Sorry Apple fanboys: 70% of you chose the Sony XM6 over the AirPods Max 2

At SoundGuys, we compare a lot of headphones. We test them in the lab, measure them on industry-standard equipment, and try to evaluate them as objectively as possible across sound quality, noise cancelation, battery life, comfort, features, and value. That’s our job.

Sometimes, though, the results ruffle feathers — especially when a beloved brand doesn’t come out on top. There’s a well-documented psychological phenomenon behind this: identity-protective cognition, where people treat a challenge to their preferred brand as a challenge to their identity. It’s the same bias that drives sports tribalism and political polarization, and it’s alive and well in consumer tech.

My Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Sony WH-1000XM6 comparison struck that nerve. The video drew a wave of comments accusing me of bias, hating Apple, and even lying about the specs. So, I decided to let the audience settle it with a vote.

Over 3,400 people responded across our website and YouTube polls. The result: 71% chose the Sony WH-1000XM6. YouTube went 72/28 in Sony’s favor, while the web poll was slightly closer at 68/32, but the story is the same either way — roughly seven out of ten people picked the XM6 as the better pair of headphones.

Why the majority landed on Sony

The XM6 costs $100 less at retail and regularly drops below $400 on sale. It scored higher on our MDAQS sound quality metric (4.8 vs 4.3 out of 5), lasts nearly twice as long on a single charge, and gives you a 10-band EQ to dial in your preferred sound. The AirPods Max 2 has no user-adjustable EQ at $549 (no, the Apple Music EQ is not the same thing).

Apple does have real advantages — stronger low-frequency ANC below 200Hz and seamless ecosystem integration if you’re all-in on Apple devices. But for the majority of buyers, those don’t outweigh the value gap, and the poll numbers reflect that.

What you had to say

My comparison video drew its share of heated comments. But for every angry comment, there were dual owners reaching the same conclusion:

• “I have the XM6, and with the ‘Hard’ EQ setting I just love how most of what I listen to sounds. Metal, electronic, indie rock, funk… I still picked up the Max 2 to give them a test run. I wanted to like them, but I just prefer my XM6, I find them more comfortable, lighter, and like the sound better, so I ended up returning the Max.” — @papawar
• “Had the Max 1.5 and am heavily into apple products. Ended up selling these as they were difficult to use in terms of connecting to my other apple products… I now have the XM6 and changed the earpads. Otherwise they work and are easy to use — nice case and form factor too.” — @LOUDERthanU
• “I have Airpods Max USB-C and the XM6. The Sonys have better sound thanks to the EQ but Max’s aren’t that far off with EQ set to Rock and lossless music. The Max have better transparency and honestly both noise cancelation are amazing. It’s the lightweight of the Sonys and better comfort with wicked cushions ear cups that just makes them perfect.” — @Sayeefk

The loudest voices in a comment section aren’t always the majority. Sometimes they’re just the most offended.

If you disagree, the comment section is open — as always.