Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45

If you’re in the market for active noise canceling (ANC) headphones, Sony and Bose make some of the most popular headsets around. The latest Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45 have a lot in common, and some key differences, such as Bluetooth codecs and industrial design. Let’s find out which deserves your money more.

Editor’s note: this article was updated on July 29, 2023 to add a FAQ, and to update formatting.

Does the Sony WH-1000XM5 have a better design than the Bose QuietComfort 45?

Both headsets are iterative updates, meaning they build off their predecessors in looks and functionality. The QC 45 has more obvious branding and buttons, looking less modern than the discreetly branded WH-1000XM5.

The QuietComfort 45 uses nearly the same tried and true design that worked in the QuietComfort 35 II (and the QC35 before it). With impact-resistant glass-filled nylon in the headband and metal reinforcements, it’s clearly made from plastic, but it’s well built. The fit of the QC 45 feels comfortable and weighs 240g, which is about average. You’ll find the QuietComfort 45 evenly distributes the weight with plush ear pads and across the headband.

Interestingly, the QC 45 does not have a standard listening mode. You have to pick noise canceling or Aware mode. Either using mics to filter out external noise, or to pipe in external noise through the headphones. The WH-1000XM5 lets you use it as a non-noise canceling headset, which is a nice plus when you don’t want to waste battery with ANC, Ambient mode, and “quick attention,” which you can activate by cupping your hand over the right ear cup. Unfortunately, neither headset has an IP rating, so you’ll have to stick to moderate temperatures or indoor use.

Weighing in at 250g, the weight difference between WH-1000XM5 and QC45 is scarcely noticeable. It’s a comfortable headset, with a good amount of room for your ears. The WH-1000XM5 looks a bit different from its predecessor, taking some subtle inspiration it appears from Apple with the arm shape and lack of folding hinges. Since Bose’s headphone hinges can fold up, the QC 45 is a bit more portable than the WH-1000XM5. Both companies provide a hard carrying case for travel though, so either headset will be nice and safe.

How do you control the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45?

The Bose QuietComfort 45 lets you access your virtual assistant, control playback, field calls, adjust the volume, and toggle listening modes exclusively with buttons. There are no touch controls on this Bose headset. When you make a command, you get the satisfying feedback of feeling a button press.

Boe QuietComfort 45 controls:

Where the QuietComfort 45 uses tactile buttons, Sony continues to use touch controls on the WH-1000XM5 on the right ear cup, and two buttons on the left. One button works for power and pairing, and the other toggles through ANC or Ambient modes. Touch controls mean you have to learn gestures, though these are pretty intuitive, but sometimes easy to do incorrectly. Having the ability to hold your hand over an ear cup to immediately hear the outside world is a fantastic quick gesture on the WH-1000XM5 that the Bose does not have.

Sony WH-1000XM5 controls:

Does the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45 have a better app?

Compared to the Bose Music app, the Sony Headphones Connect app is clunkier overall, but it has some deeper capabilities. Whereas the Bose Music app has (historically significant) updates, listening modes, equalizer presets as well as a three-band EQ, the Sony Headphones Connect app includes a plethora of EQ presets and a custom six-band EQ, alongside updates, and Find my headphones. In fairness to the QC 45, you can get really close to our target sound with minor adjustments in the equalizer. You can achieve this with the WH-1000XM5 too, but it’ll take more finessing.

Sony Headphones Connect also brings 360 Reality Audio optimization to the WH-1000XM5. This isn’t to be confused with the fact that some services (like Amazon Music) let you use enjoy spatial audio with any headphones, because the benefit of optimization is that it adjusts the sound to your ear anatomy. You’ll need a compatible streaming service to take advantage of 360 Reality Audio, like Deezer, because it doesn’t work with just any service. Meanwhile, the QuietComfort 45 has no equivalent surround sound customization feature. For some, that could be a deal breaker.

Both Bose and Sony’s headphone apps are free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

How do the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45 connect to devices?

