Bose QC45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 - Which One Is The Best?

The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless are more customizable than the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless. The Sony headphones are better built, and their ANC does a significantly better job of blocking out background noise. They also have longer continuous battery life. However, the Bose are more comfortable and have a more neutral sound profile, which some users may prefer.


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00:00 Intro
00:53 Design
02:35 Test Results
08:57 Verdict
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#RatedByRTINGS #BoseQC45 #SonyWH1000XM4

[RTINGSdotcom]

For anyone worried, we're going to buy and test the Sony WH1000XM5 as soon as we can! Stay tuned!

[chargedmr]

Bose is really balanced. I saw someone suggested an eq settings of bass+6, mid+7 and treble+4 ang the sound really improved a lot.

[adilsonsf]

I've been using both phones for about 2 years. Both are great. I prefer Boze because it is more confortable and better for phone calls. This vídeo was perfect. Thanks a lot!

[davemeadows]

I've owned both of these and they are both excellent headphones. But when it comes down to it I prefer the Bose, simply because they are far more comfortable to wear. The Sony ear cups are smaller and the tips of my ears touch the sides. The Bose are larger and more comfortable. It's Bose for me.

[joec]

Just ordered the Bose QC 45s last night. I got them for $229 plus another $20 cash back. Have been questioning my decision and watching reviews again since I placed the order.

With headphones (and all tech purchases) there are so many varying opinions and pluses and minuses to various brands, it can be tough to sort through the information and feel good about your decision.

Thankfully, after watching your review, I feel much better about my order, and am going to stop stressing about every detail and just try to enjoy the QC 45s. Worst case, if I eventually find that they are not to my liking, I will return them and try something different. Until then, thank you for your excellent review. I really appreciate it.

[nikolaykim]

Great as always, thank you! Using my MX4 for about 2 months now and I'm happy with my purchase

[lakrfan]

I purchased both of these models during Amazon Prime Day and I ultimately chose to keep the Bose QC45 headphones due to their excellent comfort and physical buttons.

[odalv]

“Touch sensitive surface” is from my experience always rather a flaw then advantage

[Markfuckerberg]

Wow this review is great. the thorough data visualization comparisons are so helpful !

[ResplendentRaider]

I’ve watched a dozen of these comparison videos and no one talked about sweat resistance. The Bose has it but Sony does not. Something to consider if they get wet or taken to the gym.

[supercooldude]

Bought both the xm4 and QC45 on sale m returned the xm4. Bose just had a cleaner sound, better when making calls and much more comfortable. Xm4 cranks up the bass and the only real useful feature is that it stops the music when you take the headphones off

[TheLifetraveler]

Thanks for your review. I purchased both the Bose and the Sony today on Black Friday. But I haven't opened up either. After listening to your review I decided I will stick with Bose. For one thing, I already have four sets of Bose headphones. The qc25 the QC 35s and the nc700. What I wanted was the longer battery life of the Sony, but the apps that I have on my devices now will automatically be compatible with the QC 45, and you said the sound quality was clearly better and not so bass heavy.
Plus I wanted us b-c connectivity which I do not have on my qc35. So if I'm on the road I end up taking two charging cables. The main one for other devices and then another charging cable just for the QC 35.

[donutcarrotall]

I got the XM4 and I'm probably going to send them back after comparing them with some QC45 in a store. The clamp is much tighter on the sonys, they also seal in the ear so that after 2 hrs work, my ears get uncomfortably warm and steamy. The smart controls are more a pain than a gain. Regarding the battery I can't say I believe the 37.7 hr mark. At 100% charge, they lasted me about 20+ hours. (Id recommend you forget about the 360 audio as its only a distracting feature most normal Spotify users don't have)

[ash-rsit]

I am an audio engineer and I know a few things about headphones.
I went to the store to get QC45, and there I tried QC45, QC700, XM4, and XM5.
QC45 and QC 700 were the same to me.
XM4 did not impress me much.
XM5 was the best for me but the large price difference between QC45 and XM5 is not justified.

[bilbobaggins]

I've had the XM4s for about a year now and they are great.
I use them for everything including gaming, so they would have well over a 1000 hours by now.
I do not play multiplayer so I can't say how the microphone would be but for the games I do play, the sound is amazing.
When playing PS5 I pair them to my C1 however for both PC gaming and the Switch I pair them directly to the respective device.
The PS5 will not pair to the XM4 headphones for some reason...instead I get a message about being an unknown device...which I think is ridiculous given they are both Sony products.

[MagnusCarmaRedirect]

This was the worst best predicament of my life. Picked up both of these to compare and return, based on sound performance. It was very difficult to identify what I prefer. I think XM4s on the initial first try blows you away. Even the start-up sounds amazing. The app is packed with features. It was very hard to determine just one major factor that led me to keep Bose. I think Sony sound profile bit or a lot too "agressive" for me. Prolonged listening may get tiring. Everything else I give Sony an edge.

[sondrejohansen]

I would have liked if it was compared to the new XM5, since those are out now and I think it is the more appropriate competition

[josephbornman]

Nice, this is much more illuminating than just the article

[opathak]

Personally for me QC45 is better choice, I have tested the both headphones but look like Sony's headphone having too much bass which literally pushing others sound nodes down. I feel bose also have enough bass but it also balance other nodes.

So choice is clear for me !

[sevrent]

I have both and personally I think the Bose is the clear winner. The bose is much better at cancelling higher frequency noises such as fan noise, people talking and such. Bose is a bit better with low end noise but for most people, it'll be high frequency noise they encounter the most. Me personally I use these while at my computer and the Bose is far far better at cancelling our my PC fan noise. In terms of sound quality I also have to give it to Bose, after they added the EQ (which still isn't as customizable as the Sony's) its sounds much better. The Bose has a clearer low end and better top end. The Sony just sounds much more muddled in the low-mid range. One drawback of the Bose is that at times the high end can be a bit much at times, but its worth the better separation of sound ver the Sony