Nearly two years after Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds topped TechRadar's list, the company has unveiled its successor, the WF-1000XM5, and the reviewers have set it against Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds 2, the reigning favorite for noise cancelling. The contest is a familiar one in consumer audio: a brand that claims a leap forward against a rival whose quiet, calibrated silence has long set the standard. The verdict is not a crowning but a division, in which the choice depends on what a listener most values, whether the hush of the world or the breadth of the everyday.
Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2: Which Noise-Cancelling Buds Win?
Bose was already doing a fantastic job there and is still the winner
Mark
So who wins? Sony's new buds, or Bose?
Mimi
It depends on what you value. Bose wins on noise cancelling, clearly. Sony is called the slightly better all-rounder.
Mark
Why does ANC carry so much weight in this comparison?
Mimi
Both companies are leading with it. Sony called the XM5 its biggest step forward in noise cancelling, yet the reviewers say it still doesn't match the best.
Luke
Worth noting that's TechRadar's judgment, and the comparison leans on their earlier Bose review. The piece doesn't give measured ANC figures.
Mark
What does Sony offer that Bose doesn't?
Mimi
LDAC, Spatial Audio, DSEE upscaling, multi-point pairing, four tip sizes, and an extra two hours per charge. Bose has Single-Bud Use.
Luke
Careful with the call quality claims. Sony says best ever; the reviewers say it beats Bose only slightly.
Mark
Any downsides on Sony's side?
Mimi
Occasional connectivity drop-outs and a busy app, per their review.
Luke
And fit is unresolved. They say they can't call a winner there yet.
Mark
Prices?
Mimi
Both $299 in the US. Sony is £259 and AU$499; Bose launched at £279 and AU$429.
Le Pouls
- Sony's new XM5 earbuds arrive claiming their biggest noise cancelling leap yet, and the reviewers are testing that claim against a rival that still sets the bar.
- Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds 2 block nearly everything except high frequencies like sirens, holding the top spot for silence while lacking high-resolution codecs.
- The Sony buds shrink by a quarter and gain LDAC, Spatial Audio, longer battery and multi-point pairing, though occasional connectivity drop-outs and a busy app blur the picture.
- Both sets sit near $299, so buyers are left weighing silence against features, fit and battery, with no clear winner emerging for everyone.
Nearly two years after Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds topped TechRadar's list, the company has unveiled its successor, the WF-1000XM5, and the reviewers have set it against Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds 2, the reigning favorite for noise cancelling. The contest is a familiar one in consumer audio: a brand that claims a leap forward against a rival whose quiet, calibrated silence has long set the standard. The verdict is not a crowning but a division, in which the choice depends on what a listener most values, whether the hush of the world or the breadth of the everyday.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have held the top spot on TechRadar's list of true wireless earbuds since 2021, and now their successor has arrived. Sony unveiled the WF-1000XM5 on July 24, with shipping set for early August 2023, and the reviewers have lined them up against the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, their current favorite for noise cancelling.
Sony calls the XM5s its biggest step forward in noise cancelling. The buds are smaller and lighter, with a new driver, an integrated processor and three microphones per earbud. Still, the reviewers judge their ANC good rather than best-in-class, and the Bose buds remain the stronger choice for quiet. Bose, which the reviewers credit with practically inventing noise cancelling, calibrates both its ANC and its sound to the wearer's ears, letting through only a few high frequencies like sirens. Both sets cost about $299, and the Bose launched at that price in 2022, so deep discounts seem unlikely.
On sound the two are close, each with its own character. Bose's CustomTune earns praise for balance and texture, while Sony's XM5s offer an exciting, punchy listen. The sharpest divide is in formats: Sony supports LDAC, Spatial Audio and DSEE Extreme, while Bose offers only low-definition codecs. Calls lean slightly toward Sony, which promises its best call quality yet, and Bose's calls were one of the few weak points the reviewers found.
The XM5s are 25% smaller and lighter, come in four sizes and feature multi-point pairing, which Bose lacks. Battery life is modest on both, with Sony lasting eight hours plus two from the case and Bose six hours plus three. The XM5 has its own flaws, including occasional drop-outs, a busy app and uneven on-ear volume control.
The verdict splits. If noise cancelling matters most, the Bose buds are the pick. Otherwise, the Sony buds are the slightly better all-rounders.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds have sat at the top of TechRadar's list of best true wireless earbuds since they arrived in 2021. That run is now being tested. Sony unveiled the WF-1000XM5 on July 24, with shipping due to begin in early August 2023, and the reviewers lined them up against the pair that currently holds their favorite spot for noise cancelling: the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2.
Sony has made large claims for the new model. In its press material it calls the XM5s its biggest step forward in noise cancelling. The buds are smaller and lighter than the XM4s, and they add a new driver unit called Dynamic Driver X, an integrated processor, and three microphones per earbud where the XM4s had two. Even so, TechRadar's verdict is that the XM5s do not match the best earbuds for noise cancellation. Sony's ANC improved slightly over the last generation, but it was good rather than best-in-class before, and it remains so.
Bose, which the reviewers note practically invented noise cancelling, still leads there. The QuietComfort Earbuds 2 use an audio signal to calibrate both the ANC and the sound to the wearer's ears, and only some high frequencies, such as sirens, get through. TechRadar's earlier review placed them at the top of the ANC game. The Bose buds also launched in September 2022 at $299, £279 and AU$429, so the reviewers say decent discounts are unlikely. Sony's XM5s are priced at $299, £259 and AU$499, a modest step up from the XM4s' launch prices of $279.99, £250 and AU$449.95.
On sound, the two are closer. Bose's CustomTune tech earned praise for balanced sound and for bringing out detail and texture in familiar tracks, with an in-app EQ for further adjustment. Sony's review described the XM5s as a zealous, exciting listen with crisp bass weight. The real divide is in formats: Sony supports Spatial Audio, LDAC high-resolution wireless and DSEE Extreme upscaling, while the Bose buds support only low-definition codecs, with no LDAC or aptX.
Calls favor Sony, though narrowly. It promises its best-ever call quality, using a noise reduction algorithm and bone conduction sensors to clarify voices and cut wind noise outdoors. Call quality was one of the few weaknesses TechRadar found in the Bose buds: not terrible, but improvable. Feature sets differ in other ways too. The Sony pair offers multi-point pairing, which Bose lacks, while Bose offers Single-Bud Use, which the reviewers say they use regularly.
On design, the XM5s have a new glossy finish, are 25% smaller and roughly 20% lighter, at about 5.84g per bud. They come in four sizes, including an ultra-small SS size for smaller ear canals. The Bose buds weigh 6.2g each and are smaller and lighter than the original QuietComfort Earbuds. The reviewers found them comfortable over long stretches, so they decline to name a fit winner.
Battery life is modest on both. Sony keeps the XM4's eight hours per charge, plus two more from the case. Bose manages six hours, with three extra charges in the case. Anyone who prioritizes battery, the reviewers suggest, may be better served by over-ear headphones, at a cost in portability and features.
The XM5 does have flaws in TechRadar's own review: occasional connectivity drop-outs, an app that looks busy, and hit-and-miss on-ear volume control. Bose lacks wireless charging and high-definition codecs. The verdict splits accordingly. If noise cancelling matters most, buy the Bose. Otherwise, the Sony buds are perhaps the slightly better all-rounders, with equal audio and call clarity, slightly better battery life and a lighter, smaller build.
Citations marquantes
Sony calls the XM5s its biggest step forward in noise-cancelling.— Sony press literature, as cited by TechRadar
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