Firstly, let’s see what Bose and Sony’s headphones have in common: optional wired connection (neither support USB audio though) AAC, and SBC Bluetooth codecs. Using Bluetooth 5.1, the QC45 can connect to a maximum of two devices at a time, and the Sony WH-1000XM5 supports multipoint as well. For Apple users, AAC is the preferred Bluetooth codec, and both Sony and Bose have that covered.

In addition, the WH-1000XM5 has the variable LDAC codec, which plays nicer with Android than AAC and transmits more data. For Android users especially, LDAC on the WH-1000XM5 will make the most difference, if you stream video, in reducing latency. Of course, influencing your audio quality is not just the connection but the compression of the source audio.

Does the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45 have better battery life?

With ANC on, the QuietComfort 45 battery lasts 24 hours and 49 minutes when subjected to a constant output of real music, peaking at 75dB(SPL). It also has a quick charge via USB-C that yields 180 minutes of power after 15 minutes of charging.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 claims to have a battery life of 30 hours. Our tests reveal that the headset lasts a bit longer at 31 hours, 53 minutes. Three minutes of charge with a USB-C cable yields 180 minutes, which is five times faster than the QC 45 fast charge.

Of course, you can always plug in your included cable with a headphone jack to extend the overall lifespan of your WH-1000XM5.

Does the Sony WH-1000XM5 cancel noise better than the Bose QuietComfort 45?

It’s a tight competition in the ANC department, with the QuietComfort 45 performing excellent active noise canceling, but the WH-1000XM5 has improved its passive isolation, thereby one-upping the previous WH-1000XM4 performance, as well as bettering the QC 45. In the high frequencies, the WH-1000XM5 more consistently blocks noise, particularly above 1kHz. Meanwhile, the ANC covers the lows well, with just under 30dB of attenuation at 100Hz. Below 70Hz the attenuation steeply tapers off.

The QuietComfort 45 has excellent noise cancelation too. It filters more sub-bass frequencies than the WH-1000XM5. At 100Hz, it filters 25dB of noise, but just a little higher in the frequency range between 100-200Hz, this attenuation dips down to about 12dB, so it’s not consistent. While the WH-1000XM5 outdoes the QC 45 holistically here, it’s not by a landslide, as the QuietComfort 45 filters noise well too. It’s the WH-1000XM5 isolation performance that edges Sony ahead.

Does the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45 sound better?

Both headphones ship with imperfect frequency responses. The Sony WH-1000XM5 favors a bassy profile, while the QC 45 closely follows our preferred headphones curve, except for in the highs, where it noticeably boosts treble.

That extra boost to the bass frequencies on the Sony WH-1000XM5 can make it harder to hear mids, especially with the added 5dB (or so) bump at 3-6kHz in the highs, as seen in the chart above, competing for your attention too. Fortunately, the Headphones Connect has that six-band EQ to tame this a little bit, though it will take some time to really dial it in.

The QuietComfort 45 by default is heavy-handed on treble. While its bass and mids sound very good, the exaggerated treble overwhelms it. Like the WH-1000XM5, the QC 45 has a very helpful EQ. It’s not as in-depth as the Sony one, but it’s very easy to EQ and gets mighty close to perfect. Which is better comes down to how much tinkering you want to do, and your feelings on bass.

Is the microphone on the Sony WH-1000XM5 better than the microphone on the QuietComfort 45?

Neither pair of headphones offers pro-quality microphones, but both are better than a lot of similarly styled headphones without veering into gaming headset territory.

The microphone array onboard the Sony WH-1000XM5 does a good job of capturing voices basically true to life. In the highs, it only begins to taper off above 6kHz, which serves most voices just fine. Its noise attenuation, especially with regards to wind is remarkably good. The WH-1000XM5 may sound slightly more natural than the QuietComfort 45.

The Bose QuietComfort 45 sounds okay, if somewhat under-emphasized in the lower registers of voices. Like the WH-1000XM5, the QC 45 filters out wind noise well. It can’t quite get rid of all noise, with higher-pitched street sounds making it through.

Sony WH-1000XM5 microphone demo (Ideal):

Bose QuietComfort 45 microphone demo (Ideal):

Sony WH-1000XM5 microphone demo (Wind):

Bose QuietComfort 45 microphone demo (Wind):

Should you buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort 45?

