Best Premium Headphones 2024 [Tested & Compared!] - AirPods Max vs Bose vs Sony vs Sennheiser..

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In this video, I test and compare the very best bluetooth anc headphones you can buy today from brands like Sony, Bose, Apple, and more. This testing will help us determine which bluetooth headphones have the best active noise cancellation, the best microphones and call quality on headphones, the best sounding headphones of 2024, the most comfortable, and more. This testing is all based on my own personal experience and my priorities may be different from you. I hope this video is helpful in your decision regarding which blueooth headphones to buy.

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ADDITIONAL REVIEW NOTES:
CONTESTANTS
Sony WH-1000XM5
Apple AirPods Max
Sennheiser Momentum 4
Bose Quietcomfort Ultra
B&W PX8 or PX7s?

The Very Best ANC Bluetooth Headphones Tested Head To Head And Compared.
PRODUCT LINKS ↘️
Sony WH-1000XM5
Sennheiser Momentum 4
Apple AirPods Max
Bose Quietcomfort Ultra
B&W PX8 or PX7s?

Physical
Comfort/durability
Water resistance

Hot and sweaty?
Weight?
Fit test - wear these working out?
Case
Controls
Features
NFC pairing
Can USB cable be used for audio?
Multi-pairing
Auto play/pause
App
Lag
Find my headphones
Microphone test
Sound quality
Quality:
ANC
Pressure/cleanliness/power
Transparency mode
Battery life

THE HEADPHONES:
Sony WH-1000XM5
LDAC
Auto transparency mode when you talk
Adaptive ANC
Sony 360 Reality
DSEE Extreme - audio upsampling low-quality audio files
Dropped NFC pairing (google FastPair is easier)
Apple AirPods Max
Sennheiser Momentum 4
May slip off my head when I bend over
Impressive color match between silicone and leather
Very nice case!
Headphones do not fold, so case is a bit larger
Accepts usb audio and 3.5mm
Incredible battery life! Rated for 60 hrs with BT & ANC (700mAh)
Subpar ANC
Fantastic sound quality
I like the swipe controls
Multipoint
Auto play/pause
They removed the Tile find feature, haptics, and NFC pairing
Weirdly only Bluetooth 5.2
CODECS: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX adaptive
These seem to punch above their weight. For $350, these are a DEAL
Bose Quietcomfort Ultra
Does not accept USB audio
Auto on/off (not just play/pause, but actual sleep) - power off after 24h
Press BT button to switch BT connections (press once to hear, press again to switch)
Nice volume slider
Top tier transparency mode
B&W PX8 or PX7s?

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 The headphone contestants
2:20 Active Noise Cancellation (Category 1)
3:57 Transparency (Category 2)
5:24 Design and Controls (Category 3)
9:25 Fit and Comfort(Category 4)
11:40 Microphone Test (Category 5)
13:40 Battery Life (Category 6)
16:09 Sound Quality (Category 7)
21:30 Features (Category 8)
25:15 Price (Category 9)
26:00 The Winners

[miggyyusay]

I am one of those people that bought and returned/sold nearly each headphone on this list to see what was the best, and the Momentum 4 also came out as a clear winner for me. Very happy with this pair!

[alejandroelcid]

I keep on hearing about how great the microphones on AirPods/Pro/Max are but I just don't hear it; the voice sounds too compressed and inconsistently sibilant, if that makes sense. I did expect Bose to perform better than it did, I do agree that based on this series of tests both Sennheiser and Sony were the best. Based on my own experience Sony's WH-1000XM series are easy to recommend, the times I have been on a plane all sounds (low rumbling to voices) were cut off. I will also agree that the AirPods Max are a strange set as they don't offer any real value unless you are deep in the Apple ecosystem; even then they are too overpriced.

[general.malaise]

I love the Momentum 4s and generally the Sennheiser sound signature. I was able to get them on sale for $199 around Black Friday, which is an actually deranged deal for what you get.

