Beats 360 vs Sony WH-1000XM6: How these high-end wireless headphones compare

A look at the design and features of the latest Beats and Sony headphones.

The Beats 360 are finally here, and they're the new flagship headphones from Beats. They feature a refined design, ANC and many other features you'd expect from a premium headphone. Speaking of which, you may be wondering how they compare to Sony's WH-1000XM6 , which is one of the best headphones on the market . If you've been thinking about buying new headphones, these two are solid choices — but there are key differences between them that you should be aware of.

Despite both being premium headphones, they look quite different. The Beats 360 take a new, sportier approach while keeping the colorful identity that Beats is known for. It's a mostly plastic build, with a stainless steel arch for smoother adjustments and rotating ear cups. They're quite light at 294 grams, but not as light as the 1000XM6, which weigh only 254 grams.

In terms of design, Sony took a different approach with the WH-1000XM6. It's also entirely made of plastic, but it looks much more understated, rugged and comes in more muted colors. The WH-1000XM6 also features swiveling ear cups and an easily adjustable headband. The ear cushions on Sony headphones are made of synthetic leather, and that's your only option. Meanwhile, Beats is going all out on customization — not only are there brighter colors available, but you can also mix and match ear cushions and headbands. The cushions are also available in two different materials: One is made of fabric for greater comfort, while the other uses eco-friendly leather for a more premium look.

The storage cases are also quite different. The Sony WH-1000XM6 comes with a hard-shell case that better protects the headphones when you're traveling. Not only that, but you can store the headphones folded up, which helps make the case more compact. The Beats 360, on the other hand, comes in a gym-bag-style pouch. It works for carrying your headphones around and it also has a cool magnetic closure, but it isn't as convenient or protective.

When it comes to sound, Sony headphones are generally the best choice for high-fidelity audio. The WH-1000XM6 delivers richer audio with more pronounced bass than the Beats 360. You can turn the volume up high without the music becoming distorted. It's not that the Beats 360 are bad — they're actually pretty decent. The sound is mostly clear and balanced, but the Sony WH-1000XM6 have the edge here.

Sony also supports LDAC, which allows for much higher-quality audio over Bluetooth than the AAC codec Beats relies on. If you're using a source that supports LDAC or have decent files to play, you'll hear the difference. But one notable omission in both headphones is that neither supports USB-C audio passthrough. The Sony model has a 3.5mm jack if you want to go wired and get true lossless audio. The Beats 360 don't have wired audio at all, so you'll be limited to Bluetooth.

Both the Beats 360 and the Sony WH-1000XM6 feature noise cancellation. For most people, they both work very well. Sony has a slight edge here too, with more effective ANC than Beats. Still, neither one disappoints when it comes to blocking out external noise, even in very noisy environments — like inside an airplane.