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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Best for travelThe Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are some of the latest and greatest headphones around. The stunning new design is one of the biggest draws, and you're guaranteed to be blown away by their acoustic performance too.
Pros- Immersion Mode and ANC
- 24-hour battery life
- AptX codec support
Cons- Expensive
- No LDAC
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Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones
Best valueThere's no denying that the Sony WH-1000XM5 are some of the best headphones you can buy right now, and they're quite well-priced considering how much you get. Expect fantastic sound, a comfy design, spatial audio and stellar battery life.
Pros- 30-hour+ battery life
- Excellent sound quality and ANC
- Loaded with features
Cons- No aptX support
- They don't fold up completely
Both Bose and Sony have a lot to boast about when it comes to their top-tier flagship headphones. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are polished and super-premium, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 are crowd-pleasing and sturdy.
Two audio giants, two pairs of the best headphones in the world, but which are better? Truth be told, you won't be disappointed by either because they both have best-in-class sound, advanced noise-cancelling, and tonnes of handy functions and features. In saying that, they do have their differences, and so it could be that one is better suited to you than the other.
Price, availability, specs
One thing setting these two pairs of headphones apart is the price tag - the Bose QuietComfort Ultra will cost you $430 / £450, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones cost slightly less at $399 / £319. Both options are available globally now. Take a look at the table below to see a quick comparison of their specs side by side, and keep reading to find out what that means for your day-to-day experience with each one.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones Battery Life 24 hours 30 hours (NC on) / 40 hours (NC off) Bluetooth 5.3 5.2 Noise Cancellation Active Noise Cancelling, Echo Reduction, Adjustable Noise Cancelling Auto NC optimizer, Atmospheric pressure optimizing, Ambient mode Microphones Built-in Microphone 4x beam forming Weight 0.56 lbs 250g Colors Black / White Smoke / Sandstone Black / Midnight Blue / Platinum Silver Battery charge time 3 hours 3.5 hours Dimensions 7.7x5.5x2 inches ‎27.62x21.67x7.59 cm Carrying case Included Included Material Plastic, Aluminum, Leather (Protein) Synthetic leather / Plastic / Metal
Design
These two pairs of headphones have their own take on the over-ear design, although, in all honesty, they're not worlds apart.
Bose uses a combination of vegan leather, plastic, and aluminum. They come in three colours: Black, White, Smoke or Sandstone. The headband attaches to the earcups using a slim bar, they have soft curves, and there's a padded headband for comfort. They weigh about 250g, which is pretty good going, they're foldable for easier transportation, and they come with a case to keep them safe. An IPX4 rating means that these headphones are protected from water splashes, but they aren't fully waterproof.
Sony's headphones also use a combination of synthetic leather, plastic, and metal. You can buy them in Platinum Silver, Midnight Blue, and Black. They aren't as softly curved as the Bose headphones, but like the QC Ultras, the headband attaches to the earcups using a metal bar, and they have a well-padded headband for comfort. The Sony WH-1000XM5 weigh 250g as well. For travel, they are able to fold flat but not smaller than that, which is a shame, although they do come with a case to transport them. These headphones have no IP rating, meaning they can't claim to be waterproof or even water-resistant.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones use a combination of touch controls like a swipe or tap and a multifunction button, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM5 use some more varied gestures, including a full hand over the earcup (to turn on the ambient sound mode). As well as that, there are two buttons on Sony's left earcup: one is the power button, which also lets you check the battery percentage, and one switches between ANC modes. Both options have gestures that will allow you to pause or play the music, adjust the volume, and skip through tracks without picking up your phone.
Battery and features
Bose and Sony's devices are packed to the brim with cool features. Firstly, when it comes to the listening experience, you'll get some kind of spatial audio across both pairs - Bose's Immersion Mode places the sound in front of you even when you're on the go. Sony's 360 Reality Audio makes it sound like the music is coming from all around you. They both have adjoining smartphone apps, which will allow you to adjust the sound according to your tastes and the type of content you're listening to.
While both pairs of headphones come with AAC and SBC codec support, the lack of aptX or aptX HD on the Sony WH-1000XM5 could be a dealbreaker (Bose's do feature it).
Having said that, the Sony WH-1000XM5 have their own LDAC support for high-resolution music (if your device or streaming service allows for it), which you won't get with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. You can even configure the LDAC codec to optimize for audio quality or for stability.
Bose claims the QuietComfort Ultra battery will last 24 hours of listening without the Immersion Mode and 18 hours with it switched on. If you get caught short, 15 minutes plugged into power will give you about 2.5 hours of playback. To save battery, the Bose headphones auto power off after 24 hours by default, although you can make this less time in the app.
Sony goes even further than this with 30 hours of battery life with ANC turned on, 40 with it off, and a whopping 3 hours of music from only 3 minutes on charge.
Sound quality and ANC
Straight off the bat, it's worth saying that both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM5 will provide incredible sound quality and super-effective noise-cancelling to block out distracting sounds. You'll find adjustable ANC across both pairs and an Aware/ Ambient mode that balances your environment with your music so you can listen to what's happening around you without pressing pause.
In the Bose QuietComfort Ultra review, we described the audio as having plenty of clarity and a refined sound with a rumbling bass and bucket loads of energy, later describing the ANC as 'predictably superb, cutting out next-to-all all background noise with precision, but also, without the weird vacuum sensation that can sometimes occur in lesser cans.'
When it came to the Sony WH-1000XM5 review, we were equally impressed with the audio quality, saying that they 'offer excellent audio performance, with expertise in delivering bass and subtlety when handling more detailed highs.' As for the ANC, using these headphones to their full potential meant blocking the world out almost entirely because these are able to cut out everything from low rumbles to high-pitched screeches.
Verdict
Coming to a decision between the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones is not easy. Both are impressive, with first-class audio quality, stellar designs, powerful ANC, decent battery life, and comfortable vegan leather padding.
If it's value for money you're looking for; then you will be better off buying the Sony WH-1000XM5 because they are just a little bit cheaper than the Bose but offer a lot of comparable features and significantly longer battery life.
Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are some of the best headphones in the whole world - the sound will get you grooving, the ANC will keep you focused, and the array of features means you can tailor them to your tastes too.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra will be better suited to those who aren't worried about the price tag and who want something that looks super sleek and that can be folded away when you travel. It's hard not to love these headphones.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Bose's latest headphones don't come cheap, but if you're willing to spend the cash, then you won't find much better than this. Bose has paired crowd-pleasing sound and effective ANC with a super sleek design here.