Finally made the switch from Sony XM5 to Bose QuietComfort and honestly I don’t know why I waited so long.
Don’t get me wrong, the Sonys were great. Wore them daily for like two years. The sound quality was solid and the ANC was some of the best out there. But once the clamping pressure started getting to me during long sessions and I tried the Bose at a store, it was kind of over.
The comfort on the QuietComfort is just unmatched. I can wear these for an entire workday and forget they’re on my head. The Sonys always had this pressure that would creep up after a couple hours, and the earcups felt a little shallow so my ears would brush against the inside. Haven’t had that problem once with the Bose. More room inside the cups and the weight just sits better.
Noise cancelling is where I was really surprised though. I always heard people say the Bose ANC was better but I figured it couldn’t be that different. It is. I take a lot of flights and the Bose just handles low-end rumble better than the Sonys did. Not a massive gap but enough that I noticed it right away.
Sound wise the Sonys had a bit more clarity and detail, I’ll give them that. Things sounded a little cleaner and more precise. But the Bose have this fuller, warmer sound that I honestly prefer for everyday listening. Podcasts, calls, playlists on Spotify, they all sound great and I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.
The thing that really sealed it is how the earcups rotate and fold down into a way smaller case. The Sony case was bulky since they only fold flat, and I was always fighting to fit it in my backpack.
Only downside is the Bose controls are mostly physical buttons instead of touch, which took some getting used to coming from the Sonys. And the battery life is a few hours shorter. Minor things though.
I also signed up for their newsletter on Bose.com and it gave me 10% off!
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