Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH-1000XM5

The QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are the premium pick because cancellation depth is the one thing a noise-cancelling headphone exists to do, and Bose positions this pair as its best at it. Quiet Mode is full ANC, Aware Mode lets the room in, and Immersion Mode combines cancellation with Bose Immersive Audio, which moves the soundstage out in front of you instead of inside your head.

The 2nd Gen, released in September 2025, adds features that matter on a plane or at a desk. Cinema Mode is a spatial preset for video. Over the included USB-C cable the headphones play lossless audio and work as a USB headset for calls, so a laptop treats them like a wired device. CustomTune measures the fit of each ear and adjusts the sound to it. A metal headband spreads clamp pressure.

The costs are clear. Bose rates the battery at 30 hours, but only 23 with Immersive Audio running, which trails the Sony. There is no LDAC. And $449 on Oct 19 is the top of our tracked $369 to $449 range since June 26, so a sale is worth waiting for if you are not flying next week.

The WH-1000XM5 is the value pick because its price has fallen while its cancellation still sits near the top of the category. Sony runs eight microphones through two chips, the QN1 noise-cancelling processor and the Integrated Processor V1, and an Auto NC Optimizer adjusts the effect to your fit and surroundings. The practical result is that voices and office noise drop away, not only the low drone the Q30 handles.

The spec sheet backs up daily use. Sony rates the XM5 at 30 hours with ANC on and 40 hours off, and a three-minute charge gives about three hours. It weighs about 250 g, the lightest pick here. Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC covers both iPhone and Android, and multipoint holds two devices at once.

The design is where owners push back. The earcups swivel flat but the headband does not fold, so the case is larger than older Sony models, and the touch controls take some learning. Sony has since launched the WH-1000XM6, which we track at $458. At $199.99, the older model is the better buy for most people. Our tracked range since July 13 runs from $198 to $298.