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tour one m2 vs xm5

  • Wireless Headphone Reviews

Sony WH-1000XM5 vs JBL Tour One M2 Review

Sony WH-1000XM5 vs JBL Tour One M2 Review by MajorHiFi

All major audio brands look to the Sony WH-1000XM5 as the gold standard when designing their flagship wireless headphones. (You can read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 here .) The JBL Tour One M2 sells for a $100 less than the XM5. Can it come close to the performance and design of the XM5? Or could it even be better?

Look and Feel

The our One M2 is a little heavier than the XM5, though both are equally sleek in their appearance. Since it seems to have fewer parts and more sturdy material, the XM5 appears to be the more durable of the two. I found the fit equally comfortable on both headphone models, and neither felt obtrusive or fatiguing after extended listening sessions.

Sony WH-1000XM5 has a more solid build than the JBL Tour One M2

Design and Functionality

Both, the XM5 and Tour One M2 have only 30 hours of playtime with the ANC on. But with the ANC turned off, The Tour One will give you 50 hours of charge. And charging the Tour One M2 for only ten minutes will provide a 5 hours of play. With the XM5’s ANC off, you can get 40 plus hours of battery usage.

The Tour One M2 offers Bluetooth 5.3 LE, which is the latest version, guaranteeing a reliable connection. Pairing both headphones is easy, and they connect almost immediately. The XM5 is equipped with Bluetooth version 5.2, which, while not the latest version, still provides a highly reliable connection. And during listening sessions, I never encountered any interruptions.

Neither headphone offers many hi-res codecs (AAC, SBC), though the XM5 also supports Sony’s LDAC.  

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation)

I was surprised to find that the Tour One M2 had slightly more powerful ANC than the XM5. It just seemed to kill more office hum and drown out higher frequencies.

Call Clarity

The Sony WH-1000XM5 had far superior call quality to the Tour One M2. The voice was brighter, crisper and more forward. But I experienced no dropouts or interruptions with either headphones.

Extra Features

Both headphones come with accompanying apps that give you complete control over your equalizer settings. In addition, both apps will allow you to adjust Ambient/ANC Modes. In fact, Sony’s app has so many adjustable controls, it may be too much to list here.   But JBL also has some interesting features as well, including Person-Fi, which conducts a hearing test to optimize the sound specifically for your ears to customize the sound.

How do the Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tour One M2 compare in terms of design

Sound Impressions

The sense of space is more expansive on the Tour One. It displays more dimension in terms of height, width and depth and because the separation is superior and the mids slightly more forwards, the instrument placement feels more precise. So, the Tour One’s soundstage is the more colorful of the two.

The low-end is a bit more aggressive on the XM5. But the bass on the Tour One is tighter and cleaner. The bass on the XM5 has a somewhat veiled quality and it bleeds a little in the higher frequencies. In contrast, the bass on the Tour One sounds clear and always stays in its lane, never overpowering the higher frequencies.  

Generally, the mids feel cleaner on the Tour One than they do on the XM5. Again, the XM5 has a slightly veiled character in the mids. And given that the upper mids are brighter and more prominent on the Tour One, the whole profile feels more dynamic better delineated. In contrast the XM5 presents a softer, more lush mix. But, in terms of resolution, the Tour One M2 seems to have the upper hand in this range.

The Tour Oe M2 offers more sparkle in the highs, giving shine to percussion and a lightness and glow to vocals. The XM5, on the other had, has a darker profile with more rolled-off highs. So, the Tour One delivers more in this range. That being said, those who have a particular sensitivity to high frequencies may find the XM5 a more forgiving listen.  

In terms of sound quality, the JBL Tour One M2 seems to offer better resolution. It has a cleaner sound with more revealings mids and highs. It also has slightly more powerful ANC. On the flip side, the sound signature on the XM5 is super warm and easy on the ears, while the build quality feels a little more solid. The Sony app also offers tons of features, and has superior call clarity. All that being said, if you’re looking for the best bang for you buck, the JBL Tour One M2 is hard to beat.

You can buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 and JBL Tour One M2 at Audio 46.

Compare the ranking of various headphones, earbuds and in-ear monitors using our tools .

Discuss this, and much more, over on our forum .

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A Review By Comparison of the Jbl Tour One M2 Vs. Sony Wh 1000Xm5

JBL Tour ONE M2

JBL Tour ONE M2

Reasons why you might like the JBL Tour ONE M2

Overall Score 7.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Weight of 268 g

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Anc)

  • Battery Life of 50 hours

Can Be Used Wirelessly

Has ambient sound mode.

Sony WH 1000XM5

Sony WH 1000XM5

Reasons why you might like the Sony WH 1000XM5

Overall Score 6.8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Weight of 250 g
  • Battery Life of 30 hours

A summary of the review by feature comparison

A breakdown of the review per specifications.

