Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST experience with the Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods Max and tell you which is better, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.
I’ll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling performance, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I’ll share which is the best overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
I’ve also conducted a separate in-depth Sony WH-1000XM6 Review and Apple AirPods Max Review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)
Key Takeaways
- Sony WH-1000XM6 has better lightweight comfort, superior noise cancelling performance, and better sound quality, mainly due to its more impressive bass response.
- Apple AirPods Max has superior build quality with more premium materials, Dolby Atmos support, and Apple ecosystem connectivity.
- The newer Sony XM6 is between $30 to $100 cheaper than the AirPods Max, based on current market prices.
Watch the Full Comparison on YouTube!
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Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods Max Price Compared
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is about $30 to $100 cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max at current market prices for brand new. They can be much closer in price depending on current sales, and whether you’re buying new, renewed, or used.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Prices
- Retail: $449.99
- New: $448
- Used: $443 (save up to $5!)
Apple AirPods Max Prices
- Retail: $549.00
- New: $480
- Renewed: $380 (save up to $100!)
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Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort
On my scale, the Sony XM6 is 135 grams lighter than the AirPods Max:
- Sony WH-1000XM6 weight: 252.8 grams
- Apple AirPods Max weight: 387.8 grams
Heavy. That is the first thought that comes to mind when wearing the AirPods Max back to back with the newer Sony XM6.
135 grams is one of the biggest weight differences in this class, as the APM is the heaviest, while XM6 is one of the lightest tested.
The AirPods Max has minimal top of head pressure due to a good headband design, but you certainly feel the weight in the aluminum earcups along with decent clamping force from the factory.
The XM6 has a lot of clamping force from the factory, a lack of cushioning, and less interior earcup space, so my ears are pressing against the fabric inside.
Sony improved the headband design over the XM5 so it has less top of head pressure than before.
That said, I expect the clamping force to loosen up over time like the previous-generation XM5. After this, the XM6 should settle into being one of the more comfortable headphones in its class, due to its light weight.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Comfort: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
These are both modern headphones with roughly the same features such as built-in microphones for calls, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency Mode.
The AirPods Max has Spatial Audio with true Dolby Atmos support, a feature not found on the XM6.
But one feature I love about the Sony XM6 is a new “Cinema Mode” that adds its own spatial audio effect that is perfect for watching movies, TV, and even just YouTube.
The XM6 folds and collapses into a compact hardshell case, while the AirPods Max does not, and instead features the notorious “Smart Case”.
Build Quality
One area that justifies the AirPods Max’s premium pricetag is its excellent build quality and use of materials like stainless steel hinges, and aluminum in the earcups.
The Sony XM6 feels very similar and plasticky to the XM5, with a slight upgrade to the hinges with the addition of a small aluminum piece that is supposed to reinforce them, hopefully fixing the “broken hinge issue” of the XM5.
The XM6 simply feels cheap for $450 headphones, and I’d feel much more confident in the AirPods Max in the long-term.
Looks
I prefer the more fashionable and distinct design of the AirPods Max over the XM6, which easily looks and feels more premium as a whole.
It’s safe to say the APM is much more of a “fashion statement” than the XM6.
The XM6 has these large earcups that stick out just a bit.
Also, the XM6’s material seems to be a bit of a fingerprint magnet.
Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods Max Battery Life Compared
The Sony XM6 has up to 10 hours more battery life than the AirPods Max on a single charge.
- Sony WH-1000XM6 Battery Life: Up to 30 hours
- Apple AirPods Max Battery Life: Up to 20 hours
In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate, although the AirPods Max is more susceptible to battery drain due to no true “OFF” mode.
The Sony XM6 has a decent advantage here, but both are overshadowed by the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at 60 hours.
Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods Max Noise Cancelling Performance: Which is better?
The anticipation was high for the XM6, as the previous-generation XM5 was world-class for its noise cancelling performance, about tied with the Bose QC Ultra.
To my surprise, the improvement in the Sony XM6’s noise cancelling performance seems more marginal, maybe 10% better than the XM5 and QC Ultra.
That said, the XM6 still has the best active noise cancelling performance that we’ve tested to date.
Also, he transparency mode has been greatly improved in the XM6 over the muffled transparency on the XM5, and seems on par or slightly better than the AirPods Max’s very good Transparency mode.
On the other hand, the AirPods Max has very good, but not quite elite active noise cancelling IMO.
I much prefer either Sony or Bose ANC headphones for flights, but the APM can handle everyday environments with decent effectiveness. I think the APM doesn’t create as strong of a physical seal with its fabric earcups.
Bottomline, the XM6 has the stronger, more effective active noise cancelling performance over the AirPods Max.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 5 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Apple AirPods Max Sound Quality Comparison
On the Stock Sound…
Out of the box, I do prefer the Sony XM6’s more balanced tonality and fuller sound over the Apple AirPods Max.
