Apple AirPods Max vs Sony WH-1000XM5

“These have great battery life at 30 hours. Now that's comparable to most of the headphones that these compete with and they beat out the AirPods Max by a full 10 hours.”

“The Sony XM5s are advertised to have a 30 hour battery life compared to Apple's 20 hour battery life is something to keep in mind before purchasing these.”

“Sony actually smokes Apple. You're getting up to 30 hours on the XM6 opposed to 20 hours on the AirPods Max.”

“30 hours of battery life which is really good for headphones and is 10 hours longer than the AirPods Max”

“I think the battery life is more than adequate”

“the WXM5 still can make a strong case for anybody in 2025 because first of all this headphone can be found used as I said for around the $200 range... or you should be able to find it new even probably on sale in that $300 range”

“I would say these are the best active noise cancelling headphones that you can get for the money. That $50 price bump I'm not the happiest about... $50 extra bucks I would have loved to see the case just be a bit more robust”

“I've been using these headphones for about three years now. And they're not perfect. But with the price dropping nearly 50% since launch, this might be the only time they're actually worth it”

“This is why I think the M5 is going to be one of the best headphones I've ever used even though I haven't fully used it yet.”

“The AirPods Max still have features that make sense for the amount of money you're paying... like they're much smarter than these beats headphones... I think that they sound better and they have an insanely good build quality...”

“if you have the budget for it they're still a great buy especially considering we do not yet know when the AirPods Max 2 are scheduled to be dropped.”

“the AirPods Max 2 are a solid buy”

“the head clamp force on the Sony, I think it's just perfect especially for long usage or you know for people that are just using it at a desk or while travelling, commuting, just regular everyday usage, the amount of clamp force on this is…”

“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 headband also feels more comfortable against my head, but it's not because there's more cushioning... but it's because the new headband flexes in a wider arc so more cushion is making contact against your head”

“so these are good for active people that's what I'm just this is what I'm trying to get at being active and you want some headphones you can wear through the day not have to worry about them doing the most”

“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.”

“these have a pretty decent clamping force and what I mean by that is that these will you know sit snugly on your ears but thankfully they're over-ear headphones so they're not going to put any pressure on the ears themselves”

“These are also comfortable too as well... breathable material... the headband, one of the best in class, this canopy design is just one of a kind”

“No question the XM5 are better. If you spend a lot of time on the phone... the XM5 will basically erase any background noise going on. Barking dogs, jackhammer... the XM5 will make you sound like you're all alone”

“they'll still improve like like in every condition noisy conditions windy conditions, they dealt with any kind of things you threw at them”

“So after using both long-term the XM5s are clearly better for calls reliability and battery life”

“I dare say that the XM5s may be right now the best in terms of microphone pickup.”

“I think only the AirPods Max really have better voice quality.”

“The XM5's 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.”

“The transparency mode is also quite good on these and sounds I'd say just it's a step below the AirPods Max which still have the best transparency mode”

“yes my over the-top Sony's which have some probably the best uh transparency mode on any pair of headphones I've used so far”

“put your hand over and this will switch quite quickly to the ambient mode.”

“the transparency mode on the AirPods Max it basically sounds like not wearing headphones at all. It is still the best transparency mode I have ever experienced on a pair of noise canceling headphones or earbuds. And compared to the XM5s…”

“Apple has one of the best transparency mode what I think when I have compare them to the the Sony XM5s and other brands, so I think that Apple is on top when it comes to the transparency mode”

“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”

“Transparency it sounds like I don't even have the headphones on... it just it feels one-to-one.”

“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.”

“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 next thing I'd like about the XM5s are their lighter weight, weighing only 249 grams, compared to the AirPods Max, which weigh 384 grams.”

“day to day the XM5s definitely feel like newer headphones the materials are durable and comfort wise you can tell Sony's refined the design”

“These are solid. Like hands down the best build quality that I have ever seen in a pair of headphones. Then yeah, they're made from actual aluminum and you know they got a nice mesh fabric cup. They have precise telescoping arms so they…”

“if you're fully immersed in the Apple ecosystem and don't really care that these weigh a little bit more due to the premium materials that you'll find on these, as well as really care about that sound bleeding issue that you'll find on the…”

“Apple's design with soft mesh, the heavier metals and in terms of like premium looking finish you can see where it actually lands here as you compare both of them.”

“That means you still get that premium metal build, breathable mesh headband, and large cushioned earcups that helped define the first model's identity.”