Bose QC Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Kings of ANC

CNET has glowing admiration for Sony’s flagship headphones, but Bose has brought serious competition with its new QC Ultra Headphones. Will there be a new king of the roost? Jide Akinrinade finds out.

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00:00 Intro
00:31 Design
01:50 Comfort
02:51 Portability
03:27 Sound Quality
04:14 Bass Test
04:39 Playback Controls
05:32 Codecs
05:58 Wired Listening
06:29 Noise Canceling
07:16 Immersive Audio & 360 Audio
07:55 Sound Profiles
08:33 MultiPoint Pairing
08:46 Call Performance
09:39 And The Winner Is...

#bose #sony #headphones #review

[jaredweiman]

“The clear winner is both”

Saved you 10 minutes of your time.

[pharaohsanakht]

The long flights from the US to Asia Bose has never let me down.

[NK-erci]

Owning both the XM5's & QC Ultra I'm really loving the Bose especially for the device switching (which actually works) and the insane noise cancelling. Expensive but no buyers remorse here as I'll be using them in the office 8 hours a day so money well spent.

[RutwikPandit]

Can you please edit the video to remove the bg music included during ANC test ? Just seems like it pollutes the actual test

[hiphoppeep]

I tried on the bose in store and were the most comfortable headphones id ever worn. And that was the deciding factor for me

[RedaELFARISSI]

Price is a factor as well and it depends on the region, in France for example : Sony costs 310 € while Bose is still at a hefty 499€

[marquishardy]

I tested them today at Best Buy, and I was absolutely shocked hearing the immersive audio from the Bose. It was the coolest thing I had experienced from headphones in a long time! The price tag is substantial, but they're incredible.

[sturtel]

Bose's Immersive audio was the selling point for me. Apple's Spatial audio only works with certain content. Sony's 360 as well. Bose found a way to have it work with all content. It's nice to listen to movies through headphones and get the Dobly Atmos effect in a small two ear cup factor. Sadly I had to return the Bose QC Utlra because they gave me itchy swollen double ear infections. I got that with the Apple over ear and in ear headphones as well. The new Sony ear buds don't bother me and neither do the Bose 700s. I really wanted that immersive audio. I wonder what they changed in the materials.

[d_o_m_o]

6:29 Why playing background music in this videos when it comes to testing ANC? FAIL! The idea with the microphone inside is good. But why are you ruining it with the background music? It makes no sense. I would just stop all the music so that we can focus on the result.

[SimOnly]

I just bought the QC Ultra and can only compare it to the Sony XM4. Compared to the XM4 the sound quality is much better. This is mostly because I like the more natural sound instead of oomphing up the base like the XM4 does. The ANC is a bit better on the QC Ultra compared to the XM4, but not by a whole lot.
I do like the Immersive audio, although it varies between different music. Especially in classical music and 'light' pop music it does add a new dimension.
What I do not like is the controls compared to the Sony. Volume changes easily when trying to find the button(s), pressing once for pause works, but pressing again to continu fails to work with Spotify on MacOS, but does work with Spotify on iPhone. The controls on the Sony are much nicer. But other than that, I love the QC Ultra for its better sound and ANC.

[cedricbrownnn]