[sujithsatish]

You need to add one more Category. :) Sound leak . Some headphones like WH100XM4, the person who is sitting next can easily hear or may be enjoy as same as the person wearing it. The sound is not enclosed in, its like playing on a Bluetooth speaker

[vokso]

I tried them all, and for me, the best value is the Sennheiser Momentum 4! I love them so much that I got two (one black and one blue). The sound quality is so good that it always makes me smile.

[Thugpug-lpqz]

You have to mention the cabin pressure from the anc, this is something thats sadly forgotten very much but is very important.

[ScaldingCold]

Went with the Bose Ultra since ANC, comfort and transparency were the most important things for me. Also like that they fold up and fit into a small, hard case and they sound very good to my ear. The multi-point works well with my phone and any other device, however not quite so seamless when paired with my laptop and TV together. It typically wants to stay paired with the TV and oftentimes won't switch back to my laptop. One small thing is that you need to watch how you handle them or you might end up getting your fingers pinched in the moving parts. Overall happy with them, but nothing is perfect.

[mickeytollison]

I can’t imagine a person buying a noise cancelling headphone and accepting poor noise cancelling which makes it seem really odd that your number one pick has poor noise cancelling by your own admission.

[jpskillern]

Got the Momentum 4 before Christmas at Best Buy for $199. The blue ones were their deal of the day. Absolute steal. Very impressive sound.

[rendyjansen]

Thanks for the overview! I like how you included the scorecard at the end, allowing us to tally on the metrics we personally prioritize

[mav]

I've got my Bose QC Ultra paired with my PC and my phone. It automatically switches to the phone if I get a phone call without me having to push a button, and then back to my PC if my phone isn't playing any sound. It definitely seems to prefer the phone, giving it priority if it's playing any sound, but I don't have to push any buttons.

[bramschonewille]

I went with the Momentum 4’s, the sound quality is amazing. When you’re not listening to music/podcast the ANC is great, but not perfect. But with music/podcast on, it works perfect. The difference in sound quality between the Momentum 4’s en the Sony XM5’s was too big to oversee. I’m genuinely happy with my M4’s, they’re amazing. Thanks for the vid, really helped me make the decision.

Note:
Of course the ANC on the Sony’s are better, but unless you’re wearing your headphones all day without actually using it what it’s made for (playing music or podcasts and such), the Momentum 4’s are the better choice.

[marc-andrepaquin]

Nice review! I had the Momentum 4 but I had to return it twice because they had disconnection issue over bluetooth. They are instable. I went to the XM5 because they are software well designed.

[GlassHouse]

I'm really happy to see some honesty amongst YouTubers. Over the Christmas period, I bought the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra, sent them back, went into a local Sony shop to try the Sony XM5s, and nearly bought them but ended up buying the Sennheiser Momentum 4s and they are the best headphones out of the three. Sound wise they are so much better than the other two. The Ultra's sound is really, really disappointing. I will say the Bose are the comfiest, but they are not worth anywhere near the price. The apples are a waste of time, it amazes me people are buying them, they also went back when they first came out.

Great review!

[allyjhughes]

Putting B&W last for sound quality is absolutely wild...

[Phillide]

Very happy with my B&W Px7 S2 (non "e"). Sound quality ist definitely above the M4 and XM5. M4 are a bit more comfortable but clamp force of the B&W should decrease by a certain amount and then they are perfect for me. Got the B&W for 199€ which was a no brainer.

[josephgrimes]

I enjoyed this video. I was very impressed the way you broke down all the nuances of each set of headphones. It definitely helped me with my purchase decision. I always enjoy your videos and thank you for keeping me informed.

[menachem]

Great video as always. I think you missed the Commute feature which turns off the front mics and drastically reduces the wind noise on the Bose Ultras when outdoors. That was the big gripe people had with the QC 45s and they fixed it with the Ultras and the new QCs.
Although I do wish it would activate it automatically without having to remember to change the mode when getting an outdoor phone call.

[pabiroansfamily]

Finally...this is what I want comparisson for a few hadphones...thank you...

[lucienseddon]

I ve bought the Sony a month ago now and wow fr I m really impressed ! I listen a lot of techno/ house and rap music and it is just perfect for this style of music . The bass are just too good I can t live without it