I tested the AirPods Max 2, Sony XM6, and Bose Ultra 2: Why Bose is my top pick

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Sony, Bose, and Apple person each released the latest procreation of their over-ear headphones wrong the past year. With Apple's merchandise of the AirPods Max 2, the trifecta is complete. If you're acceptable to upgrade your over-ear headphones and are weighing your options betwixt Sony's WH-1000XM6, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), and Apple's AirPods Max 2, you person immoderate superior decisions to make.

Also: I replaced my Sony WH-1000XM6 with the AirPods Max 2 for a week - and didn't miss a beat

I've worn each three, and each has its ain acceptable of strengths and weaknesses. Generally, Bose offers the astir versatility, Sony offers the astir audio customization, and Apple offers the champion acquisition for Apple users.

If you don't person Apple devices, see yourself fortunate that your options are down to Sony and Bose. You tin find our elaborate examination betwixt the QC Ultra 2 and WH-1000XM6 here. If you person astatine slightest an iPhone, let's get into a three-way comparison.

Here's however to find which 1 you should buy, based connected however each exemplary excels and falls level successful the existent world.

Specifications

You should bargain the AirPods Max 2 if...

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1. You person an expansive Apple ecosystem

The AirPods Max 2 are champion suited for those with respective Apple devices, specified arsenic an iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Apple TV. Each of these devices offers caller AirPods Max capabilities, specified arsenic low-latency gaming, near-real-time audio editing, and watching TV and movies successful Spatial Audio. If you often enactment and play crossed respective Apple-made screens, you'll find the astir inferior successful the AirPods Max 2 wrong and extracurricular the house.

Review: Apple AirPods Max 2

Though you tin link the AirPods Max 2 to non-Apple devices via Bluetooth, you'll miss retired connected the precise features worthy $549, including Siri, Spatial Audio, Live Translation, Adaptive Audio, and more. If your lone Apple instrumentality is an iPhone, but you inactive privation AirPods, see the AirPods Pro 3.

2. Spatial Audio is astir important to you

Apple's Personalized Spatial Audio is unmatched, portion its competitors don't clasp a candle to it. The AirPods Max 2's upgraded audio show and processing are connected afloat show erstwhile consuming media successful Spatial Audio, with wide entity imaging and clarity. Apple licenses Dolby Atmos, meaning its Spatial Audio technologies tin "read" Dolby Atmos data.

Also: Do Apple's caller AirPods Max 2 bushed the AirPods Pro 3? I've tried both, here's my take

Conversely, Sony and Bose connection proprietary spatial audio formats, foregoing Dolby Atmos licensing successful favour of in-house upmixing. As a result, its spatial audio formats are hit-or-miss and not astir arsenic lively oregon realistic arsenic Apple's. However, Spatial Audio connected the AirPods Max 2 is unavailable connected non-Apple devices.

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

Jada Jones/ZDNET

1. Customization is cardinal

Sony's WH-1000XM6 are highly customizable and feature-rich, giving users an elaborate in-app equalizer and the quality to set sound cancellation spot based connected determination and definite behaviors. Additionally, Sony offers respective audio formats for wireless listening, including its DSEE Extreme to heighten the prime of compressed files, higher-quality LDAC and LC3 codecs, Auracast, and AAC and SBC.

Review: Sony WH-1000XM6

On the different hand, Apple and Bose person much constricted customization options: Bose offers a constricted EQ lone for bass, mids, and treble, and Apple offers EQ presets with an Apple Music subscription. Additionally, Apple limits users to the AAC and SBC codecs, portion Bose offers AAC, SBC, and AptX Adaptive.

2. You usage Android and Windows devices

With astir people's anchor device, arsenic successful the instrumentality they physique their idiosyncratic instrumentality ecosystem around, being a smartphone, Sony's WH-1000XM6 connection the astir inferior to Android users. 

Although Android and iOS users tin entree the XM6's big of features, including Bluetooth Multipoint, adaptive sound cancellation, gaming mode, and more, Android users tin maximize the XM6's compatible Bluetooth codecs.

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

Most Android phones enactment Sony's LDAC and Bluetooth's LC3 codecs for higher-quality wireless audio streaming. Though Samsung phones usage Qualcomm chips, Samsung does not licence AptX codecs successful favour of its proprietary codecs, and chips wrong Google Pixel phones bash not enactment AptX. 

So, with Bose and Apple, astir Android users are stuck with SBC oregon AAC, which tin beryllium hit-or-miss connected Android.

Also, Sony caters to Android and Windows users with Bluetooth Multipoint, Windows Swift Pair, and Google Fast Pair. The XM6 headphones besides enactment caput tracking successful LE Audio, Gemini Live, Head Gestures, and Speak-to-Chat, mirroring Apple's Spatial Audio with Head Tracking, Siri Interactions, and Conversation Awareness.

You should bargain the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) if...

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1. Comfort is nonnegotiable

Bose did not see the connection "comfort" successful its merchandise sanction successful vain. Bose's headphones are precise comfortable, and its premium QC Ultra 2 headphones diagnostic plushy, roomy earcups, a lightweight build, and a gentle, relaxed clamping force. They're casual to deterioration for hours astatine a time, making them a large prime for working, traveling, and commuting.

Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

Conversely, I recovered the Sony XM6 to person a tighter clamping unit that squeezed my glasses into unit points astir my ears, causing discomfort wrong the archetypal hr of wear. Apple's AirPods Max 2 diagnostic the aforesaid value organisation and acceptable arsenic the archetypal generation, and its notably weighty earcups tin origin fatigue for immoderate aft a fewer hours.

2. You person an iPhone and different non-Apple devices

If your instrumentality ecosystem's anchor is an iPhone, but you person a non-Apple desktop, laptop, tablet, oregon TV, you'll find the astir inferior with Bose's premium headphones. These headphones enactment the AAC codec, which is the superior Bluetooth codec for iOS, offering higher-quality audio and powerfulness depletion than SBC.

Also: Bose's QuietComfort Ultra shows the institution inactive outperforms Apple successful 1 cardinal area

Bose upgraded its second-gen over-ears with USB-C audio support, including 16-bit/48kHz lossless audio. If the remainder of your instrumentality ecosystem consists of non-Apple devices, you volition not suffer the QC Ultra 2's diagnostic acceptable portion connected to it, including Immersive Audio, ANC, ActiveSense, Cinema Mode, and more.

Writer's prime

Out of the 3 flagship headphones from Apple, Sony, and Bose, I similar the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen). 

I delegate each of my regular audio tasks -- chiefly consisting of hands-free telephone calls and listening to euphony portion exercising -- to my AirPods Pro 3. That leaves tasks specified arsenic listening portion moving and traveling to my Bose QC Ultra 2, which are much comfy to deterioration for hours than Sony's and Apple's latest headphones. 

Unlike the AirPods Max 2, the Bose QC Ultra 2 clasp a 3.5mm headphone jack to link to a plane's infotainment system, and dissimilar the WH-1000XM6, the Bose QC Ultra 2 diagnostic USB-C audio to ligament to my iPhone 17.