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Head to head · for music listening
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Max
More people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 overall (96 vs 44). Only 2 of the 95 comments naming both explicitly choose one (2 for the Sony WH-1000XM5, 0 for the Apple AirPods Max), too few to call a winner.
- Comments naming both
- 95
- Say they own both
- 5
- Choose the WH-1000XM5
- 2
- Choose the AirPods Max
- 0
Preference evidence:Limited2 explicit choices among 95 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 22 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 | $300cheaper | $549 |
| Overall rank | #6higher | #16 |
| People who recommend it | 96more | 44 |
| Say they own it | 146more | 45 |
| Mentions | 1,124more | 802 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteNoise cancellingBattery | CommuteiPhoneNoise cancelling |
| Best for | The default noise-cancelling pick people recommend for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges. | Recommended to iPhone and Mac people who want one pair that just appears on every device. |
| Buy | Amazon · $300Direct | Amazon · $549Direct |
#6 overall
Sony WH-1000XM5
11 of the 95 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
#16 overall
Apple AirPods Max
7 of the 95 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Auto-switching between iPhone, Mac and Apple TV is the feature owners say they cannot give up
- Metal build that other headphones get compared against
- Called the most comfortable Bluetooth headphone by more than one commenter, and friendly to glasses
The complaints
- Price: the single most repeated objection
- Clamp gets tight after an hour for some heads
- Condensation inside the cups after long sessions; sweat kills the headband electronics
- Battery is not user-serviceable and they are dead without it
- Heavy
In their words
“I have the Apple AirPod MAX and I love them”
A commenter under The Truth about the New Beats by Dre! (Marques Brownlee) · Jul 2023
“So I had to get the AirPods Max”
A commenter under Beats Studio Pro | Don't Buy Until You Watch This (Aesthetic AL) · Aug 2023
“my daily drivers are some Airpods Max which i think sound amazing”
A commenter under Is Sennheiser's new headphone REALLY an upgrade? (The Headphone Show) · Feb 2023
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-1000XM5 better than the Apple AirPods Max?
- Only 2 of the 95 comments naming both choose one (2 for the Sony WH-1000XM5, 0 for the Apple AirPods Max), too few to call a winner. Overall, 96 people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 44 the Apple AirPods Max.
- Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Apple AirPods Max?
- The Sony WH-1000XM5 is cheaper: $300 against $549 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Apple AirPods Max?
- The Sony WH-1000XM5: 96 people recommend it against 44. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sony WH-1000XM5 is #6 and the Apple AirPods Max is #16.
- Do people own both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Apple AirPods Max?
- Yes. 5 of the 95 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 11 say they own the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 7 the Apple AirPods Max.
- What do owners complain about on the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Apple AirPods Max?
- The most repeated complaint about the Sony WH-1000XM5: the hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year. About the Apple AirPods Max: price: the single most repeated objection. The full lists are on each side below.