Sony - WF-1000XM5

Tried the beoplay, B&W, divialet, denon, AKG, XM5, buds 2 pro, AZ80 and maybe a couple more I can't remember. I skipped a few other audiophile brands because they lacked too many features for TWE. Went with the AZ80. The beoplay did wow me at first but i don't think the AZ80 is any inferior. IMHO it's mostly a brand thing. Just because a company makes an "audiophile" speakers, doesn't mean their headphones will be better than, say, a Sony one. Also, it's what your ears like. Many people swear by the xm5 audio quality but I personally found it very harsh. The AZ80 sounds very balanced and natural to me. I mostly listen to pop, country and 90s r&b

I honestly have no idea how they get reccomended so much. By far the worst of modern tws ive used.

I have the Sony XM5 and bought the Perl Pro on sale for £149 last week. I also bought the creative BT-W6 dongle for £49.99 to be able to take advantage of AptX Lossless with them on my S24 Ultra. The Perl Pro with the dongle using Tidal is the most incredible sound I've ever heard. The XM5s are good, but this was just total eargasm. Without the dongle however the sound from the XM5s was a tad bit better than Perl I'd say.

The Bose QC Ultra earbuds have the best ANC on the market. I don’t recommend them though. They’re terribly buggy (I went through 5 pairs across 3 different time periods and have given up) and have horrendous call quality for their prices. Stepping back just a smidge in ANC with the Sony WF-1000XM5 will give you an ask string better experience. Smaller earbuds with almost the same level of ANC, better sound quality, better call quality, a smaller charging case that has Qi charging, and a better app along with earbuds that have less bugs. My Bose earbuds would constantly cut out with my devices (make iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max, also S24 Ultra), the left side would usually not connect and require that the earbuds be reset (they need to be plugged into USB C power to do this), and the left earbud still has a mosquito-like buzzing. I owned the WF-1000XM5 at launch and they were solid. I sold them just to get the brew color Sony recently released and they’ve still been solid. It will take years before I trust Bose again.

If bass is your concern, the WF-1000XM5 offer a healthy amount of it and you can tune them how you want. They also have great ANC, second only to Bose. But I wouldn’t buy Bose true wireless earbuds. I don’t recommend them after years (and I do mean years) of constant exchanges that started with the QC earbuds 1, went through the QC earbuds 2, and stopped with the QC Earbuds Ultra when the pair they sent me had mosquito buzzing in the left ear and still experienced Bluetooth issues (mainly audible blips and connection interruptions). I will never buy Bose earbuds again. There’s also a difference between bass and mud, Bose focuses on mud.

Sony WF-1000XM5. The ANC is almost as good in an overall smaller package with better battery life, much better sound quality, a better app, and more features.

The WF-1000XM5 are a big improvement over the XM4. They’re a smaller design that’s more comfortable, improved voice calls, improved ANC, better ear tips with a hybrid foam setup, and a better fit due to their smaller size and upgraded ear tips. The XM4 earbuds were fine at the time, but the XM5 are an upgrade in every way.

I've experimented with a few models, and my personal favorite turned out to be the Sony WF-1000XM5.

I've tried a few models and found the Sony WF-1000XM5 really stands out. The noise cancellation is effective even in busy settings, and the sound quality meets my expectations for long listening sessions.

I've played around with a couple of models recently, and I think the Sony wf-1000xm5 really impressed me with its sound balance and ANC performance.

If I may... I use the Sony WF-1000XM5 buds and they have been amazing in every aspect. Sound is great. Fit is comfortable. Noise canceling and ambient bypass is great. Connecting BT is solid and I am usually connected to my iPhone and Macbook at once, especially when traveling, and have no issues switching from one to the other.

Earbuds he is asking. But I agree XM5 as they are more comfy than Airpod Pro bud

I have Jabra 8 Active for running and have Sony xm5 for home use. I am a very sweaty, sub-8 minute marathon runner and have had no issues with fit, sound, or degradation over time. Sony xm5 have foam ear tips which I imagine would get nasty and break from repeated moisture exposure. Really hoping to find a solid Jabra replacement now that they are discontinued.

Comfort/fit isn’t the same thing. I tried on a pair of Sony WF-1000XM5’s last week for a few days, they ‘fit’ great because of the foam eartips, but they were not comfortable at all. Felt like I had full on earplugs in and the plastic casing which is very large touches parts of the ear and overtime makes your ear sore. All of the comfort/fit stuff is subjective of course, but to say that they’re 9.2 on average for comfort might mislead others as the vast majority of posts and rankings I see about the WF-1000XM5’s say that they’re aren’t very comfortable. I know you say it’s based on personal experience, but still. I also didnt think they sounded good but I wont bother even getting into that.

Currently experiencing this now. This month, I’ve tried - EAH-AZ100, Sony XM5, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, Jabra Elite 8 Gen 2, Pixel Buds Pro 2, OnePlus Buds Pro 3, Nothing Buds. I could not agree more. I’m currently testing the EAH-AZ100s against the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 and Nothing Buds, and was going to make a post about it myself. I’m not sure what to think. The hype and price almost ‘ruin’ the AZ100’s. They’re just nowhere near as mind blowing as people make out, especially when you compare them to buds 1/2 or 1/3 of the price. As you said, If you put a gun to my head and asked me to pick, yes, I’d probably say the EAH-AZ100s are probably ‘best’ for the average person, but do I think they’re always the most enjoyable or best, absolutely not. I’d honestly say if I listened to 10 songs, maybe 4 of them sound best on the EAZ-AZ100s, 4 on the OnePlus Buds Pro 3, and 2 on the Nothings, and the difference between the Nothing Buds having 2 points and 4, is as you said, literally, literally like 5%. I found it very hard to decide between buds, it was one of the reasons I ended up testing so many. Similarly, I thought the XM5’s were literally the worst of all the ones I mentioned above, despite being near the top in their perceived premium’ness’. I genuinely would pick the Nothing Buds 10/10 times over them. That said, I am hoping to learn how to get more out of these EAZ-AZ100’s with the EQ, I’ve tried playing around with them but not really hearing this ‘mind blowing’ ‘blow your head off’ ‘rip your head in half’ quality tbh.

I have never listened to the Sennheiser TW Momentum 4 earbuds, but I would like to! I use Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds and they are plenty loud! I cannot play them more than 75% because it feels unsafe. I would suggest trying to connect the earbuds to a different device - phone or computer - and check if you have the same low volume problem. If it is the same, see if you can return or exchange them. I know they are supposed to be great earbuds but never tried them.

Use them, see if you like them. Regardless of what that person said, they are my favourite of all my wireless earbuds specifically because of the sound. The way they sound is the only reason I keep them because others (such as AirPods Pro 2) are more convenient for me. Deep bass is satisfying, instrument separation or sound-stage is wonderful and really surprising from an in-ear that is like a black olive (haha). Based on that person's comment I assume they did not get the fit right or don't know much about IEMs. Mine did not sound good to me initially, and I almost gave up on them, until I swapped to silicone tips and that changed everything. Instantly better sound. Plus, there is a nice, easy to use, and very functional EQ in the app where you can set the sound the way you like it. I don't understand how people don't understand that everyone hears differently, prefers different things and especially that the sound can be adjusted with an EQ.

Chunky design haha what? You're confused.

There isn't a "best" though - so unfortunately it is not so simple. Every headphone is different in the way it fits and the way it sounds as well as other things like features, controls, apps. Some people like one thing, someone else likes another. So it can be quite difficult. It is even harder with IEMs because some places do not allow returns. I am sure this is different around the world - but I am in Sweden and everywhere I went said no returns unless there is a failure, so I had to just buy the ones I wanted and hope for the best. I would also like to try the Sennheiser TW 4 and the Bose QC Ultra, but did not feel like buying all of them. I have the Sony WF-1000XM5's and I do like them, but I did not like them with the stock/factory tips. For me personally, they work a lot better with silicone tips. In my opinion, they sound fantastic and the ANC is adequate - but I also have AirPods Pro 2 and the ANC is significantly better on those (I know you did not mention those but those are the only other earbuds I have). I really like the Sony's though. They also work very well with calls. Not so great for exercise. Never tried the others you mention.

I have XM5's - ANC is not so great and tuning/EQ is fantastic, actually. I only keep them because they sound great.

Good plan. I really like the Sony - just need to try them out and hope that they fit you well. I am using silicone tips on mine from an older pair of RHA headphones, but there are other replacements if you do not like the factory included tips from Sony. Some people like them - just depends on your ears. My friend has Android but uses AirPods even though they are limited functionality, but he likes the way they fit and are easy to put in/out. I understand but I think Sony is a better option if they work for you. Best of luck!

Sennheiser has better sound quality for listening at home. Sony has better noise cancelling. For travelling, I have my Sony and would recommend that. At home, I use studio headphones. There's also 100s of results online if you Google for a comparison.

I'm lucky enough to have both (bought the Sennheisers and won the Sonys in a raffle). The Sennheisers sound WAY better to me. They also have better battery life. However, the Sonys have way better ANC and are slightly more comfortable. My complaint with the Sonys is that they leak a lot of sound. My coworkers can hear my music even at 30-40% volume. This is not a problem with the Sennheisers. Basically, I prefer the Sonys for flights. I prefer the Sennheisers for home, work, and everything else. If you value sound quality most, get the Sennheisers. If you're planning on using these mostly on planes and trains, get the Sonys. On a loud flight, the Sennheisers sound quality doesn't shine through as much and the Sony ANC really pays off. Both are great and you honestly can't go wrong with either from my perspective.

They both sound like bluetooth headphones, not great but clear enough to understand.

No the battery has been pretty good in my experience. Even if I leave it unplugged in my backpack for a few weeks it seems to always have a lot of battery left.

I hated the Sony with a passion and got AirPods Pro instead and love them. I got the Sennheiser for my partner who love the sound and ease of use. Unfortunately when calling me, the sound I hear is awful, really muffled.

I own both WF-1000XM5 and MTW3 (not 4 unfortunately, so I'm not sure if it translates well, though I read that MTW4 is a tad bit of an upgrade from MTW3). SQ: MTW3 > XM5. MTW3 has more soundstage, more defined (albeit less) bass. ANC: XM5 > MTW3. Hands down. This is true with their headphones as well (which I both own too) Battery life: Can't say one stands out from the other. Both can be used on an iPhone (both support AAC). Both have apps. iPhone does not unfortunately make the best use of both (it lacks AptX and LDAC support). If you're after SQ, go for MTW4. But for general purpose use, buy the XM5. That's the reason I own both. To make the best use of either, use a source that supports AptX HD/adaptive and/or LDAC (like Android phones).

I tried both and ended up keeping the Sony's. Although sound quality wasn't as good as the TW4s, for me the user experience in the XM5s was miles ahead and ended up keeping them. Happy to elaborate if you have any questions.

Nope, last time I left them unused for a week and they had almost the same charge level when I picked them back up (only 1 or 2% difference) and I haven't had them long enough to determine if there is any battery issue on the earbuds themselves. FWIW I didn't have any case battery draining issues with the XM4s either but I did experience the battery drain issue on the left earbud with two separate pairs. But I heard that they resolved that issue on their side with the XM5s as the issues with the XM4s was related with a battery supply chain issue due to covid.

For the XM5s? The XM4s definitely had them but so far I haven't read much from the XM5s having the same issue (I hope they don't).

I had both, and I liked both. Sony has the slightly better noise canceling and Sennheiser has the slightly better audio quality. I find, that the sennheiser respond better to eq. I stayed with the mtw4 because they fit me better and I just love the case. The fabric can't get scratched up. Mtw4 is the bigger bud tho so keep that in mind.

I think I have to disagree with most comments as I've found the noise canceling in the Sony pretty terrible. Might be the fit, I don't know. But I've seen some reviewers comment on that too. And Sennheiser was quite decent (but not as good as the AirPods Pro 2). Sound quality Sennheiser all the way. Sony is very compact though and better for commute I guess. But if I were to take them for a plane, I'd pick the Sennheiser.

Sennheiser has a more refined sound, audiofile sound...I have both of them. Sony has a better noise cancellation and a very good v shaped sound.

I have just bought both a couple weeks back and returned the sennheisers. In day to day the wf is just so much nicer. However I did have to spend an additional 4.99 on Amazon for some aftermarket silicone ear tips for the wf as the composite ones are not to my liking but that's a personal preference. The wf have significantly better anc and wind filtering during calls and the sound quality is negligible in day to day use between them. Arguably because the anc is better on the sony. The sound quality is much better than the sennheisers.

