Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds vs Sony WF-1000XM6

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bose

8.6

Excellent

Sony WF-1000XM6

Sony

8.4

Best-in-class ANC, stagnant battery

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

What Reviewers Agree On

ANC is best-in-class — tied with Sony XM5 as the most effective noise cancellation in true wireless earbuds
Comfort is exceptional with multiple tip options and a secure, ergonomic fit
Immersive Audio (Bose's spatial sound) is genuinely impressive and more convincing than most competitors
Sound quality is warm, rich, and engaging with a signature Bose musicality

Deal Breakers

The charging case is significantly larger than Sony XM5 and AirPods Pro 2 cases

Pros & Cons

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Pros

ANC is best-in-class — tied with Sony XM5 as the most effective noise cancellation in true wireless earbuds
Comfort is exceptional with multiple tip options and a secure, ergonomic fit
Immersive Audio (Bose's spatial sound) is genuinely impressive and more convincing than most competitors
Sound quality is warm, rich, and engaging with a signature Bose musicality

Cons

Detailed Comparison

Sound Quality

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Rich, warm, and engaging audio with Bose's signature musicality — ideal for most genres though bass-forward for purists.

Bose's signature warm, bass-rich sound profile is engaging and musical across genres — particularly enjoyable for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music
Immersive Audio (spatial sound) creates a convincing three-dimensional soundstage that makes music feel more expansive
Sound purists may find the bass emphasis too prominent — Bose favors fun over clinical accuracy

Sony WF-1000XM6

All-new drivers plus Sony's LDAC/DSEE Extreme and a deep EQ app draw strong praise, though a vocal minority argues the tuning still trails the best-sounding rivals in the price class.

All-new drivers (a soft-edge diaphragm for deep bass, a lightweight dome for crisp highs) deliver excellent, wide-range sound.

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Sony WF-1000XM6

What Reviewers Agree On

Class-leading active noise cancellation — Sony's QN3e processor and added mics give ~88% measured loudness reduction, modestly ahead of the XM5 and only just behind the AirPods Pro 3
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme and one of the deepest EQ apps in the category
Much-improved comfort: the body is ~11% smaller and reshaped, with an in-app fit test, so it can be worn for hours
Significantly better call/microphone quality than previous Sony earbuds
A smaller, sleeker charging case with Qi wireless charging and ~3-5 min quick-charge for ~60 min playback
Stable multipoint Bluetooth to any two devices regardless of ecosystem

Deal Breakers

Battery life is unchanged for three generations — still 8h ANC-on / 24h with case, with real-world figures often 6-7h
Price rose to $329/$330, a $30 hike over the XM5 for incremental gains
Top ANC and sound depend heavily on getting a good ear-tip seal — a poor fit noticeably degrades both
Sony's track record of battery degradation and update-bricked older models (XM4) is a real trust concern for long-term buyers

Sony WF-1000XM6

Pros

Class-leading active noise cancellation — Sony's QN3e processor and added mics give ~88% measured loudness reduction, modestly ahead of the XM5 and only just behind the AirPods Pro 3
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme and one of the deepest EQ apps in the category
Much-improved comfort: the body is ~11% smaller and reshaped, with an in-app fit test, so it can be worn for hours
Significantly better call/microphone quality than previous Sony earbuds
A smaller, sleeker charging case with Qi wireless charging and ~3-5 min quick-charge for ~60 min playback
Stable multipoint Bluetooth to any two devices regardless of ecosystem

Cons

Battery life is unchanged for three generations — still 8h ANC-on / 24h with case, with real-world figures often 6-7h
Price rose to $329/$330, a $30 hike over the XM5 for incremental gains
Top ANC and sound depend heavily on getting a good ear-tip seal — a poor fit noticeably degrades both
Sony's track record of battery degradation and update-bricked older models (XM4) is a real trust concern for long-term buyers

Comfort & Fit

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Supremely comfortable with Bose's stability band design ensuring a secure, comfortable fit for hours.

The stability band design hooks gently inside the ear for a secure fit that doesn't cause pressure or fatigue
Multiple tip sizes (including Bose's proprietary tips) ensure a good seal for virtually any ear shape
Slightly heavier than Sony XM5 at 6.2g per earbud, but the weight distribution makes them feel light in practice

Sony WF-1000XM6

The reshaped, ~11% smaller housing is the most-praised practical change — most testers can wear them for hours — but because ANC and sound hinge on the seal, ear-tip fit is more consequential here than on rivals.

Sony reduced the earbud body ~11% versus the XM5 and reshaped the housing to follow the contours of the inner ear; eartips are slightly larger.
Far more comfortable than the previous generation — a genuinely all-day fit for this tester.
Wearable nearly all day, unlike the XM4s/XM5s or Bose buds which this reviewer can't tolerate past ~3 hours.
An in-app fit test and better-insulating ear tips help you find the seal the ANC and sound depend on.
Designed around memory-foam-style tips — swapping them away sacrifices two of the buds' biggest strengths (seal and ANC).
Long-term: 'almost there' — after living with them the experience still feels a touch fit-dependent and fragile for the price.