The JBL Tour ONE M2 have a weight of 268g, these weigh below 320g, which we consider as the highest average a headphone should weigh for comfort during long use. We consider a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to move with. The Sony WH 1000XM5 , at 250g are lighter than the JBL Tour ONE M2 by -18g

Has A Detachable Cable

Detachable cables are cables that have connectors on both ends. One end goes into your headphone cups, while the other end is inserted into a source device. Some new headphones, and not just the expensive ones, are coming with detachable cables, JBL Tour ONE M2 are one of those. With a detachable cable, Sony WH 1000XM5 too can use alternative cables and if the cable is pulled, it will pop out instead of breaking.

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Ingress protection ratings refer to the level of protection offered by an electrical enclosure, against solids and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represent a number The first number of the IP rating refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquid. Having a value of IPX4, the JBL Tour ONE M2 's rating is read as, the first number of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second number of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.

Can Be Folded

JBL Tour ONE M2 are foldable, which makes them more portable. Foldable headphones are easier to transport and take up less storage space.

Has A Tangle Free Cable

Twisted headphone cables can be a great source of annoyance and inconvenience, JBL Tour ONE M2 's cable is designed to minimize tangling. Constant twisting of the cables can also lead to bends in the copper wires, affecting sound quality, or rendering your headphones defective. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a cable designed to help prevent tangles.

Sweat Resistance

By sweat resistance we mean that the wireless earbuds are protected in the presence of low-pressure water jets at any angle, this is determined by the IP Rating of the earbuds. Based on the ingress protection rating of the JBL Tour ONE M2 they do have sweat resistance

Cable Length

A long cable ensures more freedom of movement, but remember that every cable based on the conducting material used has a certain amount of parasitic resistance, inductance, and capacitance. How much depends on the length and construction. JBL Tour ONE M2 comes with a 1.2meters cable. Sony WH 1000XM5 comes with a 1.2meters cable. Almost any cable should be fine in sound quality If you're looking at lengths up to 2 - 3 meters.

Has An Over-The-Ear Foam

Over-ear headphones have larger earpads that fit around your entire ear JBL Tour ONE M2 have a comfortable full-size form with earcups that fully enclose your ears. This design is loved for its increased sound isolation and the fact that it won't leak sound to your neighbors. Sony WH 1000XM5 with this design offer potential for maximum bass and loudness levels.

Has Stereo Speakers

JBL Tour ONE M2 have stereo speakers, what this means is that JBL Tour ONE M2 's speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience. Both Sony WH 1000XM5 and JBL Tour ONE M2 have stereo speakers

Sound Quality

Active noise cancellation uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and then inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 outside (noise from your surrounding) and adding -1 inside (counter sound within the device) to make zero hence "diluting" the noise. JBL Tour ONE M2 allow you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have active noise cancellation making both devices ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. Each may work with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting, mode, or noise cancellation type that suits your commute or that enhances your relaxation time.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Passive Noise Cancellation uses well-designed ear cups to seal out environment noise. This is used for both in-ear earphones and over-ear headphones where the headphone itself will keep surrounding noise out. The JBL Tour ONE M2 sits tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal that reduces background noise and prevents your music from leaking out. Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that also the Sony WH 1000XM5 isolates you from ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.

Lowest Frequency

Low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device reproduces low audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. JBL Tour ONE M2 's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, the lower the low-frequency response, the stronger and juicier the bass. Sony WH 1000XM5 's lowest frequency is at 4Hz, this implies that JBL Tour ONE M2 got a juicier bass than the Sony WH 1000XM5

Highest Frequency

High frequency response measures if and how well an audio device reproduces high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal while at it. JBL Tour ONE M2 's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, the higher the high-frequency response, the clearer and crispier the treble. Sony WH 1000XM5 's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this means that both devices produce equal treble

Sound Pressure Level

Sound pressure is the average variation in atmospheric pressure caused by the sound, the sound level .i.e how loud something is can be perceived differently by different people so we need to have a way of getting an objective measurement of sound level expressed in numerical terms. The sound pressure level, SPL, is the pressure level of a sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Tour ONE M2 's measurement is 95dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. Sony WH 1000XM5 's sound pressure level measurement is 102dB/mW.

Driver Unit Size

The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the loudness of the headphone. JBL Tour ONE M2 driver unit is 40mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful and can produce better bass. Sony WH 1000XM5 driver unit is 30mm in diameter, which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of JBL Tour ONE M2 by 10mm , as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality. However, large drivers usually have difficulty reproducing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better sound.

Defined as the device's resistance to the electromagnetic current, when electricity flows through a wire, it faces electrical resistance that counters the flow of current. The resistance of a wire is measured in ohms. JBL Tour ONE M2 's impedance is 32Ohms, the lower the impedance, the easier it is to get higher volume and requires less power. Sony WH 1000XM5 's impedance is 48Ohms. The impedance of earbuds is the electrical resistance of the driver unit present on the inside.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Neodymium magnets if used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high sound pressure level, SPL, with the use of high magnetic flux. The Sony WH 1000XM5 have this type of magnet.

JBL Live 770NC

Battery Life

If your headphones play wirelessly, cancel ambient noise, or enhance your listening experience with active features, their battery life will reduce over time. The device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. JBL Tour ONE M2 's battery life is 50 hours Sony WH 1000XM5 's battery life is 30 hours. Each time you recharge your headphones, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely noticeable at first. But over a few years, you may find that your device, no longer plays for long like it used to.

