Between the WH-1000XM5 and ULT Wear 2, the WH-1000XM5 comes out ahead in weight and spatial audio, while the ULT Wear 2 wins on battery life and driver size. Overall, the WH-1000XM5 scores 60.5 and the ULT Wear 2 scores 70.9 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ULT Wear 2 is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 10.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the WH-1000XM5 if you carry the device everywhere and weight or thickness has been the deciding factor before. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, spatial audio.
Pick the ULT Wear 2 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, driver size.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, multipoint, ldac, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ULT Wear 2 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Sony - WH-1000XM5 wins
- ▲Weight — 5.00 g less. 250 vs 255.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Sony - ULT Wear 2 wins
- ▲Battery life — 66.67% more. 50 h vs 30 h.
- ▲Driver size — 33.33% more. 40 mm vs 30 mm.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Sony - WH-1000XM5 | Sony - ULT Wear 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 250 glead | 255 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Sony - WH-1000XM5 | Sony - ULT Wear 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 30 mm | 40 mmlead |
| Impedanceⓘ | 48 Ωlead | 32 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 102 dBlead | 100 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Sony - WH-1000XM5 | Sony - ULT Wear 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 h | 50 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Sony - WH-1000XM5 | Sony - ULT Wear 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.2 | 5.3lead |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | true | true |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, WH-1000XM5 or ULT Wear 2?+
ULT Wear 2 lasts 50 hours vs 30 hours.
Do WH-1000XM5 or ULT Wear 2 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, WH-1000XM5 or ULT Wear 2?+
Both support LDAC.
Spec-level deep dives
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