For noise cancelling, I like my Bose QC Ultra earbuds. They are also very comfortable to wear and have sufficiently good sound quality (not the best, but good enough). But call quality is not that great. I personally am not a fan. I do not use them for taking calls unless necessary. One thing to keep in mind is that Apple being what Apple is, uses a higher bitrate when streaming AAC to apple-brand products. So even though the Bose has AptX-Adaptive, and Sony has LDAC - an iPhone will stream AAC.... but at half the bitrate you get using any other Apple (or their other internal brand, Beats) brand product (this is intentional to force you to stay within their ecosystem, of course). Fun side note - AptX is open-source and any phone company could use the software to build it into their phones, but they choose not to. I would say that Sony XM5 likely has better sound quality than the Bose Quietcomfort, but the Bose wins on better ANC and better styling (in my opinion), and better comfort (I have worn mine for four hours straight without any issue with comfort or battery life). Apple is..... apple - it has it's pros and cons. I avoid apple in general, but I get why people like them

Bose has a signature sound quality that's rather flat with a bit of bass at the low end but nothing overly powerful. Sony tends to have a bit more 'punch' in the low end. Overall they're pretty close and going to be upper end sound quality. But in a head-to-head, sony is going to win the sound quality point. But in every other way, I feel like Bose-QC wins the points (battery, style, ANC, and comfort)

Bose has been making noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds for decades - they also design noise cancelling headphones for aviation pilots. Needless to say, they have been perfecting their ANC algorithms for a LOT longer than other brands. If ANC is key, Bose Quietcomfort ultra is going to be at the top of the list - AS LONG AS you mix/match earbuds and wingtips to find the perfect 'fit' - it could take a few weeks before you get a nice tight seal in the ears. The Sony XM4 earbuds scored quite high on ANC compared to the Bose in real-world testing, but some firmware update from Sony effectively killed the battery life on the XM4 earbuds, and it seems the XM5 also have battery life issues. Jabra has gotten a fair amount of praise as a mid-priced quality earbud. HOWEVER earlier this year Jabra announced they were stepping out of the wireless earbud market - so there is no more hardware or software updates coming from Jabra, and no clue how they'll honor warranty claims if there is one. Sennheiser is really popular all around. The MTW4 are on sale for a good price and perform pretty well. However from my experience with the Momentum Sport earbuds, the ANC works well enough, but not the best I've handled.

Had airpods 2 pro, they sounded too tinny, so i switched to the Xm4. It had great sound and terrible fit. I then switched to Linkbuds S , which fit great, but I couldn't get past the low quality sound, I then switched to the Galaxy Buds 2 pro, which fit great and had the most bass of any headphone I've ever tried, it's clear bass too. I used these for 2 years, but even with good bass, the highs and mids suffered a lot. Then I finally went back to Sony with the wf1000xm5's, which have all the bass of the buds 2 pro but with clarity in every frequency. They also fit even more secure for me than my galaxy buds 2 pro. In my opinion, it's an easy win for Sony.

Very happy with the Sony WF-XM5s, the noise cancellation's actually a bit worse than last gen for me (still better than airpods imo) but they're way more comfortable. Good sound quality, long battery life, and a lot of useful features in the app too. Have had them for maybe 6 months so far with no issues.

Haha, I'd completely forgotten about this comment! 1. Still holding up great right now, had a couple of firmware updates that seem to have improved the NC quality for me considerably. Getting a good fit with the foam tips also matters a lot. No sign of the battery issues which led to the untimely demise of my XM4s. 2. Call quality is good by Bluetooth standards, much better than last gen, but still can't touch wired buds. It's perfectly serviceable though. 3. I was using an Android initially but have now entered the Apple ecosystem - experience is great on both, but I do miss the seamless transitions between Apple devices that AirPods offer. Would still pick these over AirPods though.

The buds themselves are super light and don't cause any problems, but the foam tips are somewhat of an acquired taste; there's a specific way you need to insert them and some people find them uncomfortable. You can always swap them for some silicone tips if you have a problem with that, though - you just lose a bit of NC efficacy. Personally, I can wear them for hours with the foam tips without discomfort.

Great! The XM5s should be perfect for you then :) Good luck with your eventual purchase!

The Sony are great for music and noise cancelling but not for calls. Fyi on Teams you can turn on voice isolation or background noise canceling. But I still recommend a certified headset.

They just don't work for some people. I have Sony wf1000xm5 with a very similar design but I also tried app2 and they just work their way out over time. Smaller tips don't make a seal so they don't sound good. The right size tips just work loose with vibration, talking, eating, etc.  Some people just have different shaped ears so the friction of the tips isn't enough.

Definitely agree with this - I have the Sony WF-1000XM5, AirPods Pro 2, Technics AZ100 and JBL Tour Pro 3 and the JBLs seem to have the best sound, the best ANC and the best call quality. The only downside is the chunky case.

WF1000XM5 No, it won't be part of the ecosystem, but my goodness they are darn good

I have the Sony xm5s, I did have the xm4s but when they developed a fault I sent them back to Sony (after over a year) and they sent me out the newer model! Pretty nice. Plus they sound great and etc.

People will disagree but I think Sony WF-1000XM5 are the best. Some say that they’re not made for running but I’ve put thousands of miles on mine. Zero issue with sweat. Never move. Super comfortable. And the best sound

I love my sony wf-1000xm5. They’re not necessarily “sport” headphones but I’ve run hundreds of miles in them and i love them.

My Sony WF 1000XM5 have just been stolen and in considering buds instead but don't want to go down on quality of sound AND ANC. Both are top notch imo in the Sony, only downside is the weight and fit for my ears. For the latter I know the stem design fits me better - that's why I'm considering the change but like I said I don't want to compromise sound quality.

I've been really impressed with the Sony WF-1000XM5 for best noise-canceling earbuds. The noise cancellation is top-notch, and the sound quality is fantastic. Plus, they're super comfortable for long listening sessions. Definitely worth checking out if you're into tech upgrades!

Sony XM5 is also good.

I have them all! The xm5s are formidable on all spectrums (I use them without anc in the gym because the passive insulation is excellent!) The AirPods are very good but the sound is much worse. The Jabra are comfortable, good active isolation and much better sound over the AirPod Pro 2. The momentum is excellent in sound quality, the ANC is equivalent to the Jabra. The Bose are excellent in anc but their really low end. If I had to give you an ultimate choice, if you listen to a lot of music and quality and reduction are important to you, Sony is the best placed. They are part of my daily and my favorite pair for listening to music with the Denon Perl Pro.

I tried the Sony WF-1000XM5, and they block out most background noise when I'm on the bus or in a busy cafe. They feel comfortable, and the battery life is solid. My friend swears by the Bose for long flights, so if you want a really plush fit, you might check those out too.

Hey, I was looking at the xm5s recently to replace my xm4. The battery went to crap after the update. Do your have that issue? 

You're using the xm5s or xm4? It's bad enough I don't think I'd go back to sony if this is the case on the 5s

Ok, so i ordered some refurb'd xm5s, i have a big trip in a couple months, i'll update you on how that goes

XM5. They are ULTRA comfortable, i fall asleep everyday with them, which was absolutely impossible with the XM4s since they were chunky and heavy. Trust me, they're miles ahead, just not worth the full price but you probably can find a good deal on black friday, got mine on a sale for 150€

Owned them for over half a year now. I bought them prioritising sound quality but have used them at the gym. I think they’re probably good for running but by no means ideal. If you’re going to be running I get something specifically built for it personally. Yes you can get ear tips that will make the running experience better but you’ll have to factor in that in order to keep a good fit you’ll need to frequently replace those tips.

I’d be giving a stronger look at the Jabras unfortunately there will likely be a point in the life of any given eartip where you’ll be thinking about the chance of the Sony bud falling out. That’s ok for me as a gym user or when bouldering but for a runner I’d feel like it would get annoying. Realistically sound quality means nothing if they can’t stay in your ears whist you’re using them so you should be prioritising a strong fit that requires minimal readjustment in the middle of a run. Also the Jabras appear to be sweatproof too.

Man I tried some xm5s a month ago and both the buds and case were completely dead after 6 hours of casual listening. Didn't get better over time. Returned them asap. With all that being said, they did sound great tho.

Airpods Pro 2 for super casual listening while cleaning or exercising. The noise cancellation is fantastic. Sonos speakers are throughout the house. I don't love their sound, but it is nice to have an easily routable system that guests can hop on, too. I also have a Sonos atmos system in my TV/gaming room; I find the sound stage a bit thin, but the subwoofer is great for games. I used to have a B&W surround system with matching speakers all around but I hated the amount of cabling; it was complicated and none of my roommates or friends could figure it out. Not all systems need to be perfect. I have a killer system and treated room in my studio that I spent years designing, implementing, and tweaking. For me, the best music is the music I'm listening to, and I can't always be in my studio.

Nobody knows what is good for you. You have to listen to them. Also it's useful to look into their measurements curve. I didn't listen to the Denon,Jabras and Nothing Ear. Sony are linear but will not amaze you with details and clarity. Same to Technics. Sennheisers sounds just wrong for me with no lows. Bose are ok but initial tuning is too bassy for me. It's like one just increased the bass with eq. I personally have Devialet Gemini 2. Very linear with slight increase of lows and trebles which is easily compensated. Amazing resolution, imaging, separations you name it. But again, just listen to them. I listened to Nobles, B&W, Bang and Olufsen and they did not suite my needs. But maybe they are for you.

After trying az80, xm5, jabra elite 10, momentum 4 true wireless, between 3anc, I settled on AZ80. It gives me the perfect balance with subjectivity best sound out of those, although between 3anc may edge in in some types of music. I don't think you can go wrong with most of those options. AZ80 felt most premium to with the brushed aluminium.

Honestly, if I were you, I’d lean toward the Sony WF-1000XM5. They’re awesome if comfort and sound quality are your top priorities. Sony finally made them smaller and way better at blocking out noise—total game-changer if you’re commuting or stuck in loud places. And yeah, pairing them with Android? Super smooth, no weird hiccups. The Nothing Ear buds are another bargain option—kinda fun if you like tweaking EQ settings in their app, though they’re not quite as punchy as the Sonys. Still, if you’re the type who just wants to hit "play" and get lost in the music without overthinking it? Sony’s your MVP here. No contest. Also you can check this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Earbuds/comments/1i0k6ye/earbuds_for_you/

From my personal experience: 1) Devialet Gemini II 2) Technics AZ80 3) Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 4) Sony XM5 The Gemini II are flat out best sounding buds period to me and I'm yet to find something that out ranks it in the sound department. I have to listen to my planar magnetic wired headphones to get better sound. Looking forward to a comparison between the Gemini II and the AZ100.

Used them since launch. It actually left me wanting more bass and louder volume so that + ANC would Actually drown out noise. Since I'm in a city setting or in Uni or in a gym setting. But beggars can't be choosers. Not for this price point.

No, they are still too bassy and have a small soundstage, very in your head sound. I've tried alot of earbuds, the best ones sound quality wise have to be the Sennheiser momentum 4 true wireless, Technics AZ80 (or wait for the upcoming AZ100 on the 10th), and airpods pro 2. Bowers and wilkins Pi8 is boring, its your average V shaped sound signature, too much bass and treble.

on sound quality and clarity alone, by a mile. The XM5s are just wasteful on high quality music because of the bloaty bass, alot of clarity thats found in instruments and vocals is lost in the mix. the AZ80s are just much more detailed and pleasing sounding. The AZ80 loses out in anc though. One thing to consider, the AZ100 just got revealed, so it's worth waiting for more comparisons, because those may even beat the AZ80s

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is an excellent choice! The noise cancellation is top-notch, and they deliver amazing sound quality. They’re perfect for blocking out distractions when studying or working, plus they’re comfortable for long sessions.

Sound core liberty pro 3s or Sony XM5s I’ve had both sets currently the XM5s are my favorite, you hardly notice they are in your ears after a few minutes and the sounds quality 👌🏻

the Sony WF-1000XM5 are great, a little pricy but worth it. If ur looking for different budgets i suggest you [read this](https://earbudswireless.medium.com/best-earbuds-for-iphone-dfa6b89253b0)

I own a pair of XM5 and the sound quality is trash they don't even deserve to be mentioned in this conversation. I even had the XM4 because sony used to make decent sound for a low budget. Now they are just in the toilet when it comes to making quality sounding products. I have heard the Gemini the sound quality is good but they are just overhyped do the cost. Before the Gemini people in these subs were overhyping the Pi8 because they are another 500 plus pair of earbuds which are noticeably louder than the MTW 4s but still lacks in terms of sound stage compared to the MTW 4s.

APP are neutral mediocre at best. I have all those and more, the Sony XM5 and Bose can sound better if you have a musical ear with some training. Bose Ultra Immersive mode is newbie to sound mode, they sound impressive for pop but do not stand up to critical listening. The Denon Perl Pro is actually the best sounding if you Can get the calibration correct. It’s not for beginners who think APP are the best you can get lol.