Charge Time

It takes 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Tour ONE M2 's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the headphones for the first time or when they have been unused for extended periods. Sony WH 1000XM5 takes 3.5 hours to fully charge the battery

Has A Battery Level Indicator

JBL Tour ONE M2 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights show the charging status of your headphones. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to determine the charging state of your headphones, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

Battery Power

Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. JBL Tour ONE M2 's battery power is 750mAh, more battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. Sony WH 1000XM5 's battery power is 1,200mAh.

Has A Rechargeable Battery

A rechargeable battery is a type of electrical battery that can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a disposable or primary battery, which is supplied fully charged and discarded after use. JBL Tour ONE M2 's battery can be recharged and used over again. The Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a rechargeable battery.

Connectivity

JBL Tour ONE M2 can be used wirelessly, wireless devices allow users more freedom of movement. The Sony WH 1000XM5 also can be used wirelessly

Uses 2.4Ghz Wireless

2.4GHz wireless is used for devices such as headsets such as the Sony WH 1000XM5 , keyboards, and mice similar to Bluetooth but with a proprietary radio frequency. It typically offers better performance than Bluetooth, with low latency and good stability.

Bluetooth Version

Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. JBL Tour ONE M2 has a v5.3 Sony WH 1000XM5 has a Bluetooth version of v5.2. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Has Usb Type-C

JBL Tour ONE M2 support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power on a single cable. The USB-C plug is now part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets, it features reversible plug orientation and cable direction. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have USB TYPE-C

JBL Tour ONE M2 support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz. It is capable of a very high bitrate of 990kbps, which provides high-resolution audio. Sony WH 1000XM5 support it as well, LDAC, can automatically adjust to a lower bitrate of 330kbps or 660kbps to increase stability.

Has Aptx Adaptive

JBL Tour ONE M2 support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps), which means it can adjust the bit rate for different scenarios, such as listening to HD audio or reducing interference from other devices.

Has Bluetooth Aptx

JBL Tour ONE M2 support APTX, a codec used for transmitting audio wirelessly with Bluetooth. It is developed by Qualcomm and supports 16-bit audio at a bit rate of 384kbps.

JBL Tour ONE M2 support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate. The Sony WH 1000XM5 support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances. The JBL Tour ONE M2 can connect at a 10meters distance via Bluetooth or infrared to another device. The Sony WH 1000XM5 can connect at a 10meters distance via Bluetooth

Has A 3.5Mm Male Connector

Being an industry standard audio plug, a standard 3.5mm male connector is suitable for use with all MP3 players and computer sound cards. This means that it is commonly used in stereo headphones to your phone or connecting your phone to an external amplifier, sound bars, your car radio, etc. JBL Tour ONE M2 has this connector giving it a wider range of connectivity with most of the sound devices out there. All plugs have at least a tip and sleeve with the number of rings that stand as a differentiating factor. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have this kind of connector

Sennheiser HD 450BT

Number Of Microphones

JBL Tour ONE M2 have only 6 microphones, more microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background noise. The Sony WH 1000XM5 microphones are only 8.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

JBL Tour ONE M2 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background noise from the desired sound. Especially useful in noisy environments. The Sony WH 1000XM5 too use a noise-canceling type of microphone.

JBL Tour ONE M2 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard. It’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but would still want to be able to hear traffic. The Sony WH 1000XM5 support ambient sound mode as well allowing you to hear the ambient sound even while wearing them.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

JBL Tour ONE M2 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused, saving battery life and improving your listening experience while at it. The Sony WH 1000XM5 support in/on-ear detection, pause your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears

Has A Mute Function

JBL Tour ONE M2 have a mute function, they have an option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice. The Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a mute function.

Multipoint Count

JBL Tour ONE M2 support multipoint, which allows you to link to more Bluetooth devices and switch between them. For example, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. The Sony WH 1000XM5 support multipoint count. Bluetooth multipoint would come in handy because you can be on one call without missing notifications coming from another device.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

There is a control panel on the JBL Tour ONE M2 body, so you can easily access the volume control or remote without having to interact with a cable or another device it's connected to. The Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a control panel on them.

Can Be Used As A Headset

JBL Tour ONE M2 can be used as a headset. A headset is one headphone or pair with a built-in microphone. Headsets can be used for apps that require communication i.e. Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, games with voice chat, mobile phones, etc. Sony WH 1000XM5 can be used as a headset. since they have a built-in microphone

Travel Bag Is Included

Carrying headphones without a case, or putting them in bags without a casing can easily put them at risk of getting damaged. The JBL Tour ONE M2 come with their own special case or pouch, which is useful for safe transportation. Sony WH 1000XM5 too have a travel bag or case included.

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JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Which Noise Cancelling Headphone Worth Your Money?

Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Rifthy

Noise cancelling headphones have become increasingly popular over the past few years, with more and more options hitting the market. Two of the most popular models right now are the JBL Tour One M2 and Sony WH-1000XM5 . But which one is actually worth your hard-earned money?

JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5

In this in-depth comparison review, we’ll look at the key features, design, sound quality, noise cancellation, battery life, app support, and more to help you decide which premium noise cancelling headphones are the better buy.

Discussed Topics

Overview of JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5

Noise cancellation performance.

One of the main reasons anyone buys premium noise cancelling headphones is for the ANC performance. Both JBL and Sony deliver excellent active noise cancellation, but Sony still has a slight edge.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 features industry-leading noise cancellation powered by their new QN1 processor and eight microphones that can detect and cancel out more ambient sounds. Sony’s ANC algorithm automatically adapts based on your activity as well – whether sitting, walking, on transport, etc.

In our testing, the Sony cans suppressed low, mid and high frequencies just a bit better than the JBL, letting in less ambient noise overall. They have great noise blocking capabilities even in noisy environments like busy cafes or traffic.

  • Sony ANC rating:  Tier S

The JBL Tour One M2 aren’t far behind though, using their Smart Active Noise Cancellation with four mics to adaptively adjust the ANC strength based on your surroundings. JBL’s adaptive tech works quite well to block constant noises like airplane engines.

In direct comparisons, the JBL allowed in a little more ambient sound across the frequency range than the Sony. But it’s not a huge difference, and overall the JBL still provides great noise cancellation.

  • JBL ANC rating:  Tier A

Both pairs also offer useful transparency/ambient sound modes. JBL has TalkThru to let in voices and sounds for quick conversations. Sony’s Ambient Sound Control lets you adjust how much external sound gets through.

For the most effective real-world noise cancelling though, the Sony WH-1000XM5 take the win. But the JBL aren’t far off for $100 less.

Design and Comfort

In terms of design and wearing comfort, both the Sony and JBL deliver.

The JBL Tour One M2 feature oval shaped ear cups inspired by Bose, using soft padding that feels comfortable for long listening sessions. The headband is nicely cushioned as well.

They have a very sturdy yet flexible build, with smooth ratchets on the headband for adjustment. The headphones are foldable too, great for packing them up in the included hard shell travel case.

We like the tactile, easy to press power and pairing button on the JBL. The touch controls work okay, but can sometimes get accidental taps which is annoying.

  • JBL comfort rating:  Excellent

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have a sleek, lightweight design with well-padded circular earcups that are super soft. The synthetic leather stays cool even during longer use.

The headband uses a gapless structure with less clamping force, and smooth slides for adjustment. Sony improved the earcup and headband padding on these compared to the XM4.

While not foldable, the Sony still come with a sturdy carrying case to protect them. The touch controls work flawlessly and you can disable them if needed.

  • Sony comfort rating:  Excellent

For comfort, both deliver premium experiences and should be great for long listening sessions. The JBL foldability gives them a small advantage for portability.

Call Quality Performance

Call quality is another important consideration, especially if you’ll be using these headphones for phone calls often.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have excellent call quality thanks to Precise Voice Pickup technology using four mics and AI processing. Noise reduction works very well, leaving your voice clear and natural sounding for the other person.

In head-to-head tests, Sony’s mic quality resulted in better clarity compared to the JBL. Wind noise handling was stellar too.

  • Sony call quality rating:  Tier S

The JBL Tour One M2 also use four microphones to block out ambient noise during calls, along with noise and echo cancelling tech.

While noise reduction is decent, in our tests JBL’s mic quality was a bit more muffled compared to the Sony. It worked fine, but your voice didn’t come through quite as clear.

  • JBL call quality rating:  Tier A

For best in class call performance, the Sony WH-1000XM5 deliver noticeably better results. But the JBL aren’t bad for phone calls by any means.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is subjective, but here’s how these two pairs of premium headphones compare:

The JBL Tour One M2 have a lively, brighter default sound signature right out of the box. The higher frequencies like cymbals have nice sparkle and clarity.

Acoustic guitars sound spacious, with decent separation from the mids and smooth non-overbearing bass. It’s a fun, energetic sound.

JBL includes several EQ presets and custom options like Personi-Fi hearing calibration for more personalized sound.

  • JBL sound rating:  Lively, clear

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have a more neutral-leaning default sound, not as bright as the JBLs. The mids and highs are very clear, but Sony does put some extra emphasis on the lower frequencies.

Bass has nice sub-bass extension while voices are smooth and natural. Hi-res LDAC support makes the highs sound crisper.

Sony provides way more sound customization via EQ presets, Clear Bass slider, and 360 Spatial Audio.

  • Sony sound rating:  Clear, bass prominent

Overall, the JBL wins out for pure sound quality, providing great clarity across mids and highs. But Sony gives you more ways to tweak the sound to your liking. Both deliver great audio that can be customized to suit your preferences.

Battery Life

Battery performance is crucial for wireless headphones you’ll be using on the go. Both models deliver excellent battery life.

The JBL Tour One M2 is rated for 30 hours of listening time with ANC turned on. In our real-world tests we got close to 41 hours of playtime at medium volumes before needing to recharge.

