I Tested Bose And Sony's Flagship Headphones For Months - How Each Wins (or Falls Flat)

5 days ago

Bose QC Ultra (left); Bose QC Ultra 2 (right)

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Bose's and Sony's flagship headphones are exceptional successful their ain right.
Bose's action appeals much to laid-back listeners who prioritize comfortableness and simplicity.
Sony's action appeals to headphone enthusiasts who prioritize customization and utility.

Sony's and Bose's latest headphones are immoderate of nan champion noise-canceling headphones you tin buy. On paper, Sony wins successful respective categories for its precocious audio features and customization, awesome noise-canceling abilities, and long-lasting artillery life. But aft months pinch each model, I person a clearer knowing of their strengths and weaknesses.

Also: Sony conscionable shook up nan Bose rivalry pinch these earbuds, and I wasn't prepared for it

If you're a powerfulness personification who wants headphones pinch granular audio customization, smart features, and that heighten their capacity nan much you tweak them, you'll admit Sony's WH-1000XM6. If you want headphones that require minimal decision-making and present a high-performing acquisition without toggling galore features, nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) are up your alley.

Here's really each exemplary excels and falls level successful nan existent world.

Comfort

Winner: Bose

The QuietComfort Ultra 2 unrecorded up to their sanction pinch a much comfortable fresh than nan WH-1000XM6. Their plushy receptor pads and roomy earcups conscionable consequence successful an wide much relaxed fit. Although I recovered nan first-generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones much comfortable than nan second, some are much comfortable than Sony's.

Also: This mini USB-C mic is nan iPhone accessory I didn't cognize I needed (and it's beginner friendly)

Conversely, Sony's WH-1000XM6 person thinner receptor pads and a tight clamping unit that puts unit connected my jaw, and their tight fresh pushes my glasses against nan sides of my head. I recovered that nan WH-1000XM6 execute champion for users who deterioration their headphones to complete a circumstantial task, say, grind retired a presentation, get done a flight, aliases complete a workout.

Bose's relaxed fresh is perfect for group who deterioration their headphones passim nan day, possibly done nan airport and connected nan plane, aliases connected their regular commute and while they work.

Sound

Winner: Sony

The WH-1000XM6 enactment existent to Sony's committedness to delivering elaborate sound pinch respective higher-quality codecs to appease enthusiasts. Sony's flagship headphones support LDAC and LC3 codecs for improved audio value complete wireless connections. The WH-1000XM6's sound is defined by much balanced tuning, tighter bass, clearer mids, and shinier highs, compared to Bose.

Also: Should you bargain Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 successful 2026? I invested successful a pair, and don't regret it

If you worth user headphones that prioritize sound clarity and a reside geared toward much captious ears, you'll for illustration what Sony has to offer. On nan different hand, Bose's sound is very mellow, making it easy connected nan ears for semipermanent listening for podcasts, movies, aliases traveling.

Features and customization

Winner: Sony

The Sony Sound Connect app is nan location of nan WH-1000XM6's features, galore of which characteristic granular customization. You tin entree an elaborate equalizer, set nan headphones' noise-canceling optimizer, and modify sound cancellation levels based connected your location and definite behaviors. Additionally, Sony offers Auracast and DSEE Extreme, which restores audio value to compressed files.

If you toggle each of these features and customize them to your taste, you'll get nan astir retired of these headphones. But getting immoderate features correct is tedious, and tin easy overwhelm you if you're unfamiliar pinch them. If you see yourself a headphone powerfulness personification and enthusiast, Sony will springiness you nan opportunities you want to make your headphones genuinely yours.

Also: These fashion-forward headphones person nary business sounding this bully for nan price

However, if making that galore decisions to elevate your headphones to their highest imaginable sounds exhausting, instrumentality pinch Bose. If you want to propulsion your headphones on, hide astir nan companion app and still beryllium highly pleased pinch their performance, spell pinch nan QuietComfort Ultra 2.

Noise cancellation

Winner: Tie

I dislike to beryllium ambivalent, but nan bottommost statement is that some headphones person exceptional sound cancellation, and if that's your highest priority, you'll beryllium happy pinch either option. However, some Sony and Bose usage sound cancellation successful different ways, which could fulfill different users.

Also: I listened to earbuds pinch Bose's AI sound cancelling, and can't spell backmost to regular ANC

Sony's sound cancellation is strong, dynamic, and intelligent. The adaptive noise-canceling algorithm responds to abrupt noises swiftly and cancels debased frequencies exceptionally well, which is useful successful environments for illustration java shops, airplanes, aliases train stations. Dynamic environments require move sound cancellation, though I recovered it fierce and fatiguing aft an hour.

Bose's sound cancellation is soft and consistent, and it's amended than Sony's astatine dampening voices, which is useful successful nan aforesaid environments for different reasons. Bose's adaptive noise-canceling algorithm is besides intelligent, but it responds much mildly than Sony's.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you worth future-forward headphones pinch a agelong database of features that present top-end capacity earlier reaching nan $700 value range, spell pinch nan Sony WH-1000XM6. If you want a brace of headphones pinch a much relaxed, albeit limited, vibe crossed each category, offering an acquisition that gives you nan astir without requiring galore adjustments, bargain nan Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen).