Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4

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QuietComfort 45 compared with WH-1000XM4

	BoseQuietComfort 45	SonyWH-1000XM4
Overview
Released
Released	September 2021	August 2020
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	40 mm
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC, AAC and LDAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	–	No
Chip
Chip	–	QN1
Drivers
Drivers	–	40 mm dome-type driver with an aluminium-coated LCP diaphragm, CCAW voice coil and neodymium magnet; 4 Hz to 40,000 Hz (JEITA); sensitivity 105 dB/mW switched on, 101 dB/mW switched off; impedance 40 Ω switched on, 16 Ω switched off (1 kHz, wired)
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 (with an integrated analogue amplifier) and a Bluetooth Audio SoC
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Two modes, Quiet (full noise cancelling) and Aware (full transparency); microphones inside and outside the ear cups with a proprietary digital chip, tuned for mid-range frequencies such as voices	Dual Noise Sensor technology, with two noise-cancelling microphones on each ear cup (one outside, one inside); Personal NC Optimizer and Atmospheric Pressure Optimising; Ambient Sound Mode with Voice focus; Adaptive Sound Control; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat
Audio features
Audio features	TriPort acoustic architecture; Active EQ; adjustable EQ (bass, mid-range and treble) in the Bose Music app	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); High-Resolution Audio over the headphone cable; DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio certified; equaliser in the app
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 22 hours	Up to 30 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 22 hours on Bose's current product page, tested with noise cancelling on at 50% volume in continuous playback; Bose quoted up to 24 hours at launch (2021 press release); wired listening with the audio cable extends play time	Up to 38 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC); with LDAC, 24 hours with noise cancelling on or 30 hours off; with DSEE Extreme on, 18 hours with noise cancelling on (16 hours with LDAC); Speak-to-Chat shortens battery life by about 30%; talk time up to 24 hours (30 hours with noise cancelling off); standby up to 30 hours with noise cancelling on (200 hours off); up to 22 hours on the headphone cable with noise cancelling on (36 hours off); can't be used while charging
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes gives up to 3 hours; full charge in up to 2.5 hours (Bose UK; the launch press release said two hours)	10 minutes gives about 5 hours of playback with a 1.5 A or higher USB adaptor; full charge in about 3 hours
Design
Weight
Weight	240 g (better)	254 g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.1	5.0
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Physical buttons; on the right ear cup, power, volume up, volume down and a multi-function button (play, pause, calls, voice assistant); on the left ear cup, an Action button to switch modes and mute the microphone on calls	Touch sensor control panel on the right ear cup (double-tap to play, pause or answer calls; swipe forwards or backwards to skip; swipe up or down for volume; hold for the voice assistant; cover with your hand for Quick Attention Mode); power and CUSTOM buttons; a proximity sensor and two acceleration sensors pause music when the headphones are taken off and switch them off after 15 minutes; NFC one-touch pairing
Microphones
Microphones	Four external microphones for voice pickup in a beamforming array with a noise-rejection algorithm; What Hi-Fi counts six microphones in total	Five microphones for calls and Speak-to-Chat (Precise Voice Pickup Technology); MEMS, omnidirectional, 50 Hz to 8,000 Hz
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Around-ear with plush synthetic leather ear cushions and headband; impact-resistant nylon with cast-metal hinges; folds flat for the carry case	Closed, circumaural; foamed urethane earpads; stepless slider; ear cups swivel and fold inwards for the carrying case
Case weight
Case weight	0.18 kg (carry case)	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	No water resistance rating published	No water resistance rating; Sony says the headphones are not waterproof
Works with
Works with	Bose Music app for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; remembers up to seven paired devices; SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers; Spotify Tap	Sony | Sound Connect app (formerly Headphones Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices (AAC or SBC only while connected to two); Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in; Google Fast Pair; Bluetooth 5.0 Class 1, about 10 m range; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP
Colours
Colours	Triple Black and White Smoke at launch	Black, Platinum Silver; limited-edition Silent White sold in Europe from May 2021
In the box
In the box	Headphones, carry case, 30.5 cm USB-C charging cable, 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm audio cable	Headphones, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, about 20 cm), headphone cable (about 1.2 m, gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug), plug adaptor for in-flight use, carrying case