Headphones comparison · 2 products
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) vs Sony WH‑1000XM5
Key differences
- WeightWH‑1000XM5: 15 g lighter (6%)QC Ultra (2nd Gen) 265 g · WH‑1000XM5 250 g
- Folds flatOnly QC Ultra (2nd Gen).QC Ultra (2nd Gen) Yes · WH‑1000XM5 No
- Driver sizeQC Ultra (2nd Gen): 10 mm larger (33%)QC Ultra (2nd Gen) 40 mm · WH‑1000XM5 30 mm
- Battery life (ANC on)WH‑1000XM5: 7 h longer (30%)QC Ultra (2nd Gen) 23 h · WH‑1000XM5 30 h
- LDACOnly WH‑1000XM5.QC Ultra (2nd Gen) No · WH‑1000XM5 Yes
- aptX AdaptiveOnly QC Ultra (2nd Gen).QC Ultra (2nd Gen) Yes · WH‑1000XM5 No
What’s the same
- Fit Over‑ear
- Active noise cancelling Yes
- Spatial audio Yes
- Wired listening Yes
Identical specs don’t help you choose, so “Differences only” hides them.
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | Over‑ear | Over‑ear | Same |
| Weight | 265 g | 250 gLighter | WH‑1000XM5 · 15 g lighter (6%) |
| Folds flat | Yes | No | Only QC Ultra (2nd Gen) |
1 identical spec hidden in this section
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | Yes | Yes | Same |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 30 mm | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) · 10 mm larger (33%) |
Why this matters. Driver size alone doesn’t predict sound quality; tuning and design matter more. | |||
| Frequency range | 20 Hz – 20 kHz | 4 Hz – 40 kHz | Different |
Why this matters. Most people hear roughly 20 Hz–20 kHz. Wider listed ranges mostly matter on paper. | |||
| Spatial audio | Yes | Yes | Same |
2 identical specs hidden in this section
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life (ANC on) | 23 h | 30 hLonger | WH‑1000XM5 · 7 h longer (30%) |
| Battery life (max) | 30 h | 40 hLonger | WH‑1000XM5 · 10 h longer (33%) |
| Full charge time | 3 hShorter | 3.5 h | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) · 0.5 h shorter (17%) |
| Spec | QC Ultra (2nd Gen) | WH‑1000XM5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.2 | Different |
| LDAC | No | Yes | Only WH‑1000XM5 |
Why this matters. LDAC is a higher‑bitrate Bluetooth codec supported by many Android phones, not by iPhone. | |||
| aptX Adaptive | Yes | No | Only QC Ultra (2nd Gen) |
| Bluetooth LE Audio | No | Not listed | Listed only for QC Ultra (2nd Gen) |
| Wired listening | Yes | Yes | Same |
1 identical spec hidden in this section
How this comparison works
Every product in a category uses the same fields and units. Rows highlight a difference. A direction label such as “Lighter” or “More” appears only on fields where DuelVS’s methodology defines which way is generally preferable. Nothing here declares an overall winner.
Questions, answered from the data
- How many specs are different between QC Ultra (2nd Gen) and WH‑1000XM5?
- Of 15 specs DuelVS lists for this comparison, 10 differ, 4 are identical and 1 are listed for only some of the products.
- Which is lighter?
- WH‑1000XM5: 250 g vs 265 g for QC Ultra (2nd Gen), 15 g lighter.
- Which lasts longer with noise cancelling on?
- WH‑1000XM5: 30 h vs 23 h for QC Ultra (2nd Gen), 7 h longer.
- Which supports LDAC?
- WH‑1000XM5 does; QC Ultra (2nd Gen) doesn't.
- What do they have in common?
- Fit: Over‑ear; Active noise cancelling: Yes; Spatial audio: Yes; Wired listening: Yes.