Wow are you me? Have all of those and mostly agree with your list. Need to check out the AZ100. One thing though, the XM5 never really impressed other than case size. It’s a good all rounder but seems a bit nothing special in any metric.

Thanks for this info. What device/phone are you using to send a signal to the AZ100s? Are you using much EQ to tweak for your level of frequency impairment? What's your age? Are you using LDAC or another codec? Are you using Dolby Atmos or other settings in addition? I tried the B&W Pi8s (clear beautiful sound with aptX but too buggy and app sucks) and the Sony XM5s (with LDAC, the settings, adjustment/tweaks are amazing in the app) and great when setup properly but I am going to get the AZ100s this weekend to compare. THANKS!

AirPods pod 2 is not fantastic mic quality. It has a lot of artifacts and robotic sound. The AirPods Pro 2 also do very poorly with background noise. The XM5 are way better in that regard. XM5 completely blocks out mic sound of running a sink or flushing a toilet. I haven’t tried the AZ100.

So wait for a week for the reviews to come out, lmao, I am an audiophile that doesn't buy all the audio products (but only the top rated products out there) Sony's XM5 are the best I've heard before this, apart from Sennheiser momentum 4, that don't have any bugs or connectivity issues(unlike other brands), so I didn't have to look at any other brands.

Yes, Sony for me were the best overall without any manufacturing or applications or connection issues. And the top rated for audio quality for consumers. Didn't get pi8's due to charging issues (read reddit page), this is the new buds without any bugs.

Noise cancelling is the best in class, compared to Sony xm5 (with largest ear tips), sony couldnt cancel 100% noise for me, these do. You need to try these to believe me. I tried these yesterday in an Uber for the first time, it was mind blowingly silent, like I was deaf.

XM5s are superior when you upgrade to the foam tips (3 for $20 from Comply). I tried these for a week before I settled on the XM5s. This is after 3 years of XM4 ownership, so I may be biased. Regardless, these are good, but nowhere the sound quality of the Sonys. It’s dumb that Sony didn’t provide the correct tips.

It’s foam, just a downgrade from the XM4s

The technics if you don't air travel. The Sony's if you air travel.

No one beats Sony's ANC. If you're going on planes, it beats the socks off of everyone's buds in that one area. And, their sound quality is NOT bad. They're very good, but they're not the best. And there is no "best" in everything. Its why I actually have two sets ... one in my travel bag for work trips where I fly, and another set for when I'm not traveling. Actually, I should stop lying ... I have like 6 sets of headphones/earbuds LOL. They all have their purpose though .. gym, travel, audiophile, etc.

Just terrible transparency, average ANC if the foam tips don't fit, chunky design and terrible case battery Really in need of an update

They all have compromises so it's just about picking what you prioritise For me I prefer the sound of the XM5 by quite a way The transparency is a million miles better on the AirPods, the ANC works better for me and the call quality is more consistent, most importantly the fit is impeccable for me I prioritise those features when I'm not listening wired so I end up using the AirPods most often The OnePlus buds sit middle of the pack for sound, transparency and fit but have the worst ANC

I have the Sony XM5's and the ANC is really game changing. I mow my lawn with them in and I can barely tell that my lawn mower is running. They also work really well in the office and I can't hear the person sitting next to me. The audio quality is solid too and the one touch to switch to passthrough is great so you don't have to keep pulling an earbud out so someone can talk to you. Calls work well and I've not had any issues with connection or people being able to hear me. Regardless of what earbuds you get, make sure you get the right sized tips and type to go in your ear as that will make a huge difference in performance. I prefer foam tips as they really improve audio quality and ANC performance.

I have both the B&W Pi8 and the Sony WF-1000XM5 buds and while the Pi8 are amazing and are my daily driver, I recommend the XM5 if battery life and noise cancelling are important a priority to you. They both sound amazing and overall the Pi8 is my top pick but it still has some minor quirks still being worked out for connection.

Correct, for the XM5s, ambient sound control/quick access are one setting and play back control is another and you can pick which bud has those controls but you can't have everything one a singular bud.

Unfortunately there are NO "one size fits all" and there are NO "best wireless earbuds" at rhe moment. Sound, ANC, fit & comfort are very much dependant on how they fit you. Eartips FROM Azla, Spinfit and Comply also enhance the experience with better grip and comfort. I've had all the buds on your list. I see Sonys mentioned a lot in this thread. They are awful imo. Very small footprint makes them loose in my ears. Terrible hybrid foam tips which are too small and have no grip. It's ANC gives a bad thudding body noise when ur exercising or when there's a loud noise near u. Turn anc off and it's gone. Call quality very average and poor in noise environments. They also have battery issues which u can read with a quick Google. Technics AZ80 have very good sound quality and decent battery life but they didn't stay in properly for me. ANC is average at best. The customisation and app is one of the best out there. Jabra Elite 10 are solid. Esp when paired with Azla eartips. Good anc, good sound good call quality. Bose QC Ultra have good sound, best in class anc but they also have a thudding noise when anc is on, although not as bad as the Sonys. Call quality is average and bad in noise environments. App control and connection and stability are not great. Sennheiser MTW4 are what I stuck with. Good sound (esp when personalised and tweaked), good comfortable fit for me, good anc, good battery. Call quality is average. Good app and customisation.

I've tried the technics and the sonys (on Android, s24 ultra). The technics were much better, but I went with the Beoplay Eleven - I got it for around 400 after student discount applied.

The three best for sound quality are the Denon Perl Pros (with AAT), Technics AZ80, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 (with Sound Personalization). I rank them in that order, from best to worst. The Sony XM5s are probably 6th on my list. Their ANC is superior to all but the Bose QC Ultra, but their tuning is poor. I use the Denon’s when I want sound quality that competes with some of my wired IEMs, but daily drive the MTW4 for their superior app, ANC and general feature set. AZ80s multipoint is convenient for travel and usually go with me when I’m abroad and/or on work trips. Any of those three will not disappoint.

The best buds are the iFi Go Pods with a pair of dedicated IEMs. I'm running them with the Theiaudio Hype 4 For traditional earbuds, my personal ranking list: Technics AZ80 > Denon Perl Pro > Sennheiser Momentum TW 4 (w/ Sound Personalization) > Sony Linkbuds S > AirPods Pro 2 > Sony XM5 > Galaxy Buds2 Pro > Beats Studio Buds+/Beats Fit Pro > Powerbeats Pro I end up daily driving the Momentum 4s most days, just given their ANC/Transparency is competitive with other sets, and the app is fairly solid. Sound quality alone, toss up between the AZ80 and Perl Pro.

This is marketing and brand reach doing what it does best. There are plenty of brands doing great things in the market that aren't getting a lot of attention. JLAB's Epic Lab earbuds were fantastic; JBL, Moondrop, Nothing Ear, SoundPeats, numerous other brands tested very well against the top of my list, which consisted of the Denon Perl Pro, Technics AZ80, Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 4, Sony XM5, AirPods Pro, B&W Pi7 S2 and Pi8. I have the AZ100s on the way, and I'm sure they'll occupy one of those top spots. It's important to note, however, that many of these brands do not need to push as many units to remain successful. At the economies of scale companies like Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose are operating at, the investment into their production, distribution, customer service, and operations pipelines is immense. They are likely expecting to sell tens of thousands of units, to the thousands that other brands need to turn a profit. And while you may see those more prolific brands everywhere, don't forget the communities of people on social media platforms that regularly market and recommend the opposing brands. They're not as common, but that's to be expected and will remain that way by nature. In other words, while the popular brands may be ubiquitous, that is by design. It doesn't mean opposing manufacturers are on a downward trajectory. This was the assumption when Jabra cancelled its TWS ANC lineup, and that may have been part of the decision, but Jabra had other, more profitable interests and chose to constrain their business goals around those interests because there was more opportunity there. As someone that's tested dozens of ANC earbuds (and has a wide ranging collection of dedicated, wired IEMs), I have very few biases when it comes to competing brands. If it works well, I'll use the thing. I have no qualms recommending a pair of Soundcore VR P10s, right alongside top-tier TWS sets if I think it fits the individual's use case. Recently, I took a long flight overseas and left all the other major TWS brands behind and took a cheap pair of PortaPros and a $20 pair of Aliexpress stem-style earbuds with me. Everyone else on the plane was wearing AirPods.

After trying a bunch of earbuds over the years, I’ve got to say the Sony WF-1000XM5 are a good option. The sound quality is absolutely insane—deep bass, crisp highs, and super clear mids. The noise cancellation is next-level too; it’s perfect for blocking out distractions whether I’m commuting or just chilling at home. They’re also really comfortable for long listening sessions, and the battery life holds up well (about 8 hours on the buds alone).

I'm considering too today lost my Jabras 😭 I'm mostly interested in bass and good fit for exercising since i do calisthenics i wonder how they hold in ear

I go sony one they feel great honestly and sounds awesome 👍😎 i use them for sports too , about base part you need to play with equalizer. i saw Jabra as brand they abandoning they products so dunno about future support I'm not trusting them

9 months later one died on me, miss them very much

i got the wf-1000xm5 for 206€ along with azla asmr max earbuds and they totally block every annoying voice in the gym along with loud noises. Music is also damn clean and clear bass. For that price there is nothing better in europe.

also one annoying thing to point out is that their controls are meh, but works out nevertheless. Cos the audio and ANC is next level. I owned the Sennheiser momentum 4 tws for 8 months until they broke. Got refund, so I got this instead. If you are located in EU, then get it from amazon or coolblue. Both have very good warranty system. In case you get issues within the 2 year warranty, they will repair the product or refund your money back.

Ah. I was going to get the elite 10. Cos everyone in reddit was recommending that over the xm5. But I didn't think they were worth 80€ more than the xm5 and took the risk. Thank God I got the xm5.

Sony xm5s are amazing! Haven't tried bose qc but if complete noise block out is a 10, I'd give the sonys a 7.5 ish, especially for blocking background chit chat

Sony WF-1000XM5s are really good at blocking out noise without music playing, especially the low-pitched stuff you’re talking about. The ANC is honestly impressive, and I think Sony’s been leading the charge when it comes to earbud noise cancellation.

I choose AirPods Pro2 for work and to block out distractions during travel and even when spouse is snoring. Anything better either more comfort and/or longer lasting

I dunno. I just bought some to replace the XM4's I lost after a bike ride. I miss my XM4's. I'm still auditioning the 5's, but so far the ANC isn't quite as good to my ear, but the comfort is better. It also eliminates that slight 'tinny' sound from the XM4. I think it was a result of sound reflecting off of internal surfaces in the old 'buds, causing a kind of echo. I got used to it over time, and it's missing in the XM5's (which is nice) but for $300, I just want a more significant improvement.

I 2nd this. I am currently wearing my in-ear XM5s walking through NYC in blissful silence. Also have the over-the-ear XM4 and XM5 and the ANC in both is exceptional. Not sure of the bad reports, luckily mine have been fine. My only complaint is new Bluetooth connections with the in ear XM5 isn't as simple as the older XM4s but the mic on both 5s are infinitely better for phone calls it's worth the hassle.

Over but in ears I carry with me all the time. And once you swap buds to comply tips they are great too.

For excellent noise-canceling earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are top contenders. Both are praised for their ability to significantly reduce outside noise, even in noisy environments, while still delivering great sound quality. If you prioritize top-notch ANC performance, these are solid choices to explore.

I have the AZ80's coming in Tuesday. I also need major noise cancellation. I have iPods pro 2's and Sony XM5's. My old 4's died. I have tried 10 different manufacturers tips with the XM5's. If I get a comfortable set, little to no noise cancellation. The Sonic Foam are very uncomfortable, but have superb sound quality and great noise cancellation. Anything on the XM4's canceled sound way better than the 5's. The AirPods Pro 2's are really good for most of my noise at work, but deep rumble comes in depending on the job. The good news, I have some Comply tips for the XM5's that are comfortable and fairly decent for noise cancellation that may be great when the AZ80's come in. Keeping my fingers crossed.

While the XM5 has a really beautiful sound, I found it (1) really hard to find the spot in my ear when I knew it was "in" and (2) the glossy nature felt slippery taking in and out. Otherwise zero complaints, great headphones. The Technics AZ80 (and even AZ60s) are fantastic. The latter if price is an issue. A little larger than expected but like a butter in the ear and you forget about the size quickly. Sound is superb. Case is larger than the XM5 but not unmanageable. These are my recent favorites. Buds Pro 3 if you use Samsung ecosystem are excellent too.

I use the XM3s, they still work but I have tried XM5s from a friend before and the difference is night-and-day. To be perfectly clear, the XM3s were already a huge step up from my off-brand earbuds when I first got them. I did hear that the Technics AZ80 Earbuds had better sound quality, but the feature set of the XM5s are just too good to pass up. Planning on getting them some time soon.

