MODELDRIFT.WATCH

Sep 13 · Day 4

MINOR · GPT · QUESTION 24

GPT went back to its earlier list for a request for a ranked top 5 of noise-cancelling headphones.

Why it’s minor

The change lasted one day before the model went back.

The full answers

Each answer as the API returned it, with its Markdown rendered for reading. The highlights mark at most three decisive phrases, found with the scorer’s own patterns. Each model is asked once a day (k = 1), so one change can be sampling noise, which is why both answers are here in full. How scoring works.

Asked verbatim · Question 24

Best noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights — give me a ranked top 5 with brand and model.

SEP 12the changePermalink

Picks read from the answer, in order
  1. Sony WH-1000XM6
  2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
  3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
  4. Bose QuietComfort Headphones
  5. Apple AirPods Max

Top 5 noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights

  • 1.Sony WH-1000XM6 — Best overall; class-leading ANC, comfortable fit, 30-hour battery, and foldable design.
  • 2.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones — Best for comfort; excellent cabin-noise cancellation and minimal clamping pressure.
  • 3.Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Best battery life; up to 60 hours with strong ANC and excellent sound.
  • 4.Bose QuietComfort Headphones — Lightweight, very comfortable, and nearly as effective as the Ultra model for less money.
  • 5.Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) — Excellent ANC and transparency mode, especially for Apple users, but heavier and limited to roughly 20 hours.

Best single pick: Sony WH-1000XM6.
If comfort matters most: Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
If battery life matters most: Sennheiser Momentum 4.

SEP 13backPermalink

Picks read from the answer, in order
  1. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
  2. Sony WH-1000XM6
  3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
  4. Bose QuietComfort Headphones

Top 5 noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights

  • 1.Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
    Best overall for flying: class-leading cabin-noise cancellation, excellent comfort, and effective transparency mode. Battery lasts about 24 hours with ANC.
  • 2.Sony WH-1000XM6
    Outstanding ANC, strong sound quality, foldable design, and roughly 30-hour battery life. The best all-round alternative to Bose.
  • 3.Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
    Best for very long itineraries, with up to 60 hours of battery life. Comfortable with excellent sound, though ANC is slightly behind Bose and Sony.
  • 4.Bose QuietComfort Headphones
    Lightweight and exceptionally comfortable, with strong ANC and physical controls. A better-value choice than the Ultra model.
  • 5.Soundcore Space One Pro
    Best value: effective ANC, foldable construction, and up to around 40 hours with noise cancellation enabled. Not as refined or comfortable as the premium options.

Quick pick: Choose the Bose QuietComfort Ultra for maximum quiet and comfort, or the Sony WH-1000XM6 for the best balance of ANC, battery life, features, and portability.

Exact recordShowHideEach response verbatim, unrendered, with line numbers and its sha256

Deviation the day it changed

2026-09-12 permalink

Scored
answered
Received
2026-09-12 09:16:47 UTC
Run
20260912T090021Z-c0c86e
Served by
OpenAI · HTTP 200 · finish stop
Size
848 characters · 731 tokens out incl. hidden reasoning · 13.3 s
Extracted picks, in order · confidence high
  1. Sony WH-1000XM6
  2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
  3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
  4. Bose QuietComfort Headphones
  5. Apple AirPods Max

Highlighted: the names the extractor took as picks, where they appear verbatim (5 of 5).

### Top 5 noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights
1. **Sony WH-1000XM6** — Best overall; class-leading ANC, comfortable fit, 30-hour battery, and foldable design.
2. **Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones** — Best for comfort; excellent cabin-noise cancellation and minimal clamping pressure.
3. **Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless** — Best battery life; up to 60 hours with strong ANC and excellent sound.
4. **Bose QuietComfort Headphones** — Lightweight, very comfortable, and nearly as effective as the Ultra model for less money.
5. **Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)** — Excellent ANC and transparency mode, especially for Apple users, but heavier and limited to roughly 20 hours.
**Best single pick:** Sony WH-1000XM6.
**If comfort matters most:** Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
**If battery life matters most:** Sennheiser Momentum 4.

End of response · 11 lines · 848 characters · sha256 7434db19fbc1a57668e96d14eb76ed4d5806c92bf969b3d162ad2b8283e79e5d

Reverted back to baseline

2026-09-13 permalink

Scored
answered
Received
2026-09-13 09:12:04 UTC
Run
20260913T090021Z-a7390a
Served by
OpenAI · HTTP 200 · finish stop
Size
1,166 characters · 714 tokens out incl. hidden reasoning · 14.7 s
Extracted picks, in order · confidence high
  1. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
  2. Sony WH-1000XM6
  3. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
  4. Bose QuietComfort Headphones

Highlighted: the names the extractor took as picks, where they appear verbatim (4 of 4).

### Top 5 noise-cancelling headphones for long-haul flights
1. **Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones**
Best overall for flying: class-leading cabin-noise cancellation, excellent comfort, and effective transparency mode. Battery lasts about 24 hours with ANC.
2. **Sony WH-1000XM6**
Outstanding ANC, strong sound quality, foldable design, and roughly 30-hour battery life. The best all-round alternative to Bose.
3. **Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless**
Best for very long itineraries, with up to 60 hours of battery life. Comfortable with excellent sound, though ANC is slightly behind Bose and Sony.
4. **Bose QuietComfort Headphones**
Lightweight and exceptionally comfortable, with strong ANC and physical controls. A better-value choice than the Ultra model.
5. **Soundcore Space One Pro**
Best value: effective ANC, foldable construction, and up to around 40 hours with noise cancellation enabled. Not as refined or comfortable as the premium options.
**Quick pick:** Choose the **Bose QuietComfort Ultra** for maximum quiet and comfort, or the **Sony WH-1000XM6** for the best balance of ANC, battery life, features, and portability.

End of response · 18 lines · 1,166 characters · sha256 6fc55077a9b8162311b4de5e0b336be72c286f0eae9a800033d6531a51cc55d2

Record detailsShowHideModel version, runs, baseline, triage, permalink, event ID
Model
openai/gpt-5.6-sol
pinned openai/gpt-5.6-sol-20260709; alias resolved to openai/gpt-5.6-sol-20260709 at 2026-09-13 09:00:20 UTC (matches the pin)
Prompt
Question 24: P3 (recommendation)
Why this question
Asking for a ranked list makes a change in the order easy to see.
Change
first extracted pick differs from the baseline's (full lists below)
Baseline
3 prior days with data; 3 matched the baseline value (2026-09-10, 2026-09-11, 2026-09-12)
Responses
deviation 2026-09-12 09:16:47 UTC, run 20260912T090021Z-c0c86e; reverted 2026-09-13 09:12:04 UTC, run 20260913T090021Z-a7390a
Detected
2026-09-13 · run 20260913T090021Z-a7390a, started 2026-09-13 09:00:21 UTC · scorer v1 · severity rules r2
Permalink
https://modeldrift.watch/e/2026-09-13/P3/openai/gpt-5.6-sol/transient_anomaly/picks.top/
Event ID
2026-09-13:P3:openai/gpt-5.6-sol:transient_anomaly:picks.top

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