Plane ANC KING! đź‘‘ Sony WF-1000XM6 vs WH-1000XM6, AirPods Pro 3, Bose QC Ultra Headphones Gen 2
So I got on a flight recently to Japan, which was a great chance to compare the noise canceling of the Sony WF-1000XM6 and the AirPods Pro 3 to some of the best over ear noise cancelers - like the Sony WH-100XM6 and Bose QC UItra Gen 2 headphones.
Lots of questions out there about whether the full sized headphones are quieter for flights and if there are benefits to, instead, take more portable options like earbuds, so I hope this review will help with your purchase decision.
How the Sony WF-1000XM6 performed…
The WF-1000XM6 fared very well during my flight, because it did a little better than the WH-1000XM6 at low frequency noise canceling, and because of the foam tips, you do get more silence in the upper mids and highs than the AirPods Pro 3. It didn’t seem as quiet as the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 headphones even though it measured better in the low frequencies, but I suspect that it’s because the Bose was able to adapt its noise canceling better to plane noise, as well as providing more of a muffling effect against the upper registers.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the ANC samples
Which ones were the best at canceling plane noise?
Now, I will say that all of them are very good noise cancelers for the plane, but for earbuds, it’s the AirPods Pro 3, because while it wasn’t as quiet in the upper registers, it’s a lot stronger than the WF-1000XM6 at canceling lower register noise, which is what I notice a lot more in a noisy plane environment. That is, unless you have a screaming baby nearby. For that extremely annoying scenario, the WF-1000XM6 blocks that kind of noise better because of the foam tips. For headphones, the Bose is quieter overall because it’s a deeper silence than the WH-1000XM6 headphones in the lower registers.
Other factors to consider…
That being said, you shouldn’t only consider noise canceling as the main factor. Just as important on a plane is battery life. It won’t really matter for short flights, which is what I was on, flying from Singapore to Japan only took 7 hours, but for longer flights, you’ll want to pick something that doesn’t have to be recharged so often, and this is where headphones like the WH-1000XM6 and Gen 2 QC Ultra Headphones have the edge. Worst thing that can happen is the earbuds running out of juice mid-flight which means having to put them back in the case to charge. You don’t have to do that with headphones which typically last for 24 to 30 hours on a single charge.
A workaround is to get 2 sets so if one set dies, there’s a backup. Furthermore, earbuds are so much more portable, and it’s much easier to sleep with on the flight if you’re a side sleeper. So as you can see, there are pros and cons to both, depending on your needs. Check the latest prices of these earbuds and headphones by clicking on the links below.
Sony WF-1000XM6 - https://amzn.to/4bgWGeA
AirPods Pro 3 - https://amzn.to/4oB4xHL
Sony WH-1000XM6 - https://amzn.to/4n6OcuL
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen - https://amzn.to/4gH7X9d
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