Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM6

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QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) compared with WH-1000XM6

	BoseQuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)	SonyWH-1000XM6
Overview
Released
Released	September 2025	May 2025
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-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	–	30 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC, AAC and aptX Adaptive	SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	Yes	No
Chip
Chip	–	QN3
Drivers
Drivers	–	30 mm driver unit with a high-rigidity carbon fibre composite dome and neodymium magnet; 4 Hz to 40,000 Hz (wired, switched on); sensitivity 103 dB/mW switched on, 102 dB/mW switched off; impedance 48 Ω switched on, 16 Ω switched off (1 kHz)
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3 (Sony says seven times faster than the WH-1000XM5's) and Integrated Processor V2
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Quiet Mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware Mode with ActiveSense, now smoother at damping sudden noise spikes; noise cancelling adjustable or fully off in the Bose app; CustomTune tailors sound and noise cancelling to your ears; wind block in custom modes	Twelve microphones for noise cancelling; Adaptive NC Optimizer tunes noise cancelling to the fit, surroundings and air pressure; Ambient Sound Mode with Auto Ambient Sound; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat; 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; lossless USB-C audio at 16-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz; aptX Adaptive with Snapdragon Sound devices, which Bose says adapts to lossless audio and low latency; Gaming Mode	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); Hi-Res Audio over the headphone cable; DSEE Extreme upscaling; 10-band EQ and Game EQ; 360 Reality Audio; 360 Upmix for Cinema; spatial sound with head tracking; BGM effect; LE Audio with a low-latency mode and Auracast broadcast audio
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 30 hours	Up to 30 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 23 hours with Immersive Audio on; up to 45 hours with noise cancelling and Immersive Audio off; tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL; low-power standby when laid flat or put in the case; can be used while charging	Up to 40 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC, SBC or LC3); with LDAC, 26 hours with noise cancelling on or 36 hours off; talk time up to 24 hours (28 hours with noise cancelling off); up to 28 hours on the headphone cable with noise cancelling on (38 hours off); can be used while charging
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes gives up to 3 hours with noise cancelling on and Immersive Audio off (Bose's test footnote gives 2.5 hours); full charge in up to 3 hours	3 minutes gives about 3 hours of playback with a USB PD adaptor (9 V/2.3 A or more), or about 1 hour with a 5 V/1.5 A adaptor; full charge in about 3.5 hours
Design
Weight
Weight	264 g	254 g (better)
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.4	5.3
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	On the right ear cup, a Bluetooth/power button, a multi-function button (play, pause, skip, calls and modes) and a capacitive volume strip (swipe for volume; touch and hold for a shortcut to Immersive Audio settings, Spotify Tap or the voice assistant); on-head detection pauses and resumes audio, answers calls and wakes the headphones	Touch sensor control panel (double-tap to play, pause or answer calls; swipe forwards or backwards to skip; swipe up or down for volume; hold for the voice assistant; cover with your hand for Quick Attention Mode); power and NC/AMB buttons on the left unit (double-press NC/AMB to mute the microphones during calls, once enabled in the app); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; proximity sensor pauses music when the headphones are taken off and switches them off after 15 minutes
Microphones
Microphones	Four microphones for calls, two on each ear cup	Twelve microphones for noise cancelling; six-microphone AI-based beamforming for calls; MEMS, omnidirectional
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Around-ear (circumaural) with an adjustable headband; removable protein leather cushions; plastic and aluminium build with polished metal yokes; folds for the carry case	Closed, over-ear; wider soft-fit headband in synthetic leather; stretchable earpads; folds flat and folds up to fit the supplied carrying case, which has a magnetic closure
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	–	No water resistance rating; Sony says the headphones are not waterproof
Works with
Works with	Bose app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; Google Fast Pair; Spotify Tap; SimpleSync with a Bose Smart Soundbar or Bose Smart Speaker	Sony | Sound Connect app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio and Auracast with compatible devices; the headphone cable also works with the headphones switched off, without noise cancelling
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke, Driftwood Sand and Midnight Violet at launch; Bose UK now also sells Cherry Chocolate, Desert Gold and Olive Green	Black, Platinum Silver, Midnight Blue, Sand Pink, Sandstone (Sony US; colours vary by region)
In the box
In the box	Headphones, carry case, 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm audio cable, USB-C to USB-C cable (99 cm), safety sheet	Headphones, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C), headphone cable (about 1.2 m, gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug), carrying case, documents