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Head to head · for music listening
Sony WH-1000XM4 vs WH-1000XM5
More people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 overall (133 vs 96). Only 3 of the 296 comments naming both explicitly choose one (2 for the Sony WH-1000XM4, 1 for the Sony WH-1000XM5), too few to call a winner.
- Comments naming both
- 296
- Say they own both
- 15
- Choose the WH-1000XM4
- 2
- Choose the WH-1000XM5
- 1
Preference evidence:Limited3 explicit choices among 296 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 37 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $298cheaper | $300 |
| Overall rank | #2higher | #6 |
| People who recommend it | 133more | 96 |
| Say they own it | 196more | 146 |
| Mentions | 1,151more | 1,124 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteNoise cancellingBattery | CommuteNoise cancellingBattery |
| Best for | Recommended for daily commuting on trains and buses by people who want one headphone that does everything. | The default noise-cancelling pick people recommend for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges. |
| Buy | Amazon · $298 | Amazon · $300Direct |
People who mention both, in their own words
“Well xm4 is better than xm5”
Picks the WH-1000XM4A commenter under 💥Summa மிரட்டிட்டாங்க..🤯 The Best Headphone Ever? 🎧 #shorts #sony #headphones (Tech Boss) · Jan 2023
“SONY XM4 > XM5 and on sale”
Picks the WH-1000XM4A commenter under Skip rent, buy these! - Focal Bathys (ShortCircuit) · Dec 2022
“I have been switching between the xm4 and xm5 for weeks”
Owns bothA commenter under THE DEFINITIVE Sony WH-1000XM5 Review & Comparison by an AUDIO ENGINEER (This is Tech Today) · May 2022
“I have the XM4, XM5 and XM6”
Owns bothA commenter under Do NOT Buy Sony XM6! Buy This Instead (RecordingNOW) · Jul 2025
#2 overall
Sony WH-1000XM4
43 of the 296 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- By far the most-recommended commuting headphone: 14 separate owners in one 2025 ResetEra thread alone
- Strong noise cancelling, long battery, folds flat
- Regularly on sale for $130-250, and owners say it is still the value pick over the XM5 and XM6
- Works wired too; the XM4 is the last of the line that folds
The complaints
- Bulky and warm on the ears; one owner found the clamp uncomfortable and the ANC weak
- Sony's default EQ is a little V-shaped (boosted bass and treble)
- Some units develop a faint white noise; touch controls can be fussy
In their words
“I have the XM4's since they came out, and I've loved them”
A commenter under I've been SPOILED! - Sony WH-1000XM5 (ShortCircuit) · May 2022
“I have had the the XM4s for 3 years and love them”
A commenter under Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back! (Marques Brownlee) · May 2022
“I have a pair of XM4s and I absolutely love them”
A commenter under I bought Beats By Dre. (DankPods) · Nov 2020
#6 overall
Sony WH-1000XM5
21 of the 296 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Noise cancelling that owners rank at or near the top of anything they have tried
- Comfortable, light, and the touch controls grow on people
- Several owners bought them on a deep sale and call them the best headphone they have used
The complaints
- The hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year
- No longer folds flat, which travellers miss from the XM4
- Bass is thick out of the box; audiophile commenters call it bloated and point at the Momentum 4
- Ear pads are not user-replaceable; not sweat resistant
In their words
“I own max & XM5…..I love them both for different reasons”
A commenter under THE DEFINITIVE Sony WH-1000XM5 Review & Comparison by an AUDIO ENGINEER (This is Tech Today) · May 2022
“I got the xm5s in stone white and love them”
A commenter under HONEST review of SONY vs Apple headphones!! #shorts (Miki Rai) · Mar 2023
“Now I have the XM5 and love them”
A commenter under Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back! (Marques Brownlee) · May 2022
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 better than the Sony WH-1000XM5?
- Only 3 of the 296 comments naming both choose one (2 for the Sony WH-1000XM4, 1 for the Sony WH-1000XM5), too few to call a winner. Overall, 133 people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4 and 96 the Sony WH-1000XM5.
- Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Sony WH-1000XM5?
- The Sony WH-1000XM4 is cheaper: $298 against $300 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Sony WH-1000XM5?
- The Sony WH-1000XM4: 133 people recommend it against 96. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sony WH-1000XM4 is #2 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 is #6.
- Do people own both the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Sony WH-1000XM5?
- Yes. 15 of the 296 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 43 say they own the Sony WH-1000XM4 and 21 the Sony WH-1000XM5.
- What do owners complain about on the Sony WH-1000XM4 and the Sony WH-1000XM5?
- The most repeated complaint about the Sony WH-1000XM4: bulky and warm on the ears; one owner found the clamp uncomfortable and the ANC weak. About the Sony WH-1000XM5: the hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year. The full lists are on each side below.