Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: I tried the best ANC headphones, and this pair wins

A pair of Headphones With powerful noise cancellation capabilities it is a must have for anyone who needs to tune out the world around them from time to time. If noise cancellation is top of mind when purchasing a pair of over-ear headphones, there are two options that offer the best of the best.

also: I thought Bose had perfected noise cancellation — and then I listened to these headphones

Latest Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Delivering the best noise cancellation in the industry. However, there are a lot of differences in style, battery life, and software features between the two that you should consider before paying $400+ for either pair. Although Bose has since released a 2nd generation QuietComfort Ultra headphonesYou don’t have to write off first-generation headphones completely. Here’s how it compares to Sony’s latest release.

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You should buy Sony WH-1000XM6 if…

1. You want longer battery life

The Sony XM6 promises 30 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled, while the Bose QC Ultra promises 24 hours. You can extend the XM6’s battery life to 40 hours by turning off noise cancellation, while Bose doesn’t offer an option to turn the feature off, capping the QC Ultra’s battery life at 24 hours.

review: Sony WH-1000XM6

However, both headphones offer proprietary spatial audio technology that drains battery life faster when turned on. Noise cancellation, volume levels, and frequency of phone calls affect battery performance, so power users may drain their batteries faster than the numbers provided. Ultimately, your mileage may vary across both pairs, but the specs lean in Sony’s favor.

2. Sound quality is a top priority

Although Bose’s QC Ultra are the company’s best-sounding consumer headphones, Sony’s XM6 pays more attention to sound quality. The XM6 is equipped with Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscaling technology that promises to improve the quality of compressed digital audio, like the ones you listen to on Spotify.

In addition, the XM6 has Sony’s high-quality Bluetooth codec, LDAC, which allows higher quality audio to be transmitted over Bluetooth. The XM6 also debuts with the LC3 Bluetooth codec, which prioritizes efficient power consumption. He chooses Google pixel and Samsung Galaxy Users can take advantage of the XM6’s LC3 compatibility.

3. You want newer audio technologies

Sony’s XM6 debuted in 2025, while Bose’s flagship headphones were released in late 2023. Sony promises more advanced technologies for its noise cancellation processing algorithm, spatial audio protocol, and audio engineering.

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Additionally, the Sony XM6 debuted with a new head gestures feature that allows users to accept or reject incoming phone calls by nodding or shaking their heads.

You should buy Bose QuietComfort Ultra if…

1. You appreciate style and color

Sony’s flagship WH-1000X series headphones feature an understated, iconic design, forgoing flashy accents or brightly colored finishes. Bose’s QC Ultra headphones are often re-released in new colors and feature aluminum accents on the headband hinges, creating an upscale, casual and sporty look.

2. You want more adjustable ANC

Bose and Sony offer users powerful, effective noise cancellation, but sometimes you feel like Goldilocks: you don’t want to hear everything, but you also don’t no Hear nothing. He must be right.

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Sony only allows users to adjust the ambient noise setting, which determines how much outside noise you can hear. However, there’s no option to adjust the noise cancellation, and being in public with such a powerful ANC feature isn’t always ideal.

Bose’s companion app lets you create listening modes and customize noise cancellation levels based on your location, tasks, or mood. Additionally, Bose’s ActiveSense feature acts as adaptive noise cancellation, using noise-cancelling technologies if your surroundings are too loud.

3. You’re shopping on a budget

At full price, Bose’s flagship headphones are just a few dollars less than Sony’s XM6, but the QC Ultra is often discounted to $279 while marked for clearance. This is a great price for a great-sounding pair of headphones.

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