Loving my jabra elite 8 active gen 2s! Purchased xm5s first but man are they uncomfortable. Returned them for the jabras and couldn't be happier. Fits like a glove and pretty much indestructible

Same I bought the xm5s first and tried so hard to love them but just couldn't get past the fit. I returned them and got elite 8s and as sson as I put them near my ear they slipped in as if they were made just for my ears. So glad I switched!

Just got the WF-1000XM5, and connection lasts 5 seconds maximum. It's unusable, I guess Vita is too old for modern Bluetooth devices, even from Sony

WF are the earbuds, there is no button. I tried both methods: from the app and with the charger button. Both pairing methods succeed, but connection closes continuously

I use the Sony WF1000xm5. The fit can be a bit finicky but once you have a solid seal in your ears they are fantastic. ANC is decent, but not the best. I’ve owned AirPods Pro 2 and MTW4 and the Sonys have the weakest ANC of those three. They have a typical bass heavy sound signature, like all Sony headphones. Good for hiphop, rock, electronic music. The app is very good. They have a tendency to fall out of my ears if I am doing anything other than lifting weights or running on a treadmill but YMMV based on the intensity of your workout.

The Sony WF XM5 has ANC excellent too. For less than $90 the Earfun Air Pro 4 or Soundcore Liberty 4 NC.

I have bought dozens of Sony earbuds/headphones from this eBay reseller. No issues yet; they always come in like new condition.

They sound good but suck for running - when they get sweat on them the touch controls stop working. Also battery life with ANC is a little over 5 hours.

better sound but the touch controls suck when wet

Got these from Secondipity a while back. Still rocking. I did get foam tips recently though and they feel nicer and fit better. One of the top hits on Amazon. At this price (cheaper than I paid for refurbs), well worth grabbing nicer tips.

Best buds on the market.

I bought the xm5s once before and unfortunately they can have the same battery problem.

I've got the Sony WF1000XM4's and they've now been replaced by the XM5's but you'll still find them for sale and the ANC is superb, the sound quality is sublime as well. Super comfy in the ears too. My only gripe is the microphone quality for calls

My personal experience with these is that they fucking suck

Sony for me, but they aren't the most comfortable.

Sony WF1000-XM5 or Sennheiser Momentum TWS 4 if you don't mind spending a lot of money. I don't prefer TWS earpods anymore because of the fact that these have miniscule batteries that undergoe insane number of charging cycles if used regularly within a short period. From my experience, I see that its very easy for those tiny batteries to not last longer enough after reasonable usage, making the earpods not practical. And fixing these is a pain. At the same time, if you spend the same money on a very good pair of Headphones, those will last for years with much better ANC and excellent audio quality. Sony WH-1000XM5, Bose Quiet Comfort, Bose 700 or Sennheiser Momentum 4 are a few to choose from. None of these is a wrong choice really.

Before you buy these, know that the batteries will become un-chargeable in about 18 months. Happened to mine and my wife's. Check online for similar stories.

The link is for a certified refurbished pair from Secondipity, which I have heard positive things from. The deal in its own right is a good deal, and I was fully ready to pull the trigger on them but then I had an epiphany! What if I just tried to price match with BestBuy. I started chatting with a representative and they price matched a *brand new* pair for the $112.99 price. I changed the order type from shipment to store pick-up so I could get them faster. I will attach images of the invoice as proof. [Price match proof](https://i.imgur.com/WvSTQng.jpeg) [Order fulfillment proof](https://i.imgur.com/cTFjBIa.jpeg)

Maybe I just got lucky. I didn't really expect them to honor it. But I'm not going to argue with saving ~$150 on what are apparently the best earbuds available. I'm just saying [it is worth a shot](https://bosmediagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/You-Miss-100-of-the-shots-you-dont-take-BOS-Media-Group.jpeg).

They did it for me. Maybe Best Buy just doesn't like you.

To be quite honest with you, they never asked for a link. They just asked who the retailer was and I told them it was Secondipity. Again, it is still a good deal for certified refurbished earbuds. Maybe I just got lucky with the person I was talking to on Best Buy but it can't hurt to try.

Yes, I opted to receive the transcript of the conversation in case all of the awesome people on this subreddit wanted to see exactly how it went down. https://i.imgur.com/5N4Dma7.png

These do not have the same battery problems that plagued the XM4s. They're really nice.

Ahh, bummer. I didn't know that but it's definitely not as widespread as the XM4s.

Use these everywhere at work and they're great!

I have had zero complaints from people I talk to. You can use the excellent software to choose what each earbud does when you tap and double tap also. I have the left for answering calls/play and the right for noise cancelling on or off

I have yet to hear or see this from anyone. And I'm even including people in audiophile reddit. Having used these and recommending them to others who are pretty critical, not one complaint. I'll never say you're wrong for your opinion but I can't deny that I'm kinda shocked. At best I would have assumed someone could be unimpressed. But they suck? I feel like I need to know your standards for this lol

I have the Sony wf1000xm5 and I love them, the noise reduction is incredible partly thanks to the foam tips but they are not the most comfortable headphones on the market that's for sure.

Having tested many, for me the best remain the sony wf 1000 xm5. Their passive isolation is already perfect thanks to their foam tips and with the ANC activated, these are just the headphones with the best ANC on the market. And when it comes to sound quality, I find them much better than my AirPods Pro 2 or Bose QC Ultra. The only fault I could find with the Sony wf 1000 xm5 is that they fit quite deeply into the ear canal. I hope my opinion could help someone.

It's a shame that you haven't tried the xm5 because for me they are the headphones with the biggest and best soundstage.

Sony hands down, they are pricey but worth it.

The WF XM4s are garbage. Had to throw mine in the bin because of the battery drain issues which for some reason are still present in the XM5s.

Personally for me owning both, the sound maybe is a bit better but it’s minimal and the anc is equal, maybe a bit better transparency but overall everything else was worse. the bulky feel of the xm4 never got in the way or became uncomfy, where as the 5s are slippery to get out of the case, and to hold the bud itself. The biggest difference imo is the 4s feel like solid earbuds where as the 5s feel like normal earplugs that happen to play music

For me upgrade. Wfxm5 smaller little bit. Whxm5 lot better mic quality.

I've never seen the WF XM4 fit properly in anybody's ears except for mine. They always hang outward and look weird. For this reason, I think the XM5 buds are better for most people. Battery issues are another reason, but I'm not 100% ready to rule out that the same won't happen to the XM5 buds. I'm preeeetty convinced that Sony nuked the XM4 batteries so their customers would upgrade to XM5 instead of keeping their XM4. Between WH XM4 and XM5 though, I would say that unless you take calls frequently with the XM5, there's nothing it does substantially better than the XM4 to warrant the extra $50-100. Its ANC is stronger, but only very slightly, and then it also automatically adjusts itself, which is stupid. The soundstage is a bit wider, but the sound itself is colder, and the bass lacks the kick that the XM4 gives you (that being said, the XM4 bass does have a tendency to creep into the mids). They're also less portable, their build is flimsy, and more recent batches are proving notoriously fragile. I would say the XM4 headphones are easily the best *wireless* headphones Sony has made. Once you get into wired then yea it gets left far behind.

I love my XM5’s but I think I need to put in bigger earbuds. The ones they came with fit fine but they launch out of my ears if they are slightly touched. I was just on a 4 1/2 hour flight and about 20 minutes in put on my neck pillow and then sat there for the next 4 hours wondering if I was ever going to find them again. Thankfully I did find them but I’ve never had that problem with EarPods. They were a gift so I didn’t choose them but probably would buy Apple products again in the future when I need a new pair.

I recently switched from WF-1000XM4 to XM5 and couldn't be happier. They sound better, battery lasts forever and I don't have to twist them like crazy to get a good fit. Also the fit is way better (for me) - I can wear them comfortable for hours, while XM4s made my ears uncomfortable after 2h or so. So for me XM5s are clear upgrade and I wish I swapped earlier. Fun fuct - I had WF-1000XM3 before XM4s and after changing to newer model I wasn't happy right away - sure, with proper fit they sounded better, but for a long time I had hard time to fit XM4s properly in my ears for some reason. Also the XM3s were for me slightly more comfortable than XM4s. Now with XM5s I'm happy to report that they are more comfortable than XM3s or XM4s, they sound better, and the ANC is on another level - beating my old WH-1000X in that regard. Possibly the best pair of earphones I ever had - altough I still miss my Shure earbuds I had like 15+ years ago and left them in the plane...

The Sony WF Xm5 is brilliant as well

The only thing that I don’t like about the XM5s is that the noise cancellation sucks in wind

I can help answer. The denon pearl pro are the best sounding in that list, and also now on sale for $150. I had the sony wh-1000xm5 and returned them. The bass rolled over into the mids too much and instrument separation was terrible. I had momemtum 2 and 3s, had two pairs or 2, and one pair of the 3, all had the same battery failure. I'm sure the momemtum 4 sound good but I'm not wasting my time or money again on sennheiser. So far the denon are the best sounding earbuds I've listened to. The closest thing I've found that sounds like my open back headphones

I prefer the sony xm5, but overall I use over ears (now momentum 4) so I didn't try so many

In my case it was the Sony’s.

Sony wf-1000xm5 are amazing. Love mine.

I tried many earbuds. Currently I'm using the wf-1000xm5 and the WH-1000xm5.

I use the earbuds mostly for the gym, at home or outside if the weather is warm. Spring+Summer. The headphones are for the cold seasons like autumn and winter. Or if I am at home. Both are great. I use the OnePlus 13+Tidal. So I can enjoy Hi-Res music with LDAC. The software from Sony is a godsend. The way you can mess with the equalizer, dynamic headtracking, Atmos, LE-Audio or use the earbuds/headphones with two devices simultaneously. Even if you have no experience you can just use the "find your equalizer" to optimize your listening experiences. Can't wait for both XM6's this year. I just hope they improved them by a lot this time. The sound is also very rich. Clear midrange, high and lows. The bass is also decent. And the ANC is in my opinion better than the Bose's.

The XM5 were good. I didn't quite like the fit of them, but could definitely have lived with it if they were that much better. The noise canceling, to me, was not quite as good as the air pro 4's, and the only thing I can attribute that to was the fit that I didn't quite like. Of note, the new Earfuns are bluetooth 5.4 and they are the only ones out of the list I own that were, so I'm going to stop out on a ledge and say that makes the connection quite a bit more viable. I did try some connection testing and distance/penetrative through walls etc. by leaving my phone upstairs in the bedroom and walking around my house, going downstairs, out into my garage and then down the driveway. The Earfun went the farthest by getting me out into the driveway, only by about 8-10 ft keep in mind, but still were the farthest. The Jabras were second as they got me to the exterior door of my garage, and the rest all lost connection as soon as I stepped into my garage. Interestingly enough, the ones I wanted to work out the most were the active 8 gen 2's. They fit perfect, the size was great, and I liked the material on them. But the app connectivity wasn't on point and the call quality just wasn't there, even though all the reviews I read said they were the best. The xm5 poked out of my head just a bit too much, but again, I likely could have lived with them if they fit better, and maybe that would have helped with the ANC. I didn't care for the shiny/slick surface on them really, but that is definitely subjective to an individual user. All in all, for everything I read about the xm5 that was so positive, I just didn't have the same experience with them. Not in sound quality, not in functionality/connectivity and not in call quality. Also of note, I tried all of these with stock tips, comply tips, some bamboo tip that I was recommended (they are clear with green internals) and jvc spiral dots. I've always been a spiral dot fan for some reason, for whatever that may be worth to you. What it ultimately boiled down to for me was call quality and how quickly the buds paired up to my phone and the earfun air pro 4 were hands down better than the rest at these two aspects. And the sound quality, to me, was more than acceptable considering how good everything else was for me. If I'm really after just kicking back and listening to music, that's what I have my FH7 for, as those COMPLETELY blow all of the buds out of the water. But they should, they are IEMs. And great IEMs to boot. If the xm5 end up fitting you well, I do believe you will like them, as long as you are OK with the caveats I've mentioned.

Maybe even the az60. Xm5 are just better sounding than midrange earbuds. Nothing else.

XM5's have hands down the worst occlusion (you WILL hear your footsteps) MTW4 on the other hand.... default buds since March(love the sound)

I’ve tried every high end wireless anc earbud. Bose QC ultra are soo good even compared to the Sony xm5 earbuds especially after being a long time Sony user since the

This actually feels like a real consumer list and not something built upon company reputation or metrics that don't equate to real-life usage. The fact that the Technics are number 2 is proof enough of that. The other notable thing being that the XM5s are not up there. In general Sony has had issues with fit since the XM3s and that is something that carries a lot of weight for consumers. Necessitating the need to buy third party earbuds tips for fit and comfort is egregious and that is the story for the XM5s. Though the Linkbuds S not being up there was surprising; for the price, size, and features that along should start the conversation of their value. I also can justify the Bose being that low. While I love them, their lack of high-end codec, connection, and call quality at times versus other premium brands left me concerned about the money I spent on them. I caveat my statements by saying that since 2023 I've been using Pixel phones (7 and 8 pro) and the iPhone 15 pro, prior to, my testing was with Samsung phones (files and ultras). So take that for what you will.

