Between the QuietComfort SC and WH-1000XM5, the QuietComfort SC comes out ahead in driver size and weight, while the WH-1000XM5 wins on battery life and spatial audio. Overall, the QuietComfort SC scores 62.9 and the WH-1000XM5 scores 60.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (62.9 vs 60.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the QuietComfort SC if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, weight.
Pick the WH-1000XM5 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery life, spatial audio, ldac.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, multipoint, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Bose - QuietComfort SC wins
- ▲Driver size — 16.67% more. 35 mm vs 30 mm.
- ▲Weight — 10.00 g less. 240 vs 250.
Why Sony - WH-1000XM5 wins
- ▲Battery life — 25.00% more. 30 h vs 24 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Has LDAC.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort SC | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 240 glead | 250 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort SC | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 35 mmlead | 30 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 32 Ω | 48 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 98 dB | 102 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort SC | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 24 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Bose - QuietComfort SC | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.1 | 5.2lead |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | truelead |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, QuietComfort SC or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 lasts 30 hours vs 24 hours.
Do QuietComfort SC or WH-1000XM5 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, QuietComfort SC or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 supports LDAC; QuietComfort SC does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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