The Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45 duel must have you talking if you want to buy the best headphones of this year 2022. Here’s which one is better for you.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 lives up to its name, it’s licensed good at noise canceling. For its part, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have divine sound quality. Each offers benefits that you can use to make the choice.
| Sony WH-1000xm5 | Bose QuietComfort 45 | |
|---|---|---|
 | $348.00 | $279.00 |
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45: Which is more expensive
The brand new Sony WH-1000XM5 is sold at a not insignificant price of 420€, although you may find it cheaper at certain retailers. While Fnac, for example, sells it for €420, Amazon gives it to you for €386.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones, which are older on the market, are sold for €289.95 on the Bose online site. You might find a lower price at Amazon.
Both pairs of headphones are available worldwide. So it is not difficult to order one.
You might want to wait a bit before buying one of these headphones because we suspect that the price of the Sony WH-1000XM5 will also drop like those of the Bose QuietComfort 45. If you are in a hurry, read the rest of this comparison before rushing to the cheapest.
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45: Which is better looking and more comfortable?
Sony changed their XM4 a lot to get their new XM5. With a mass of 250g, Sony’s headset is lightweight and stays comfortably in place for long hours. We can regret that it does not fall back on itself. Yes, the ear cups have some kind of articulation to help reduce the size so it can fit into the carrying case. It is not as compact as we would like.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 is even lighter at 238 g and unlike its competitor, it folds up on itself. This feature will greatly appeal to travelers. It’s not particularly good-looking, but you can count on this headset for comfort, strength, and durability.
Which headphones offer more features
Your Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones can connect to two devices simultaneously via a Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connection. It is also compatible with SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs, with sound delivered through a pair of 30mm full-range dynamic speakers. However, there is no aptX, which is a significant handicap for these headphones.
If you use the Sony Headphones Control app, you can set up and use Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial algorithms while wearing these headphones, just take a picture of your ears.
When it comes to features, Sony triumphs over Bose because the QuietComfort 45 headphones don’t have a built-in voice assistant like the WH-1000XM5. In addition, Bose relies on physical controls rather than touch controls like Sony which has both options.
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort 45: Which offers better sound quality?
Whatever we say, we still buy headphones for their sound quality. Sony’s XM5 has smaller drivers than the older XM4, but it sounds divine. These headphones are punchy but also very measured on lower frequencies. You will find that the higher tones hit with incredible accuracy. Crank up the volume and you won’t notice any sound degradation.
With the Bose Music app, you can now configure the sound of your QuietComfort 45 headphones to your liking. You will find that the headphones produce more assertive bass without flooding the mids.
Sony does, however, sound better with its WH-1000XM5 headphones because it renders end-of-track details more faithfully, which further enriches the sound.
Sony WH-1000XM5 v Bose QuietComfort 45: Which has better noise cancellation (ANC)?
Bose is known for good quality noise cancellation for its audio devices. But this time, Sony seems to have found the secret and is now surpassing Bose.
Sony’s XM5 is capable of completely canceling the noise around you, just like the QuietComfort 45. That said, Sony is raising the bar a bit by offering a feature called adaptive noise cancellation that allows you to reduce the level of cancellation of noise in order to pay attention to the noises of your environment. The QuietComfort 45 does not have this feature. To hear surrounding noise, you need to disable ANC on the Bose headphones.
Which headphones have the best battery life?
With USB-PD charging, the Sony WH-1000XM5 can receive three hours of battery life in just three minutes. In normal charge mode, Sony’s newest headphones go from 0 to 100% in about three hours. From there, you can use them for 30 hours with noise cancellation on, or 40 hours if it’s off.
Once again, Bose bows. Its QuietComfort 45 lasts over 25 hours with ANC on and around 35 with it off. That’s too little to compete with the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Sony WH-1000XM5 v Bose QuietComfort 45: Which one should you buy?
If you felt like Sony was dominating this duel, you’re a genius. Although the Bose QuietComfort 45 is among the best headphones in the world, they don’t offer the quality you’ll see on the Sony WH-1000XM5. The latter has better sound quality, and a noise cancellation feature and above all a superior autonomy.
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