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Sony's New WH-1000XM6 Headphones vs. AirPods Max
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This is basically consistent with my experience. I think I tried to lug the AirPods Max on a plane 2 times. The noise cancelling was better than that in the headphones you get in business class, but way below the Sony XM4 or even early versions of Bose QC.
the XM6 so far have been a little bit better than the XM4 around the house, but not sigh a huge difference. I’m eager to try them on a plane.
XM6 still digs a little compared to the XM4, but it’s way better than XM5 which was too slim i think.
APM and XM5 owner. I loved my APMs, but there are just too many unjustifiable compromises for me:
– the device switching is appalling, and I'm yet to find any way to tame them. It's gotten worse too with time. They were okay for the first 12-18 months, but now I am perpetually baffled by them
– not being able to switch them off fully is just completely daft. Who ever thought this was a good feature?
– the case is a complete travesty, we all know that.
– I personally didn't mind the weight, but they are heavy, and you really realise that when you switch to the XMs at approx half the weight
– the battery life just doesn't stack up vs the XMs
– the XM5s aren't massively portable owing to the lack of fold, and I know the XM6s fix this. The APMs are just not very portable, full stop
– $550/£500 is a laughable price now, five years on. I know the XM6s have gone up since the last gen, but they still come in cheaper, will rarely be sold at RRP and pack masses more features/benefits than five-year-old APMs
– comfort is pretty comparable. I love the wider headband on the APMs, but the more padded, narrower one on the XM5s is great. I've never had any discomfort issues. As a glasses wearer, I suffer a bit of discomfort with both, but the XMs are better in this respect, the ear cups tend to mold to the glasses frame better than the APMs
– I listen to music on my headphones for 6-8 hours a day, but I'm no audiophile really. The sound is pretty comparable on the too, I feel. And you can tailor the XMs more.
I'll probs skip the XM6s given my XM5s are still just fine, but maybe I'll pick them up late cycle (kind of keen to see how those fold down hinges last...)
– the device switching is appalling, and I'm yet to find any way to tame them. It's gotten worse too with time. They were okay for the first 12-18 months, but now I am perpetually baffled by them
– not being able to switch them off fully is just completely daft. Who ever thought this was a good feature?
– the case is a complete travesty, we all know that.
– I personally didn't mind the weight, but they are heavy, and you really realise that when you switch to the XMs at approx half the weight
– the battery life just doesn't stack up vs the XMs
– the XM5s aren't massively portable owing to the lack of fold, and I know the XM6s fix this. The APMs are just not very portable, full stop
– $550/£500 is a laughable price now, five years on. I know the XM6s have gone up since the last gen, but they still come in cheaper, will rarely be sold at RRP and pack masses more features/benefits than five-year-old APMs
– comfort is pretty comparable. I love the wider headband on the APMs, but the more padded, narrower one on the XM5s is great. I've never had any discomfort issues. As a glasses wearer, I suffer a bit of discomfort with both, but the XMs are better in this respect, the ear cups tend to mold to the glasses frame better than the APMs
– I listen to music on my headphones for 6-8 hours a day, but I'm no audiophile really. The sound is pretty comparable on the too, I feel. And you can tailor the XMs more.
I'll probs skip the XM6s given my XM5s are still just fine, but maybe I'll pick them up late cycle (kind of keen to see how those fold down hinges last...)
What I really wished Sony would have done was update the XM3/4 physical headphones with the XM6 ANC chip, extra microphones, and new drivers. IMO that physical design was just about perfect compromise for fit, comfort, durability and travel packability.
I ordered mine a few days ago, and they were supported to arrive yesterday (23/6). I got an email in the morning saying just "your order has been cancelled" with no explanation as to why or anything.
I ordered again, and it's now due to arrive any minute now. It's £399 in the UK (including taxes) so possibly a bit cheaper than the US. I went for this rather than the Airpods pro max because the reviews were favourable about the sound quality, and they're much lighter (254g vs 385g). The other thing that put me off about the airpods was the ridiculous case.
I already have airpods pro 2, which I use in bed and can fall asleep with without hurting my ears when I lie on my side, so I know about all the advantages of seamless device switching etc but it's not such a big deal for me.
Well, I'll probably post a review in here. I've never had over-ear headphones (well not in the last 10 years or so), so it'll be a new-ish experience for me
I ordered again, and it's now due to arrive any minute now. It's £399 in the UK (including taxes) so possibly a bit cheaper than the US. I went for this rather than the Airpods pro max because the reviews were favourable about the sound quality, and they're much lighter (254g vs 385g). The other thing that put me off about the airpods was the ridiculous case.
I already have airpods pro 2, which I use in bed and can fall asleep with without hurting my ears when I lie on my side, so I know about all the advantages of seamless device switching etc but it's not such a big deal for me.
