Which are the better all-around headphones? What about those who want the best active noise-cancelling technology available? We’re here to help with a head-to-head comparison.
Sony’s flagship XM line of over-the-head headphones has been the active noise cancelling (ANC) king for several years now. The XM4 headphones replaced their predecessors (Sony’s WH-XM1000XM3) late last year. The WH-1000XM4 did not miss a beat. They still have amazing sound quality, tons of features, and top-tier ANC. Active noise cancelling is definitely improved on the WH-1000XM4. Is it the best? Enter Bose who has often presented the best competition against Sony in the ANC race. Bose markets their headphones heavily toward professionals who rely on ANC during travel and commuting. In the past, that’s been the Bose 700 and the QuietComfort models. It turns out Bose also has a new product too. They recently released the Bose QuietComfort 45 (QC45). The Bose QC 45 is a direct successor to the QC35 II. We’ll break down how it compares to the WH-1000XM4 to help you make the best buying decision.
- Battery Life: 30 Hours w/ ANC
- ANC: Top Tier Performance
- Sound: Dynamic and Detailed
- Cost: $$$$
- Battery Life: 24 Hours w/ ANC
- ANC: Top Tier Performance
- Sound: Accurate Sound and Amazing ANC
- Cost: $$$$
Table of Contents
Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Bose QC45 4: Key Factors
Battery Life and Charging
How much battery life you’ll need is heavily dependent on your circumstance. Everybody wants more though. Active noise cancelling can also be a heavy burden on battery life. How much endurance do these headphones have? Well, the WH-1000XM4 will provide 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancelling enabled. It can actually achieve that in our testing. The Bose QC45’s battery life is rated at 24 hours. That’s also with ANC enabled. Both headphones have Quick charge capability, but Sony prevails in that instance too. A 15-minute charge will get you three hours on the QC45. This pales in comparison to the XM4 noise-cancelling headphones which provide 5 hours of juice after a 10-minute charge.
Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4
Design and Form Factor
A large part of this battle will be a preference. Bose’s QC45 headphones borrow greatly from its predecessor’s design. The design looks a little outdated for that reason. If it’s strictly about style, I’m not sure many would pick the QC45 in a battle versus the Sony WH-1000XM4. The Sony follows recent release designs with fairly appealing modern and minimalistic design. Both are fairly lightweight and sleek even if Sony pulls off the look better.
As for comfort, the Bose QuietComfort 45 earns its namesake. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pair of headphones more comfortable. Both are light and comfortable. It’s a close battle, but I’d select the Bose QC 45 headphones on a long flight where I might catch a cat nap.
Playback on the Sony WH-1000XM4 is controlled by its touch controls on the right earcup. Flicking the pad up and down adjust the volume. Flicking forward will skip to the next track. Flicking back will go to your previous track. It’s consistent with other recent Sony releases. If you’re new to it, there may be a short learning curve. A power button and custom button sit on the left earcup. The custom button can be configured via the Sony Headphones Connect app. Bose has physical buttons to control playback and volume on the right earcup. On the left earcup, you’ll find a button to switch between ANC and Bose’s aware/transparency mode.
Verdict: Bose QuietComfort 45
Connectivity Options
Bose’s QC45 headphones have Bluetooth 5.1 and Sony’s WH-1000XM4 have version 5.0. Both are charged via USB-C ports and have a headphone jack. Sony has a traditional 3.5mm port, while the Q45 comes with a 2.5mm. Bose does supply a 2.5mm to 3.5mm cord. Both Bose and Sony support the standard AAC and SBC codecs. The WH-1000XM4 does add support for Sony’s Hi-Res LDAC codec. Unfortunately, neither support aptX nor aptX HD for low latency. Both headphones have a microphone for phone calls. Both also have Bluetooth multipoint capability.
Verdict: Tie
Sound Quality
Comparing the sound profiles on headphones can be tricky. That’s even more true in this price range. Both have great sound quality with slightly different EQs. The Bose QuietComfort 45 won’t be your choice if you want an emphasis on the low end. Bass is a little muted by default. The audio still has great detail and a wide soundstage. The Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones also have excellent clarity and overall sound quality. There is a slight emphasis on bass by default. I don’t find the added bass offensive or something most will mind. The genres of music you listen to will also heavily impact which pair you prefer to hear.