That’s an insane amount of usage before needing to top up the battery. Even heavy users can go days without plugging these in.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 are officially rated for 30 hours as well with ANC on. In testing we managed to achieve around 32 hours of listening with ANC enabled before the battery depleted.

While not as long as the JBL, that’s still an excellent result that translates to full work weeks of use before recharging.

Quick charging is fast on both too – 10 minutes gives you around 4+ hours of listening time.

For battery performance, the JBL Tour One M2 are the clear winners, with almost 10 extra hours of playtime than Sony in real-world usage.

App Support and Connectivity

The companion apps for each headphones unlock adjustable features and settings beyond basic operation.

The JBL Headphones app provides a user-friendly experience, with all key settings accessible from a single page. Handy options include:

  • Noise cancelling modes
  • Ambient Aware and TalkThru
  • Touch control customization
  • Virtual Assistant access
  • Sound EQ presets
  • Personi-Fi hearing calibration
  • Max volume limiter
  • Firmware updates

Bluetooth multipoint is supported for easy switching between two devices. The pairing process is quick and simple.

The Sony Headphones Connect app is more complex, with some settings buried in sub-menus. But it does enable tons of customization like:

  • EQ and 360 Spatial Audio
  • Ambient Mode levels
  • Adaptive Sound modes
  • Call quality adjustments
  • Advanced features like LDAC, DSEE, and Auto Play/Pause
  • Find My Headphones locating

Multipoint Bluetooth allows connection to two devices simultaneously. The pairing process involves a few extra steps.

Both apps work well to enable personalization, but Sony’s feels denser. JBL strikes a better balance of useful features without going overboard.

The Verdict: Sony WH-1000XM5 Are the Better Buy

Based on all the factors compared, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the better buy overall:

  • Their noise cancelling performance is a step above the JBL, making them the ideal choice for frequent fliers or commuters
  • Call quality is simply better on the Sony too
  • The sound quality provides gorgeous clarity across all frequencies
  • Comfort, controls and battery life go toe-to-toe with the JBL

The main advantages of the JBL Tour One M2 are:

  • The lower $299 price tag
  • Lighter and more comfortable design for some
  • Superb 41+ hour battery life
  • Slightly better default sound tuning

At the end of the day though, the Sony WH-1000XM5 have the edge for noise cancellation effectiveness and call quality – two of the most important factors.

The $100 premium over the JBL gets you markedly better performance in those crucial areas. Plus, Sony’s sound quality and comfort hold their own against the JBL.

For those reasons, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are worth stretching your budget to buy over the JBL Tour One M2 in our opinion. They deliver a complete package befitting their flagship status.

But if you want to save $100 and don’t mind slightly worse ANC, the JBL are still a compelling option. You still get surprisingly good performance for hundreds less.

Hopefully this detailed comparison has helped you decide which of these wireless noise cancelling headphones better meets your needs and budget! Let us know if you have any other questions.

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I am Rifthy Rian, a professional accountant. Frustrated by the lack of unbiased reviews for budget audio equipment, I started a blog to offer genuine feedback. In the past 8 months, I've personally tested over 75 products, aiming to help others find the perfect sound gear.

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The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

Our four picks for the best Bluetooth wireless headphones laying next to each other.

Earbuds are discreet and convenient to use, but if you want to get the best wireless sound for the money, choose over-ear Bluetooth headphones.

Although no single headphones set is a perfect match for everyone, the JBL Tour One M2 comes darn close. We love this pair’s customizable sound, stellar call clarity, and days-long battery life—plus, it includes some bonus features usually reserved for pricier pairs.

Everything we recommend

tour one m2 vs xm5

JBL Tour One M2

The best bluetooth wireless headphones.

This versatile, over-ear pair sounds great, has a long battery life, and offers premium features at a lower price than its competitors. Some controls are a bit sensitive, though.

Buying Options

May be out of stock

Budget pick

tour one m2 vs xm5

Soundcore Space One

The best budget over-ear headphones.

This affordable pair of over-ear headphones sounds good, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life. But they aren’t as refined in sound or build as our top pick.

Upgrade pick

tour one m2 vs xm5

Sony WH-1000XM5

Great performance, with some effort.

These headphones are well made and feature-packed, and they can sound wonderful. But to get them sounding their best, some setup effort is required.

tour one m2 vs xm5

Edifier Stax Spirit S3

The best-sounding wireless headphones.

This pair provides the convenience of Bluetooth while still prioritizing sound quality. But these headphones lack features like noise cancellation and water resistance, so they aren’t ideal for commuters.

How we picked and tested

Our audio experts test for detailed, lifelike sound and clear microphone quality for phone and video calls.

A well-designed pair should fit most head sizes, and the controls should be easy to use. We have a variety of people try out our top contenders.

Batteries should last at least eight to 10 hours and ideally have an analog cable for situations where you need to listen wired.

We pair contenders with several different devices and test wireless reliability indoors, outdoors, and at a distance.

