Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: which five-star earbuds should you buy?

If you're looking for a pair of wireless earbuds, you're spoiled for choice. Both the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are among the best wireless earbuds around; but which would be right for you?

At two years old, the Sony XM5s are the grandaddy of the wireless earbud world, while Bose's new flagships went on sale only recently. Both scored a top five out of five in our reviews, thanks to excellent sound quality and noise cancellation.

Here's how they compare.

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: price

Both of these pairs are the brands' respective flagship wireless earbuds, so neither comes cheap. But there is quite a difference between them in terms of price.

The Sonys launched at £259 / $299 / AU$419, but that was in 2023. They are now around £200 / $200 / AU$350, but have fallen as low as £149 during flash sales.

The Bose are brand new, so are clinging to their launch price of £299 / $299 / AU$450. They might be discounted, but not by much any time soon.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: design

Design-wise, they are apples and oranges. The XM5 are slimmer and lighter than their XM4 predecessors, and are made of a glossy, smooth plastic with a matte control panel.

It's a rounder design than the QC Ultra (2nd Gen), which feature an outer stem fitted to a central body that feeds into a slender nozzle.

Both are rated IPX4 water resistant, both offer touch controls, and both are designed to minimise the effects of wind noise. The Sonys fit in our ears well, but the Bose are just that bit more secure thanks to their slender wings that keep them in place. The Sonys rely on their polyurethane tips that you squeeze down and let expand once inside your ear cavity.

You do get more sizes of ear tips with the Sony though (four to the Bose's three). But the Bose come with three sizes of stability bands too, which really help with the fit.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) feel fittingly premium and for their greater sense of security and comfort, we'll have to give them the win here.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: features

Sony's XM5 are some of the most feature-rich wireless earbuds money can buy.

Their 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X is a full 2mm larger than the XM4's. Because it doesn't have to move as much as the XM4's, it reduces mechanical noise.

Sony's DSEE Extreme processing is once again on board to upscale lower-quality music files, and the buds support hi-res audio and 360 Reality Audio files (with dynamic head tracking, for the first time). Sony's hi-res LDAC codec is also supported.

Bluetooth Multipoint lets you connect to two wireless devices at the same time and switch between them seamlessly, while Sony staples Adaptive Sound Control and Speak-to-Chat also return.

Adaptive Sound Control adjusts the amount of ambient noise allowed in depending on where you are and what you're doing. Speak-to-Chat detects when you are speaking and then pauses playback while allowing in ambient sound so you can hear the other half of the conversation.

And battery life? Eight hours from the buds, plus another 16 from the case, making 24 hours total.

That outdoes the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), which manage only six hours from the buds. But then the Bose case adds another 18 hours, making for the same 24-hour total.

These figures are both with Bluetooth and active noise cancellation (ANC) activated. But if you use Bose's Immersive Audio feature, the buds' battery life drops from six hours to four.

Opinion is split on Immersive Audio. While it's meant to make tracks sound as though they are being played on a pair of stereo speakers instead of headphones, the effect really depends on the track. Some tracks benefit from the wider, more spacious feel, but others can seem disorganised as a result.

The QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) support aptX Adaptive instead of Sony's LDAC, but again this brings 24-bit hi-res lossless streaming into play. And you get Bluetooth Multipoint and wireless charging, just like on the Sonys.

But for the extra modes, and the better on-bud battery life, the Sonys take this round.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

• Bluetooth Multipoint: what is it? How do you get it?
• What is Sony's LDAC?
• Hi-res audio: everything you need to know

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: ANC and call quality

Bose has long dominated in terms of noise cancellation, and the QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) are another impressive showing.

Like their first-gen predecessors, they provide a cocooning effect that shuts you off from the outside world. The vast majority of low and midrange frequencies are silenced, and while some high frequencies do come through, they are nicely rounded to dampen their effect.

Theirs is a great spread of world-silencing, from general chatter to train rumbles and traffic noise.

By contrast, the Sonys put in a decent performance by in-ear standards, but they are noticeably less effective at blocking such a wide range of ambient sounds.

However, some will find Bose's 'vacuum' effect too much, and so might prefer Sony's more natural noise-cancelling feel. It's more subtle and less intrusive, while undeniably less effective.

As for call quality, the Sonys do a great job of minimising wind noise thanks to a streamlined design. Voices are prioritised well, and sound clear and crisp. The Bose also minimise background sounds effectively, while making voices weighty and prominent. They can sound a tad synthetic at times, but it's a minor bugbear.

**Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: sound

Now the all important round. Which wireless earbuds sound better?

The Sonys have long been our pick for best overall in our list of best wireless earbuds, and that's largely down to their sound quality.

It's a little more analytical than previous Sony earbuds, but that's no bad thing. On the contrary, their organisational skills make sense of even the most complex tracks, while they have a compelling sense of rhythmic drive. Bass is deep but wonderfully controlled, and there's a great sense of spaciousness and openness that most buds lack.

The Bose buds have the same driver as their predecessors, but they have been tuned to improve the bass response and smooth out the high-end frequencies.

It's a job well done. The new buds are capable of “sinking to impressive new depths while retaining the requisite tautness and agility of their lower-end reproduction,” we wrote in our review.

The new buds have more body and texture than their predecessors, with added richness and authenticity.

Overall, the Sonys have it. They are more open, agile and articulate than the Bose, with a more extended treble. They communicate rhythms with more precision and drive, while the bass has more texture and subtlety.

Dynamically, the Sonys are more expressive, while they reveal more detail than the Bose.

But the Bose do win out in some areas. They have greater smoothness and refinement, sound more full bodied and have the more powerful bass. It's just not enough compared with the more musically interesting and entertaining Sonys.

**Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5**

Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs Sony WF-1000XM5: verdict

It's a close one. Bose's new flagship buds are undoubtedly an excellent offering, with great sound, greater comfort and fit, and class-leading noise cancellation.

But sonically, the older Sony WH-1000XM5 still pull ahead, while offering the broader spread of features and costing less to boot. For pure sonic delight, our money would go on the Sonys.

MORE:

Read our Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

And our Sony WF-1000XM5 review

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) vs QC Ultra Earbuds (1st Gen): should you upgrade?