If you're comparing these three heavyweights specifically for noise cancellation, the Sony WH-1000XM6 wins. But let's talk about what that actually means in practice.
Testing shows the XM6 blocks about 87% of external noise. The Bose QC Ultra hits around 85%. The AirPods Max falls slightly behind both. Those percentages sound close, but the difference is noticeable in challenging environments.
Why the XM6 is ahead:
Sony threw hardware at this problem. The XM6 has 12 microphones compared to the XM5's 8, and the new QN3 processor is reportedly 7x faster at processing ambient sound. More mics mean better sampling of what's happening around you, and faster processing means quicker adjustments.
What you'll actually notice:
On airplanes, the XM6 is remarkable. Jet engine drone essentially disappears. Crying babies become faint background noise. Air conditioning hum vanishes. Multiple users describe forgetting they were on a plane after wearing them for a couple hours.
The Bose QC Ultra is genuinely close. If you already own and like Bose headphones, you're not missing much. Some people prefer how the Bose sounds with ANC enabled because it has a warmer character.
The AirPods Max still works well, but Apple hasn't updated the hardware since 2020. The newer competitors have passed it in pure blocking ability.
The XM6's advantage:
The Adaptive NC Optimizer adjusts for wearing glasses or hats. Neither Bose nor Apple does this automatically. If you wear glasses, the XM6 notices the slight gap the arms create and compensates.
For pure noise cancellation, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is the best you can buy right now. Compare prices across retailers to find the best deal.