JBL’s Tour One M2 is a comfortable, feature-rich Bluetooth set that does most everything well. The sound is good right out of the box, and it can be further improved with the use of the EQ settings in JBL’s app. The battery life, rated at 30 to 50 hours, is excellent, and the battery recharges quickly.

Voice control is available via the always-listening Alexa and Google Assistant functions, and Apple users can access Siri via a simple button push. The M2 supports dual-device connectivity, and the built-in microphones reduce wind and background noise remarkably well, ensuring clear phone calls—even on the go. Plus, this pair is water-resistant (with an IPX5 rating), so your gear won’t be ruined by rainy-day splashes.

Flaws are minimal: Though we like the combination of touch-based and physical control buttons, the touchpad can be a bit over-sensitive. Also, the active noise cancellation (ANC) is good but not as effective as that of our favorite noise-cancelling headphones .

If you want a fantastic pair of wireless headphones for around $100, consider the Soundcore Space One . While the sound quality is not as rich and full as what our top pick delivers, it is still fun to listen to and can be modified to your taste in the Soundcore app. The headphones are lightweight and comfortable to wear for long stretches, and you get the full complement of control options. Also, the adjustable active noise cancellation is competitive with models that cost three times as much.

Dual-device connectivity is supported, and a hear-through mode can be activated by the press of a button or automatically when you speak. The 40-hour battery life with ANC on (55 hours with it off) means you may only have to charge this pair once a week or less.

The Space One has three noise-reducing microphones, but we found that voices can sound compressed and somewhat distant to callers—especially when compared to more expensive headphones like our top pick.

If you’re willing to pay more to get a premium experience, the well-constructed Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are extremely comfortable, can sound great, and have a nice assortment of features that suit them for a variety of uses.

Out of the box, this pair’s sound quality is just okay. But if you put effort into adjusting the equalizer settings in Sony’s app, the WH-1000XM5 can sound better than our top pick and many other wireless competitors. The battery life is a solid 24 hours, and the combination of physical and touch-based controls works more intuitively on this pair than on our top pick, the JBL Tour One M2.

The XM5 set is particularly well suited for use in a loud office environment, since it passively blocks out human voices but has a natural-sounding awareness mode to let in sounds as needed. Plus, the speak-to-chat function will sense your voice, turn on the awareness mode, and pause your music automatically. And the built-in microphones are effective at reducing background noise during phone or video calls.

The noise cancellation isn’t as effective as that of our top pick, and this set isn’t built for water resistance, though it can handle a light spritzing rain. Sony’s one-year limited warranty covers manufacturing defects but not water damage, so we don’t recommend that you take this pair to the gym or out for a stroll in a deluge.

If your priority is to find wireless over-ear headphones that sound fantastic, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 is for you. This pair is among the best-sounding under-$500 headphones we’ve ever tested, including those in our guide to wired audiophile headphones .

This portable pair uses planar-magnetic drivers , which are capable of reproducing delicate detail and powerful bass notes. The S3 sounds amazing in both wired and wireless mode, largely due to the built-in headphone amplifier, which provides consistent driving power. Edifier includes two types of earpads (isolating pleather and cooling, breathable mesh), and the sound quality remains consistent when you swap between them.

Though this pair has to be powered on to work, the 80-hour battery life means you won’t need to charge frequently, and there’s a quick-charge feature when you do. The built-in microphones sound clear, even in a light breeze, and the dual-device connectivity works well, for easy transition between phone and laptop use.

Though this pair is portable, the lack of water resistance means you need to be careful when commuting in inclement weather, and you should choose a different pair for working out. Plus, this pair lacks active noise cancellation.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, our pick: jbl tour one m2, budget pick: soundcore space one, upgrade pick: sony wh-1000xm5, also great: edifier stax spirit s3, other good over- and on-ear bluetooth headphones, what to look forward to, the competition.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and my reviews of audio gear have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Time, as well as on Good Morning America , the BBC World Service, and NBC Nightly News .

I also spent several years in terrestrial radio before becoming a professional voice actor in Los Angeles—so I’ve been in and out of recording studios for over a decade.

While working for Wirecutter, I’ve tested over 1,700 pairs of headphones. In addition to my own testing, at Wirecutter we seek input from a rotating roster of audio experts, including session musicians, a sound editor, and experienced AV reviewers.

Over-ear and on-ear Bluetooth headphones are excellent for anyone who wants the best wireless sound for the money and/or doesn’t like the feel of earbuds in their ears. Compared with similarly priced earbuds, this headphones style has more bass response and a better sense of three-dimensionality in the sound.

Going cordless does come at a price, though. You should expect to pay more for Bluetooth headphones, to get sound comparable to that from the best wired headphones .

Although many of the sets in this guide offer active noise cancellation, we prioritized sound quality, comfort, and ease of use in our evaluations for this guide. If noise cancellation is your top priority, check out our noise-cancelling headphones guide instead.

If you’re looking for a pair of over-ear headphones to use for work, and your tasks include a lot of video chatting, phone calls, or work with dictation software, you may want to consider an office headset with a boom mic. You can find wireless options—even a few that sound pretty good while playing music—in our guide to office headsets .

