Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6 Comparison

Apple AirPods Max 2

Apple lists nine mics in total, with Voice Isolation on supported devices. Your voice is captured from the ear cups, since there's no boom. In a quiet study, colleagues heard a natural voice. Move to a café and I'd call the clarity good enough for most calls from the listener's side.

Sony WH-1000XM6

Twelve MEMS mics handle ANC and voice pickup, with no boom. On a call from a noisy street, the far end found my voice clear enough, which is the best result among the boom-less headphones here. In a genuinely loud office, Jabra's Evolve2 75 with its boom lowered still wins.

Apple AirPods Max 2

At 386 g, with aluminium cups and a stainless steel frame, these are the heaviest headphones we cover. The knit mesh canopy spreads that load across the crown rather than pinching one spot. Even so, I'd expect the weight to register after a stretch of continuous wear. For a full day of back-to-back meetings, the 254 g Sony XM6 or the 236 g Bose QuietComfort are far easier to forget you're wearing.

Sony WH-1000XM6

At 254 g, the XM6 is lighter than the AirPods Max 2 by a wide margin. It folds into its case, which makes it easy to travel with. In my estimate, it's comfortable for a long session before you'll want a break. That's similar to the Bose QC Ultra. 254 g with a folding hinge hits the travel sweet spot: light enough for flights, compact enough for a backpack.

Apple AirPods Max 2

Bluetooth 5.3 and USB-C audio cover wireless and wired listening, and automatic switching works across Apple devices on the same Apple ID. There's no USB dongle and no Teams or Zoom certification, so a locked-down Windows PC treats them as an ordinary Bluetooth headset. If calls are your main job, our video call setup guide explains what else to check on the laptop side.

Sony WH-1000XM6

Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio and multipoint for two devices, plus a 1.2 m cable for wired listening. There's no dongle or Teams certification. If you present videos on calls, our guide to sharing your screen with audio helps avoid echo issues.

Apple AirPods Max 2

Apple rates 20 hours with ANC on, and a 5-minute charge adds about 1.5 hours. The Smart Case drops them into low-power mode, because there's no power button. With mixed calls and music, plan on a shorter runtime per charge than the class leaders. That's the shortest runtime among the premium models here, as both the Bose QC Ultra and the Sony XM6 are rated at 30 hours.

Sony WH-1000XM6

Sony rates 30 hours of music with ANC on and 24 hours of talk time, with a 3.5-hour charge. With frequent calls and ANC on, I'd plan on a few working days of runtime. The Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum 4 lasts far longer if battery is your priority. Talk time at 24 hours with ANC is the more honest number for meeting-heavy users than the 30-hour music figure.

Apple AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 is not listed with Microsoft Teams or Zoom headset certification. Mute is listed as Digital Crown (press once to mute or unmute). Call controls include Digital Crown (press once to answer; press twice to end). On-headset controls are listed as Digital Crown, listening mode button. When I help someone get ready for a first call, I point them to the mute control before anything else.

Sony WH-1000XM6

The WH-1000XM6 is not listed with Microsoft Teams or Zoom headset certification. There is no busy light. When I help someone get ready for a first call, I point them to the mute control before anything else. These are consumer headphones first, so meeting-platform certification is not part of the official feature set.

Apple AirPods Max 2

The AirPods Max 2 is built with Anodized aluminum ear cups, stainless steel frame, knit mesh canopy. The ear cushions are memory foam with mesh textile. It weighs 386.2 g. Official dimensions are 168.6 x 83.4 x 187.3 mm. The earpads are user-replaceable, which matters if this will be a daily headset.