TESNA Pods M6 vs Pods Ultra: which over-ear headphones to choose
In short
The Pods M6 for the daily commute: foldable, with 60 hours of battery. The Pods Ultra for flying and anyone who wants the most quiet and Hi-Res sound.
Noise cancelling
The Pods Ultra have adaptive ANC up to 45 dB. The Pods M6 have hybrid ANC up to 32 dB.
Battery and carrying
The Pods M6 last 60 hours and fold into a paperback-sized case; they weigh 232 g. The Pods Ultra last 48 hours with ANC on and weigh 268 g.
Sound and extras
The Pods Ultra have 40 mm bio-cellulose drivers, LDAC on Android phones that support it, memory-foam cushions you replace by hand and a 3.5 mm cable for flights. The Pods M6 have 40 mm dynamic drivers and the SBC and AAC codecs.
Sound
Both have 40 mm drivers. In the Pods Ultra the diaphragm is bio-cellulose, a light and stiff material that gives detailed sound, and LDAC allows Hi-Res music on Android phones that have it. The Pods M6 have 40 mm dynamic drivers with a full sound, suited to everyday listening.
On an iPhone both use AAC; the difference in sound then comes from the driver and the cushions, not the codec.
Comfort over hours
The Pods M6 weigh 232 g and the Pods Ultra 268 g. The Pods Ultra make up for the weight with memory-foam cushions that mould to your head and to the arms of your glasses, and you replace the cushions by hand when they wear.
For a few hours a day both are comfortable. On long flights the soft cushions of the Pods Ultra make the difference; for short, frequent trips the lower weight of the Pods M6 counts for more.
When you need the cable
The Pods Ultra also come with a 3.5 mm cable. You use it with an in-flight entertainment system, an older laptop or a console without Bluetooth. Some planes also need a two-pin adapter.
The Pods M6 work over Bluetooth, which is enough for a phone, a tablet and a laptop.
Which to choose
The Pods M6, if you want the longest battery, 60 hours, headphones that fold for your bag and a lower price. They are the commuting and office pair.
The Pods Ultra, if you fly often or want the most quiet: adaptive ANC up to 45 dB, 48 hours with ANC on, Hi-Res sound over LDAC and a cable for the plane.
What they share
Both are Bluetooth over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling, 40 mm drivers and a battery that lasts for days. They connect to a phone, a tablet and a laptop, and use AAC on an iPhone.
The differences come down to how much quiet you want, how often you fly, the weight and the budget.
Noise cancelling in practice
The Pods Ultra have adaptive ANC up to 45 dB: it adjusts itself to how much noise there is, which helps when you go from the street into the metro or from the airport onto the plane. The Pods M6 have hybrid ANC up to 32 dB, enough for the office, the bus and the metro.
On a plane, where the engine roar is loud and lasts for hours, the decibel difference shows most. For the daily trip across town, the Pods M6's ANC is already a big step up from headphones without it.
Looking after the cushions
Cushions wear over time, especially in summer. Wipe them now and then with a slightly damp cloth, with no strong cleaners, and let them dry before putting the headphones away.
On the Pods Ultra you replace the cushions by hand when they wear, so you do not have to replace the headphones.
With glasses
The arms of your glasses run under the cushions and can leave a small gap that lets noise in. Soft cushions mould around them better: on the Pods Ultra, protein leather over slow-recovery foam, which seals well even with glasses.
Tighten the band only enough to hold: too tight, and it presses the arms of your glasses into your temples after an hour. On both models, ANC makes up for some of the gap the glasses leave.
Every model is in the shop, under over-ear headphones.