Four premium options, and a clear winner for most people. Best overall, Sony WH-1000XM6 Best-in-class ANC, folds for travel, the deepest app, great calls. The pick for most people, most of the time. Most comfortable, Bose QuietComfort Ultra The nicest to wear for hours, with a more natural cancellation feel and the best spatial audio. For iPhone owners, AirPods Max (USB-C) Heavy and expensive, but the build is unmatched and the integration with Apple devices is seamless. For Sonos households, Sonos Ace Great sound and the TV Audio Swap trick, if you already own a Sonos soundbar. The verdict: Buy the Sony XM6 unless comfort (Bose), ecosystem (AirPods Max) or a Sonos soundbar (Ace) tips you elsewhere.
Bose for comfort and a more natural cancellation feel; Sony for the app, the features and slightly stronger ANC. The case for Bose The QuietComfort Ultra is the more comfortable headphone for long wear (lighter clamp, plusher pads), and its noise cancellation has a less "pressurised" feel that some people strongly prefer. Its Immersive Audio spatialisation is the best in the category. The case for Sony The XM6 cancels marginally more noise overall, has the deeper feature set and the better app, folds smaller for travel, and takes better calls. The verdict: You will not be unhappy with either. Try both on your head, because comfort and ANC feel are personal and that is where they differ. Sources GSMArena specifications