My xm5 earbuds are goated. Surprised they not on here

I love my xm5's tbh

Thought that was odd too. My xm5s are in my ears waaay more than I'd like to admit

I rock the xm5s and chose to return my qc2. They just feel like a better all around pair. Fit can be an issue but they fit me well

I have tried Jabra 65t, 85t, Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5 & Samsung Buds2 Pro. Only Samsung Buds2 Pro fit & retain the fit during workouts (weight lifting).

You're gonna get 100 different answer here. Have you got other high end earbuds to compare them to? If not just buy them, you'll love them. But if you have like 4 other pairs, then it's subjective depending on your preferences. I used to be a DJ and swore by Sennheiser for mixing, prefer Sony for home listening.

The XM5 is the best all rounder but not the best sounding.

xm5s

I really enjoy the wf-xm5 and the previous model but the products you listed are all good. Sony and Bose seem to have the best ANC. Bear in mind that it doesn't give you total silence, it substantially reduces noise.

I have the Pi8 and wf-xm5, the latter is an excellent all around earbud with great sound, the Pi8 has a significantly more engaging and enjoyable sound though has shorter run time.

I had the Sony XM3 and 4. Tried the XM5 and I recall it needing a "better seal" for ANC to work as well as the XM4. I sent them back after a month for the Apple AP2 because airpod pro2 has great ANC and also the best mic for calls. I agree with the other post rating Bose, Sony then slightly behind those, Apple. Bose and Sony have terrible mics.

I love my Momentum TW 4’s audio character the best, over my Sony XM5 earbuds and Linkbud S’s. Sennheiser’s Momentum earbuds sound is a lot like my Momentum 4 headphones, far deeper and more well defined.

returned mine. it was picking up everything. kids from across the house etc.

I use a set of Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless buds which are great for me on Windows / Teams; also had some Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless buds which were fine too but prefer the Sony's myself

I tried the Sonys and they were great, but not nearly as comfortable, so I ended up getting these instead.

I've had two Sony 5. First one lasted 7 months. Second one lasted about a month. Batteries. IMHO Hifiman Svaner. But you need LDAC. No LDAC, no consideration from me. IMHO and YMMV.

Not cheap, but the best , Sony WF-1000XM5.

I've had all the ones mentioned here for the last few weeks (ok, not the Technics 100, only the 80) If they fit your ears and you can live with the design, the Denon are the best. Anc is okay here, but the sound is so much better than the others after calibration that I was very surprised. Bowers & Wilkins have the problem that you either like them... Or you don't. There's zero customization. In terms of sound, the Sennheiser Momentum would be number 2 for me. Sony may have the best anc, but I honestly found them underwhelming in terms of sound.

The Sony's hit all your marks - great earbuds, and the eq is fantastic.

best sound, PI8 best anc out of these, Sony

All great choices! Sony WF-1000XM5 stands out for gaming!

Soooo you kinda asking for the ultimate hybrid. And they just don't exist. However at the price point you going for you have great options. First if you want in eco system, galaxy buds pro 3 and the easy choice. If you want best sound Sony WF1000XM5 is definitely for audiophiles. If you want something for the gym with good sound, jabra elite8 active gen 2 is the best out there. If you want to spend half those prices and have a great daily driver I'd recommend checking out the nothing ear gen 2.

Xm5 are the ones I use They are great Noise canceling is elite

Had so many "Buds" - Apple/ Bose/ JBL/ Sony and now Buds Pro 3 and they are without doubt the best I've tried for sound and ANC Sony WF-1000XM5 were really good for ANC but were really bass heavy ( which I normally don't mind ) but were ridiculous. For integration with your Samsung phone the Buds Pro 3 really offer the best option. #

Xm5 easily Or momentum 4 tw

My pixel buds A-series served me well for several years. Using Sony xm5 buds now. Sound good, fit good.

I wear shokz outside and have had various models for a decade. No thump. I wear Sony WF100XM5 on the treadmill. No thump. AirPods pro, Powerbeats pro? Thump.

In my experience, the Sony WF-1000XM5 stand out. They offer excellent sound, top-tier noise cancellation, and impressive battery life.

I've been testing a few models over the last few months, and my go-to has been the Sony WF-1000XM5.

I've tested the Sony WF-1000XM5 and found their noise cancellation and sound quality really impressive.

So I have a preference for actual earbuds, and by far the best that I have tried are the Sony wf1000x5. They are not cheap in the slightest. But they're by far the best earbuds I've ever used. If they are in your budget I would strongly recommend them. My dad who is pretty hard of hearing has no problem talking to me on the phone whenever I'm wearing them in my very loud car

Sony MDR-Z1R and XM5 earbuds, Sennheiser 660s, IE-800 and Momentum TW4, B&W PX8, PX7s2 and P9, Focal Bathys and B&O H95. The wired ones are connected to an IFI Micro iDSD Black Label or IFI Diablo.

I’ve played around with a couple of these recently. The Sony WF-1000XM5 really impressed me with its noise cancellation and sound clarity, even in noisy environments, and I found the battery life to be solid.

I've tried a couple of models and found the Sony WF-1000XM5 to be a solid performer. The noise cancellation really shuts out distractions even in busy settings, and the sound quality is detailed and balanced.

I’ve been testing out a few options and the Sony WF-1000XM5 has really stood out for me.

The airpods 2 is great, but yes the Sony WF-100XM5 is a beast also

I really think there's a big "fit" component to determine ANC effectiveness. My experience with the ones I've tested. Sony WXM4: impressive ANC, but not very comfortable. But ANC on planes was incredible, but after a few hours I had to take them off. Sony WXM5: for me very comfortable but I imagine I could not get the perfect fit to isolate passively so the ANC felt poor (but many reviews praise ANC). I returned them quite fast. Pixel buds pro 1: Very comfortable, more than both the Sony's, but the ANC for me is so poor I can hardly find a difference between having ANC off or on. Airpods pro 2: for me very comfortable and the ANC is really great I think not so much as the WXM4 but still amazing Conclusion all of these have many reviews praising ANC and in my case some of them have not achieved this so it really means that there must be a strong component of how they fit you

I gave the Sony WF-1000XM5 a thorough run, and they impressed me with solid noise cancellation and a balanced sound profile during my daily commutes.

Yes, [Bose’s QuietComfort Ultr or Sony’s WF-1000XM5](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductsDiscussion/comments/1hzvkj5/best_noisecanceling_earbuds_for_sleeping_workout/) Both are solid picks for noise cancellation! Bose is super comfy with a more balanced sound, while Sony has great bass and customization. Both are good to go.

I've had the Sony XM5 for a little over a year. If ANC is what you're looking for, the Sony's are very overrated. It's terrible. I have quite a few other gripes about them as well. I had the XM4s before and IMO, they were better earbuds overall. From your list, I would go with the Bose Quiet Comfort. In my quest to replace my XM5s I'm currently trying out the Technics AZ80s and Bowers and Wilkins Pi8. If ANC is what you're after, I definitely look into the Technics as well. Noise cancellation is pretty fantastic. They don't touch B&W from a sound quality perspective, but ANC is great.

I've tried all the brands before (though not your exact models). Bose is going to have the best ANC if money is no object. Apple didn't have as good a seal or as comfortable, Sony didn't have as good anc, and sennheiser does not do good anc (though their sound is immaculate). Evrything else you can forget if you're not on a budget. Reviews that say Jabra or soundcore are as good for a lot cheaper are disingenuous - yes they can be decent on a budget, but they don't compare in terms of anc. I've tried jabra, soundcore, earfun, you name them.

They are pretty damn far behind. I've commented it elsewhere but no brand holds a candle in terms of anc to bose and Sony (and maybe Apple) earbuds. Other brands are good on a budget, but comparing them to the likes of bose is incredibly misleading. I've tried them all after reading reviews that say that they're comparable - they're not Edit: I was wrong about the Jabra. I tried it out Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 based on the comment below, and ANC is comparable (though slightly worse). I would recommend the Jabra over the Bose because of Bose's shitty software.

Good luck replacing the batteries in the WF-1000XM5. I'm done with Sony earbuds.

bought my sony xm5's just over a year ago and the left earbud is dead.

Sony XM5 easy

Sony WFXM5 easy top quality all around

Status audio 3ANC look no further. OnePlus buds pro are very good too. Sony xm5 are okay but lacked the bass I wanted. Denon perl pro also sound very good too but bulky. 3anc are just my fave. I got a few people to make the switch to them and they love them. They also got a status eq app too. This is all for audio quality. I never used nc at all. I know airpods had best transparency mode though

How are the Steelseries Arctis Gamebuds sound quality and battery life? I'm thinking of getting them, I have the Sony Inzone Buds but the sound quality is not great and somehow they don't sound better than my WF1000XM3. I've played around with the eq so it's a lot better but still don't sound as good as my WF1000XM3 and the WF1000XM5 I borrowed from a friend. Any feedback would be appreciated so I can make my decision. Thank you.

Sony noise cancelling Wf1000xm5 ear buds, they’re superb. The noise cancelling really cuts down on the wind in your ears cycling, and they do great with subway noise too. Life changing, honestly.

They're OK, if your priority is sound quality go for it, they sound really good, however if you want the best fit so you never have to adjust them in your running session I'll recommend looking other buds, may even save some serious money getting sport buds with great fit and OK sound, sadly I wouldn't know which ones to recommend

In my experience, with a proper fit they don't fall out no matter how much you move around, which is definitely great for running

Apple airpods pro and technics az80 are very good with voice calls and I use them daily. Airpods pro is very good in noisy and wind environments. Noice cancellation is also very good. I use AZ80 for my office zoom and teams meetings.

MTW 3 went dead within 6 months swap them out for Sony xm5 and never looked back

Hey, I'm looking for the best true wireless earbuds that I can take on my long walks (usually 8-10 miles 3-4 times per week). My. main purpose is to listen to music and podcasts and make calls (often work calls). I need great mic quality (as great as it can be on truly wireless earbuds). Fit is important since I don't want to constantly fiddle around with them on longer walks. Sweatproof or sweat resistant is a must. I live in the humid South - and will definitely be sweating during these long walks. What I've Tried Already Sony XM4 and XM5 - XM4s were too big. XM5s were a good size, but I feel like they didn't get loud enough and the bass wasn't strong enough - that mattered more before when I was running with the more. Now I mostly walk, so super strong bass isn't needed. The foam tips were good, but I don't know if I could wear them for long periods of time. Nothing Ear(a) - I really wanted to like these, but they just didn't stay in my ear well when sweating. Linkbuds S - I was a big fan of these - but I kept having a recurring issue with these that has been reported online in that the left ear bud would drain exponentially faster than the right earbud. I swapped it out once and still had the same issue. Call and mic quality were good and the sound was really good and the compact size was awesome - but that persistent battery drain issue was a big buzzkill. OnePlus Buds 3 - That's my current driver. Got it to pair with my OnePlus Open (no longer have that) and really like the bass and how loud they get. However, I'm starting to notice on my longer walks that I constantly have to re-adjust the stems because they move around - and when I do that it'll accidentally pause tracks or even hang up calls. I'd appreciate any recommendations. I'd like to keep it under $100 (I'm okay with buying refurbished from sellers like Secondipity on eBay (what I've done before)) and I'd want them to have a great mic and call quality along with great sound. Being sweat-resistant and/or sweatproof would be awesome - and the fit is crucial.

I do Like the Technics AZ80 and Sony WF-1000XM5. They work really good in my opinion

Compare with others using Flac files and LDAC mode. Then, you will notice the advantages of the XM5s

I've had the c500 and they were great, I tried the c700n and returned them because the anc was literally pathetic. Fast forward, grabbed the linkbuds S last month as they were on offer £118 new amazon UK and Sony were offering an extended 2 year warranty. These buds are extraordinary! The anc is better than the xm5 buds (tried and returned) in my opinion, sound terrific and the fit is just perfect, these buds are so so light weight, you literally don't know you're wearing them. Battery drain on the buds is literally identical, after 5 hour anc on, aac, 70 %volume they both said 37%! I wasn't prepared to spend the usual £180 but at £118 with the extra warranty (applied for and confirmed by Sony) I know I'm covered. If you have the extra cash? It's worth it.

The best noise cancellation is the Bose qc ultra, sexond would be the Sony xm5.

