A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated April 11, 2024·
premium over-ear headphones with excellent noise isolation. The Bose excels in comfort and is well suited for air travel with a great battery life, active noise cancelling, and an overall very good sound quality. However, for TV and gaming, they may not be the best due to poor performance in those areas. The Sony WH-1000XM5 offers better microphone quality, which could be beneficial for calls and virtual meetings, and also supports Sony's 360 Reality Audio for an immersive listening experience using compatible apps. Both headphones are good for music, but if call quality and proprietary audio features are important to you, the Sony might be the better fit, while the Bose would be more ideal for frequent travelers prioritizing comfort and noise cancellation. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
- Excellent for gaming
- Excellent for TV and video
- Best in class for air travel
Advantages of the Sony WH-1000XM5
- The Sony WH-1000XM5 has no clear advantages over the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones.
Key differences
Gaming
9.3
5.6
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for gaming, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
TV and Video
9.0
5.8
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones is excellent for TV and video, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Battery
29.0 Hours
40.3 Hours
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has 29 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM5 has 40.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$429
$350
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones has a price of $429 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 costs $350.
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Key similarities
Music
8.3
8.2
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 are both very good for music.
Phone Calls
5.3
5.5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones are both poor for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.0
6.0
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 are both only fair for podcasts and audiobooks.
Noise Reduction
9.1
9.1
The Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 are both excellent for noise reduction.
Build Quality
9.0
8.8
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones to have excellent build quality, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 has very good build quality.
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How the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$429 | $350 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Bose | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.3/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.3/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 9.3/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.1/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.4/10 | 6.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 29 Hours | 40.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5.3 | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 10/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 255 Grams | 249.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones
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SoundGuys
Christian Thomas | January 2024
"The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a credible step up from previous Bose ANC headphones, and they're built to hang tough with the competition for years into the future. No waterproofing is a bit of a letdown, but these headphones have the technical chops to make most quite happy."
Sony WH-1000XM5
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Headphonesty
Kazi Mahbub Mutakabbir | February 2023
"The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best Sony Bluetooth headphones so far and one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth headphones around. Look no further if you need class-leading ANC with a mostly inoffensive sound signature. Just be ready to pony up the price premium."
Get a great deal on the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones or the Sony WH-1000XM5
About Bose
Bose is an American audio equipment manufacturer based out of Framingham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 by Amar Bose with the goal of creating a speaker system that could accurately recreate the sound of a concert hall, Bose has become one of the most prominent players in the modern consumer audio market due to the premium feel of their products and their wide brand recognition.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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