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I have the XM4 which I purchased in Japan. No complaints for traveling and casual listening. For serious listening, it's always the Sennheiser HD650, hands down.
 
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I've been very happy with the XM4 and now I am very happy with the XM6, big improvement in microphone performance and ANC. I haven't tried the Apple headphones, so I can't compare them in terms of sound, ANC or microphone, but other sites that are not so focused on Apple products have always sung full praises to the Sony XM line. I think the Sony headphones deliver quite good value for the money, but I can see some of the advantages of the Apple headphones. For me I would wait until a full new version of the Apple headphones is released before considering those.
I have the XM4s and love them except for the microphone. I was hoping Sony would improve it, and it seems they have. Other reviews also indicate the XM6s are held in place better by a snugger fit, less reliant on the band. I appreciate that as well as even the lightweight starts to get uncomfortable atop my head after a while. Finally, the portability is hard to beat. As someone who was on a commuter plane a few times a week, space is a premium; Sonys are far more travel efficient.
 
After years of terrible struggles with AirPod Max, I finally went back to Sony XM6! I will never go back to Airpods, because if there’s something that Apple is not able to do well, it is anything related to sound… both Homepod and Airpods are terrible devices, and I truly regret that I ever bought them.
 
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both Homepod and Airpods are terrible devices, and I truly regret that I ever bought them.
I guess it’s subjective, I like my AirPod Max and HomePods.

Personally I’ve found my AirPod Max to be more durable and better sounding than the Bose Quiet Comfort I had before.
And I ditched my Sonos speakers for HomePods as they worked much better with my Apple TV and my family found them easier to use.
I’m not pretending either is perfect, but they work for me.

But we all have different likes and dislikes, so each to their own.👍
 
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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.
Wired headphones built to only be used in professional settings, mostly indoors, don't seem all that useful for how non-pro audio engineers typically use them.
 
My Bose QC35 II's are on their last leg, I need to get these Sonys. Marques Brownlee had a positive review of them
Gods gift to reviews. Rejoice.
He ain’t getting kickbacks. Nope. His ears just be loving it.

Wait for a legit scientific review like RTINGS.
 
"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."

The European Union already is forcing apple device swapping for third party brands. It will happen this year and MR knows this too. Dishonest advice is pretty lame. Shame on you MR!
EU FORCING. Europe is so crazy. But we dont know how that will actually be implemented and doubt it will be as clean. Just because they make it possible doesnt mean Apple is going to write the code for the other companies.
 
Would it really hurt the author to be honest and say the XM6 are better here? Apple news site aside, they surely should know when the competition is putting out a better product, especially when the Apple product hasn't even been updated properly in years.
Didn’t he say if your not in the Apple ecosystem to pick them?

Sound is subjective, that’s why it’s so hard to take headphone reviews at face value when it comes to sound. Battery life, connectivity, transparency, switching etc can all be objectively measured, the same with noise cancellation. When it comes to actual sound it’s best to try them to see if they click with you.
 
Didn’t he say if your not in the Apple ecosystem to pick them?

Sound is subjective, that’s why it’s so hard to take headphone reviews at face value when it comes to sound. Battery life, connectivity, transparency, switching etc can all be objectively measured, the same with noise cancellation. When it comes to actual sound it’s best to try them to see if they click with you.

Accurate sound reproduction IS NOT subjective and CAN be objectively measured

One may prefer music to sound different then the artists and mixing and mastering engineers intended. Or one may desire or require accommodations due to hearing impairment, either age related or otherwise
 
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On paper the XM6 are so much better. But I finally tried a pair on today and the pleather ear cups are just too hot. 15 minutes of wearing and my ears/around my ears were just too warm. APM are dated and overpriced, but I can wear them for a while, no problem.
 
Accurate sound reproduction IS NOT subjective and CAN be objectively measured

One may prefer music to sound different then the artists and mixing and mastering engineers intended. Or one may desire or require accommodations due to hearing impairment, either age related or otherwise
And here we go.
Sound reproduction may be measured scientifically.
But perception of that sound is subjective. That’s why there are thousands of loud speakers.
And the value of that sound varies wildly.

So that’s why people here spend $300-600 on headphones, whereas the mass population may not.
 
When I lived in LA I saw a shocking amount of APM so I suppose the weight doesn't matter for a good amount. It did keep me away from what I thought was otherwise a solid product though.
I think the weight is fine if you’re just using it for a short time showing off on the streets of LA or NYC. When you’re crossing the Atlantic or Pacific, the XM6 or Bose wins. Something for Apple to prioritize on in addition to shoving an H3 into it.
 
On paper the XM6 are so much better. But I finally tried a pair on today and the pleather ear cups are just too hot. 15 minutes of wearing and my ears/around my ears were just too warm. APM are dated and overpriced, but I can wear them for a while, no problem.
That’s probably the reason I’ll stick with my AirPods Pro 2, perhaps with an upgrade to the APP3 later this year until Apple fixes the flaws of the first generation APM with the highly anticipated APM2.
 
Having both, I give an edge to Sony this time around. I don't think device switching or ecosystem affordances edge my APM over the sound and ANC. But ears being unique ymmv. Also APM.are heavy and not great for extended sessions
ymmv? what does that mean
 
I think it's a shame that neither the Airpods Max nor the Sony XM3/XM5 with Windows 11 are able to offer CD sound quality from the microphone via Bluetooth if you want to use the headset for Zoom or MS Teams Session, for example. The microphone recording still sounds as if you are talking on the phone from the 1970s. This still seems to be a limitation of Bluetooth. A great, great pity.
 
Accurate sound reproduction IS NOT subjective and CAN be objectively measured

One may prefer music to sound different then the artists and mixing and mastering engineers intended. Or one may desire or require accommodations due to hearing impairment, either age related or otherwise
How people perceive sounds is subjective.
Some have musical preference, some hear different frequencies less than others.
So yes, the actual subs can be scientifically measured, how it sounds to people is not so easy to definitely state.

An audio professional or musician may hear things differently to a casual listener.
And someone with issues with certain frequencies may miss stuff at the treble/bass ends.

If it was easy, then we’d all be choosing headphones on styling and not talking about sound at all.
👍
 
Anyone know if you can attach a boom mic to the 3.5 jack of the XM6? All these over the ear options are great except I’d like a decent mic for Teams calls that doesn’t pick up everyone else in the office
 
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