Just over five years after the AirPods Max first launched, Apple has finally unveiled the headphone’s successor with the aptly named AirPods Max 2.
Although we haven’t yet reviewed the AirPods Max 2, we’re interested to see how its specs measure up to the Sony WH-1000XM6 which currently holds the top spot on our best headphones list.
With this in mind, we’ve compared the AirPods Max 2 specs to the Sony WH-1000XM6’s own, and highlighted the key differences between the headphones here. Keep reading to see what separates the over-ears and to decide which one will likely suit you better.
Otherwise, make sure you visit our AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Max comparison to see what’s new with Apple’s flagship headphones.
Price and Availability
At the time of writing, the AirPods Max 2 are available to pre-order and will launch “early next month”. As we’re nearing the end of March, this means we should hopefully see the headphones launch in the coming weeks. With an RRP of £499/$549, the headphones are one of the more expensive options on the market.
In comparison, although the Sony WH-1000XM6 has an official RRP of £399/$399.99, it’s not impossible to find the headphones with a decent price cut. For example, at the time of writing the WH-1000XM6 could be found for just £329 on Amazon.
Both are fitted with ANC
Both the AirPods Max 2 and Sony WH-1000XM6 are fitted with active noise cancelling (ANC). Apple explains that, thanks to its H2 chip that powers the AirPods Max 2, the headphones sport up to 1.5x better ANC than the original. The headphones also sport adaptive audio which automatically adjusts the noise cancellation level depending on your environment too.
Of course, we’ll have to wait until we review the AirPods Max 2 before confirming how well they perform, but considering we concluded that the AirPods Max boasts “fantastic ANC”, we have high hopes for their successor.
The AirPods Max 2 is fitted with a total of nine microphones, with eight for noise cancellation (although two of those are shared for voice pickup too). In comparison, the WH-1000XM6 is fitted with a total of 12 microphones.
Otherwise, we found that the Sony WH-1000XM6 does a great overall job at noise cancelling – although it’s not necessarily any better than its competitors. That’s not a bad thing however, as it can go toe-to-toe with the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones which is one of the best noise cancelling headphones we’ve tested.
Having said that, we were particularly impressed with the WH-1000XM6’s ability to sound natural, even when noise is being cancelled. Plus, its Ambient mode lets sound in with detail and clarity too, which is something many noise cancellers can get wrong.
Sony WH-1000XM6 promises longer battery life
Although it’s actually not an improvement over its predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM6 promises up to 30 hours of battery life when ANC is enabled or up to a whopping 40 hours when ANC is switched off. Sure, it’s not quite the 60 hours seen on the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless but it’s still a solid effort.
In comparison, the AirPods Max 2 claims just up to 20 hours when ANC is enabled. Apple hasn’t yet disclosed how many hours we should expect when ANC is switched off either.
Annoyingly, the AirPods Max 2 comes equipped with the “Smart Case”, which was introduced with the original AirPods Max. Essentially, the Smart Case keeps the AirPods Max in an ultra-low-power state to help preserve battery, as the AirPods strangely don’t have a power off button.
Sony WH-1000XM6 is much lighter
Weighing just 254g, the Sony WH-1000XM6 is considerably lighter than the AirPods Max 2 which weighs a pretty hefty 386g. However, it’s worth noting that the AirPods Max 2 does benefit from the same mesh headband seen with the AirPods Max. This should help distribute the headphone’s weight more evenly across your head, keeping them feeling comfortable to wear even after long periods of time.
That’s not to say the WH-1000XM6 isn’t comfortable either. The headband is wide and conforms well to the head for a more comfortable fit and the earcups can support glasses or longer hair with ease too.
AirPods Max 2 has a Digital Crown
If you own the older AirPods Max or an Apple Watch then you’ll be familiar with the Digital Crown. Essentially, the Digital Crown is a way to control your AirPods without needing to use your phone. Pressing it once can play or pause audio, answer a call or even open up the camera remote too. Then, pressing the Crown twice ends a call or skips a song while three times allows you to skip back. Alternatively, you can twist the Crown to adjust the volume or press and hold it for Siri.
The WH-1000XM6, on the other hand, can be controlled either via your paired smartphone, the app or simply by tapping on the earcup. In fact, you can set your preferred shortcuts via the smartphone app too.
AirPods Max 2 supports Live Translation
Although both headphones can be paired with either an iOS or Android device, to get the most from the AirPods Max 2 then you’ll really want one of the best iPhones – especially one that supports Apple Intelligence.
By pairing your AirPods Max 2 with an Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone, you’ll benefit from Live Translation for seamless communication across different languages. Plus, unsurprisingly, there’s Siri on-board too.
The WH-1000XM6 instead has Google Assistant as its built-in voice control, however there’s also Sony’s own voice controls if you’d prefer.
Early Verdict
It’s difficult to determine which pair of headphones are “better” without reviewing the AirPods Max 2, so we’ll hold off from giving a conclusive opinion for now.
Having said that, if you’re an Apple fan and are well cemented in its ecosystem, then the AirPods Max 2 is certainly an appealing option. On the other hand, for about £100/$100 less, the Sony WH-1000XM6 offers brilliant ANC, longer battery life and a much lighter design too.
We’ll be sure to update this versus once we get our hands on the AirPods Max 2.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
