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Head to head · for music listening

Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra

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
0

Preference evidence:Limited0 explicit choices among 20 comments naming both.What the levels mean

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.

At a glance the better number on each row is highlighted
Sony WH-1000XM5Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Typical price$300cheaper$449
Overall rank#6higher#30
People who recommend it96more14
Say they own it146more27
Mentions1,124more193
Typewireless ANC over-earwireless ANC over-ear
Known forCommuteNoise cancellingBatteryFlightsComfortSilence
Best forThe default noise-cancelling pick people recommend for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges.Recommended for long flights and loud offices, where comfort and silence matter more than the last bit of sound quality.
BuyAmazon · $300DirectAmazon · $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

#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

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 Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
None of the 20 comments naming both says outright which one to buy. Overall, 96 people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 14 the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Read what owners love and complain about below and decide by taste.
Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is cheaper: $300 against $449 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 Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
The Sony WH-1000XM5: 96 people recommend it against 14. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sony WH-1000XM5 is #6 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is #30.
Do people own both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
Yes. 2 of the 20 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 2 say they own the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 2 the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
What do owners complain about on the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra?
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 Bose QuietComfort Ultra: bass-heavy out of the box. The full lists are on each side below.

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