While the default sound profile on each pair varies, there are other considerations. The Sony WH-1000XM4 does have LDAC support for higher-quality audio. In addition, the WH-1000XM4 has an ace up its sleeve with Sony’s headphones app. Audio and the EQ of your music can be customized within the app. Presets are also available for users to experiment with. This is a great feature for those who want to manipulate audio and music. Customizing frequency response based on preference and taste can be a game-changer. This is currently not supported in the Bose app. No word on if it may be added in the past. Users who connect to the Bose app will find more capability. There is currently no EQ customization though.
Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4
Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Which Has Better Noise Cancelling?
It’s important to make one caveat when discussing active noise cancellation for these headphones. Both of these headphones have top-tier ANC. Comparing their ANC technology will naturally result in some nitpicking. When indoors, both can help you feel a bit isolated from everything. The hum of the AC will be silenced. I often listened to both podcasts throughout the workday. Hearing the occasional garbage truck go by or loud plane overhead is the norm. Both these flagship wireless Bluetooth headphones quiet these noises with excellent ANC performances. The small improvements I notice are in the ability to block out higher frequency noises. While in the office, the Bose QC45 almost completely removed the noise of a coworker’s voice. There were 4 cubicles away on a phone call, but I was still impressed, as I wasn’t listening to any audio at all.
Walking to the bus, both headphones performed admirably providing an impressive reduction of cars passing by. When stepping into a coffee shop, you start experiencing the limits of this technology. Excess chatter can be muffled, but you shouldn’t expect miracles. Moderate volumes + active noise cancellation will work wonders. On the train, the rumble of the train was covered up even with audio at low volumes. Things only got a little tricky when loud and/or close voices entered the picture. The added noise cancellation benefits are still immense for a commute. Unless your office and commute or abnormally loud, you can really isolate a great deal of sound.
I didn’t really notice a real discernable deal of difference in ANC performance. My only gripe came when I dug into the software capabilities a little bit. The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have a standard “quiet mode” and an “aware” mode. Aware mode is an ambient or transparency mode that allows for more external noise. The problem is there are no other modes. There isn’t even an option to disable noise-cancelling entirely. This seems like an oversight that will hopefully be corrected. More importantly, there is no option to adjust the level of noise that is canceled. Sony has this option and I was surprised it wasn’t available within Bose’s app. Especially since recent Bose ANC headphones (like the Bose 700) offer this functionality.
Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM4
In Conclusion
Chronic exposure to loud noises contributes to hearing loss according to Mayo Clinic. Good ANC headphones remove the need to blast music to overcome surrounding noise. You truly can’t go wrong with either of these headphones for that purpose. Each pair have things that set them apart from the rest of the field. Hardware-wise, both are extremely capable headphones. They have top-tier ANC performance and excellent sound quality. Unfortunately, I just can’t get past some of the hiccups in Bose’s execution on the software side. Previous Bose headphones had more functionality within the app for ANC and EQ customization. The Bose QC45 was recently released though. Maybe Bose can work out some of these kinks through a firmware update. Until then, it’s hard to recommend the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones over the Sony WH-1000XM4.
FAQs: Bose QuietComfort 45 vs Sony WH-1000XM4
Is Bluetooth multipoint available on either pair of headphones?
Yes. Bluetooth multipoint capability is available on both the Bose QC45 and the Sony WH-1000XM4. Both allow two devices to be connected and controlled simultaneously.
Which headphones are more affordable?
Both of these are flagship headphones that retail for over $300. Both are recent releases too and discounts aren’t easy to come by. The Bose QC45 ($329) does retail for about $20 less than Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones ($348).
Are these headphones water resistant?
Unfortunately, neither of these headphones offer water resistance. You’re more likely to find this functionality on wireless earbuds.
Keith Collins has been writing for over 15 years for various publications. He’s a lover of music, home theater, and excellent sound quality. His fondness for technology in addition to his non-stop curiosity fuels his writing ventures.