Active noise cancellation is one of those features marketers love and labs distrust. Manufacturer specs almost never give you a frequency-resolved attenuation number, just vague "up to X dB" claims. We ran both headphones through our acoustic test bench to find out what they actually deliver.
Setup
- Anechoic chamber + GRAS 45CA head and torso simulator
- Pink noise played at 75 dB SPL, 50 Hz – 10 kHz, with ANC off / max
- Real-world: 35-minute commuter train run, ambient measured at 78–82 dB SPL
Anechoic chamber results (dB attenuation vs. ANC off)
| Frequency band | AirPods Pro 3 | Sony WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| 50–100 Hz | 24 dB | 31 dB |
| 100–300 Hz | 27 dB | 34 dB |
| 300–1 kHz | 22 dB | 28 dB |
| 1–2 kHz | 16 dB | 18 dB |
| 2–5 kHz | 11 dB | 12 dB |
| 5–10 kHz | 7 dB (passive) | 9 dB (passive) |
The WH-1000XM6 leads at every band, with the largest margins below 1 kHz where train rumble and HVAC noise dominate. The AirPods Pro 3 are still excellent for in-ear cancellation — within 2 dB of Sony at higher frequencies — but they can't compete with the over-ear seal at low frequencies.
Commuter train
After 35 minutes with white-noise-loop test track at 60 dB SPL output, perceived "intrusiveness score" (1–10, lower is better) averaged across 3 listeners:
- AirPods Pro 3: 3.4
- Sony WH-1000XM6: 2.1
Battery during ANC
Battery drain with ANC active, continuous playback:
- AirPods Pro 3: 6h 12m (vs. 8h claimed)
- WH-1000XM6: 26h 40m (vs. 30h claimed)
Verdict
If you commute by train, plane, or live near a highway, the Sony WH-1000XM6 wins on raw attenuation. If you want ANC in a stem-style earbud you can keep in your pocket, the AirPods Pro 3 is the best-in-class for the in-ear form factor.
See the full AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WH-1000XM6 comparison for codecs, multipoint, and other tradeoffs.