Sony WH-1000XM6 vs AirPods Pro 3: over-ear silence, or Apple's health-tracking buds?

This isn't earbuds versus earbuds — it's a form-factor decision between Sony's flagship over-ear headphones and Apple's flagship earbuds, and that shapes everything. The AirPods Pro 3 do something almost no headphone does: a heart-rate sensor is built into each bud, so you can track a workout straight from your ears with no watch, and the same buds double as a clinical-grade hearing aid and can run an at-home hearing test (iPhone required). They're pocketable, sweat-resistant, and pair instantly across Apple devices, with around 8 hours of ANC playback per charge (24 with the case). The Sony WH-1000XM6 plays a different game: a full over-ear design simply blocks more noise than any in-ear can, drives a bigger, more spacious sound, supports the hi-res LDAC codec, and runs roughly 30 hours on a charge. It also folds flat again — a travel-friendly trick Sony had dropped on the previous XM5 — and its plush earcups stay comfortable across a long flight in a way eartips rarely match. Here's how to choose.