Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45 - TechRadar

No matter how much praise one of their headphones gets, Sony and Bose audio devices always get compared to their rival’s equivalents.

For Bose, it's the acclaimed QuietComfort 45 headphones that launched at the end of 2021; while for Sony, it’s the all-new WH-1000XM5 headphones.

The new Sony WH-1000XM5 will be available at the end of May for £379 / $399 / AU$649.

Over time we expect the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones will see a similar price drop (just as we expect night to follow day) but if you’re after a pair today then Bose has SOny beta on price.

Sony’s had a bit of a redesign with the XM5 over-ear headphones, mixing things up a bit from its predecessors (the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Sony WH-1000XM4).

The Bose QuietComfort 45 weigh in at just 238g and do fold in on themselves, which makes them an even more compelling proposition for the frequent travelers among you.

While they won’t win any prizes for having a novel design, the Bose headphones are a solid competitor to Sony’s when it comes to comfort, stability, and durability.

If you use the Sony Headphones Control app you can set up and use Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial algorithm while wearing these headphones, you just have to take a picture of your ears.

Unlike Sony, Bose hasn’t shared detailed spec lists that give away how its QuietComfort 45 headphones compare in terms of drivers and connectivity.

Plus, Bose relies on physical controls rather than touch controls like Sony; both options are well implemented so it’s mostly a matter of preference.

When they were first released, the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones had no EQ adjustment – as a result, we thought they sounded rather tentative and ambiguous.

Bose headphones are generally considered some of the best in terms of their noise-cancelling abilities, though Sony’s WH-1000XM5 cans give them a run for their money.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 can’t really compete with those numbers.

That’s not saying the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are in any way terrible – their battery life is better than average, their comfort is undeniable, their noise-cancelling remains the best around and their audio performance is solid.

But which is better for you the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones or their predecessor the Sony WH-1000XM4.