Headphones comparison · 2 products
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH‑1000XM6
Key differences
- Driver sizeQC Ultra (2nd Gen): 10 mm larger (33%)QC Ultra (2nd Gen) 40 mm · WH‑1000XM6 30 mm
- Battery life (ANC on)WH‑1000XM6: 7 h longer (30%)QC Ultra (2nd Gen) 23 h · WH‑1000XM6 30 h
- LDACOnly WH‑1000XM6.QC Ultra (2nd Gen) No · WH‑1000XM6 Yes
- aptX AdaptiveOnly QC Ultra (2nd Gen).QC Ultra (2nd Gen) Yes · WH‑1000XM6 No
- BluetoothQC Ultra (2nd Gen) 5.4 · WH‑1000XM6 5.3
- Frequency rangeQC Ultra (2nd Gen) 20 Hz – 20 kHz · WH‑1000XM6 4 Hz – 40 kHz
What’s the same
- Fit Over‑ear
- Folds flat Yes
- Active noise cancelling Yes
- Spatial audio Yes
- Battery life (max) 30 h
- Wired listening Yes
Identical specs don’t help you choose, so “Differences only” hides them.
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | Over‑ear | Over‑ear | Same |
| Weight | 265 g | 254 gLighter | WH‑1000XM6 · 11 g lighter (4%) |
| Folds flat | Yes | Yes | Same |
2 identical specs hidden in this section
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | Yes | Same |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 30 mm | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) · 10 mm larger (33%) |
Why this matters. Driver size alone doesn’t predict sound quality; tuning and design matter more. | |||
| Frequency range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz | 4 Hz – 40 kHz | Different |
Why this matters. Most people hear roughly 20 Hz–20 kHz. Wider listed ranges mostly matter on paper. | |||
| Spatial audio | Yes | Yes | Same |
2 identical specs hidden in this section
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life (ANC on) | 23 h | 30 hLonger | WH‑1000XM6 · 7 h longer (30%) |
| Battery life (max) | 30 h | 30 h | Same |
| Full charge time | 3 hShorter | 3.5 h | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) · 0.5 h shorter (17%) |
1 identical spec hidden in this section
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM6 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.3 | Different |
| LDAC | No | Yes | Only WH‑1000XM6 |
Why this matters. LDAC is a higher‑bitrate Bluetooth codec supported by many Android phones, not by iPhone. | |||
| aptX Adaptive | Yes | No | Only QC Ultra (2nd Gen) |
| Bluetooth LE Audio | No | Yes | Only WH‑1000XM6 |
| Wired listening | Yes | Yes | Same |
1 identical spec hidden in this section
How this comparison works
Every product in a category uses the same fields and units. Rows highlight a difference. A direction label such as “Lighter” or “More” appears only on fields where DuelVS’s methodology defines which way is generally preferable. Nothing here declares an overall winner.
Questions, answered from the data
- How many specs are different between QC Ultra (2nd Gen) and WH‑1000XM6?
- Of 15 specs DuelVS lists for this comparison, 9 differ, 6 are identical.
- Which is lighter?
- WH‑1000XM6: 254 g vs 265 g for QC Ultra (2nd Gen), 11 g lighter.
- Which lasts longer with noise cancelling on?
- WH‑1000XM6: 30 h vs 23 h for QC Ultra (2nd Gen), 7 h longer.
- Which supports LDAC?
- WH‑1000XM6 does; QC Ultra (2nd Gen) doesn't.
- What do they have in common?
- Fit: Over‑ear; Folds flat: Yes; Active noise cancelling: Yes; Spatial audio: Yes; Battery life (max): 30 h; Wired listening: Yes.