The closest alternative to the AirPods Max is the Sony WH-1000XM6: approximately 254 g against Apple’s 386.2 g, up to 30 rated hours against 20, a real fold, LDAC and a cable in the box. If lossless USB-C audio is why you bought the Max, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) keep it and add deeper canceling. The budget pick is the Soundcore Space 2, which publishes 50 hours and a Hi-Res wired input for a fraction of the price. Prices come from Amazon’s own data, stamped with the date inside each buy button.
Start here
What the AirPods Max is actually known for
Using only Apple’s own published specifications, the case for the AirPods Max comes down to three strengths and three travel costs, and which side of that ledger you care about decides your alternative entirely.
- Lossless audio over USB-C, and the tightest handoff between an iPhone, iPad and Mac of anything in our registry.
- A metal-and-mesh build, the most durable here, and Spatial Audio with head tracking that genuinely improves a film on your own iPad.
- 13.6 oz, or 386.2 g. The heaviest in our registry by roughly 90 g, and you feel every gram past hour three.
- It does not fold. Apple publishes “Folds: No”, and the 4.74 oz Smart Case adds 134.5 g while leaving the headband exposed.
- Up to 20 hours of listening, the shortest flagship figure here, which will not clear a long-haul plus a layover.
- No 3.5 mm cable in the box, so a seatback screen needs an adapter bought separately.
Most people shopping for an AirPods Max alternative are not unhappy with how it sounds. They are unhappy with what it weighs and how it packs.
The comparison
The alternatives against Apple’s own figures
| Battery | Weight | Folds | Cable in box | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple AirPods Max (reference) | Up to 20 h | 13.6 oz (386.2 g) | No | No |
| Sony WH-1000XM6 | Up to 30 h NC on | Approx. 254 g | Yes, into a case | Yes |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) | Up to 30 h (23 h Immersive) | Approx. 264 g reported | Cups rotate flat | Yes, 2.5-to-3.5 mm |
| Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 | Up to 60 h | Approx. 293-295 g | Fold-flat cups | Yes, 1.2 m |
| Soundcore Space 2 | Up to 50 h NC on | 264 g | Yes | 3.5 mm input |
The two direct head-to-heads are at AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM6 and AirPods Max vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
Choosing
Which reason brought you here?
“It is too heavy”
Then weight is your specification and the Sony is the answer: roughly 130 g lighter on published figures. Bose publishes 0.520 lb, about 236 g, for the non-Ultra QuietComfort, which is lighter still — lightest noise-canceling headphones ranks the registry on it.
“It will not pack”
Then the hinge is the specification, and three of these four fold. Best foldable noise-canceling headphones and do noise-canceling headphones fold flat? cover why that matters more than any sound specification in a full bag.
“I still want the Apple experience”
Then no over-ear alternative gives you that, and the honest substitution is an earbud rather than another over-ear: best earbuds for iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Max.
No price is written into this page. Today’s figure sits inside each buy button, read from Amazon’s own data and stamped with the date it was read, per how we choose.
In short
Key takeaways
- Sony WH-1000XM6: approximately 254 g against Apple's 386.2 g, up to 30 rated hours against 20, folds into a case, cable included.
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) keep lossless USB-C input and add the deepest canceling here.
- Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless: up to 60 published hours, three times Apple's 20, and around 90 g lighter.
- Budget pick: Soundcore Space 2, 122 g lighter and publishing two and a half times the battery, for a fraction of the price.
- Apple publishes 'Folds: No' and a Smart Case that adds 134.5 g. For a traveler that, not sound, is usually the reason to switch.
At a glance
Quick picks
Scores are our editorial judgment from published specifications and cited third-party measurements, not our own testing. The rubric is published in full. Tap any row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sony WH-1000XM6The most complete travel headphone on sale: 254 g, 30 rated hours with noise canceling on, and it folds into a case small enough to stop being a decision. | Closest alternative, and far better to travel with | 9.19.1 out of 10, our editorial score | |
| 2 |  Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)The quietest cabin of anything here, and the only over-ear in this group whose box already contains the audio cable a seatback screen needs. | If lossless over USB-C is why you bought it | 9.09.0 out of 10, our editorial score | |
| 3 |  Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 WirelessSennheiser publishes up to 60 hours. That is the difference between charging at the gate and not thinking about a charger for an entire two-week trip. | If the 20-hour battery was the problem | 8.88.8 out of 10, our editorial score | |
| 4 |  Soundcore Space 2Fifty rated hours with canceling on, a 3.5 mm input and a case in the box, at a fraction of flagship money. The compromise is in the last 10 percent of quiet, not the first 80. | Budget pick: the cheapest real alternative | 8.28.2 out of 10, our editorial score |
#ad Amazon links are affiliate links. Prices come from Amazon’s own data on the date stamped under the buttons above; where we have no current figure the button reads “Check price on Amazon” instead of guessing. How this is funded.
The picks in full
Every pick, in detail
1. Closest alternative, and far better to travel with
Sony WH-1000XM6
The most complete travel headphone on sale: 254 g, 30 rated hours with noise canceling on, and it folds into a case small enough to stop being a decision.