If you are thinking about using them without playing music just for mere noice isolation keep in mind that most anc earbuds produce more or less slight white noice. I use anc earbuds for meditation as a dad of toddlers and that white noice is a dealbreaker for me. Bose qc earbuds II/ultra have the most of this white noise I ever experienced, while having undeniably the most effective anc on the market these days. I can recommend the Sony linkbuds s for the best balance between effective noice isolation and the least white noice from it. The xm5 also don’t have a lot of white noice, but the foam tips are pretty uncomfortable to wear. If that doesn’t bother you, I’d recommend these too.

But be aware that you can’t even update them via android, you should have access to an iPad or so at least to do that. Not being in the apple ecosystem makes them less compelling and the xm5 are the next best option in my opinion, if you can deal with foam tips. The Samsung buds fe offer incredible value and should work fine with your device, mb consider them too so.

It’s important you buy from a retailer with good return policies, because earbuds are incredibly subjective. You need to wear them for a while and you have no risk then. If you can tolerate the foam tips, the wf1000xm5 are great earbuds with one of the most effective anc and fantastic sound, IF… you have to try it yourself. Keeping AirPods up to date with a MacBook should work, I never tried it myself because they date up clandestinely in the background when connected to my iPhone. There are new Sonys about to be released later this month, the linkbuds fit, but there is no review so far so we can’t tell about their quality. Since I like the linkbuds s a lot, I am very interested in these.

The best sounding earbuds I’ve tested so far are the status between 3 anc and the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless 4. From your list the xm5 are the clear winner IMO, but keep in mind that sound is pretty subjective. I asked many YouTube reviewers for the best sounding earbuds at all and many mentioned the bowers and Wilkins pi7 s2. I can’t say anything about them though since I didn’t test them myself(too expensive while heaving many downsides besides the sound).

I'd definitely recommend the AZ80, I've been using them for about 6 months now and they're the best earbuds I've ever had. Their sound quality is great, noise cancelling is really good (only AirPods Pro have better NC imo), and their battery life is amazing. The app is pretty good aswell, lots of features and not as clunky as many others. They've got multipoint connection for up to 3 devices which is nice to have, support LDAC & the touch surfaces are configurable. 10/10 would recommend 👍🏻 Alternatively I'd go for the XM5 or Bose, but personally I'm not satisfied with Jabra.

Do you have all of those headphones?? Sony has very bad microphone and bad for calls.

I had the APP2 and didn't like the sound quality at all, even after tuning them properly. Got the XM5's and never used the Airpods after that, way better sound IMO. Very curious if a reasonable consensus emerges that could compel me to try these Technics.

I use now XM5 which are a bit better than Sennheiser TW4 in strong wind (IMO). I mean, wind (also from riding a bike fast) during just music listening.

Now I feel kinda dumb for buying the WF-1000xm5 I bought they when they were on sale for 200$ but having some regrets after hearing what you said

Based on all your buds you own are the xm5 the worst or their just middle of the pack? This sucks being that those xm5 at 300.00 retail should be much better

Good thing I kept my target receipt, although I will say I don't dislike my Sony xm5 but compared to what I keep hearing about the pearl pros its a big difference

I used to be a Sony fan girl, but their quality has gone way down. I won't buy another pair again after swearing by them for the better part of 10 years.

\+1 to this. Although I changed the foam tips to silicone and comfort level skyrocketed.

Recently, I was testing tws earbuds, and the best picks are (;tldr) Technics AZ80, Denon Perl Pro or Devialet Gemini II. More detailed read: (remember, with headphones everyting is individual and based only on my own impressions, YMMV) Sony WF-1000XM5 – comfortable, excellent ANC, but the sound is very weak, with huge bass bleed into the mids; everything is muffled, and nothing has changed at Sony. I honestly don't understand what people see in the XM line. Bang & Olufsen EX – ANC is poor, almost as if it weren't there, despite the positive reviews online. I'm disappointed with the sound. They probably would have been fine a few years ago, but now there are cheaper and better headphones on the market. The price includes the B&O tax. Nothing Ear (2) 2024 – Big surprise. Cheap price, sounds better than Sony or B&O, they doesn't resonate when walking, ANC is okay (70% of Sony's), comfortable, great app, good connectivity, looks great. The sound is slightly V-shaped, but it doesn't lack clarity, brilliance, and balance. Galaxy Buds Pro - Harman tuning, overall disappointed with them. I expected a lot more for the money with AKG and Samsung's background. ANC is okay, the sound is very dry and clear, but they are comfortable. They are the kind of AirPods for Samsung users who will be satisfied with a fairly boring sound, but otherwise not much. Perfect for audiobooks and podcasts. Sennheiser Momentum TWS4 – I had a lot of faith in them, but I'm disappointed. Weak ANC, not great tuning, but above all, they sit very strangely in the ear, and I've tried many aftermarket earpieces. The sound is nothing special; even "Nothing" is much better. Technics AZ80 - Fantastic!! I wouldn’t hesitate to call them “audiophile TWS headphones.” The ANC is decent; they are comfortable, don’t resonate when walking or running, the app is very detailed, and the sound is simply brilliant. They play the entire spectrum of details, and they are fun. A great buy with a mature sound, almost like wired headphones, and they have a great soundstage. Given the LDAC, these are the best. Denon Perl Pro - My favorites in the sound department, but they are far from "the best" in everything else. They look crazy, but in fact, they are comfortable; you just have these sorts of plates on your ears ("in front of your ears"). But the sound is uncompromisingly perfect. The whole spectrum of details; they are fun, musical, and they have excellent technology for custom tuning with regard to hearing defects and the shape of the ear. It is phenomenal and it really works. It's not that strict neutral hi-fi, but rather a fun hi-fi that gets you moving and has body. Buts? Cheap charging box, they don't suit everyone (short stems), ANC is weak, passthrough is bad, but you'll forgive them everything once you start listening to them. They have such an effect that when you start playing songs on shuffle from a selection of your 1000 favorite tracks, a song you've already heard a hundred times and you don't really enjoy it anymore, you'll let it play because it will simply be fun again through these. Devialet Gemini II—I'll refer to the Denon Perl Pro as they have a lot in common. It's actually really hard to choose between them. If the Denon Perl Pro are a 9.5/10 to me sonically, then these are a 9/10 (the 10/10 goes to Technics if you don't listen purely to EDM and want that juicy low end). They are actually great, dense, tunable, fun, with a lot of details. They are diminished a bit by codecs, and that's a shame, but in the end, it doesn't matter to a lot of people. The reason they are not 10 out of 10 is purely because the Perl Pro simply has a little extra "magic" and they lack the clarity of Technics. With Perl Pros, I don't know if it's the technology compensating for age, hearing quality, and ear shape, but Denon's have mojo; these are "just great." But I was just talking about sound for now. Where the Denon's ANC is 5/10, the Devialet's are, without exaggeration, at the level of the best on the market. Plus, they add technology to deal with impact sounds and wind, and both work perfectly. And without negative pressure or unpleasant feelings. For me, Devialet simply has the TOP ANC on the market at the level of Sony, Bose, or Apple. The same goes for passthrough; it's like you don't have headphones on, really cool. Furthermore, the build quality is great, they're "small," they're comfortable to wear, there are numerous settings in the app, and they're easy to control - Geminis can justify its high price. I would get Technics if you can and want to use the LDAC codec and play your music at high bitrates. Also, they are not that bass-heavy; they sound almost analytical but fun nonetheless with an excellent soundstage. The Perl Pros are just magical, but they have their quirks. The Devialets are the "whole frickin' package" minus the codecs, so they will be absolutely fine with Spotify but they lack the magic of the Perl Pros or the sound quality of Technics. Edit: grammar

Totally agree, and Sony gives them out for free a lot. I worked in the camera business selling Sony Alpha cameras, and they "gifted" me the bigger cans, which I gave away because they sounded terrible.

J'utilise Sony

Bonjour, j, adore toujours les SONY-WF 1000×M5

I’ve got the Pi7 s2’s, the WF-1000XM5s, AirPods Pro (latest), and the Denon Perl Pro - and they all have their pros and cons. The Denon Perl Pro are the sleeper though, they look bizarre, but once you run the tuning program they sound as good if not better than the others. Haven’t tried the Pi8’s yet, but love my Px8’s.

I have the Sony WF1000XM5 and they're pretty great. Highly recommend

I’ve had experience with a few of these, and I can give you some insights based on your priorities. Here’s what I think, in terms of sound quality, Sony and Sennheiser are usually considered the best, with crisp highs and deep bass. For ANC, Sony and Bose are top-notch, but the Technics and Jabra also do well. Call quality is solid across all, but I’d give an edge to the AirPods Pro and Sony for clear, noise-canceling calls. Would love to hear what you decide!

Everything on your list seems pretty great. I would go with the Sony's myself

I own the Sony's I couldn't in good conscience. Recommend them. I wear them often to the gym. One day some sweat got into them and the right one stopped working. Sony refused to honor the warranty of the product because it was not a manufacturer defect. Needless to say I will never buy another Sony product again.

If battery reliability is something you value, stay FAR away from those Sony buds. I have replaced batteries in mine a couple times, and there are tons of stories online where XM4/5 buds just have terrible reliability in that area.

Technics AZ80 if you have an iPhone Sony if you have Samsung Momentum 4 if you have a device that does AptX lossless or adaptive The technics do the best with the low bit rate iPhone codecs. The other two sound better if you can use the better codecs. The technics sound the most clean and clear The Sonys are smooth and laid back The M4 is the most dynamic/energetic If you consider the Sony, see if you can test them when walking. I found they weirdly amplified and echoed footsteps.

6 months later with my Sony xm5 and the bass is still punchy as week 1 (after they got burned in) been playing bass boosted songs the whole time as well, works well with hip hop and even rock

XM5s can't have all of the play/pause/skip/back & ambient/ANC on one earbud. It drives me crazy because most of my listening time is with 1 bud in. Lmk if I'm wrong though.

I have a 3 months old wf-1000xm5 and it's rock solid in battery performance actually. Other than that what you need to choose depends on your priority or budget. For best ANC it's Bose QC ultra earbuds. For sound quality it's a toss up between sennheiser MTW4 or technics eah-az80

the Sony WF-1000XM5 is the top pick with excellent sound quality, strong ANC, and LDAC support for high-resolution audio. Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are good too, but some features work better with Samsung phones. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer great noise cancellation and sound. Nothing Ear (2) is a more budget-friendly option with solid ANC and clear sound . The Sony WF-1000XM5 seems like the best balance of performance and compatibility for your setup.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is a top choice. Other strong options include Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (best ANC), Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 (audiophile sound), and Technics EAH-AZ80 (LDAC support and clear calls).

Sony WF-1000XM5 is a great pick for balanced sound and strong ANC, even on non-Samsung phones. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II is another solid option with top-tier noise cancellation. Have you considered anything from Sennheiser?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is your best choice for top ANC, great sound, and LDAC support on Android. The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are good but better for Samsung. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have the best ANC, while Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 offers balanced sound with aptX Adaptive.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is the best choice for your Xiaomi 11T Pro, with great ANC, balanced sound, and LDAC support. Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are good but work best with Samsung. Bose QC Earbuds II have the best ANC, while Sennheiser Momentum 3 offers top sound quality. Nothing Ear (2) is a budget-friendly option. Sony XM5 gives the best mix of features and compatibility.

Beoplay eq or ex if your budget stretches. I have the Sony's xm5's as well and they sound great with my Xperia 1 v phone but the Bang and olufsen ex are outstanding especially with acoustic jazz which I listen to a lot.

I had issues with both the sony's. No battery issues like many others report, but with connectivity. With multipoint, If i receive a call it disconnects the other device. I have to manually reconnect. Sometimes it also randomly disconnects, not that often tho. Btw from the list you mentioned I have the jabra elite 10 as well. And i prefer them in almost every way to the xm5/4 - The jabra's are a breath of fresh air control wise, with the physical buttons which is such an underrated characterstic - Jabra has ANC on par with the sonys, and I fitted them with foam tips making them arguably better than the sonys. - Jabra has better transparency imo. - More fluid multipoint swithcing on Jabra - Sound is subjective, and is honestly a toss up. Base is punchier on the jabra, mids and highs maybe a nod to the sony's. Hard to hear difference without AB listening. - Jabra elite 10 is currently on sale many places as well as the new gen 2 are coming out and the company is bowing out of the consumer audio category. From the initial reviews the update is miniscule soundquality , ANC/transparency wise. All that said, if you made it to the end, I don't think you will be disappointed with either. They are well rounded in almost all categories, don't get caught up in the details.

XM5 were absolute trash. I gave mine away and went back to XM4. Then Sony decided to fuck me with a SW induced battery bug.

I've been in the same boat for a week or so. I decided to grab the xm5s since they are supposed to be a bit more bass friendly. The upper range of earbuds have so many features, I guess you just gotta decide on the most important thing to you.

