Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM6

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QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) compared with WF-1000XM6

	BoseQuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)	SonyWF-1000XM6
Overview
Released
Released	June 2025	February 2026
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	8.4 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Chip
Chip	–	QN3e
Drivers
Drivers	–	Newly developed 8.4 mm driver unit; the diaphragm pairs a lightweight, rigid dome with a soft, notched edge
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3e and Integrated Processor V2 (32-bit processing)
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Quiet Mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware Mode with an updated ActiveSense that smooths sudden noise spikes; noise cancelling adjustable in the Bose app; CustomTune tailors sound and noise cancelling to your ears	Four noise-cancelling microphones per earbud (three on the WF-1000XM5); Adaptive NC Optimizer adjusts to fit, ear shape and surroundings; Sony claims 25% more noise reduction than the WF-1000XM5; Ambient Sound Mode, Quick Attention Mode, Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control
Audio features
Audio features	Bose Immersive Audio (Still keeps the virtual speakers in place as you turn your head; Motion lets them follow) and Cinema Mode; up to seven custom modes; adjustable EQ in the Bose app; aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound devices, which Bose says adapts to lossless audio and low latency	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio; spatial sound with head tracking on Android devices that support it; 10-band EQ; BGM effect; LE Audio (LC3) low-latency mode
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 6 hours	Up to 8 hours
With the case
With the case	Up to 24 hours	Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	Yes
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 4 hours per charge with Immersive Audio on; the case holds three full charges, for 24 hours in total with Immersive Audio off; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL in Quiet Mode	Up to 12 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC); with LDAC, 5 hours with noise cancelling on or 8 hours off; with LC3, 7 hours on or 11 hours off; 24 hours in total with noise cancelling on (8 from the earbuds, 16 from the case); talk time up to 5 hours (5.5 hours with noise cancelling off)
Charging case
Charging case	USB-C (5 V, 1 A) and wireless charging; 680 mAh output capacity; the case charges in up to 3 hours and the earbuds in up to 2 hours	USB-C and Qi wireless charging; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone
Fast charging
Fast charging	20 minutes in the case gives up to 2 hours of playback	5 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	7.3 g	6.5 g (better)
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	IPX4
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Touch surface on each earbud (tap to play, pause or answer calls; double-tap to skip forwards; triple-tap to skip back; swipe up or down for volume; touch and hold for a shortcut to modes, Immersive Audio settings, Spotify Tap or the voice assistant); touch controls can be turned off in the app; in-ear detection pauses audio when an earbud is taken out	Touch sensor on each earbud, reassignable in the app (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode, opens Quick Access, lowers the volume and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks, raises the volume and holds for the voice assistant); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out
Microphones
Microphones	Eight microphones in total; AI-based SpeechClarity noise suppression for calls	Four microphones per earbud for noise cancelling; two microphones and a bone-conduction sensor per earbud for calls, with AI beamforming and AI noise reduction
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Silicone eartips in S, M and L (M fitted) with a guard against earwax build-up; stability bands in sizes 1, 2 and 3 (size 1 fitted)	Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in four sizes (XS, S, M, L); earbud body about 11% slimmer than the WF-1000XM5; a ventilation structure reduces the sound of footsteps and chewing
Case weight
Case weight	59.9 g (Bose lists 0.132 lb)	About 47 g
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 for the earbuds only	IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Works with	Bose app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Fast Pair on Android; Spotify Tap	Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; hands-free Gemini with compatible Android phones
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke and Deep Plum at launch; Bose UK now also sells Midnight Violet and Desert Gold	Black, Platinum Silver
In the box
In the box	Earbuds, wireless charging case, eartips (S, M, L), stability bands (1, 2, 3), 30 cm USB-C (A to C) cable, safety sheet	Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in XS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents