Head to head · for music listening
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
More people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 overall (96 vs 14). None of the 20 comments that name both says outright which one to buy, so read the loves and complaints and decide by taste.
- Comments naming both
- 20
- Say they own both
- 2
- Choose the WH-1000XM5
- 0
- Choose the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
- 0
Counted across 12 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 | $449 |
| Overall rank | #6higher | #30 |
| People who recommend it | 96more | 14 |
| Say they own it | 149more | 27 |
| Mentions | 1,124more | 193 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteNoise cancellingBattery | FlightsComfortSilence |
| Best for | The default noise-cancelling pick for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges. | Long flights and loud offices where comfort and silence matter more than the last bit of sound quality. |
| Buy | Amazon · $300Direct | Amazon · $449 |
#6 overall
Sony WH-1000XM5
2 of the 20 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
#30 overall
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)
2 of the 20 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- The comfort choice: people who find Sony hot or tight land here
- Noise cancelling that many rate a notch above Sony
- The app EQ tames Bose's bass boost well
The complaints
- Bass-heavy out of the box
- Expensive; the older QC45 does most of the same job for less
- Some people get a pressure feeling or nausea from strong Bose noise cancelling
In their words
“I personally have the QC Ultra Earbuds and absolutely love them”
A commenter under The New Bose QC Ultra Headphones (Unbox Therapy) · Dec 2023
“At least on the Bose qc ultra I do not recommend them”
A commenter under The best headphones under $1000 (2025 edition) (The Headphone Show) · Apr 2025