Lol since I left this comment 8 days ago, I returned the Xm5s and took a chance on the Jabra elite 10s. I couldn't be happier with the decision. The Sony were very uncomfortable for me, after like 15 mins of listening, my head felt like a balloon. Also the Sonys bass leave room for improvement, the Jabras bass on the other hand are 👍👍

I was on the same situation as you a few weeks ago. I had the XM5's returned because of the unreliable connection, they would disconnect from my phone if I was in a crowded area like the metro, which is 90% of the usage I needed them tl for. Eventually I decided that the sound quality was not that important to me in TW earbuds, and went with the pixel buds pro that were on sale at 150€. With EQ they sound decent enough, they are super comfortable and the ANC blocks out most of the Metro noise. Also, right now Jabra Elite 10 are on sale in Europe at 150€. But also Jabra decided to stop making consumer earbuds and focus on products for companies, so not sure about the long term support.

I really love my XM5s. I had to get my first set replaced which was concerning. This pair so far so good for about 8 months now. I learned my lesson and made sure I had 2 year warranty

I can chime in my experience with AZ80 and XM5. The Az80 wins in every category. Somewhat ties on ANC.

Putting in my 2 cents regarding the XM5 which I love everything about it except the comfort during prolonged use like in flight or transit use. I have the galaxy buds 2 and oneplus buds pro 2 which definitely are a couple notches lower than the xm5 but those two I can wear 4hrs+ straight without feeling soreness/strain in my ears. I have already tried other highly rated tip covers but the XM5 are still uncomfortable.

The names that come up over and over again are all good. No amount of money is going to get you the best in every category. Just figure out what you prioritize and make a decision. Sound Quality? EAH-AZ80. Noise Cancellation? Airpod Pro 2 (if you're on ios) or Bose QuietComfort. etc. The only thing I will add is after the reliability nightmare that the XM4 was, I do not yet trust the XM5. The fact a lot of people prefer the sound quality of the XM4 is extra helpful in regards to eliminating them from contention.

So far I am loving my XM5’s. I was VERY NERVOUS about getting them after my 4’s had the battery failure. I did love them. Had the 5’s for 672 hours use so far and am Loving them.

Glad you're cause of death wasnt bose qc ultra earbuds. I hit them up as well and they offered to replace them. But i think ima sell them instead. I just tweaked with the XM5 buds and im blown away with the audio now I switched to LDAC, turned on lossless, and dolby atmos audio, along with spatial on apple music and prioritized audio quality and it's christmas in my head. I'm never cheating on sony again.

I also have the XM5 buds, only thing I’m not allergic to so far!

I think the "best" is going to depend on each persons use case. As for the ones you listed the XM5 never had the same problems, but the tips dont suit everyone so maybe on paper you could say they are the best bud, AZ80 as others have said must be a contender, one of the best sounding buds by far with ok ANC, but personally and seen a few cases of pressure headaches from them, so sadly not my "best" bud, Airpods same story as XM5, great at everything, best at nothing, on paper you can argue best all round with XM5. But I think if you take one person vs another, lets say me, I wear buds walking, some quiet parks so sound quality is nice, then some busy streets with lots of traffic noise so average ANC wont do and then a gym that sounds like a EDM club. Not to mention, I live in a very rainy area and powerlifting is my thing so weight lifitng chalk everywhere, especially my hands, need that IP rating to be dust and water! So Jabra elite 10 gen 2 or maybe these incoming AKG N5 (have them on order) will be my GOAT for 2024? Take a look at how you use them first, what you need most, then go from there. First call, your device, what codecs it uses and how you use it, is it in a pocket? etc. Then make a shortlist like you have, pros and cons them. Again using me as an example, Samsung S24 Ultra, LDAC or Samsungs SSC for hi res, or I go to a good sounding older codec bud like Jabras or Gemini 2. Do they have dust resistance? The Jabra do, is ANC good? Reported comfy and good for the gym for hours? YES, got my GOAT.

The Bose ANC is awful compared to Sony. I own both QC ultra and XM5 and work in a very high noise environment and the XM5s make the QC ultras look like a pair of $40 earbuds 

The Ultras ANC is literally garbage. Idk where you use these buds but must be in a quiet environment. Take them out in an environment with constant noise and pitch changes. You’ll be begging for the XM5s. Sony literally destroyed Bose on all aspects but most people use ANC in quiet environments. I work in a very high noise environment and my XM5s are the best at blocking all levels of noise. The Bose are best at blocking low frequencies but can’t handle frequent changes while the Sonys hold a more constant and more solid ANC

Only part I agree on is the ultras suck. But Sony takes the cake in literally aspect over Bose. I own the QC2s, QC ultras and the xm5s and the xm5s make Bose look like a child’s earbud for $10

Sony wf-1000xm5s won’t do you wrong. They’re the best in sound quality, most consistent ANC and best in features. Well with the $300

The XM5s are actually insane with ANC and best Bose in all aspects. Idk what size eartips you were using but obviously the wrong ones. Sony XM5s are the best earbuds on the market by a mile. I have both Bose QC ultra and the XM5s and work in a very high noise environment and the Bose ARE TERRIBLE the XM5s block out just about everything. 

Yeah the xm5 sucks. The anc is barely noticeable and tons of users have reported this already. (https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyHeadphones/comments/1657scu/noise_canceling_on_the_wf1000xm5_doesnt_seem_to/)

Sony earbuds: WF-1000xm5 I went down a reviews rabbit hole for a similar desire and it was between these and the Bose ones. I have the Sony's and happy with them. When I want better sound cancelling however (eg on a plane) the over ear headphones seem to perform better.

I still have a pair of XM3 which I think sound amazing! I certainly prefer how discreet the XM5 are though. I also own a pair of c700n which don't sound as full as the XM3 but the ANC is great, they still sound great and are discreet. They also don't fall out of my ears when working out like the XM3 do.

When it comes to earbuds, nothing comes close to the Bose QC Ultra's ANC. Except the older QC2: I never had a chance to compare the two side by side but I owned both on separate occasions and felt the ANC was roughly equivalent. The Sony XM5 ANC isn't in the same league, despite what a lot of people say. It's among the best *non-Bose* ANC, but the Bose is miles ahead of that pack. The Technics AZ80 ANC isn't even close, though they are truly excellent earbuds in most characteristics, their ANC is only so-so for a premium set of earbuds. That said, I haven't tried the Comply foam eartips that another commenter suggested. I'm interested in trying those, because improving the AZ80's ANC would make them nearly perfect. But even with improved ANC, I can't imagine they come close to the Bose. I don't have experience with noise cancelling headphones, but I'd be willing to bet Bose is in the lead there too. If I were to guess, I'd assume that your best option is whatever the latest premium Bose over-ear headphone is, and your second best option is the QC Ultra earbuds. But you may want to research the headphone side of things because I'm just extrapolating. For the record, I'm not a Bose fanboy. In fact I don't particularly love my QC Ultras. They do sound good, and if they were my only set of earbuds I wouldn't have much to complain about, but I have other sets that I like much more overall and wear much more often. But if I want the strongest noise cancelling, I reach for the Bose without a second's hesitation.

I prefer the Jabra Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active (especially Gen 2 versions), the Sennheiser MTW4, and the Devialet Gemini 2. All of these have very good ANC (nothing is as good as the Bose ANC though). In general I prefer their sound, comfort, controls, size, style, etc. over the Bose. I don't love the Sony XM5 (less comfortable, less customizable controls, and a sound profile I don't like as much), but they still sound pretty good and have very good ANC. (Again, not Bose-level ANC though). There are other earbuds I prefer for one reason or another, but the ones I listed above are the ones that have good ANC.

I tested all my earbuds in a room full of about 30 musicians warming up and chatting, including a drummer. The Bose ANC is better, by a long shot, than anything else. Sony has very good passive noise cancelling due to the foam eartips sealing your ears like earplugs. In a noisy room, the XM5 resulted in a marginally quieter experience than the Jabra Elite 10 and the Sennheiser MTW4, but the Sony had an uncomfortable muffled, plugged-up sort of effect whereas the Jabra and Sennheiser had a more filtered effect. In terms of dB (SPL) reaching my eardrums, the Sony probably beat the other two slightly, but the other two have more effective technology and I personally prefer their ANC vs. Sony's largely-passive NC. Either way, the Bose blew all three away. Significantly quieter than anything else through the whole frequency spectrum. The only strike against Bose ANC is that occasionally a sudden loud transient will make it through briefly, albeit somewhat muffled. I didn't have my Devialet Gemini 2 or Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 at the time I did this comparison but so far they have both impressed me with their ANC as well. I think the Devialet may even be 2nd place after Bose, pushing Sony down into 3rd place, but I sold my Sony before buying the Devialet so I can no longer compare them side by side.

On just noise canceling I’d go Bose or XM5. However my Technics AZ80 with comply foam beat both of those.

Sorry, I just saw this. The AZ80’s with comply foam and ANC on will block more noise and sound better than the XM5’s or Bose.

If your running Android, have you tried NL_Sound Mod? I was just wondering, because for me using Xm5's after I apply the mod, it's significantly louder. It is a magisk module root mod so I know that can be a dealbteaker, but I wanted to mention in case someone is interested. You can find it on GitHub and telegram.

I am having an issues finding any true wireless earbuds that get loud enough for me. I've tried the jabra elite 10s, sony xm5s, and Samsung galaxy buds 2 pro. Out of the three the galaxy buds 2 pro get the loudest but still not loud enough for me. So I'd like recommendations on decent quality earbuds that get louder than any of the ones I have tried. And please don't suggest the votomy v22 I know about those but cannot find any to purchase so that does not help me any.

I didn't find the jabra elite 10 very loud at all. The xm5s were objectively the same volume.

Okay. The xm5s and jabra elite 10 were not even close to loud enough for me. Like barely loud enough to hear while mowing. The galaxy buds 2 pro are better, but still not enough.

Edifier pro 2! Under $150 Huawei freebuds pro 3! Over $150 I am not sure but I don't think it's a coincidence. That Huawei & Edifier only but a few tws models that have 4 mics or 8 total p. Premium / budget use 2/3 mic. the stem design or lack of one. Obviously makes a big difference to the overall call quality. Sony link buds S & 1more Evo are exception. Say this because if anyone tried to use the Sony WF - XM5 for calls outside your office🤮Senn M3/M4 even worse then the Sony. Recently Samsung announced the Galaxy PRO 3 w/ major design change. They are going to a stem like 🍎. If you have ever tried use the GBPRO 2 in dynamic environments whether windy or loud. These buds are some worst on call mic period. I am an android Galaxy Ultra eco system guy. Samsung realized that 🍎 had it right. Call mic quality is important today. If u are hesitant to answering or make calls on your earbuds. They really are not convenient anymore for most now. That is why Samsung is changing there design in my opinion

This status audio is decent company their support good and very responsive. But if we talk about their product between 3anc is very powerful and detailed bud, yes triple driver makes difference in sound quality moreover, its damn so loud, ugly design understanble cuz lack of room for multiple drivets and chip, battery etc. Before try them do not underestimate . My experiences with earbuds listed below from best to good ( i never buy bad;) ) 1- noble audio fokus pro 2- final audio ze8000 mk2 3- status audio between 3ANC 4- bowers & willins pi 7 s2 5- sony wf xm5 6- B&O EX 7- apple airpods pro 2 8- beats fit pro Starus 3anc is more powerful in the list and then noble audio, both triple drivers iem tws , noble audio is more balanced detailed in vocals and sub bass, 3ANC very close to it. In term of sub bass these both are great. For soundstage and seperation final ze8000 mk2 killer, far better so status 3anc is definitely best value for the money compared to other my great buds its half of price . Give a try , if u listen espcially electonic hip Hop rap, ambient chill, lon fi. U will be amazed

So I own the xm5s the Bose QC ultra and just picked up the pi8 this evening. When I first put them on I thought something was broken because there was so much treble the high pitch sound hurt my ears. I changed up the eq but the bass on the pi8 is nowhere near as hard hitting as the other 2. Yes the bass is more clear on the pi8 but it doesn't give that sensation that I get from sitting in a car with a sub like the xm5 and the Bose QC ultra I use comply foam tips on all the ear buds for comparison

I like the sound of the QC ultra and xm5 better then the pi8 I have since returned them and purchased the beoplay ex hopefully they are more to my taste. I just can't see how the Gemini 2 are worth 750 dollars for something that will eventually be garbage unless they're repairable (changing out the batteries) My first set on Sony's I changed the batteries in them 3 times and kept them for 4 years.