Well, I'll probably post a review in here. I've never had over-ear headphones (well not in the last 10 years or so), so it'll be a new-ish experience for me
Actually the Sony's have fast switching. It works for only 2 devices, but is working well.
I’m sure the Sony headphones are good, but I’ll stick with my AirPods Max.
I the design and build quality of the AirPods Max, and sound and noise cancellation is really good.
I the design and build quality of the AirPods Max, and sound and noise cancellation is really good.
I know this is an Apple site. This product comparison looks completely useless to me as the APM are considered more on them being Apple then on product quality.
Btw, why would you replace XM4 with XM5 or XM6? The incremental improvements have been minimal in recent years. The only reason I see to upgrade would be to have the shiniest newest toy.
Btw, why would you replace XM4 with XM5 or XM6? The incremental improvements have been minimal in recent years. The only reason I see to upgrade would be to have the shiniest newest toy.
Reminds me of when I downloaded the Bose app to be able to use the headphones a few years ago. It was 2 GB and when I would walk away from the computer it would decide to blast the sound to my coworkers.
Apple really needs to make an Airpods Max 2 (not the refresh with USB C and minor tweeks), like a substantial generational upgrade. Or make a new version and rebrand them, like name them Airpods Studio, or something.
Airpods Max are really cool, but they're lacking in areas.
I can't get over the fact that there is no manual power off, I lost a lot of battery in the early days of this. The case is also pretty poor, but I am glad third parties make good options. Need to do something about reducing the weight too, the design is stylish but not at the cost of weight and comfort; I will take comfort and lighter weight on my head over the style and finish of APM.
Outdated bluetooth and also worse battery life need to be addressed in a new generation product.
I am not even getting into the fact they need to fold; I have XM5's and they don't fold, but it's nice to see the XM6's fold again like the prior devices such as the XM4's, etc.
Also Macrumors comparing the MSRP price of the Sony headphones to a sale price of the APM as if the Sony's won't go on sale like they do, especially around the holidays.
This article really was just iterating APM have a lot of tradeoffs and worse aspects, but at least they look cool, even if they put much more weight on your head and are a part of Apple's ecosystem.
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to diss anyone with APM who love them or the product together. I want a better Airpods Max. I would probably be there day 1 if there was a new generation of APM that weighed less, had improved battery with a manual power off button, an actual carrying case to secure the whole product, better bluetooth, etc. The only piece of the APM I actively dislike is the top cloth headband piece. I don't even need them to fold, but it's an added bonus if they can make that happen on a future version.
Airpods Max are really cool, but they're lacking in areas.
I can't get over the fact that there is no manual power off, I lost a lot of battery in the early days of this. The case is also pretty poor, but I am glad third parties make good options. Need to do something about reducing the weight too, the design is stylish but not at the cost of weight and comfort; I will take comfort and lighter weight on my head over the style and finish of APM.
Outdated bluetooth and also worse battery life need to be addressed in a new generation product.
I am not even getting into the fact they need to fold; I have XM5's and they don't fold, but it's nice to see the XM6's fold again like the prior devices such as the XM4's, etc.
Also Macrumors comparing the MSRP price of the Sony headphones to a sale price of the APM as if the Sony's won't go on sale like they do, especially around the holidays.
This article really was just iterating APM have a lot of tradeoffs and worse aspects, but at least they look cool, even if they put much more weight on your head and are a part of Apple's ecosystem.
Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to diss anyone with APM who love them or the product together. I want a better Airpods Max. I would probably be there day 1 if there was a new generation of APM that weighed less, had improved battery with a manual power off button, an actual carrying case to secure the whole product, better bluetooth, etc. The only piece of the APM I actively dislike is the top cloth headband piece. I don't even need them to fold, but it's an added bonus if they can make that happen on a future version.
Not many people mention it, but I just love the “Spatial Audio” feature on both my AirPods Max and Pro’s.
There is no way I am giving up that with any alternative headphones/earphones when listening to Apple Music or watching movies / TV shows on streaming services.
It’s a joy to hear multichannel content in “Spatial Audio”, and any other stereo content in “Spatial Stereo” for me.
There is no way I am giving up that with any alternative headphones/earphones when listening to Apple Music or watching movies / TV shows on streaming services.
It’s a joy to hear multichannel content in “Spatial Audio”, and any other stereo content in “Spatial Stereo” for me.
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How do you like the px7 s2e? I read up on the s3 but I also read they are suppose to come out with a px8 upgrade this year but knows for sure.
Well it arrived, and not surprisingly, I really like it. The sound is different from the airpods pro 2 I ususally use - I'm not used to cans. A quick fiddle with the EQ makes it more to my liking.
