Between the ATH-R70xa and WH-1000XM5, the ATH-R70xa comes out ahead in driver size and weight, while the WH-1000XM5 wins on active noise cancellation and spatial audio. Overall, the ATH-R70xa scores 66.2 and the WH-1000XM5 scores 60.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ATH-R70xa edges ahead on the Mars Score (66.2 vs 60.5), but the 5.7-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the ATH-R70xa 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 audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are active noise cancellation, spatial audio, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ATH-R70xa is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa wins
- ▲Driver size — 50.00% more. 45 mm vs 30 mm.
- ▲Weight — 40.00 g less. 210 vs 250.
Why Sony - WH-1000XM5 wins
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Has LDAC.
- ▲Battery life: 30 h vs 0 h.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 210 glead | 250 g |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 45 mmlead | 30 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 470 Ωlead | 48 Ω |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 99 dB | 102 dBlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | false | truelead |
Battery
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 0 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | false | truelead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Audio-Technica - ATH-R70xa | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 0 | 5.2lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | true | true |
| LDACⓘ | false | truelead |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, ATH-R70xa or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 lasts 30 hours vs 0 hours.
Do ATH-R70xa or WH-1000XM5 have active noise cancellation?+
WH-1000XM5 has ANC; ATH-R70xa does not.
Which supports LDAC, ATH-R70xa or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 supports LDAC; ATH-R70xa does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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