Our editorial score: 9.1 / 10
#ad Price as of November 11, 2026. How this is funded
For almost anyone replacing an AirPods Max because of the bag rather than the sound. Sony publishes approximately 254 g against Apple’s 386.2 g — roughly 130 g lighter, which is the single largest comfort difference available in this category — and up to 30 rated hours against Apple’s 20.
It also folds into a magnetic-closure case, where Apple publishes “Folds: No” and a Smart Case that adds 134.5 g while leaving the headband exposed. LDAC and LC3 sit alongside AAC, so an Android phone is not second class, and a headphone cable is in the box.
What you lose is the Apple ecosystem: handoff between iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Spatial Audio tuned to Apple content. You also lose the metal-and-mesh build, which is the most durable in our registry.
What works on a plane
- Folds, which halves the space it takes in a personal item
- 254 g is light for a flagship over-ear, and weight is what you feel at hour four
- LDAC plus LC3 means it is not locked to one phone ecosystem
- 30 rated hours with noise canceling on covers almost any single routing
What does not
- You pay a flagship price for the last increment of noise canceling
- The folding hinge is one more mechanism to eventually wear out
- No airline two-prong adapter in the box
How it scores against the five travel axes
Published specifications
| Spec | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Approx. 254 g (9 oz) | Sony Help Guide specifications |
| Battery, NC on | Up to 30 hours | Sony specifications |
| Battery, NC off | Up to 40 hours | Sony specifications |
| Full charge | Approx. 3.5 hours | Sony Help Guide specifications |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | Sony Help Guide specifications |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | Sony Help Guide specifications |
| Wired response | 4 Hz - 40,000 Hz (IEC) | Sony Help Guide specifications |
| Folds | Yes, into a magnetic-closure case | Sony |
| In the box | Headset, headphone cable, USB-C cable, carrying case, documents | Sony Help Guide, Included items |
2. If lossless over USB-C is why you bought it
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
The quietest cabin of anything here, and the only over-ear in this group whose box already contains the audio cable a seatback screen needs.
Our editorial score: 9.0 / 10
#ad Price as of November 11, 2026. How this is funded
The one alternative that keeps the AirPods Max’s most audiophile-leaning feature. Bose accepts 16-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz lossless input over USB-C, and pairs it with the deepest low-frequency canceling in our registry.
Bose publishes up to 30 hours with canceling on and 45 with it off against Apple’s 20, includes the 2.5 mm-to-3.5 mm audio cable that the AirPods Max box does not contain, and the earcups rotate flat into a compact hard case.
Immersive Audio costs a third of the battery, taking it to 23 rated hours, the clamp is firmer out of the box, and the hard case is rigid, so it will not squash into a full bag.
What works on a plane
- The best low-frequency canceling in this group, which is exactly the band engine drone lives in
- The 2.5 mm-to-3.5 mm cable is in the box, so a seatback screen needs nothing extra
- Compact hard case for a full-size over-ear
- Up to 45 hours with canceling off, if you only want isolation on a train
What does not
- Immersive Audio costs you a third of the battery, dropping to 23 rated hours
- Heavier than the Sony by roughly 10 g, and clamp is firmer out of the box
- The hard case is compact but still rigid, so it will not squash into a full bag
How it scores against the five travel axes
Published specifications
| Spec | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Battery, ANC on | Up to 30 hours | Bose |
| Battery, ANC off | Up to 45 hours | Bose |
| Battery, Immersive Audio on | Up to 23 hours | Bose |
| Weight | Approx. 264 g (9.3 oz) as reported | Published reviews |
| USB-C audio | 16-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz lossless input | Bose support |
| In the box | Hard case, USB-C cable, 2.5 mm-to-3.5 mm audio cable | Bose |
| Folds | Earcups rotate flat into a compact hard case | Bose |
Read the full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) review
3. If the 20-hour battery was the problem
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
Sennheiser publishes up to 60 hours. That is the difference between charging at the gate and not thinking about a charger for an entire two-week trip.
Our editorial score: 8.8 / 10
#ad Price as of November 11, 2026. How this is funded
For the traveler whose complaint is charging. Sennheiser publishes up to 60 hours of playback against Apple’s 20 — three times the figure — which turns a daily charge into a once-a-trip one.
It is also around 90 g lighter than the AirPods Max, the 42 mm transducer makes it the most relaxed very long listen here, the earcups fold flat, and the 1.2 m 3.5 mm cable is in the box.
Published measurements place its canceling a step behind both Bose and Apple, and the case is broad, so it eats width in a personal item even though it is slim.
