Sony's New WH-1000XM6 Headphones vs. AirPods Max

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.

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.