Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: I tried the two best ANC headphones, and this pair wins

Jada JonesZDNET

A brace of headphones with beardown noise-canceling capabilities is indispensable for anyone who needs to occasionally tune retired the satellite astir them. If sound cancellation is astatine the apical of your "must-haves" erstwhile buying a brace of over-ear headphones, 2 options connection the champion of the best.

Also: I thought Bose had perfected sound canceling - past I listened to these headphones

The latest Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra connection the industry's champion sound cancellation. However, determination are plentifulness of differences successful style, artillery life, and bundle features betwixt the 2 that you should see earlier paying $400+ for either pair. Although Bose has since released the second-gen QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, you shouldn't wholly constitute disconnected the first-generation headphones. Here's however they comparison to Sony's latest release.

Specifications

You should bargain the Sony WH-1000XM6 if...

Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. You privation a longer artillery life

The Sony XM6 committedness 30 hours of artillery beingness with sound cancellation enabled, portion the Bose QC Ultra committedness 24. You tin widen the XM6's artillery beingness to 40 hours by turning disconnected sound cancellation, portion Bose doesn't connection an enactment to crook disconnected the feature, capping the QC Ultra's artillery astatine 24 hours.

Review: Sony WH-1000XM6

However, some headphones connection proprietary spatial audio exertion that depletes artillery beingness quicker erstwhile turned on. Noise cancellation, measurement levels, and telephone telephone frequence impact artillery performance, truthful powerfulness users whitethorn drain their batteries faster than the provided numbers. Ultimately, your mileage whitethorn alteration crossed some pairs, but the specs thin successful favour of Sony.

2. Sound prime is simply a precocious priority

Although Bose's QC Ultra are the company's best-sounding user headphones, Sony's XM6 wage much attraction to dependable quality. The XM6 are equipped with Sony's DSEE Extreme upscaling exertion that promises to heighten compressed integer audio quality, similar the ones you perceive to connected Spotify.

Additionally, the XM6 person Sony's higher-quality Bluetooth codec, LDAC, which allows for higher-quality audio transmission via Bluetooth. The XM6 besides debuted with the LC3 Bluetooth codec, which prioritizes businesslike powerfulness consumption. Select Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy users tin instrumentality vantage of the XM6's LC3 compatibility. 

3. You privation newer audio tech

Sony's XM6 debuted successful 2025, portion Bose's flagship headphones released successful precocious 2023. Sony promises much precocious technologies for its noise-canceling processing algorithm, spatial audio protocol, and dependable engineering. 

Also: Your Sony headphones conscionable got a utile Bluetooth upgrade with the latest bundle patch

Additionally, Sony's XM6 debuted with a caller Head Gestures diagnostic that allows users to judge oregon contradict incoming telephone calls by nodding oregon shaking their head. 

You should bargain the Bose QuietComfort Ultra if...

Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. You worth benignant and color

Sony's flagship WH-1000X bid headphones person a famously nondescript design, omitting flashy accents oregon brightly colored, accented finishes. Bose's QC Ultra headphones are often rereleased successful caller colors and diagnostic aluminum accents connected the headband hinges, creating an elevated yet casual and sporty look.

2. You privation a much adjustable ANC

Bose and Sony supply users with beardown and effectual sound cancellation, but sometimes you consciousness similar Goldilocks: You don't privation to perceive everything, but you besides don't privation to not hear anything. It needs to beryllium conscionable right. 

Review: Why these Bose headphones are inactive the champion I've listened to - adjacent though they're a twelvemonth old

Sony lone allows users to set the Ambient Noise setting, which dictates however overmuch outer sound you tin hear. However, there's nary enactment to set sound cancellation, and being successful nationalist with this beardown of ANC isn't ever ideal.

Bose's companion app allows you to make listening modes and customize sound cancellation levels depending connected your location, tasks, oregon mood. Additionally, Bose's ActiveSense diagnostic acts arsenic adaptive sound cancellation, employing noise-canceling techniques if your situation gets excessively loud.

3. You're buying connected a budget

At afloat price, Bose's flagship headphones are conscionable a fewer dollars disconnected from Sony's XM6, but the QC Ultra are often discounted to arsenic debased arsenic $279 portion they're marked for clearance. That's a fantastic terms for a great-sounding brace of headphones.

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