Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

QuietComfort Headphones compared with WH-1000XM5

	BoseQuietComfort Headphones	SonyWH-1000XM5
Overview
Released
Released	September 2023	May 2022
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	30 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	–	30 mm driver unit with a carbon fibre composite dome, soft edge and neodymium magnet; 4 Hz to 40,000 Hz (JEITA, wired, switched on); sensitivity 102 dB/mW switched on, 100 dB/mW switched off; impedance 48 Ω switched on, 16 Ω switched off (1 kHz)
Chip
Chip	–	HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 and Integrated Processor V1
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Quiet Mode (full noise cancelling) and Aware Mode (full transparency), plus custom modes with adjustable noise cancelling in the Bose app; Wind Block can be added to any mode; microphones inside and outside the ear cups	Eight microphones for noise cancelling (four on each ear cup); Auto NC Optimizer adjusts noise cancelling to the fit and surroundings, including air pressure; Ambient Sound Mode; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat
Audio features
Audio features	TriPort acoustic structure; three-band EQ (bass, mid-range, treble) with presets in the Bose app	LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); Hi-Res Audio over the headphone cable; DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 24 hours	Up to 30 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 24 hours with noise cancelling on, tested by Bose at 75 dB SPL; the headphones don't play while charging	Up to 40 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC); with LDAC, 26 hours with noise cancelling on or 36 hours off; with SBC, 28 hours on or 38 hours off; talk time up to 24 hours (32 hours with noise cancelling off); up to 28 hours on the headphone cable with noise cancelling on (38 hours off); can't be used while charging
Fast charging
Fast charging	15 minutes gives up to 4 hours (Bose UK FAQ; Bose UK's comparison table says 2.5 hours); full charge in up to 2.5 hours (owner's guide and spec table; the FAQ says 2 hours)	3 minutes gives about 3 hours of playback with a USB PD adaptor (9 V/2.3 A or more), or about 1 hour with a standard 1.5 A adaptor; 10 minutes gives about 5 hours; full charge in about 3.5 hours
Design
Weight
Weight	236 g (better)	250 g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.1	5.2
Two devices at once
Two devices at once	Yes	Yes
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Physical buttons on the back of the ear cups; on the right, a Power/Bluetooth switch, volume up and down and a multi-function button (play, pause, skip, calls); on the left, an Action button for modes, customisable as a shortcut to Spotify Tap or battery level	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; cover with your hand for Quick Attention Mode); power and NC/AMB buttons on the left ear cup; a proximity sensor in the left unit pauses music when the headphones are taken off and switches them off after 15 minutes
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in microphones for calls; the audio cable has an in-line microphone	Eight microphones for noise cancelling; four beamforming microphones with AI-based noise reduction for calls; MEMS, omnidirectional
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Around-ear (circumaural) with removable protein leather cushions; steel in the headband; metal and plastic build; folds for the carry case	Closed, over-ear; Soft fit leather headband and earpads; stepless slider; ear cups swivel flat for the carrying 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 app (launched with Bose Music) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; SimpleSync with Bose smart soundbars and speakers; Spotify Tap	Sony | Headphones Connect app (now Sony | Sound Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; the headphone cable also works with the headphones switched off, without noise cancelling
Colours
Colours	Black, White Smoke and limited-edition Cypress Green at launch	Black, Platinum Silver, Midnight Blue, Smoky Pink (Sony Australia; colours vary by region)
In the box
In the box	Headphones, carry case, 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm audio cable with microphone, USB-C (A to C) cable (30 cm), safety sheet	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), carrying case, documents