Unfortunately Sony ANC depends heavily on the firmware lottery - if you get it with 4.x it's garbage. It just doesn't work. There are ways to downgrade it though.
Plus the WH-1000XM is just outright uncomfortable. I couldn't wear it for more than 30 minutes whereas I can wear my Sennheiser HD580 all day. It was the first product I returned in my life.
Odd that the ANC would get worse... but yea, I do totally believe it. Especially situationally, I imagine it goes up and down.
Comfort-wise I found them fine, but the ear-cups are definitely small compared to giant audiophile over-ear ones :) I love the giant ones, I have no idea why companies make these tiny things (e.g. M&D MW65 is absurdly narrow, V-Moda is absurdly shallow). I can only guess it's some weird sense of fashion.
If you don't mind noticeably worse microphone and ANC, the Shure Aonic 50 pads are quite a bit larger and very comfy.
