Apple AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5

“The XM5s transparency is still the one to beat and frankly it's awesome even compared to headphones from other brands. It could even rival the AirPods Max.”

“with Sony's headphones you can adjust their ambient mode to your liking.”

“With its speak-to-chat feature, the XM5 allows you to talk with someone at the gym or a coffee shop without removing the headphones.”

“Those are the best I've ever heard in any headphones. It sounds like you're not wearing headphones, you just hear everyone's voices and everything perfectly clearly”

“Apple's transparency mode is the best I've ever heard.”

“These have the best transparency mode that I have ever heard in an audio product, bar none.”

“Transparent mode is incredible on these headphones.”

“Now the 1000XM5 from Sony on the other hand makes a solid first impression with a fresh and clean design, clear sound, and an even better ANC.”

“The minimalist design is sleek and professional, making them a great choice for the office or travel.”

“I think durability deserves a special mention with the XM5s and they are a bit of a winner in that area, which is a surprise because when you first get these and first get them out the box, they are unnervingly light.”

“Sony wins in portability, Apple wins aesthetically.”

“The one thing that sinks is that the AirPods Max have an exceptionally high quality build and the transparency mode is unreal.”

“you still cannot deny its iconic design and stellar aluminum and mesh build quality.”

“I'd give these a solid seven out of 10 in terms of like the design.”

“I think they're built really well actually. They're all metal. They feel very sturdy, they feel very premium.”

“And when I say light, they are very light. With the AirPods Max, it's got such a big headphone band that it's really uncomfortable when traveling, plus the AirPods Max are very, very heavy, so for traveling, it just did not convince me.”

“the XM5 just kind of feel like they're resting on top of my head, which makes them an excellent choice for traveling or just anyone that wears their headphones for longer periods of time.”

“I still like the XM5, that's still one of my favorites because A, comfortable, didn't have a tough clamp, microphones are like god tier, so I'm happy to save money and go for the XM5”

“The combination of ABS sliders, swivelling earcups, and plush memory foam within the headband positions it amongst the most comfortable over-ear headphones in its class.”

“Even though they're heavier than the XM5s, I actually find the AirPods Max to be a more comfortable set of headphones for a few reasons. First one is the mesh material used here on the mesh canopy. It allows the heat generated from your…”

“Although very heavy, some 150 grams on top of other brands, the weight is very interestingly distributed and the usual tension is not clamping my ears, but rather the tops of my head, resulting in a somewhat evenly distributed experience.”

“I have been using the AirPods Pros for editing video and I wanted something a little bit nicer a little bit more comfortable to wear.”

“I tried on the Apple pair first and I really liked them, super comfortable, the music was amazing, like the the quality of the music”

“Overall though, the Sony XM5s have been my go to I think just with that combination of sound canceling that doesn't annoy me, a sound profile that to me at least sounds good and I enjoy both for voice and also for music.”

“This was the best active noise cancelling experience I've had with a pair of headphones. It was noticeably better and more quieter on the Mark 5s compared to the AirPods Pros or even the Mark 3s”

“If you're after a premium listening experience with incredible sound quality, world-class noise cancellation, and all-day comfort, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is hands down the winner.”

“The XM5 automatically optimize the noise cancelling based on environmental measurements. On the XM4 you could do that, but you had to use an app.”

“For the active noise cancellation and transparency mode that you'll find on both of these headphones, I think the AirPods Max takes it, especially in the transparency mode. I just think the microphones that are in the AirPods Max make…”

“the active noise cancellation is also beyond top notch. It does the best job in blocking out external noise to the point where I almost forgot the hum of the plane on flights until I stopped using them.”

“It'll totally cancel out the heat noise, but I can still hear people talking. So it like cuts out all this weird background noises, but still allows actual people voices and talking to come through.”

“So I give the win to the AirPods Max for active noise cancellation.”

“Sony has their own proprietary sound enhancements as well, and if you're using a Sony source say like the A306 or the ZX707 DAPs, then I'd be hard pressed to find a better portable combo in this price range.”

“The audio quality of the Sony WH-1000XM5 is what truly captivated us. Described as detailed, musical and transparent, these award-winning headphones excel at handling any genre you throw their way.”

“my first impressions of the XM5s sound quality is really good; the bass was exceptional, but it could sometimes overpower the vocals and make everything sound muffled.”

“I like Sony's treble and midrange within their earbuds and uh over ear headphones because it's kind of a soft treble.”

“plugging these headphones in via the 3.5mm adapter made the experience even richer and it's truly as good as it gets. Honestly it sounds as close to true lossless audio as possible to the point where I really highly doubt you'd be able to…”

“The next thing I love about the AirPods Max is their sound quality. Now yes, while they don't support high-quality music streaming codecs through Bluetooth like the XM5s do, to me they still achieve better sound quality.”

“I don't regret purchasing the AirPods Max per se because first off, they produce fantastic sound, but most of all, they fit the Apple ecosystem perfectly and respectively my lifestyle and workflow.”

“if you listen to a lot of drum and bass, techno, hip-hop, modern pop, you might lean towards the Apple AirPods Max.”

“whereas the Sony's on the other hand, you can plug these in just with a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack and you can still use them as regular old headphones. You don't have to turn it on.”

“You can also connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, making it easy to switch between a laptop for work and a phone for calls.”

“I mentioned that the connectivity was actually really quite surprising. It was able to go to the other side of my house and maintain a connection.”

“It intelligently switches if a call comes in on your phone while you're listening to your laptop. Super convenient, no fiddling around.”

“Pairing the AirPods Max is as simple as putting them on and glancing at my phone. That's it. With Big Sur, iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, I don't have to think which device I'm using.”

“The beauty of being part of the Apple ecosystem is that things just work. Your devices pair with all your other devices and you can switch seamlessly between them.”

“the Airpod Maxes are kind of the easiest to integrate into all of your technology because they'll just seamlessly work with everything else”

“the AirPods Max automatically connects to my phone automatically connects to my MacBook”