Hi there! I recently got the famous Bose QC Ultra Headphones, and I can confirm that despite the drivers (speakers) being similar to the Bose NCH 700, this very recent model sounds even better than its predecessor. I also have the Sony WH-1000-XM4, and find that the QC Ultra's sound signature is much clearer than the Sony model. What's more, a little adjustment of the well-rounded bass, and the midrange drive the point home even further. As a preventive measure, I'd advise you *not to exceed 65% volume, and to take a few listening breaks for the sake of your ears (e.g. 15 to 20 minutes for 1 hour's listening). Indeed, these headphones have a lot in reserve, and I didn't notice any major sound distortion, which is very good quality. But be careful with your ears, because they're really powerful! And yes, the sound is very clear! Lightweight (257 grams), it folds neatly and has a wider, more comfortable headband. The depth of the speakers (especially for big ears - you don't sweat as much as with Sony headphones) and its active noise reduction are truly impressive! Somewhat superior to Apple's Air Pods Max, that is! For the moment (2023), in concrete terms, it's the best noise-canceling headset! At the same time, it's the most recent. We'll see how it fares next year (2024), with the future Sony WH-1000-XM6 and Apple Air Pods Max 2. The "attentive" (transparent) mode is a real success! A notch below the Air Pods Max, and a good notch above the WH-1000-XM4/5. You can clearly hear everything around you. The immersive mode is a bit of a gimmick, as it gives the impression that the soundstage is getting bigger, but I still find it well worthwhile, especially for films and video games! That's another world! I also note that this mode is a little more energy-hungry in terms of this product's autonomy (around 19h35 for me, as opposed to the 18 hours announced by Bose). In fact, as far as battery life is concerned, I think that Bose has underestimated its headphones, because without the immersive mode, and staying at 60~65% maximum volume, I've actually gone up to around 30 hours. The official press release claims 24 hours' autonomy. . What's more, a mode (even two) designed to cleverly save battery power has been integrated: _ Like Apple and Sony, the sound stops when the QC Ultra is removed... And restarts once the device is placed back on the head. _ Automatic sleep mode, when the headset is removed for a long time. It restarts automatically when put back on. Automatic pairing, no headaches, it works like a charm. Multipoint is amply correct, and the solid Bluetooth is certified in 5.3 (the latest available), which is much better in terms of wireless connection stability. A very good point in itself. The WH-1000-XM4 (which is in bleuetooth 4.2) that I've owned since 2021 can cut out from time to time for no reason at the moment... I don't know why. Maybe it's due to my smartphone being almost full of internal memory? I don't know. In any case, I no longer have this little inconvenience with the Bose QC Ultra. The application is nice and quite rich! It's straight to the point, and somewhat less sophisticated than Sony's, whose geekiness is its specialty. As for the buttons, they're all located on the right speaker, behind the ear. A touch-sensitive surface for volume, and incidentally a personalized touch-sensitive button (press for 2 seconds in the middle of the touch-sensitive surface and that's it), either to obtain a voice assistant, or to indicate battery level or something else, for example... Personally, I opted for the battery level. How convenient! And in terms of physical buttons, there are only 2. . The first, at the bottom of the right-hand speaker, is reserved for switching on the headset. . The second button is located a little higher up, towards the rear of the speaker. . The second button is located a little higher up, towards the back of the speaker. This button allows: _ 1 short click: play / pause; 1 long click: change mode (immersive, attentive, silent - additional modes can be added and/or removed, such as the outdoor mode with its more or less successful optional "windbreaker" function, for example); _ 2 quick clicks: next track; _ 3 quick clicks: previous track. Personally, I find these two physical buttons rather instinctive and less headache-inducing (100% subjective, of course). As for the tactile part, I find it better thought-out than the NCH 700 and the Sony WH-1000-XM4/5, in the sense that there's no tactile conflict when unwanted rubbing occurs, such as fabric rubbing when you're in bed, or when you're putting on a hood. The left speaker features a USB-C input for headphone charging only, and an input for... A 2.5 mm jack!... The 2.5 mm jack... I'll never understand why that is... Especially as the headphones must be switched on to be effective(!)... I really don't understand this choice... As far as phone calls are concerned, the people I'm talking to can hear me clearly, even when there's a lot of noise around me! It's not as sophisticated as the Air Pods Max, but it's still one of the most effective. My voice is clearly audible, and it's possible to adjust the volume of the voice when telephoning via the headset. I write this because none of the testers mentioned this detail generally. Unfortunately, it's impossible to obtain lossless sound via a wired USB-C cable (which is quite incomprehensible to me, especially given its high price at the moment). The French Batys headphones, for example (albeit more expensive than the QC Ultra), make this possible. Finally, the price is high (499€) for the moment, but will inevitably drop in the coming months (logically). And then the bargains will start rolling in over the coming year. It has to be! So, I've tried to be as complete as possible about my pleasant experience with these Bose Quiet Confort Ultra Headphones. Expensive, yes, it's undeniable, but very pleasant to hold, not at all uncomfortable on the head, light and very comfortable, this top-of-the-range headset (2023) does quite well, if not very well. A special mention for the active noise reduction, which so far puts it ahead of Apple and Sony. All in all, this headset is a success, far from flawless, let's be honest, but what it does, it does really well. Very satisfied overall. Oh yes, I almost forgot: the ear pads are detachable and therefore replaceable, in case of any long-term wear and tear. Hoping for interesting updates (USB-C wired sound, I dream of it! x) ) to come! Looking forward to hearing from you! Respect for your remarquable work

[batdroid]

Timely video and fantastic approach with the comparison. I would like to see more videos like this.

[kimberlym]

Yup, just pulled the trigger on these Bose headphones based on your feedback. Thank you very much. I'm excited for the delivery.

[tattooedchick]

After my AirPod Max stopped working after 2 years of use, I bought the Bose QC Ultra. They are way more comfortable IMO.

[cobra]

No one talks about heat build up and discomfort when wearing either of these during humid summer weather in the southern US, dry outside temperatures in the mid 90s, long listening sessions, running in 5K or longer marathons, gardening in hot humid weather, doing heavy cardio in the gym, and more everyday things people do that other headphones have trouble with.

[mbs]

I purchased the Bose last week and absolutely love them. Sound and noise cancellation is excellent. I previously had the Bose 700.

[kena]

When you did the noise canceling comparison if you stopped the background music it would have been a little better to hear the difference. Otherwise thanks for the helpful and concise review.

[THELIFEOFCB]

Awesome video im struggling with my decision as I just purchased both of them and can't decide. The leading factor for me is being able to use the Sonys while powered off. The newer features on the Bose are nice and feel with some updates can become even better. Sigh what a tough decision

[motokoerz]

The thing with the XM5s, I use the wired connection to listen to my hi res {flac} music on my lgv20 attached to a portable amplifier. The best part is i can still use the XM5's anc while listening to music while wired aaaand, if my Xm5 is out of juice, i can still listen to great music even if my xm5 is off. I dont know if the bose has that feature.

[paulmiller]

Great Review, thank you! I had previously had a Bose 35s and wanted to get something with better noise cancelling, so I got the Sony. I found that the Sony was good at noise cancelling but could have improved on sound over time. The biggest issue was the poor build quality of the Sony, which failed after two years with its hinge snapping. There is a design issue with their engineering and use of all plastic in this critical joint. I am going back to Bose. I still have my original 35's, which, as you said, shows their better engineering.