The AirPods Max pushes forward a lot of treble energy, with slightly recessed mids, and a nice upper bass bump, but lacking in sub-bass quantity and slam.
Meanwhile, the XM6 is a warmer, darker, and ultimately smoother sound signature stock. It’s more balanced and closer to neutral than the slightly hyped APM.
Now, one big advantage the Sony XM6 has over the APM is a new 10-band EQ inside the Sony smartphone app.
Using the app, I’ve spent some time to develop some custom EQ settings for various genres, and am very happy with the additional sound quality extracted from the XM6.
Unfortunately for the AirPods Max, there is no native built-in custom EQ, so it will just have to be tested stock.
The rest of this comparison will be using the EQ settings linked below.
Links to Latest Equalizer Settings
Links open in a new tab. Scroll down to the “Sound Quality” portion to see the settings.
Comparing Sound Quality After EQ…
Off the bat, Sony having a rather generous 10-band EQ is an immediate sound quality advantage over the more-limited AirPods Max. It simply offers much more flexibility and fine-tuning for our listening preferences.
Just like with the stock sound comparison, the Sony jumps out to me as having the fuller sound across the spectrum, with a much more powerful and deeper bass response.
To me, the XM6’s bass is its biggest strength, having more visceral impact, slam, and quantity than any headphone under $600 in this class. It’s simply great at moving more air than the AirPods Max.
The APM’s bass is a cleaner, more upper-bass forward sound that is focused more on bass kicks as opposed to low frequency sub-bass. The XM6 goes all the way down low in impressive fashion.
Now one surprising advantage of the APM when listening back-to-back is immediately better separation and layering than the XM6, due to its detailed and focused treble.
The XM6 has slightly more resolution, but it can come off a bit more compressed or muffled sounding, depending on the track. To my ear, the APM is the more “open-sounding” with better spacing.
XM6 has a tendency to sound “in your face”.
Also, one caveat to the XM6 is that it struggles with sibilance and harshness in the treble. This is readily apparent from the stock sound, but can be improved greatly with EQ, thankfully.
Overall, I slightly prefer the more detailed and slightly smoother treble of the APM, but lean towards the XM6 overall for its mids and definitely the bass.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Sound Quality: 9.0 out of 10 (after EQ)
Apple AirPods Max Sound Quality: 8.5 out of 10
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
Value
At the time of this writing, the Sony WH-1000XM6 retails for $449.99, while the AirPods Max retails at $549 USD.
Based on current market prices, the AirPods Max is actually down closer to $480 brand new, with the newer XM6 still close to retail at $448.
No question, the XM6 is a better dollar value, as its cheaper than the APM while having superior comfort, noise cancelling performance, and sound quality.
But, the APM still justifies its pricetag by having much higher build quality, effortless Apple ecosystem connectivity, and Dolby Atmos support.
Sony WH-1000XM6 Value: 4.0 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Value: 3.5 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
Sony WH-1000XM6 Overall Rating
- Excellent sound quality after EQ
- Best noise cancelling available
- Lightweight
- Hinge issue has been improved
- Clamping force
- Small interior earcup space
- Sibilance without EQ
- Smaller soundstage
Apple AirPods Max Overall Rating
- Excellent sound quality
- Very good noise cancelling
- Switches easily between Apple devices
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support
- Expensive!
- Worse noise cancelling than Sony/Bose
- Heavy, less comfortable than Sony/Bose
Overall Winner: Sony WH-1000XM6
The newer Sony WH-1000XM6 ups the ante and comes out victorious over the aging Apple AirPods Max.
At around $30 to $100 cheaper, the XM6 simply offers a better overall package of lightweight comfort, superior noise cancelling performance, and better sound quality.
The AirPods Max still has its redeeming qualities, namely its premium build quality and Apple ecosystem convenience.
Personally, I would put my money towards the XM6 these days, but would be very curious to see what Apple comes up with next with the inevitable AirPods Max 2.
At this price range, definitely worth taking a look at the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and both Bowers and Wilkins Px8 and Px7 S3 as well.
Some very Strong Alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Bowers and Wilkins Px8
- Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e
- Sonos Ace
- Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sony WH-1000XM4
- Bose QuietComfort (2023 model)
- Beats Studio Pro
Some Relevant Comparisons in this class of noise cancelling headphones are:
- Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM5
- Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S3
- Sony WH-1000XM6 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4
- Sony WH-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM4
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra
- Sonos Ace vs AirPods Max
I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $40 with LIKE NEW!
Want to save up to an additional $100?
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase all of the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, musician, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Review
Bowers and Wilkins Px7 S2e Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM5