What works on a plane
- Up to 60 rated hours, roughly double the flagship norm
- The 1.2 m 3.5 mm cable is in the box, so seatback screens work straight out of the bag
- Fold-flat earcups make the carry case slim rather than deep
- The 42 mm transducer is the most relaxed listen here over a very long session
What does not
- Published measurements consistently place its noise canceling a step behind the Bose
- The case is broad, so it eats width in a personal item even though it is slim
- Fold-flat is not fold-up, so the footprint is larger than the Sony's
How it scores against the five travel axes
Published specifications
| Spec | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 60 hours playback | Sennheiser |
| Weight | Approx. 293-295 g | Sennheiser / published reviews |
| Transducer | 42 mm | Sennheiser |
| In the box | Carry case, USB-C cable, 1.2 m 3.5 mm auxiliary cable | Sennheiser |
| Folds | Fold-flat earcups | Sennheiser |
4. Budget pick: the cheapest real alternative
Soundcore Space 2
Fifty rated hours with canceling on, a 3.5 mm input and a case in the box, at a fraction of flagship money. The compromise is in the last 10 percent of quiet, not the first 80.
Our editorial score: 8.2 / 10
#ad Price as of November 11, 2026. How this is funded
For the buyer who wants the AirPods Max’s job done without the AirPods Max’s price. Soundcore publishes up to 50 hours with canceling on and 70 with it off, 264 g, 40 mm double-layer diaphragms, LDAC, Bluetooth 6.1, a 3.5 mm input with Hi-Res in wired mode and a case in the box.
Against Apple’s sheet it is 122 g lighter, publishes two and a half times the battery, and has a wired path Apple charges extra for. The gap is canceling depth and materials: the −37 dB figure is Anker’s own laboratory number, the pads are plainer, and plastic will not take a crushed overhead bin the way the Apple’s metal would.
What works on a plane
- Up to 50 rated hours with canceling on, which beats every flagship here
- A 3.5 mm input and a case in the box, so nothing else to buy for a seatback screen
- Five minutes of charge buys four hours, which covers a gate-side mistake
- The cheapest way here to get genuinely useful drone reduction on a plane
What does not
- The -37 dB canceling figure is Anker's own laboratory number, not an independent measurement, and the gap to Bose is audible
- Plainer pad materials than the Sennheiser, so hour four is less comfortable
- Plastic build will not survive being crushed in an overhead bin the way the metal Apple would
How it scores against the five travel axes
Published specifications
| Spec | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Battery, ANC on | Up to 50 hours | soundcore |
| Battery, ANC off | Up to 70 hours | soundcore |
| Quick charge | 5 minutes gives 4 hours | soundcore |
| Full charge | Approx. 2 hours | soundcore support specifications |
| Weight | 264 g (9.31 oz) | soundcore |
| Bluetooth | 6.1 | soundcore |
| Microphones | 3, with AI enhancement for calls | soundcore |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | soundcore support specifications |
| Drivers | 40 mm double-layer diaphragm | soundcore |
| Canceling depth | -37 dB, measured in Anker's own laboratory | soundcore support specifications |
| In the box | Headphones, charging cable, carrying case | soundcore |
| Wired | 3.5 mm input, Hi-Res in wired mode | soundcore |
How we decide
How these picks were chosen
We do not run a test lab and we do not claim to have flown with these units. Every verdict on this page is one of three things: a measurement published by somebody who does own a test rig and is credited by name, a manufacturer specification we quote and then interpret against what a long flight actually demands, or a plainly-labeled editorial judgment. The five axes we score on — cabin-noise reduction, battery on a long-haul, pack size, comfort past hour three, and wired fallback — are the ones that decide a travel purchase, and the weighting is published in full.
Questions
Common questions
What is the best alternative to AirPods Max?
The Sony WH-1000XM6, for most people. It is around 130 g lighter on published figures, publishes 30 rated hours against Apple’s 20, folds into a compact case where the AirPods Max does not fold at all, and includes a headphone cable. What you give up is Apple handoff and the metal build.
Is there a cheaper alternative to AirPods Max?
Yes, and the gap is smaller than the price difference. The Soundcore Space 2 publishes 50 hours with canceling on, LDAC, a Hi-Res wired input and 264 g for a fraction of the money. Its canceling is behind Apple’s, its figure is a manufacturer laboratory number, and its plastic build is not comparable.
Which alternative works best on an Android phone?
The Sony WH-1000XM6 or the Soundcore Space 2, both of which support LDAC — the high-bitrate codec Android listeners actually want and one an iPhone cannot use. The AirPods Max loses most of what you pay for when paired with an Android device, which is one of the better reasons to look elsewhere.
Does anything keep the lossless USB-C audio?
In our registry, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen), which accept 16-bit 44.1 or 48 kHz lossless input over USB-C. It is the only alternative here that keeps that specific capability, and it adds deeper low-frequency canceling and a longer published battery at the same time.
Sources
Where these figures come from
- Apple AirPods Max technical specifications (weight, Smart Case, battery, folds, box contents)
- Sony WH-1000XM6 specifications (weight, battery, codecs)
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) product page (battery, USB-C audio, box contents)
- Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless specifications (60-hour figure, transducer)
- Soundcore Space 2 product page (battery, weight, codecs, wired mode)
Read next
Related reading
- AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM6
The head-to-head behind the first pick.
- Apple AirPods Max review
The original, in full, before you replace it.
- Lightest noise-canceling headphones
If weight is the reason you are here.
- AirPods Pro 3 alternatives
The earbud version of this question.
- Best noise-canceling headphones under $500
Every flagship on one page, ranked.