AirPods Max 2 vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: Should you get the $549 or $449 flagship headphone?

By Shikhar Mehrotra Published March 17, 2026

Even after dropping the new iPhone 17e, new iPad Air, and a couple of new M5-powered MacBooks (including the brand-new MacBook Neo), Apple wasn’t done with its product announcements. The AirPods Max 2 came out of nowhere on March 17, 2026, catching the tech world off guard.

As the long-awaited successor of the 2020 AirPods Max, the 2026 AirPods Max had a lot to prove. And with improved ANC, sound quality, support for wired lossless audio, and Precision Finding, I’d say the flagship Apple headphones lived up to the expectations, for the most part.

The shortcomings start to show up when comparing the AirPods Max 2 to the Sony WH-1000XM6, one of the most popular, critically acclaimed, and versatile flagship headphones compatible with both Android and iOS devices. If you’re considering one of the two headphones, we’ve listed all the key specifications, along with the primary advantages each offers over the other, to help you make an informed decision.

Priced at $549, the AirPods Max 2 will be up for pre-orders starting March 25, 2026. Deliveries will begin in early April. They’re available in five colors: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Orange, and Purple (my favorite).

The Sony WH-1000XM6 launched in May 2025 at $449. However, they’re currently available on the company’s official website for $399.99, which makes them $150 cheaper than the AirPods Max 2, and much more accessible to buyers. You can get the headphones in four colors: Black, Platinum Silver, Midnight Blue, and Sand Pink.

Like the original AirPods Max, the second-generation headphones make an impression before you even put them on. The all-aluminum ear cups and the stainless steel and mesh canopy headband outclass the plastic and resin frames on Sony’s flagship headphones. You also get the Digital Crown (borrowed from the Apple Watch) for precise volume and playback control, something that I’d prefer over a touch panel any day.

With 40 mm custom Apple drivers and a new high-dynamic-range amplifier, the AirPods Max 2 claim to offer cleaner, more detailed sound, along with a wider, more immersive soundstage. Although the supported codec (AAC) hasn’t improved, the flagship headphones provide 24-bit/48 kHz lossless audio via a wired (USB-C) connection, appealing to audiophiles and regular iPhone users alike. And no, the XM6s don’t support audio via USB-C.

At the core of the AirPods Max 2 is Apple’s H2 chip (which debuted with the AirPods Pro 2), which powers 1.5x better ANC than the 2020 AirPods Max. It also powers the clever audio modes like Transparency, Adaptive Audio (a smart blend of ANC and Transparency), Conversation Awareness, and Loud Sound Reduction. The list of AirPods Pro-inspired software features also includes Personalized Volume, Voice Isolation, Personalized Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and Camera Remote.

One of the most talked-about features of AirPods Pro 3 — Live Translation — is also available on the AirPods Max 2. Whether it’s useful or not depends on where you are. You also get Logic Pro integration that enables studio-quality recording. Finally, the integrated U2 chip enables Precision Finding via Apple’s Find My network when you’ve left the headphones in a cupboard or backpack and forgotten.

If you’re an iPhone user, there’s no pair of flagship headphones that can offer the premiumness, a comprehensive feature set, and deep software integration (including automatic device switching) than the AirPods Max 2. However, the price — $549 — seems a bit too steep and might push you to get the AirPods Pro 3 instead.

Right off the bat, the WH-1000XM6 fold flat (something that the AirPods Max 2 can’t do). Combined with the hard-shell magnetic carry case, they are, hands down, the more travel-friendly headphones among the two. The plastic build sure doesn’t feel as premium, but it results in a significantly lighter body (246 grams vs. 386 grams), making the headphones more comfortable for extended movie or binge sessions.

And yes, the XM6s feature a 3.5 mm headphone jack, unlike the AirPods. Another aspect where the WH-1000XM6 beats the AirPods Max 2 for most users is support for LDAC for true Hi-Res wireless audio (up to 990 kbps) and LC3 via Bluetooth LE Audio.

The headphones feature 30 mm carbon fiber drivers, which, combined with the DSEE Extreme upscaling, a full 10-band graphic equalizer (something I prefer over audio presets), and 360 Reality Audio, give significantly more control over the sound than Apple’s limited options.

In our review of the XM6s, we mentioned that the headphones offer noticeably better ANC than the XM5s (thanks to 12 microphones), but still remain behind the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which remains the benchmark to beat. Sony also offers features like Ambient Sound Mode (an underwhelming answer to the Transparency mode on AirPods), Auto NC Optimizer, Quick Attention Mode, and Speak-to-Chat, which are familiar but don’t quite match the seamlessness and intuitiveness of the AirPods.

Anyway, the WH-1000XM6 redeem themselves with their 30-hour (with ANC) battery life, which reigns superior to the AirPods Max’s 20-hour runtime. If you’re running short on time, three minutes of charging gives you three hours of playback on Sony’s latest headphones.

Finally, it’s the XM6’s compatibility with multiple operating systems (Android, Windows, iOS, macOS) and their support for various voice assistants (Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri) that make them the most versatile headphones in 2026. AirPods Max 2 sure are better for Apple users, but for everyone else, the WH-1000XM6 are the better, more practical pair of headphones that cost $100 less (retail price: $449).

Keep in mind: the XM6s don’t support LDAC and LE Audio / LC3 when paired with iOS or macOS devices. Go with the AirPods Max 2 if you own an iPhone, or the Sony WH-1000XM6 if you own any other smartphone, and you won’t regret your decision.