Sony WH-1000XM6
Bluetooth: SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Battery life: 30hrs
Wired audio: No
Finishes: x 3
Weight: 254g
Sony's latest can't match the AirPods Max's stellar build quality, but they sound better, offer more features for users of all operating systems, and boast the superior noise cancellation and call quality. These will take some beating.
For
- Exceptional levels of detail
- Great sense of dynamism
- Spacious, musical sound
- Superb ANC and call quality
Against
- No aptX HD support
- No audio via USB-C
Apple AirPods Max
Bluetooth: AAC, SBC
Battery life: 20 hours
Wired audio: Yes
Finishes: x5
Weight: 385g
Five years, and still going strong. The AirPods Max remain some of the best wireless headphones in terms of build quality, but the market has moved on in terms of sound quality, call quality and noise cancellation. A pity the 2024 refresh didn't do more to address this.
For
- Great audio and noise-cancelling
- Cinematic spatial audio
- Exceptional premium build quality
Against
- Near-pointless case
- Need to buy 3.5mm audio cable separately
- Practically Apple-only