Controls: still trying to get the hand of these touch controls. Keeps skippng tracks
Sound: excellent, well defined, bass is not too heavy, higher frequencies are detailed.
Comfort: very good, more on that later
Inelegant looking but more practical in terms of weight is their point. For example, for the type of user who doesn’t wear them for a very long time APM might be the better design for you. The biggest problem may not even be the weight as much as the price. The case for the APM is offensive and embarrassing.
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MY OLD iPod had an equalizer. Why can’t my Apple ecosystem devices handle this ?
Sony recently came out with a new set of high-end over-ear noise canceling headphones, so we thought we'd compare them to the AirPods Max to see how Sony's 2025 headphones measure up to Apple's headphones that haven't seen a notable update since their 2020 launch.
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The WH-1000XM6 headphones are the latest in Sony's WH-1000X headphone series, and Sony hasn't gotten better at naming in the three years since the prior-generation WH-1000XM5 headphones came out. Sony increased the price when it launched the XM5 headphones in 2022, and the price is going up again. The XM6 headphones are now $450, which isn't too far off of the AirPods Max price if you get them on sale. Apple's retail price is still $549, but Amazon and other retailers often sell them for less.
With the XM5, Sony did away with the option to fold the ear cups in, but that's been reversed with the XM6. The ear cups do fold, so the XM6 headphones are more portable than the AirPods Max, which do not fold. The AirPods Max "case" has been derided for years for its silly, non-protective design, and the XM6 have a much better case. Sony's case has a pleasing, rounded design with hardshell protection for the headphones and a slim fit thanks to the folding design. There's a little pocket inside to hold a USB-C cable for charging, and to make the headphones easier to access, the case is magnetic instead of using a zipper.
Apple still wins when it comes to design because of the aluminum build of the AirPods Max, but the XM6 headphones are more comfortable to wear for long periods of time since they're lighter.
The AirPods Max have always had excellent sound quality, but the XM6 also sound great. Sony's headphones have an advantage because there is an option to adjust the EQ and fine tune sound through the Sound Connect app.
Both sets of headphones are about equal when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation, though the AirPods Max may have a bit of an edge. It's impressive that Apple's 2020 ANC is on par with 2025 ANC from Sony. The XM6 headphones have a Transparency mode like the AirPods Max, so you can have sound cut through when needed. Transparency works well on the XM6, coming close to the AirPods Max transparency. There's also a Background Noise option that plays music at a low level so you can still carry on conversations.
Battery life has improved since Apple released the AirPods Max, and the XM6 headphones last for up to 30 hours with ANC on. The AirPods Max only last for up to 20 hours with ANC active. Both the AirPods Max and the XM6 charge over USB-C, but AirPods Max also use USB-C for wired connectivity. On the XM6, there's a wired option, but you need to use a 3.5mm audio cable.
Music controls are swipe-based, so you need to swipe to change the volume and swap tracks. Sony did put a physical off button on the XM6 headphones, which isn't something that's available with the AirPods Max.
The AirPods Max have benefits in the Apple ecosystem like instant connection and fast device swapping, and that's something that's lacking with the Sony headphones. If you have a lot of Apple products and don't mind the weight of the AirPods Max, you might prefer them to the XM6. If you're not swapping devices often and prefer a more comfortable fit, the XM6 are the better headphones.
What do you think of Sony's latest headphones? Let us know in the comments below.
Article Link: Sony's New WH-1000XM6 Headphones vs. AirPods Max
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Thanks! That sounds like my Bose 35s. Really loved them.
Yeah, I always use my oldest headphones outside in Phoenix, I'm not sure anything over the ear can be made comfy and noise cancelling in hot weather.
Also a fan of the Quiet Comforts. Have 35s, the newest QC, and the Ultra.
Quite happy, though I do like the APM sound quality.
If you work in the audio business, there are only a few different headphones you would ever use. None of them cost $200. Musicians working in a studio, recording engineers in studios and the "sound guy" on a motion picture set all need very high quality headphones and have the budget to buy whatever is best.
Sony makes one of these "industry standard" headphones used in the motion picture, news, and documentary fields. They are good.
What is funny is how these companies can make consumers pay double for something that has an "other-than-standard" sound.
This has been an industry standard for decades.
electronics.sony.com
Sony makes one of these "industry standard" headphones used in the motion picture, news, and documentary fields. They are good.
What is funny is how these companies can make consumers pay double for something that has an "other-than-standard" sound.
This has been an industry standard for decades.
Sony Professional Stereo Monitor Headphones | MDR-7506
The MDR-7506 is a large diaphragm foldable headphone designed for professional studio and live/broadcast applications.
electronics.sony.com