For this guide, we’ve considered hundreds of headphone sets. To help us decide which ones are the best, we used the following criteria:

  • Fantastic sound quality and a comfortable fit: Nobody likes subpar audio, and a poor fit can affect sound quality. Plus, if a set is uncomfortable to wear, you won’t use it.
  • A minimum battery life of eight to 10 hours: Bluetooth headphones should last a full workday, at a minimum (the longer the better).
  • Solid Bluetooth connection and microphone quality: You should be able to take calls without having a connection that stutters, and voices should be clear, not muffled.
  • Easy-to-use controls: We dismissed any headphones with confusing or finicky controls that we found were easy to trigger accidentally.
  • Decent noise cancellation, if offered: ANC wasn’t a top priority in this guide, but if you’re paying more to get it, it should at least be modestly effective.
  • A good warranty and responsive customer support: This is the kind of thing that doesn’t seem important until you need it. A lifetime warranty means nothing if there’s no one you can call or email to get help.

To test over-ear headphones, our expert panelists first evaluate each pair’s sound, fit, and ease of use. The sets that perform well in those categories move on to round two, in which we test battery life, Bluetooth signal strength, and microphone quality. We evaluate call clarity in environments that are quiet, noisy, and windy.

Next, we tinker with the apps and any bonus features (like location services, voice activation, dual-device connection, and control customization). If applicable, we mist the headphones with water to see how moisture might impact the touch controls. We try each pair on with glasses and consider how head shape or hairstyles could affect the fit. And if the headphones have active noise cancellation that sounds subjectively effective, we measure it .

Finally, to suss out long-term listening comfort, as well as any potential flaws we may have missed in the initial testing, we spend time using each pair during daily activities for about a week.

A couple of notes: We do not prioritize specific Bluetooth formats, or codecs, and we explain why in this article . Though many over-ear headphones support dual-device connectivity, the manufacturers often say that computer connection is not supported. This is not entirely true, but here’s why they say it .

A black pair of JBL Tour One M2 Bluetooth wireless headphones laying with its cups turned in.

The JBL Tour One M2 is a versatile and adaptable pair of Bluetooth headphones. This set sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and provides days-long battery life. Also, there’s an impressive array of customization options in the JBL app, so you can fine-tune the headphones to suit your needs.

Adjustable EQ ensures you’ll love the sound. Though the Tour One M2 set sounds pretty good right out of the box (just a bit bass-heavy), the JBL app’s nimble EQ interface makes it easy to tweak the frequency response to your liking . Alternatively, you can choose to use the app’s hearing-test-based EQ to adjust the sound to match your individual hearing needs. And if you’re concerned with protecting your hearing health, the app allows you to limit the volume to 85 decibels.

If you’re a fan of a broad soundstage (where the music has a real sense of space), you’ll love this pair. But overall, this set’s highs aren’t as delicate and crisp, and the upper bass isn’t as defined, as what you can get with our upgrade pick .

Phone calls sound great. The Tour One M2’s four-microphone array ensures that your voice will sound clear to others, and in our testing, we were impressed with how well the mics reduced wind noise and background sounds.

This set is light, comfortable to wear, and easy to use. The deep, oblong-shaped earcups are roomy enough to encircle your ears without squishing them, and the memory-foam-like earpads and headband padding make this pair pleasant to wear for extended periods. The headband’s moderate clamping force will hold the Tour One M2 in place on smaller heads, but it flexes enough to accommodate larger sizes without pinching.

The combination of physical buttons and a touch panel allows you to control playback, phone calls, volume, digital-assistant callup, and ANC/awareness mode toggling. Amazon and Android users can also opt to use a wake word to activate Alexa or Google Assistant.

A long battery life means less-frequent charging. JBL claims the battery life can be as high as 50 hours per charge or as low as 30, depending on how often you take calls and use noise cancellation. When we used them daily, we needed to charge batteries every other week or so.

If you do run out of juice, though, thanks to the Tour One M2’s quick-charge capabilities, you’ll get five hours of playback from just 10 minutes plugged in. You can maximize battery life by turning on the app’s auto-power-off option, which powers the headphones down when they’re idle.

A closeup of the bottom of the cups on the Tour One M2, displaying control buttons and switches.

The adaptive noise cancellation effectively blocks distractions. Though this pair isn’t the absolute best we’ve tested when it comes to noise cancellation (see our ANC headphones guide to compare), it’s effective nonetheless. In our tests, when wearing this set, we were oblivious to knocks on the door and garbage trucks passing, and 75 dB plane cabin noise was greatly reduced. If you’re sensitive to eardrum suck , the JBL app provides a slider to adjust the ANC intensity.

When you want to hear what’s going on around you, JBL’s Ambient Aware setting mixes the outside world in with your music. For conversations, the TalkThru mode dips music volume and amplifies your surroundings—this can be accomplished via a button push or automatically when you speak.

The set’s dual-device capability lets you connect to two devices simultaneously, without having to fuss with Bluetooth settings.

