while the former includes a 3.5mm headphone cable.
TL;DR: Both let you listen over a wired cable, but go with the AirPods Max if you want to do that over USB-C.
When it comes to enabling special features for the AirPods Max and Sony XM6, you're more than likely to make the most of the former easily and give up on the latter quickly. This is partially due to how the AirPods Max are relatively simple and direct for Apple users, and appear in Apple's settings app and Control Center menus. In both, you can toggle noise cancellation and spatial audio on and off, and you can customize how the Digital Crown and Noise Control buttons work.
For the XM6, you'll download Sony's Sound Control utility (available on both iOS and Android) to discover its panoply of perks hidden in an app that's packed full of details and in desperate need of a redesign. That's where you find the Background Music feature that makes it sound like your music is coming from far away and Sony's Cinema setting that aims for spatial audio. The app also packs an equalizer, the Speak-to-Chat function that can get in the way if too many people are talking near you and Bluetooth connection quality that can allow you to prioritize a stable connection over sound quality if you're noticing dropouts in your tunes. Dig deeper in the app, though, and you'll find more customization tools that let you unlock new commands for the ANC button. I love that there's a lot here; I just wish it weren't all jammed together. But for as clumsy as the Sony app is, I'm happy to see it's available in both the Android and iOS app stores. In comparison, the AirPods Max only properly integrate with Apple devices.
If you care about voice assistants, know that the AirPods Max only natively support Siri, while the XM6 work with Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa.
TL;DR: Frankly, neither of these solutions is better than the other. I'd award proverbial points here if one company made a ton of features easily accessible in a well-designed app, but neither company hits that note, so nobody wins. I will give Sony credit for the feature that lets you enable transparency mode when you hold your hand over the XM6's right cup, though.
You'd think the 5-year-old AirPods Max, which debuted at $550, would have gone down in price by now, having only added USB-C over their tenure. Alas, that's not the case, and they still cost more than you'd expect. This puts them at $100 more than the Sony XM6, though I'm not exactly happy with Sony for charging $50 more for this pair than it did for the XM5 when they came out. We've seen the AirPods Max at around $450 during sales seasons, though, so shoppers who take their time may snag a victory.
TL;DR: Sony's high-quality headphones also cost $100 less.
During the middle of my battery test, when I relistened to TV on the Radio's excellent album 'Return to Cookie Mountain,' I was reminded how the AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM6 are both very good pairs of headphones. I could rattle off all of their specs, such as how the XM6 feature 12 microphones to the AirPods Max's eight, but that's not what you're here to hear, is it?
I've answered a lot of questions here, but I saved the best for last. Someone recently asked me what headphones I use every day, assuming I go for the AirPods Max since I keep an iPhone in my pocket, use Macs for my work and personal projects, and prefer iPads over even the best Android tablets. Surprisingly, though, I've chosen the Sony XM6 as my default over-ear noise-canceling headphones. The superior comfort, along with better noise cancellation and sound quality — plus a real carrying case — made it easier for me to break the Apple-shaped lock on my gadgetry.
Yes, everyone who lives in the Apple ecosystem would be happy to get the AirPods Max, but if they ever put on the Sony XM6 and realized how much more comfortable they are — and how great the sound and noise cancellation are? They too might be down to switch sides.
Audio
Songs: I listened to music using Apple Music with volume set to 50% throughout. The songs and podcasts I listened to included the following:
'Can't Help the Way I Feel' by Lily & Madeleine
'Congratulations (Remix)' by Post Malone (feat. Quavo and Future)
'NBA Playoffs' by Ghost Tour
'Bring the Noise' by Anthrax (feat. Public Enemy)
'So Excited' by Foxanne
'Wolf Like Me' by TV on the Radio
'House of the Rising Sun' by The Animals
Podcasts and YouTube: Sitting in as quiet a space as possible, I listened to multiple podcasts, with volume still set to 50%. Those podcasts included:
Fightful Select's Alex and Kate's Sour Graps: 'Raw 6/30 | Joke Book'
Better Offline: 'Did OpenAI Steal Another Startup's Idea?'
The New York Times' Modern Love: 'Miranda July Knew Exactly What She Was Doing'
Performance
Noise cancellation: I wore both of these headphones with ANC turned on for at least one hour on a recent flight. No music was playing during that time, so I could get a clear sense of what the noise cancellation was eliminating. I performed the same test on these headphones on the subway and at the office to get a sense of how they cut down sound in my day-to-day life.
Transparency: To how well the AirPods Max and Sony XM6 let in the sounds of the world, I walked around with their transparency modes enabled (and nothing playing) in the streets and subway trains of New York, as well as our offices.
Battery life: I listened to the same hour of music, with noise cancellation enabled and volume at 50%, on each pair of headphones. I then noted how much battery life was left on each and used this to create an estimate of how many hours of juice they have on a single charge.
Design
Hardware: From flexing the headband to repeatedly extending and closing the arms of the headphones, I checked how durable these headphones felt. I also used both headphones as my main pair for multiple commutes to see how they fit.
Software: I made sure I knew how to actually use the AirPods Max and Sony XM6's software-based features through Apple's settings menus and the Sony Sound Connect app.
Which headphones are the most durable: the AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6?
Which headphones are the most durable: the AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM6?
Both the AirPods Max and XM6 feel durable, but the former's metallic design gives it a bit more protection against drops and falls. For example, I once accidentally let my AirPods Max scrape against pavement for a little under a minute, and while there was some cosmetic damage, they still worked well. The AirPods Max headband, though, can show some discoloration and sag after years and years of use, but their ear cushions are easily replaceable in case they're damaged, while the XM6's ear pads are not. The XM6 haven't been out long enough to speak to their long-term durability. Neither headphones are designed for water resistance — so don't work out in them — and they're not dust-resistant either.
Do the Sony WH-1000XM6 or AirPods Max headphones have a USB-C port?
Do the Sony WH-1000XM6 or AirPods Max headphones have a USB-C port?
The Sony XM6 have a USB-C port, and the newer AirPods Max also have a USB-C port. The original AirPods Max charge over Apple's Lightning port.
Which headphones have the most battery life: the AirPods Max or the Sony WH-1000XM6?
Which headphones have the most battery life: the AirPods Max or the Sony WH-1000XM6?
Sony rates the XM6 for up to 40 hours of battery life, but with only 30 hours if you have ANC enabled. That's still better than Apple's estimate of up to 20 hours with ANC on.
CNN Underscored thoroughly tests the products we review and provides full transparency about our testing methodology. We're made up of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and writing product reviews, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted.
Electronics writer Henry T. Casey has reviewed tech for a decade, including home theater audio equipment, portable speakers and streaming devices. Casey goes the extra mile for headphones, having taken multiple pairs with him on vacation for this very article, and losing the bag space to fit them.