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Apple headphones: AirPods, Max, and the Android question

Updated by Lucian Bergstrom. AirPods, Apple earbuds and the AirPod Max headphones: what you are really buying is the plumbing.

  1. The value pick

    AirPods Pro 2

    $100 to $150

    Check price

    Read why

  2. If you use Android

    Sony WF-1000XM6

    $250 to $350

    Check price

    Read why

What to buy, briefly

On an iPhone the AirPods line buys instant pairing, device switching, Find My and head-tracked spatial audio, and the current model is the AirPods Pro 3. The outgoing AirPods Pro 2 is where the value sits right now. The AirPods Max 2 is the over-ear, and it is heavier and dearer than the Sony and Bose flagships. On Android, nearly all of the Apple features disappear and so does the reason to buy them.

What to settle first

Does my phone change which pair I should buy?

For earbuds, yes. AirPods give iPhone owners instant pairing, device switching and Find My, and lose nearly all of it on Android. Sony's LDAC and Samsung's codec features go the other way. For over-ears the gap is smaller: the Sony and Bose flagships behave the same on both, which is one reason they are the safe picks.

Flagship over-ears are platform-neutralMaker specs; retailer codec guidance

Our pick: the iPhone pickGo deeper: the iPhone and Android filters

Is the previous generation good enough?

Usually, and this is where the money is. In our own 25 October listing data the Sony XM5 sat $278 below the XM6, and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 sat roughly half the price of the Momentum 5. You give up measured ANC at the extremes and some microphone quality. You keep the battery, the app and the build.

$278 between XM6 and XM5Our listing data, 25 Oct 2026

Our pick: the Sony XM5Go deeper: the price desk

Should I buy over-ear, earbuds or open-ear?

Over-ear for flights and desks: the pads do half the isolation work and the battery is measured in days. Earbuds for pockets and gyms, where the tip does the sealing. Open-ear for roads and shared rooms, where hearing the world is a feature rather than a flaw. The three are different tools, not three price tiers.

Three tools, not three tiersCategory roundups by type

Our pick: the over-ear pickGo deeper: the type-by-type guide

The picks, in order

1

The one most people should buy

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

$100 to $150on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
Check price on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Buy it if you own an iPhone, want the ecosystem features, and are happy with last year's model at a discount.
Skip it if you use Android, or you want the newest tested model. See the Sony WF-1000XM6.
Family tested66/100In an officeOn a train or busRunning or the gymAt home with kids

Last year's Pro at a discount, with the full Apple feature set intact.

Where each number comes from
SpecThe box saysTesting and sources say
GenerationThis is the 2nd GenApple's current model is the AirPods Pro 3, which RTINGS has on its tested noise cancelling list; the 2nd Gen is the outgoing one
PriceUnder $150 in our dataOur 25 October listing for the 2nd Gen sat well below the current model's usual price
PlatformBuilt for iPhonePairing, Find My, audio sharing and head-tracked spatial audio are Apple-device features

Sources: RTINGS tested list for the current Pro 3; Apple published specs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.

$100 to $150on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
See it on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

2

The Android answer

Sony WF-1000XM6

$250 to $350on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
Check price on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Buy it if you want flagship-class ANC that lives in a jacket pocket.
Skip it if you want maximum silence and battery and do not mind a bigger bag. See the Sony XM6.
RTINGS lab83/100On a planeIn an officeOn a train or busRunning or the gym

If your phone is not an iPhone, this is what the money should buy instead.

Where each number comes from
SpecThe box saysTesting and sources say
TestingSony's flagship earbudsRTINGS lists the WF-1000XM6 among the noise cancelling models it has bought and tested
Noise cancellingSony's flagship ANC in earbud formEarbuds seal with tips rather than pads, so isolation depends more on your ear than on the electronics
BatteryHours, not daysAny earbud trades the flagship's 30 hours for a case you top up daily

Sources: RTINGS, noise cancelling tested list; Crutchfield on codecs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026. Full write-up: on the main list.

$250 to $350on Amazon, Oct 25, 2026
See it on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Apple AirPods Max 2

The Apple over-ear, at Apple money
  • Apple's current over-ear, USB-C, with head-tracked spatial audio
  • Heavier than the Sony and Bose flagships, with a case that does not fully protect it
  • No price in our 25 October capture, so we show none

Beautiful, heavy and locked to Apple. If everything you own has an Apple logo and weight does not bother you, it is coherent. Otherwise the XM6 does more for less.

Buy it if you are all-in on Apple and want an over-ear.
Skip it if you want the best measured ANC per dollar. See the Sony XM6.

Sources: Apple published specs; Our listing data, 25 October 2026.

Price moves dailycheck the current one
See it on Amazon

Check the Sold by line before paying. Why

Asked and answered

Are Apple headphones worth it?

On an iPhone, the AirPods line buys you instant pairing, device switching, Find My and head-tracked spatial audio, and the current model is the AirPods Pro 3. On Android you lose nearly all of that. The AirPods Max 2 is the over-ear, and it is heavier and dearer than the Sony and Bose flagships.

Which wireless earbuds are best?

The Sony WF-1000XM6 for Android, the AirPods line for iPhone, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds if blocking is everything, and the Soundcore Space A40 if the budget is tight. For every one of them, change the tips until the seal is right before you judge the noise cancelling.

Do codecs like LDAC and aptX matter?

A little, and only if both ends support the same one. LDAC is the higher-bitrate option on many Android phones and is Sony's; aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound are Bose's route on recent Android phones; iPhones use AAC. No codec fixes a bad seal.

When do noise cancelling headphones go on sale?

Flagships fall hardest when the next generation arrives, which is exactly what our price desk is showing right now. Our own 25 October capture had the Sony XM5 at $278 below the XM6, and two colours of that same XM5 $118 apart on the same day.

What is multipoint, and do I need it?

Multipoint keeps two devices connected at the same time, so a call on your phone interrupts music from your laptop. If you work at a desk with a phone next to you, it is the feature you will use every day. Every over-ear pick on this page has it.