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The Sony WH-1000XM6 sounds better than the Apple AirPods Max, here's how
June 5, 2025
Those on the market for brand-new active noise canceling (ANC) headphones have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. But what about the top end? We pit the reigning champ of sound quality over the last 5 years against the new kid on the block, and the lab results show a consistent story: the Sony WH-1000XM6 sound quality is top-notch in this category.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 sounds very good compared to the Apple AirPods Max
While taste is in the ear of the beholder, there are some ways in which the Sony WH-1000XM6 has a clear advantage over the Apple AirPods Max. Even when you limit the discussion to what the masses might say, the consistent story we get via HEAD acoustics’ Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS) is that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be better received by more people than the Apple AirPods Max will be… but not by a huge amount.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 sounds better than the Apple AirPods Max… mostly
For the above reasons and more, we think that most people buying the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Apple AirPods Max will tend to prefer the sound of the former over the latter. However, the confounding factor of the USB lossless audio exists, as well as the user’s smartphone. Android users will undoubtedly want to use the Sony WH-1000XM6, and iPhone users might prefer the OS integrations of the Apple AirPods Max. But on a pure sound quality standpoint? The Sony WH-1000XM6 wins here.