Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Which noise-canceling headphones are best?

This article is part of our series?Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.

The battle for best noise-canceling headphones has intensified with the all-new Bose QuietComfort Ultra making their debut. Bose’s first spatial audio headphones are a triumph, delivering immersive sound that’s enjoyable on all media formats and platforms. They also improve on the company’s award-winning active noise cancellation (ANC) while receiving boosts in audio streaming and battery life.

Attempting to dethrone the market-leading Sony WH-1000XM5 is no easy task. Sony’s latest cans are currently our best over-ear headphones pick, and they’re considered by many critics to be the ANC model to beat. Audiophile performance backed by some of the most innovative sound technologies ever created, plus category-leading noise reduction and an endless feature set add to their mass appeal.

This is what we’ve been anticipating for months — two headphone titans ready to scrap for ANC supremacy. Which is the better noise-canceling investment? Our in-depth comparison of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM5 has the answer.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM5 at a glance

Quick comparison

Bose takes back the ANC crown

The WH-1000XM5 use dual processing and Sony’s auto-adjusting NC Optimizer to eliminate large amounts of incidental sound. Using these headphones on airplanes helped silence common flight disruptions like engine rumble and intercom announcements. They also blocked out the construction noises taking place underneath my apartment every weekday morning. Sony’s Ambient Sound mode comes with 20 adjustable levels to hear everything from conversations across the street to emergency sirens two blocks away. If there’s any flaw with the WH-1000XM5’s noise cancellation, it’s that some blaring noises (like sirens and whistles) creep through.

We didn’t think Bose could strengthen its ANC technology, but it did. The QC Ultra have adaptive algorithms and ports and more mics than the Bose 700 to remove 95% of unwanted noises. Multiple ANC modes can be selected and saved in the Bose Music app, which let you assign ANC to one of 10 levels and enable the Wind Block feature for reduced wind interference. Quiet mode got me through a loud and rowdy week of fire alarm testing in my apartment complex. It also muted my toddler’s loud cries and wife’s speakerphone conversations. Walking through grocery stores and shopping districts didn’t compromise sound quality either. Bose’s ambient listening mode, Aware, is just as powerful as Sony’s. It allowed me to converse with the missus from across the room, keep tabs on my son during nap time and listen out for traffic during afternoon strolls.

TL;DR: Sony’s noise cancellation is second to Bose, which is a compliment most headphone manufacturers have never received.

Standard playback goes to Sony, while spatial audio is all Bose

If you’re someone who wants stellar sound for music listening, then there’s no better option than the WH-1000XM5. However, if spatial audio is your new fixation, then place the QC Ultra in your cart.

New drivers bring more definition to the WH-1000XM5’s soundstage, and the V1 chipset enhances audio processing. Bass is impactful and leaves plenty of room for striking mids and crisp highs to shine. The customizable EQ in Sony’s Headphones Connect app lets you manually create your own profile or select from multiple well-engineered presets that complement various genres and styles. These headphones can upscale sound on low-fidelity tracks, thanks to DSEE technology, and their LDAC codec support allows you to stream hi-res audio over Bluetooth. Then there’s 360 Reality Audio for 3D sound. It’s compatible with select content and streaming platforms and unleashes bold, spacious sound. Unfortunately, Sony’s ear-scanning process is frustrating, and the head tracking technology needs work.

The QC Ultra are Bose’s best-sounding headphones to date. Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec dynamically scales bit rate for faster, smoother and more detailed streaming on Android devices: instrument and vocal nuances are prominent. CustomTune technology calibrates sound based on your ear properties. Even the default sound profile powered by Bose’s 35mm full-range dynamic drivers produces a full, nicely balanced frequency range to highlight every detail of your favorite tracks.

But it’s the new Immersive Audio feature that gives the QC Ultra their sonic swagger. No ear scanning is required, and it works with all stereo content. How so? All processing is done directly on the wearable, so there’s no reliance on other hardware or optimized streaming services. The result is compelling 360-degree sound that adds some realism to live performances and movies. Listening to concerts felt like I was sitting front row. Film scores were more engaging, as Bose’s accurate head tracking intensified scary movies by properly placing effects and spooky noises based on head movement.

