Versus Engine
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WF-1000XM6
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Bose QuietComfort Ultra against Sony WF-1000XM6, side by side.
Cheaper to start
Sony WF-1000XM6
Starts about $99.01 lower.
Rated higher
Sony WF-1000XM6
9.3 vs 9.0 on our design scale.
Standout
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Best sustained comfort in the category
Bose QuietComfort Ultra
The comfort benchmark for over-ears worn all day, at $429.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Best sustained comfort in the category
- Excellent cancellation across low-frequency travel noise
- Well-judged tuning for long listening without fatigue
Cons
- Warm, smoothed tuning is wrong for critical listening or mixing
- 24 hours of battery trails Sony's 30, and Immersive Audio cuts it to 18
- Bulkier to pack than folding competitors
Specifications
- codecsSBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
- weight254 g
- battery24 hours (18 hours with Immersive Audio)
- featuresMultipoint, Immersive Audio
- bluetooth5.3
- driver—
- processor—
- microphones—
- equalizer_bands—
- audio_processing—
- battery_buds_anc—
- battery_with_case—
Sony WF-1000XM6
Sony's flagship earbuds at $329.99, with a redesigned driver and eight-microphone cancellation.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Bone-conduction voice sensing gives unusually clean call audio in noise
- Strong cancellation for the form factor
- Gemini Live integrated rather than bolted on
Cons
- Assistant features assume Google's ecosystem
- Isolation still trails over-ear models
- Fit is tip-dependent and fatiguing over long sessions
Specifications
- codecs—
- weight—
- battery—
- features—
- bluetooth—
- driver8.4mm
- processorQN3e
- microphones8
- equalizer_bands10
- audio_processing32-bit
- battery_buds_anc8 hours
- battery_with_case24 hours