Sony came out this week with an updated version of their popular over-ear noise-canceling headphones, so we picked up a few to compare them to the AirPods Max to see which headphones are better and whether it’s worth buying the $ 400 WH- 1000XM5 from Sony over Apple’s $ 549 irAirPods Max.
First of all, AirPods Max wins when it comes to naming. The WH-1000XM4 was a mouthful, and the WH-1000XM5 is no better. Sony is not good at naming its TVs, headphones and other devices, so Apple gets the benefit there.
Compared to the aforementioned WH-1000XM4, the WH-1000XM5 headphones have an updated design, but the AirPods Max still has the classic, high-end look. The WH-1000XM5 has a plastic housing, and the headphones are not as premium as the AirPods Max, which is probably what accounts for some of the price difference. AirPods Max is aluminum and comes in a variety of colors, while the WH-1000XM5 headphones come in a “silver” cream color and black.
The headphones do not fold down like the previous version and are a little less portable, but Sony offers them with a much better case than the AirPods Max “bra” cover. In terms of weight, the WH-1000XM5 headphones feel light on the head and are comfortable to wear, even for extended periods.
There are swipe and touch gestures that control playback functionality, similar to the WH-1000XM4, but connecting the WH-1000XM5 to an Apple device is not quite as convenient as Apple’s quick pairing method with AirPods Max. AirPods Max also supports automatic device switching, spatial sound and other functions.
Both the WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and Sony has stepped up the ANC in this version. There are two QN1 chips (compared to a single QN1 chip in the WH-1000XM4) and it makes a difference. In our test, the AirPods Max and WH-1000XM5 both performed well at blocking ambient noise, but the WH-1000XM5 performed just a little better. The WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max also offer a transparency feature so you can hear what is happening around you, but transparency works best on the AirPods Max.
In terms of sound quality, the WH-1000XM5 headphones have smaller drivers than the WH-1000XM4 and a different sound profile that brings them more in line with AirPods Max. Both sets of headphones offer depth, clarity and low confusion at lower frequencies, and the sound is definitely improved over the WH-1000XM4. It’s improved enough that it’s hard to say whether the AirPods Max or WH-1000XM5 headphones offer better sound, so in this category it’s a draw.
The WH-1000XM5 headphones offer up to 30 hours of battery life, which is 10 hours more than AirPods Max and it is worth considering. IrAirPods Max is presumed to last for 20 hours, but generally does not with ANC on. Sony’s headphones have an actual on / off button, which is convenient for not wasting battery, plus the headphones come with several customization options for ANC, movement and sound.
All in all, unless you like the design of AirPods Max and the unique feature set that the headphones offer to Apple device users, the WH-1000XM5 headphones from Sony are worth considering as a more affordable alternative.