Between the AirPods Max (Lightning) and WH-1000XM5, the AirPods Max (Lightning) comes out ahead in driver size, while the WH-1000XM5 wins on weight and battery life. Overall, the AirPods Max (Lightning) scores 65.7 and the WH-1000XM5 scores 60.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The AirPods Max (Lightning) edges ahead on the Mars Score (65.7 vs 60.5), but the 5.2-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods Max (Lightning) if you care most about driver size. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size.
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 weight, battery life, multipoint, among others.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the AirPods Max (Lightning) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) wins
- ▲Driver size — 33.33% more. 40 mm vs 30 mm.
Why Sony - WH-1000XM5 wins
- ▲Weight — 134.00 g less. 250 vs 384.
- ▲Battery life — 50.00% more. 30 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Has LDAC.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | over-ear | over-ear |
| Weight | 384 g | 250 glead |
| Water resistance | none | none |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 40 mmlead | 30 mm |
| Impedanceⓘ | 10 Ω | 48 Ωlead |
| Sensitivityⓘ | 105 dBlead | 102 dB |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 20 h | 30 hlead |
| Fast chargeⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Max (Lightning) | Sony - WH-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.0 | 5.2lead |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| 3.5mm jack | false | truelead |
| LDACⓘ | false | truelead |
| aptX HDⓘ | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery life, AirPods Max (Lightning) or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 lasts 30 hours vs 20 hours.
Do AirPods Max (Lightning) or WH-1000XM5 have active noise cancellation?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.
Which supports LDAC, AirPods Max (Lightning) or WH-1000XM5?+
WH-1000XM5 supports LDAC; AirPods Max (Lightning) does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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