Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Quick take: The Sony WF-1000XM5 costs $1 less; the Sony WF-1000XM5 lasts longer per charge (8 hrs).
Which one to buy
At $248 and $249 these two cost the same, so price drops out and the question gets clean: do you want the quietest earbud available, or the better all-rounder? Owners put the Bose ahead on raw silence, around 85% average noise reduction with low rumble simply gone, and CustomTune re-measures your ear on every insertion so it holds up across ear shapes. The Sony gives up a step there, though its foam-style tips seal so well that owners say the total isolation lands closer to Bose than the ANC numbers suggest.
Everything else leans Sony. It runs 8 hours per charge with ANC against the Bose's 6, and the Bose drops toward 4 with Immersive Audio on. The Sony bud weighs 5.9g to the Bose's 7.7g, and small-eared owners feel the Bose on long sessions. Codecs split along Android lines: LDAC on the Sony, aptX Adaptive on the Bose, and iPhone owners get plain AAC either way, so that difference only matters if your phone supports one of them. Sony's app EQ goes much deeper than Bose's three bands.
Neither one handles wind well, and they fail in different ways. On the Sony, callers complain about garbled audio outdoors. On the Bose, the mics turn gusts into a rumble over your own music, and owners say a year of firmware hasn't fixed it. Bose's AI call processing does help in ordinary noisy rooms. For longevity, a minority of Sony owners report one bud draining faster after a year, while Bose owners report scattered early failures: cases dying within weeks and buds that won't reconnect. That points to buying the Bose somewhere with easy returns.
Sony WF-1000XM5
If you want the longer battery, the smaller bud and LDAC on an Android phone, and near-Bose isolation from the tip seal is enough for you. Just know that turning on multipoint switches LDAC off.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Worth it if silence is the entire point, for flights or an open office, and you can live with 6 hours per charge and a chunkier bud.
| Spec | Sony WF-1000XM5 | Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$248 | ~$249 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Wireless Earbuds | Wireless Earbuds |
| Noise Cancelling | ANC | Adaptive ANC |
| Battery (single charge) | 8 hrs | 6 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | 24 hrs | 24 hrs |
| Quick Charge | 3 min = 1 hr | 20 min = 2 hr |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | Yes | Yes |
| Driver Size | 8.4 mm | — |
| Weight | 5.9 g | 7.7 g |
| Water Resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| App EQ | Yes | Yes |
Pros & cons
Sony WF-1000XM5
- ✓LDAC delivers genuine hi-res from any Android phone
- ✓Rich warm 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X sound out of box
- ✓8 hours with ANC on beats Bose Ultra by two
- ✓Foam tips seal so well ANC feels stronger than measured
- ✓3-minute quick charge buys an hour
- ✓XM6 launch keeps pushing street prices down
- ✗Call quality falls apart in wind
- ✗Polished case scratches almost immediately
- ✗Some owners report uneven bud drain after a year
- ✗Enabling multipoint silently disables LDAC hi-res
- ✗App buries EQ settings three menus deep
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
- ✓Strongest earbud ANC anywhere — low rumble just vanishes
- ✓CustomTune calibration adapts silencing to your ears
- ✓Gen 2 finally adds a wireless-charging case
- ✓Multipoint finally arrives in the second generation
- ✓AI suppression fixed gen one's mediocre call quality
- ✓aptX Adaptive on supported Android phones
- ✗6-hour battery trails Sony XM5 and Technics AZ100
- ✗Immersive Audio drops runtime near 4 hours
- ✗Chunky 7.7g buds fatigue smaller ears
- ✗No LDAC, and EQ is a basic three-band
- ✗Wind overwhelms the ANC outdoors, owners report
Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen): common questions
Is the Bose's ANC advantage big enough to give up two hours of battery?▾
For frequent flyers and open-office workers, probably yes: owners in that group say nothing else comes close. The Bose is the one people describe as making low rumble vanish. For commuters who just want quieter buses, the Sony's tip seal closes most of the gap, and 8 hours against 6 (or roughly 4 with Bose Immersive Audio) is a difference you notice every day.
Is the 7.7g Bose bud too big for small ears next to the 5.9g Sony?▾
The Sony. Its buds weigh 5.9g against the Bose's 7.7g, and the Bose's most common comfort complaint is pressure and soreness in smaller ears on long sessions, made worse by only three tip sizes in the box. The Bose's stability fins do keep it anchored once it fits.
Does either the WF-1000XM5 or the QC Ultra Earbuds handle outdoor calls in wind?▾
Neither is great in wind. Sony callers report robotic, garbled audio on windy streets. Bose's AI noise suppression handles busy indoor spaces better, but gusts produce a loud rumble. If outdoor calls are a big part of your day, expect compromises with either.