AC Contributor, vinyl collector, and hobbyist drummer Brady Snyder dives into the world of headphones, earbuds, speakers, streaming, and everything in between in Android Audio.
I have a bunch of headphones at my disposal, but for the past year, two pairs stood out as the ones I grabbed most: Sonos Ace and AirPods Max.
The latter are exclusively used for travel, as Apple's ANC is unmatched for blocking out plane noise but AirPods Max are otherwise hefty and uncomfortable. On the other end of the spectrum, Sonos Ace are my favorite headphones to wear for comfort, although it feels like I'm compromising on sound quality and ANC at times.
I've been waiting for a pair of over-ear headphones to come along that strike a better balance between comfort, ANC, and sound quality. After about two weeks of testing the Sony WH-1000XM6, I think they finally fit the bill. They're more comfortable than AirPods Max, better sounding with stronger ANC than Sonos Ace, and have a best-in-class wired mode with a 3.5mm cable in the box.
Here's why the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are streamlining my audio listening experience by replacing a few pairs with a universal solution.
Sonos Ace still beat the Sony's in design and comfort
First off, let's give Sonos its flowers. The Sonos Ace are still the most comfortable pair of over-ears I've ever used, and they may have the best design on the market today. The oval-shaped ear cups are clean, the memory foam ear cushions are comfy, and the metal accents are premium.
I don't think the Sony WH-1000XM6 feel as fancy, but Sony's choice to go with plastic parts helps with weight — they're significantly lighter at 254 grams than the 312-gram Sonos Ace.
I have no issue with Sony's use of plastic; in fact, I think Apple's avoidance of plastic is severely holding the AirPods Max back. However, the matte finish on the WH-1000XM6 and the questionable ear and headband cushions could use work. Fingerprints and skin oils will make the Sony headphones look gross, seemingly out of the box. The cushions seem to wear easily, retaining their shape less than my year-old Sonos Ace.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 have better ANC and sound quality than Sonos Ace
Sound quality and active noise-canceling (ANC) on the Sonos Ace are passable, but it won't blow you away for the price. The more I use Sonos' ANC, the more I become overwhelmed. On a recent flight, I noticed some distracting static noise in one of the Sonos Ace earcups — more distracting and painful than the airplane turbulence I was trying to block out. It turns out, I'm not alone, as this issue only popped up recently for me, but it is well-documented on Reddit.
While I have no issues with the sound of Sonos' 40mm drivers powering the Ace, the static problems occurring with ANC finally pushed me to consider a switch. Luckily, my Sony WH-1000XM6 review loaner came in shortly after, and the difference was stark. The Sony headphones block out noise better than the Sonos Ace, with no static or hissing sounds to boot.
Static sounds aside, which might go away after a firmware update, there are a few reasons why ANC might be stronger on the Sony WH-1000XM6 than the Sonos Ace. For one, Sony equipped the WH-1000XM6 with 12 microphones compared to eight on the Ace. There's also a new QN3 processor specifically tasked with ANC on the WH-1000XM6.
However, I think the most impactful factor might be the seal that Sony's WH-1000XM6 create with your head while listening to music. These headphones have a higher clamping force than the Sonos Ace, and the ear cushion material feels like it "sticks" to the side of your head to make a solid seal. Meanwhile, the vegan leather ear cushions on the Sonos Ace — while comfy — don't create the same experience.
All told, I like the sound quality of the Sony's a bit more than the Sonos Ace. Music sounds louder and fuller without losing crispness or clarity, and the out-of-the-box sound signature is excellent.
Sony's wired headphone mode is better than Sonos'
Sonos supports wired mode on the Ace using both the USB-C port and 3.5mm jack, whereas Sony only supports the latter. This doesn't tell the whole story. When you use the Sonos Ace with a cable, you're bypassing the headphones' internal DAC and using the one in your device. As it turns out, the Sonos Ace are quite difficult to drive, so your phone or media player will probably struggle to deliver great volume with a cable.
In my experience using Sonos Ace wired with various Android phones and an iPod, I'd get roughly half the volume that I would using Bluetooth.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 stands out in this area, producing an even louder music listening experience with a cable. I don't think they sound as good with the included 3.5mm cable as they do wirelessly, likely for the same reason that the Sonos Ace sound quiet in wired mode — both bypass the headphones' DACs. But the WH-1000XM6 seem to be easy to drive, making the Sony's a better fit for wired use.
Until we get a Sonos Ace 2, I'm sticking with Sony
Sonos Ace are starting to prove that the best headphones can't be great on design and comfort alone. I'd love to see a new model soon with improved sound and ANC, and it might even be worth picking up a current pair on sale. Being that the Sony WH-1000XM6 are better in almost every way, I'm sticking with them for now.
One of the best
With improvements to comfort, sound quality, and ANC, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are a more complete package than Sonos Ace at the same price point. Unless you're deep in the Sonos ecosystem, I'd recommend going with Sony instead.
