Price: Apple Undercuts the Competition
Apple sells the AirPods Pro 3 for $249, the same price its pro-level earphones have been for many years. Meanwhile, Bose charges $299 for the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and Sony asks $329.99 for the WF-1000XM6. That leaves an $80 price gap between the AirPods and XM6—substantial enough that most iPhone owners are likely to choose the former.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Design: Simplicity Wins
These three pairs of earbuds don’t look anything alike. The AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra share a stem-based design, but that’s about where the similarities end. Apple keeps things clean with its signature minimalist white look, while Bose opts for a wider, chunkier stem with a busier overall aesthetic. Meanwhile, Sony’s design is the odd one out—there’s no stem at all, just a bud-style shape.
Sony WF-1000XM6 (Credit: Christian de Looper)
The design choices impact function. Stem-based earbuds like the AirPods Pro 3 let you pinch or squeeze the stem to control playback, so you don’t have to jam the earbud deeper into your ear canal every time you want to skip a track. Sony’s approach has you tapping directly on the bud itself—it works, but it’s less comfortable and creates an unpleasant tapping noise in your ear.
Aesthetically, the Bose design is busier than it needs to be. Sony’s earbuds have a simple all-matte finish. At the end of the day, Apple’s design wins out here. None of the earbuds are unappealing, but the AirPods Pro 3 are the best-looking and functioning of the bunch.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Where to Buy Our Favorite Noise-Cancelling Earbuds
Comfort: Fit Is Personal
You can wear any of these three pairs of earphones for long listening sessions without discomfort. The QuietComfort Ultras run a bit large, and even though Bose has done a reasonable job managing the extra bulk, you start to feel the size after a while. Sony’s XM6 buds are larger than their predecessors; they don’t lock into place as securely as I’d like, and dialing in a good fit sometimes requires some trial and error. The AirPods Pro 3 handle weight distribution the best of the three and sit the most naturally in my ears.
Generally speaking, smaller stem-style earbuds tend to be more comfortable in my ears because the weight hangs below the ear rather than pressing against it, and the AirPods Pro 3 are the best example of that.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Cases: Small Details, Big Differences
Each pair ships with a portable charging case, but the size and usability of each vary. The Bose case is noticeably larger than the other two, and fishing the earbuds out of it takes some getting used to. Apple and Sony both offer more compact options, and it’s worth noting that their cases are more intuitive when it’s time to remove or replace the buds.
Bose, Sony, and Apple charging cases (Credit: Christian de Looper)
All three cases support USB-C wired and Qi wireless charging. Apple separates itself with MagSafe support and cross-compatibility with Apple Watch chargers. That, paired with the smallest footprint, gives Apple the win here.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Bluetooth: Codecs Tell the Story
AAC and SBC codec support is standard across all three, but that’s where the similarities end. The XM6 has Bluetooth 5.3 with the LDAC and LC3 codecs on board—both widely available on Android devices and high-resolution audio sources. The QuietComfort Ultras support aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. The AirPods Pro 3 technically support lossless audio, but only when paired with an Apple Vision Pro, which dramatically limits how useful that feature actually is.
Bluetooth multipoint is available on both the Bose and Sony earbuds, letting you stay connected to two devices simultaneously. Apple doesn’t have traditional multipoint, but its ecosystem connectivity is even better if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. The AirPods Pro 3 automatically connect to and switch between any Apple device signed into your iCloud account, and that seamless handoff is hard to beat.
Sony earns a win here for its broad codec support, while Apple earns one for its ecosystem connectivity.
Winner: Tie (Sony WF-1000XM6 and Apple AirPods Pro 3)
Battery: Evenly Matched
The Bose QuietComfort Ultras give you 6 hours of continuous listening with ANC on and 24 hours in total with the case. Sony matches that 24-hour total, but distributes it differently: the WF-1000XM6 gets roughly 8 hours of continuous playback with ANC enabled, so you get longer individual sessions if you need them. The AirPods Pro 3 buds also offer 8 hours of continuous use and 24 hours of listening time with the case.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 case (Credit: Christian de Looper)
The AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6 tie in both continuous listening and total listening time.
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Winner: Tie (Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6)
App Experience: Control vs. Convenience
The software experience across these three couldn’t be more different. The AirPods Pro 3 don’t have access to a standalone app. Instead, everything lives in the Settings menu on your iPhone and appears in Control Center when connected. It’s clean and convenient within Apple’s ecosystem, but there’s no EQ at all, so you’re locked into Apple’s tuning, whether it suits your taste or not.
Bose’s app is simple and easy to navigate, offering access to noise modes, some control customization options, and a basic three-band EQ. Sony’s Sound Connect app is the most capable of the three, offering control customization, location-based settings, and a 10-band EQ that spans 31Hz to 16kHz. Some people prefer Apple’s approach of folding everything into the system, rather than forcing you to use a separate app, but audiophiles may be willing to trade those fine controls for that 10-band EQ.
Winner: Tie (Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6)
Noise Cancellation: Apple and Bose Are the ANC Leaders
All three of these models deliver some of the best in-ear noise cancellation I’ve experienced. That said, one pair is clearly behind. The Bose QuietComfort Ultras already had the best ANC in their first generation, and the second-gen model is even better. Bose reduces overall ambient volume more effectively and better targets the specific frequencies that disrupt your listening, including steady noise like airplane engines and unpredictable sounds like people talking nearby.
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Sony WF-1000XM6 earbud (Credit: Christian de Looper)
The AirPods Pro 3 are on equal footing with Bose. Apple’s adaptive noise cancellation does an excellent job adjusting on the fly. Apple probably has the smartest ANC tech of the three, though it’s not quite as aggressive as Bose at its peak.
Sony’s WF-1000XM6 buds are better than their predecessors, but don’t overtake what Bose and Apple are doing. Fit plays a role here. Seal quality in the inner ear is critical for ANC performance, and the Bose earbuds sit more securely in the ear. Even with a good fit on the XM6, Bose still delivers noticeably better noise cancellation.
Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Transparency: Apple Is in a League of Its Own
All three earbuds have good transparency modes that let ambient sound in without making you take the buds out. No matter which pair you choose, you’ll experience a mostly natural representation of the world around you. That said, the AirPods Pro 3 deliver the most natural-sounding transparency mode by a noticeable margin.
Sony’s Ambient Mode struggles with higher frequencies, and the result comes across as processed, while the Bose buds introduce a masking hiss.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Sound: Sony’s Sonics Are Supreme
These are all premium earbuds, and sound quality is good across the board, but there are differences. The AirPods Pro 3 deliver a mostly balanced sound with solid detail and excellent bass response, though the bass is slightly boosted beyond a neutral EQ curve. The QuietComfort Ultras have a more sculpted signature, with bass and highs pushed forward a bit. Bose’s audio can sound exciting, but it’s less neutral. The WF-1000XM6 offers the most neutral and smooth sound of the three.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 (Credit: Christian de Looper)
Compared with the Bose buds, Sony offers a much more neutral response while edging ahead in detail and soundstage. The AirPods Pro 3 are close, but not as smooth as the XM6.
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Mics: Clear Across the Board
The microphones on all three earbuds handle phone calls better than most, and the person on the other end shouldn’t have any trouble hearing you in most situations. Bose’s earbuds lean a bit bass-heavy on the mic side, making my voice sound richer but at the expense of high-frequency clarity. The AirPods Pro 3 handle higher frequencies better, lending crispness to voice recordings that make speech sound more natural. The WF-1000XM6 lands somewhere in the middle, with solid depth and clarity, capturing voices well enough, but not as impressive in bass as Bose or in high-end detail as Apple.
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 3