Sony’s plethora of technologies make it difficult for the QC Ultra to compete, but Bose’s next-gen cans hold their own on the audio front and have the better spatial audio format.

TL;DR: The WH-1000XM5 are a sonic beast, and the QC Ultra are a 3D audio gem.

2 innovative headphones, 1 premium design

The QC Ultra look like a crossbreed of the 700 and past QC entries, which makes for an attractive design. Most of their body is built from aluminum and sturdy plastic. Soft-touch leather is wrapped around the ear cups and headband for pleasant comfort. I’ve worn the headphones for three-hour stretches throughout the day without any issues. The buttons produce solid tactility, while the newly introduced volume strip on the right ear cup works exceptionally well for raising and lowering sound via slide gestures. Wear detection will automatically pause/play content when you remove or place the headphones on your head. Bose’s powerful mic array demonstrates superb speech recognition, picking up every syllable and long-winded voice command for Siri and Google Assistant to execute properly. Voice activation is also spot-on to instantly fire up Alexa or Google Assistant when speaking their wake-word phrase.

Sony’s control scheme is just as intuitive on the WH-1000XM5. The buttons and voice activation are highly responsive and perform intended commands as quickly as they register them. Wear detection has been improved to auto-pause more accurately when removing the headphones. Smart features like Quick Attention and Speak-to-Chat can instantly lower your volume to 10% or auto-pause your music whenever you speak. However, the touch panels are a bit wonky. More disappointing is the WH-1000XM5’s flimsy construction. They’re made entirely of plastic, with leather featured on the ear cups and headband, but they lack the swanky appearance of past releases.

TL;DR: Both are high-functioning headphones, but only Bose made an effort to showcase its fancy craftsmanship.

Sony wins on battery life

The longer-lasting and quicker-charging option is the WH-1000XM5. A full charge generates between 30 and 40 hours, depending how you use the headphones, and a three-minute charge can net you three hours of listening time. Meanwhile, the QC Ultra are capped at 24 hours, which is two hours more than the preceding QuietComfort 45. Immersive Mode drops it down to 18 hours. Bose’s quick charging is less powerful: A 15-minute charge equals three hours of playtime. Sony lets you turn off ANC in wireless mode for battery preservation; Bose doesn’t.

TL;DR: While the uptick in Bose battery life is appreciated, it’s still several hours shorter than what Sony offers.

2 equally great calling headsets

The QC Ultra are a step below the Bose 700 for best Bose calling headset, but they are still terrific for voice and video calls. Vocals are clearer, louder and more accentuated, while noise cancellation and wind resistance remain strong to minimize background interference. Very few noises are audible on calls. The Self Voice feature helps increase the speaker’s vocal volume.

Sony’s call quality had been its Achilles’ heel until the company fixed it on the WH-1000XM5. It’s magnificent. Voice calling is solid both indoors and outdoors, with the occasional high-frequency sound entering chats. Most calls taken on these headphones were met with positive feedback; several people thought I was speaking directly from my smartphone.

TL;DR: You can’t go wrong with either headphone for voice and video calls.

Bottom line

This is the closest headphone battle I’ve ever had to rate. A winner needs to be announced, and that winner is … the Bose QC Ultra.

Bose’s latest flagship surpasses the 700 in noise cancellation, which any audio expert will tell you seemed unrealistic at one point. Sound advancements bring out the best quality on streaming platforms, and Immersive Audio is a game changer that does away with the playback restrictions most other spatial audio headphones deal with. More playtime and features in a chic, well-crafted design complete this stunner.

At the same time, we’re talking about a champion competitor in the Sony WH-1000XM5 that has crushed everyone in standard performance and comes with longer battery life and way more features. Sony’s noise cancellation technology isn’t to be trifled with either. However, the WH-1000XM5’s flimsy design and slightly lower ANC performance, at least in comparison to the QC Ultra, keep them from crossing the finish line first.

Just because the WH-1000XM5 aren’t the winner doesn’t make them any less valuable. Both headphones are pricey, but with the WH-1000XM5 occasionally on sale, you’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity of owning the market’s second-best option. Just know that spending an extra $20 on the QC Ultra gets you a little more ANC power and stronger spatial audio in a sleeker package.