To some extent, it depends on your device, your case use, and how much you want to use the app. First, let’s knock the easy stuff: if you care about surround sound or LDAC support, grab the Sony WH-1000XM5. If you don’t like touch controls and want minimal app interaction besides updates and an initial EQ setup, choose the Bose QuietComfort 45. If folding down is a must, the QC 45 is more portable with its folding hinges. Lastly, the price difference is clear with the QuietComfort 45 costing about $70 less.

In the overall noise cancellation department, the WH-1000XM5 edges ahead by having better isolation, but the Bose QuietComfort 45 scores almost the same when looking at just ANC and not both ANC and isolation. In other words, the isolation is superior on the WH-1000XM5, but the actual ANC performance is a tie overall.

The QuietComfort 45 is easier to dial in the nearly perfect EQ setting in the more limited app, because the bass and mids are already basically spot on. You can set it and forget it. On the other hand, if you like an extra bassy sound, the WH-1000XM5 has more bass by default but is tougher to EQ.

Because both headsets supply a wired listening option (analog only), you can get close to the best quality audio. For wireless listening, the more limited AAC and SBC codecs on the QC 45 are fine for iPhones, but not as good as the added LDAC codec on the WH-1000XM5 for Android users. So really, it comes down to cost, surround sound, and codecs. Is the WH-1000XM5 worth the extra money for surround sound and LDAC to you?

What should you get instead of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QC 45 wireless headphones?

Apple AirPods Max

Prospective iPhone-owning buyers looking at Sony and Bose’s headphones should also consider the Apple AirPods Max, which can be found for $424.99 at Amazon. Like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), this pair of wireless headphones works seamlessly within Apple’s ecosystem, supporting features like battery life optimization, automatic device switching, and hands-free Siri access. When you listen to supported Dolby Atmos content, you can take full advantage of Apple Spatial Audio with head tracking too.

Apple-exclusive features aside, the noise canceling is the best that we’ve seen, and it outperforms the WH-1000XM5 and QC 45 in question today. Microphone quality is also very good, but it sounds best when paired with an iPhone. (No surprise there.) If you don’t have an iPhone, keep reading for other alternatives.

Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Let’s cut to the chase: the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless from Sennheiser is a great-sounding headset that requires little tinkering, but the ANC is not as good as the Bose QC 45 or Sony WH-1000XM5. Even though the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless’ ANC performance falls comparatively short, it still has very good ANC. With Sennheiser’s headset, you get support for the aptX and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs, which can’t be said of Sony or Bose’s headsets. Also, the default tuning of the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless gets very close to our ideal.

The microphone sounds pretty good on the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, but it can’t compare to the WH-1000XM5. However, most readers find the Sennheiser headphones to have a better microphone than the QuietComfort 45. It’s currently $284.23 at Amazon.

Sony WH-1000XM4

Sure the WH-1000XM5 has better noise canceling, along with improved sound and microphone quality, but the general feature set is similar to the Sony WH-1000XM4. It uses the same app, has 360 Reality Audio, and an equalizer. You even get Find My Device support through Google Fast Pair on the XM4, something that’s carried over to the XM5.

The ANC is close, but the XM5 beats out the XM4 here. Isolation is not as good on the XM4 as the QuietComfort 45 or the WH-1000XM5. You can bet with the introduction of the WH-1000XM5, the price will drop on the WH-1000XM4. It’s currently available for $348 at Amazon.

Anker Soundcore Life Q35

Look, we know that not everybody can justify the premium placed on the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort 45. The Anker Soundcore Life Q35 goes for an easier to attain price ($99 at Amazon) and it’s a competent set of headphones. Its ANC isn’t going to blow away the Bose or Sony headphones here, but it has decent isolation and enough ANC to help with your commute.

The default sound is a bit too bassy with an unusual exaggeration in the treble frequencies. You can use the included app to modify it. Anker also uses the same LDAC codec the WH-1000XM5 supports, and it has a headphone jack connection, alongside AAC and SBC codecs. Sure, it’s not the fanciest, but it’s only about $100.

Frequently asked questions about Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45