I tested ANC on 3 flagship earbuds from Apple and Sony on my daily commute — and there's a clear winner

Sony Wf-1000XM6, Sony WF-1000XM5, Apple Airpods Pro 3 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Travelling can be stressful. Bustling airports, packed trains, babies crying on buses — there’s a lot to take in. I have a love-hate relationship with commuting. While I love watching the world go by and hearing the chatter of people walking past me, if I’m stressed or miss a connection, I need complete silence until I can figure out my next move. Because while I’m a pretty calm person, there’s something about an airport that brings out a different side of me.

Luckily, as part of my job, I’m tasked with trying out some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds, meaning I always have a pair on hand to block out noise around me. Since I travel a lot, they have become somewhat of a saving grace for me. A couple of weeks ago, I did a lot of travelling, and I got to put some of the best flagship earbuds to the test to find out which are best for commuting. And there can only be one winner.

Sony WF-1000XM6

The WF-1000XM6 are Sony's new flagship earbuds released this year, and they come with some super cool upgrades. But beyond the impeccable sound quality, the outstanding ANC performance is what stands out the most.

I’ve used these earbuds on trains, busses and even planes, and all of the ambient sound around me was blocked out. Some of my colleagues who also tested these earbuds noted that they could hear faint talking around them, but my experience was one of complete silence.

I also love that I’m able to adjust ambient awareness levels in the app, so if I do need to be aware of what’s going on around me, I can choose to let in the sound of traffic or voices separately.

Sony WF-1000XM5

The Sony WF-1000XM5 may be the predecessor to the XM6s, but they still have incredibly strong ANC capabilities. They can block out chatter and road traffic sounds with complete ease. When walking along busy streets, they completely diminish the chatter around me.

Things like road works with loud jack hammers still make their way through, but it’s great for everyday use and in an office environment for an extra layer of focus.

Apple AirPods Pro 3

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds have great active noise-cancellation. From the previous aversion of the buds, they have worked on blocking out sounds across the frequency spectrum, which means more sounds are blocked out.

With that said, I’ve noticed that sounds closer to me, such as someone speaking next to me, creep through a little more. This is great if someone needs to get my attention, but not so much if I want to be in my own bubble when travelling.

One thing I’m not such a big fan of with these earbuds is the humming sound they make when ANC is turned on. This sometimes ruins my listening experience, depending on how loud my music is.

Which one comes out on top?

After using all of these earbuds in different scenarios and evaluating them when using them on my commute, I can safely say that the Sony WF-1000XM6 comes out on top for me. But not everyone has this same experience. My preference here is totally subjective; I love the Sonys, but my colleague Erin is an AirPods girl and swears by the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

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Ashley is a staff writer on the the Reviews team at Tom’s Guide. She has a master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and a BA in Journalism, Media and Sociology. She has written for titles including Women’s Health UK, writing health and wellness stories, and Virgin Radio UK, specializing in entertainment news and celebrity interviews. She has reported on a variety of topics including music, literature, motorsport, entertainment and health. She has previously reviewed live music events, books, and wellness products but discovering the top audio equipment on the market is what she does best. When she is not testing out the latest tech, you can find her either curled up with a cup of tea and a good fantasy novel or out hiking.

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