You will see the Denon Perl Pros spoken of favorably again and again. This is for a reason. They are sort of large, they can be tough finding your fit, they require some playing around with initially (for both the fit and the APP Personalization). But the sound experience is totally worth it especially since these hit a low price of $179 recently and likely will again. I've got Sony wf1000xm5's which I still like very much, but the Denon's are my favorite with regard to the sound experience. I probably should just add that ANC isn't a big thing for me personally. I usually turn it off for "purer" sound. The Denon ANC is perfectly fine (for me when I use it) but the Sony canceling is maybe slightly more effective if thats your thing.

The XM5s are great also !

I really like the sony XM5's. Superb instrument seperation/tight,punchy bass/good battery life / good ANC..... And SONY have improved the app. I like em,many do not--horses for courses

The XM5 are incredibly slippy--Agreed

My local store dropped the price for black friday sale on the XM5s and i got them for 180. I don't think i can regret this decision

My go to earbud for morning/evening jog is Jabra Elite 8 (1st gen) as it really fits into your ear without fail and it just felt right. Sound quality is top notch as well. Battery life is something that I have to point out. Been using it on a daily basis for one full week (daily about 1 to 1.5 hours usage) and I still have my case at about 70% and both the earpiece at 100%! Meanwhile for the earbud I use for sleeping, I go with Jabra Elite 10 (1st gen). The feeling when you put the earbud into your ears are just magnificent and super soft to a point that you might not even realize there's something in your ear! Sound quality, you don't have to ask. Magnifique! Then for my daily routine in the office, my go to earbud is my Sony WF-1000XM5 which is offering a great and beautiful voice while I'm listening to my music or answering phone call.

Sony wf1000 XM5's. Switched the tips to a silicon foam hybrid cause the stock would hurt my ears, and the passive NC is so good that I can turn off active NC and have pretty much the same level of noise cancelling while retaining awesome battery life. Plus the sound is just perfect.

I just picked up a pair of Sony WF-1000XM5's, and I’m really impressed so far. The ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) hits the perfect balance for me—it blocks out enough noise without feeling too overwhelming—and the audio quality is solid. The fit is excellent, like they were custom-made for my ears. They’re super lightweight, comfortable for all-day wear at work, and they stay in place even when I’m moving around. Plus, they’re really easy to clean, which is always a bonus. The call quality is also fantastic, with way better background noise reduction than my previous earbuds. Before these, I was using the Sennheiser CX True Wireless SE. While the ANC on those wasn’t as effective, the ambient noise mode was definitely better in comparison. I’d even argue that the audio quality was slightly better on the Sennheisers, especially in terms of clarity, despite the lack of bass and the absence of an EQ like Sony's. However, they didn’t fit nearly as well—the weight of the earbuds made them fall out of my ears pretty often, which was frustrating. The call quality also wasn’t great, and they struggled with background noise during calls. On top of that, I had to go through two pairs of them due to random issues—they both died on me within months, even under warranty. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Sennheiser—I’ve been rocking a pair of Sennheiser HD 600's as my main headphones for a while, and they’ve been incredibly reliable with amazing sound quality. But when it comes to earbuds, I don’t think Sennheiser shines as much. Fingers crossed the Sony's hold up better because so far, they seem like a worthy upgrade.

It's all about personal choice for fit, price and comfort in my humble opinion. My various include low , med and high price ones. Nothing One ear buds, Sony wfxm5's and Bang and O Ex's. All are great in their own way. If I had to choose I'd say the Sony due to great all round performance, especially with anc.

I use my AirPods 2 Pro for my Apple stuff. Pixel Buds Pro for gym since I don't care whatsoever about those buds. And when I want to listen to music I actually use Sony XM5s.

For $140 or less (have been $120), I think the xm5's are unbeatable in value. They've been my daily driver for two years now. Use them for everything but running where I still use my old Buds Plus. The xm5's go to the gym, sit in the sauna for over 30 minutes at a clip, on the train and plane, general walk around use. Someone stole my case, but I got a used one on the bay for $30 and have kept on going. I contemplated getting a backup pair and keep the Secondipity listing on my ebay watch list. With the allstate warranty too, it's really a no Brainer purchase. I'm giving the JLab Epic Lab's a try as they were $99 for prime day. Read good things and figured what the heck. Almost tried the Perl Pro's on the prime day deal but knowing the ANC isn't as good as the Sony, I went the cheaper route with the Lab's.

Thumbs up for a great analysis and to a Perl Pro fellow. I went from AirPods Pro 2 to MTW3, then Free Byrd, Status Between 3anc and Pro, Perl Pro, Svanar Wireless, Gemini 2. And had Jlab epic lab, Jabra 85t, 7 elite and 10 elite, MTW4, Sony XM5, Cambridge m100 briefly. Perl Pro is the most comprehensively all around with emphasis of sound quality and stage presence.

It is true that sound quality is subjective everyone is going to give a completely different answer than what you'd hope, so I'm going to try and be as concise and honest as possible. One of my main hobbies is trying and returning earbuds on Amazon, so that I can do my best to help other people find the pair that best suits their needs. It's been close to 200 at this point, I'm sure. So here's an unpopular take, which many may disagree with, and I'm still trying to understand why i seem to be the odd one out. I've tried the status between 3, and the original beteeen pro that I ordered through kickstarter, and I'd put them in the same category as the nuraloop, which i also ordered through kickstarter in 2016. Sadly, the denon perl pro sound pretty much the same to me, which is, dynamic, but completely muddy, and as if a thick theater curtain hides the detail from you in all three pairs. They should all be worth less than 80 dollars for the way they sound, imho. I was very unimpressed. The momentum true wireless 4 have very delicate drivers that are incredibly sensitive to changes in eq, making them distort and crackle on aptx, and I didn't find them to sound that much better than my old galaxy buds 2 Pro, tbh. Similar sound signature. I've tried all of noble Audio's wireless earbuds, and I'd put them in the same category as raycons. Overhyped, oversold, unimpressive sounding, consumer targeted garbage that looks really cool. Sadly, my 20 dollar soundcore a20i sounded miles ahead of the Noble fokus prestige, which are supposed to be the "pinnacle" of true wireless. I don't understand why people like them at all, and I hope their iems sound better. The beoplay ex were very impressive for what they were, but were incredibly uncomfortable due to the plastic seam which held them together. I have yet to try the pi8. The master&dynamic mw08 sport were amazing earbuds, but only after an eq was applied, and then they did the same thing the mtw4 did, crackle and distort due to weak speaker drivers, but they were the best and most realistic I'd ever heard, so maybe put the new mw09 at the top as well? Not sure. The devialet gemini 2 seem to get both positive and negative reviews, so it may be a gamble, haven't heard them myself tbh. Svanar wireless are another I haven't tried, but seem legit. Possibly beyerdynamic's new pair. I would say the mtw4, xm5, az80, and buds 3 pro would probably satisfy most people generally, but I've heard so many earbuds that were impressive and downright atrocious sounding that I'd put those three in the category of "good enough", not something like the prestige category. Comparing those to the beoplay ex would be like comparing caviar to boba, its just not the same. Anyways, at this point I'm rambling and probably not that helpful, sorry. Good luck with your search!

like? the only ones I've tried that come close are the Moondrop Ultrasonics and the WF-1000XM4/5

I've tried both (owned the Sennheisers). The Sennheisers sound better, the Sonys have better ANC. My biggest issue with sennheiser is the current state of their customer service though. If you need to make a warranty claim it could be months before Sennheiser replace them and you won't hear a word from them until they're shipping out the new pair. They've had some quality issues since splitting the company too. Truly awful customer service so I won't be buying anything from them again. Edit: I misread the title and thought it was about the headphones not earphones. I think the same applies to the in ears anyway. You should seriously consider Technics AZ80 over either of these. That's what I'm using now after trying a lot of top end TWS earphones.

I've had both, I prefer the Sony's Sennheiser's are technically better in terms of user interface design and sound quality, but the Sony's have better battery life and noise cancellation which is better for my needs The sound quality isn't really all that different either My first pair of sennheisers shit the bed, and then my second pair of sennheisers shit the bed, and then my third pair of sennheiser's shit the bed. I can't in good conscience give them any more of my money. These Sony's have been going strong for about a year and a half now

I really hope my comment gets some traction, but I also had problems with buds falling out. Airpods will literally fall out at the tilt of the head. The only two earphones to fit my ear are the Sony WF-1000xm series but my absolute final love for earphones is at the Technics AZ-80. The AZ-80 fits my ears PERFECTLY and the sound signature is so pleasant. As someone that's had many many high end earphones, I can clearly say that these are the perfect wireless earphones for me. Please consider them!

If it's dry, I use my Sony WFXM5s...absolutely loooove these and I'm surprised how well they have handled being used for running. My only gripe are the capacitive buttons, so if it's raining, I wear my OpenRun Shokz (I'm not a huge fan of these though in all honesty.) I need to try the Jabra Elites and the new Bose open earbuds.

If its raining, the capacitive buttons get triggered; the music ends up pausing/resuming over and over or it goes into pairing mode. I thiiink you can disable them from the app, but of course, its never raining when I start a run. I dont bring my phone with me either. That's really been my only gripe. I wear them for work every day, traveling (NC is excellent), and on my daily runs (in transparency mode), and they've held up spectacularly. I had the WFXM4s before that held up to every day work and excercise-usage for two years (I'm a super sweater) before they died. Sony sent me a new pair but I still bought a pair of using XM5s. The Shokz arent terrible, but theyre really only good for one thing. I also dont find them to be much more transparent than simply running in transparency mode with my XF5s (which almost give me like super hearing.) I only use them when I'm running in the rain, and they already seem like theyre on the last leg.

Do NOT give Sony another chance. I'm having the exact same problem. If they're not going to be mature enough to let the natural shelf-life run its proper course, they're obviously using shady business practices to get you to give in and (think that you or anyone else will actually) buy the next one. Do not.

Give it a bit longer until they release the next one. Then, it's going to have issues like the previous release. They're arrogant with false confidence from where they stand. Good thing you're not going to let them see another penny, but when that day comes, don't. Your money's best spent elsewhere.

AirPods Pro 2 aren't listed but are awesome and super comfy for long periods. I use them with my Samsung phone. Sony's earbuds are also very good. Anker typically performs well for their price, but are not the "best". I haven't been impressed with Jabra and find Beats to be lower performing in terms of audio quality.

I've got both. The sennheisers sound better and stay in your ear better for working out. Another good choice woukd be the Sony Wf1000xm4/5

With Sony (wf1000xm4 and xm5) I also hear the thump with noise canceling / ambient sound enabled, so it's not just AirPods

I have airpod pros too. They work for me. I usually only wear earphones on the train, flying, at work or at the gym. The noise cancellation is enough for my daily life.

Sony is only good when you get something like the MDR series. Their mainstream product is pretty bad in both sound quality and recently, their XM5 and XM4 (both headphones and earbuds) are known for some QC issues like batteries and broken hinges.

It's not about quantity. I've used the XM5 and the bass on there is nothing special. I'd argue that if you're a bass head you wouldn't enjoy it as well because the bass is bloated with very weak to no impact (the graph on the Internet starts to make sense here). Sony's main selling point of their XM series is ANC. That's the only thing that I could persuade myself to believe why something like XM5 still exists.

It's pretty normal for a lot of people to rave about it since they haven't used proper stuff from Sony themselves. I used the XM5 that actually belonged to my friend and he also raves about it (lol).

Technics AZ80 wireless nc buds.....and love them over the Sony XM's and Galaxy Buds3 pro

As a Sony WH-1000XM4 owner, no way I'll ever buy earbuds that are made by this shit company. I mean yeah, the sound quality is nice, but the hardware/software quality is absolutely dogshit, I started experiencing the first issues with noise cancelling after only 3 months of using the earbuds. Now, after a year+ the issues only got worse and I regret my decision to replace Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 with this piece of poop everyday.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are also a great choice if you really need top-tier noise cancelling. They’re a little more comfortable for long periods, but in terms of pure ANC power, Sony edges them out slightly. Both will do an awesome job on those low-pitch sounds that most earplugs can’t touch.

Been fortunate enough to test and own over a dozen, might be 2 dozen+ now. And the best is not one brand or model. Everyone's ears and music tastes are too varied. Plus some will never pay for better brands that cost over $50, $100, $399+. Even if they could afford it. Many JBL buds are cheap enough for anyone and get the job done. Sony XM4/5 buds do well for many, but the memory foam tips bother some. Luckily tips are easily swapped. Good App too. Pixels Buds Pro 2 are very good if you live in the brand. When Riding my loud Zero Turn Commercial Mower. I always grab my Marshall Motif II earbuds. Not sure exactly why, but they drown out the mower best with only half volume, and don't require blasting music. No matter which you choose, buy what you like or can afford. I could give reasons to spend more $$$. But, all you should shoot for is: ANC and try to get close to 8 hours or more from the buds themselves (not total time with case). Over time the batteries will weaken.