Sony WH-1000XM5 vs AirPods Max - Still the KING? 👑
In this article, we are comparing the Sony WH-1000XM5 to the AirPods Max. We will cover call quality, noise cancelling and sound. After that, we’ll share the pros and cons of each product, and finally, which one you should buy.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality, I think they both are very close. You can listen for yourself how close they sound here. My voice did sound louder on the Sony, more full, but the AirPods Max sound a bit more clean. In terms of background noise cancelling and wind noise rejection, the WH-1000XM5 is a little quieter, and even when I stopped speaking it continued to cancel the background noise. As for the AirPods Max, it started letting noise back in as soon as I stopped speaking. I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM5 for overall call quality.
Noise Cancelling
In terms of noise cancelling, the AirPods Max was way more effective, you can really hear how much more low frequency noise it’s cancelling. In real world usage however, the WH-1000XM5 are still more effective, but the AirPods Max is just one step ahead. You can listen to the difference here.
In terms of transparency mode, they both are pretty close. They both feel almost like you are not wearing headphones. But somehow the AirPods Max feel more transparent. The WH-1000XM5 seem to roll off the high frequencies a bit, so it still doesn’t feel completely transparent, Also when speaking to people they sound a bit more clear on the Max. In short, the AirPods Max transparency mode is awesome, but the Sony WH-1000XM5 are not that far behind.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound quality, they are quite comparable but with pretty big difference. This is true whether I’m listening on iPhone with both of them on AAC codec, or on Android with the Sony WH-1000XM5 streaming in LDAC. What I really like about the WH-1000XM5 is that it’s got this heaviness in the lower mids and upper bass. So vocals sound fuller, bass has more thump, just a generally more exciting sound especially with faster music.
The above frequency sweep shows that the Sony WH-1000XM5 do have a boost in the 250Hz region, that could explain this situation. But if you compare it to the AirPods Max, it seems like there is some excess resonance here that is having an impact on track separation in the vocal range. This is not a problem the AirPods Max have. Its track separation is way cleaner so tracks sound a bit more spread out, and overall it sounds more pristine. It also has a brighter, more crisper sound as there seems to be more emphasis in the upper mids and treble. So it’s able to resolve the tonality of wind instruments better. The trade off is these sound thinner, maybe even more sterile. There’s not as much heaviness in the vocals, not as much gravity. But if that’s the sound you prefer, the AirPods Max are gonna sound amazing to you, clean and analytical. But if you want a heavier, fuller sound, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the ones for you.
Bluetooth Latency
In terms of Bluetooth lag when watching videos on your phone or tablet, you’re not going to have any problems with both headphones. Lip syncing is very tight when watching videos. And that’s partly because video apps usually have this automatic latency correction. But, mobile games don’t usually have that system, so you’re almost guaranteed to get some lag. The question is, how much lag will you get? And is the WH-1000XM5 gonna have more lag than the AirPods Max?
On iOS, as I expected, the AirPods Max had much less lag than the WH-1000XM5s. So gaming on iOS devices is gonna feel a lot smoother on the AirPods. On Android, there is no difference between them, you’re still gonna get a little bit of latency when gaming. Check out the video here if you want to see the difference for yourself.
Comparison Conclusion
So why should you choose the AirPods Max over the Sony? It cancels more noise, has cleaner transparency, but there is a huge price difference between them and obviously the Max is going to appeal more to people embedded in the Apple ecosystem where you get special exclusive features like Spatial Audio with head tracking when watching videos, lower latency, that seamless, hands free integration with Siri. And maybe you want that extra bit of luxury.
Compared to the Sony WH-1000XM5, the AirPods Max build quality is unbelievable. It feels hefty, and it’s made of premium materials, aluminium, fabric, and stainless steel. From the ear cups to the ear cushions, the crown, the hydraulics in the headband, the Max feels built to last. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are mostly plastic, while it does feel durable, it also feels more utilitarian than the Max. So these will appeal to a select crowd that loves Apple products, or who are just used to that prestige, build quality, and simplicity.
But not everybody uses Apple stuff 100%. So for people like me who own an iPhone, an Android device, and use a Windows PC, there’s not much of an incentive to get the AirPods Max. What I prefer is a product that gives me everything it has, full app support and customization whether I’m on Android or iOS, and that’s where the Sony WH-1000XM5 are.
For instance, the WH-1000XM5 allows me to customize its sound with a graphic EQ or EQ Presets. I can do that on both iOS and Android using the Sony Headphones Connect app. Click on this video over here if you wanna know what my EQ settings are for the XM5s.
The AirPods Max do allow limited tweaking through a guided process that applies a preset according to your tastes. But it’s only for iOS. Additionally, the Sony WH-1000XM5 have multipoint pairing which lets you stay connected to up to two devices, whether it be on iOS, Android, Mac or PC. The AirPods Max do have something similar called Seamless Switching, but it only works with Apple devices which is very limiting.
Comfort
In terms of comfort, the Sonys are far more comfortable. It’s so much lighter and the clamping pressure is also more gentle. I would rather wear this all day than the AirPods Max, and it helps that its battery life is better, up to 30 hours on a single charge instead of 20 on the AirPods Max, so I could use this for quite a bit longer without charging. In terms of call quality, I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM5.
And those are all very compelling reasons to save a few extra bucks, and just go for the Sony WH-1000XM5 instead, because even if the AirPods have better performance in certain areas, noise cancelling, transparency - some people might not think it’s justifiable to pay that much more for that. But for all of you who have experienced the AirPods Max, do you agree with my assessment that the XM5s are better value than the AirPods Max, or do you disagree? Let me know in the comments. Or you can check their latest prices by clicking on the Amazon links below.
Sony WH-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3yIrnqr
AirPods Max - https://amzn.to/3AoiHX3
AirPods Max (Renewed) - https://amzn.to/3AAvHJ0