And if anything goes awry, JBL covers the Tour One M2 with a one-year warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The controls are more sensitive than we’d like. An unintended brush of the large touchpad on the right earcup caused our music to play and pause accidentally, which was annoying. We also wish the physical volume buttons were larger.

Likewise, we found the optional speak-to-enable TalkThru feature to be sensitive. Maybe I am just prone to sighing too loudly, but sniffs, sneezes, and throat clearing caused the awareness mode to turn on.

The auto ANC setting can bother sensitive ears. JBL has included an automatic ANC setting, which adjusts the noise-cancellation levels based on your surroundings or how much sound is leaking in (this is great for those who wear glasses). Unfortunately, we found the real-time changes to be disconcerting. This felt similar to ears popping when a plane lands, so we chose to turn off that feature.

A pair of light blue Soundcore Space One headphones, our budget pick, against a green background.

The Soundcore Space One is our favorite pair of over-ear headphones for around $100. The sound quality is enjoyable, and the fit is comfortable. Plus, the extra features make this set feel far more expensive than it is.

The headphones are lightweight and have a long battery life. You can wear this pair all day—the large, roomy earcups and plush memory foam ensure comfort. The foam is pliable enough that it molds around thin glasses arms to help keep a seal around your ears.

The body is primarily made of plastic, but the design feels substantial. We pulled our previously recommended Soundcore budget headphones due to build quality complaints, but it seems the company has improved the sturdiness with this pair. If something does go wrong, Soundcore backs the Space One with an 18-month warranty.

When fully charged, the Space One will play for 40 hours with ANC on (and longer with it off.) If you run out of power, five minutes of charging will provide about four hours of listening time.

The sound is pleasant to listen to–but a little coarse. Out of the box, this pair sounds somewhat smeared in the male vocal range and has a harsh quality to high frequencies. However, the Soundcore app provides various methods of EQ, so you can adjust the sound until you’re happy.

We found a balance we liked, but careful listeners might notice that there is still a rough quality to these drivers that you won’t hear in pricier pairs. And no matter how much we fiddled, the bass was still mildly bloated. These are minor flaws considering this pair’s affordability, and they still sound better than anything else we heard in this price range.

We love that this set has optional volume limiting so that your listening levels stay in safer ranges.

A picture showing the layout of the button controls on our budget pick, the Soundcore Space One Headphones.

The noise reduction is close to that of the best-performing ANC headphones. In our noise-cancelling tests , the ANC’s efficacy came remarkably close to that of our top picks. But if you occasionally want a little less ANC, the Space One has adjustable levels—or you can switch on the adaptive noise cancellation that will adjust based on your surroundings. If you like to plug into your audio device, the Space One’s ANC stays on when you use the supplied cable.

For quick conversations, you can hold a finger on the left earcup to enable “easy chat” mode—a hear-through mode with an emphasis on the frequencies that make up the human vocal range. We thought it sounded surprisingly natural. The optional speak-to-enable hear-through can be useful if your hands are frequently occupied.

Learning to use the controls may take practice. This pair uses physical buttons instead of touch controls. The button layout makes sense, but their size is small, and it takes practice to get muscle memory to press without looking. Folks with large fingers or who struggle with dexterity might find this frustrating.

There are three microphones that do a solid job reducing background noise, but they also give your voice a reedy and distant quality. In windy conditions, your caller won’t be blasted by the sound of air noise, but your voice will sound softer during stronger gusts.

A pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 Bluetooth wireless headphones laying with its cups turned in.

If you’re willing to pay more for a step up in both performance and comfort, consider the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. They aren’t perfect out of the box, but those willing to do a bit of tinkering will be rewarded with some of the best-sounding wireless headphones available.

This set sounds amazing—with some help from EQ. Out of the box, this wasn’t our favorite-sounding pair. The boosted lower frequencies give the sound a clouded quality—like hearing a TV subwoofer from one room over. But by using the advanced EQ feature in Sony’s app, we could bring down the lows and boost the range at 1 and 2.5 kilohertz. Then it was as if the shroud had been lifted, and the XM5 rendered clear, delicate, detailed highs and deep bass notes with pitch, rather than just punch.

If you know going in that you’ll never touch the EQ settings, this isn’t the pair for you— our top pick sounds better right out of the box (though it, too, can benefit from some EQ adjustment). This means you’ll need to use a smartphone and download an app at least once to make adjustments and save your EQ profile to the headphones.

This pair is ultra-comfortable. We loved the lightweight build, soft memory-foam padding, and ergonomically shaped earcups. The XM5 has the perfect ratio of clamping force to earpad squish, for a fit that hugs your head rather than squeezing it. The earpads should accommodate all but the most thickly armed glasses, and the earpads are replaceable (but doing so is tricky , so keep the XM5 clean and in the included hard-sided case, to make the foam last as long as possible).

The XM5’s combination of physical and touch-based controls works a bit more effectively than on our top pick. We didn’t find the Sony controls to be overly sensitive to inadvertent bumps, humidity, or cold. The physical multifunction button on the left earcup can be customized to either toggle noise-cancellation modes or activate Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

The battery will last 24 hours or more per charge. Sony claims up to 38 hours, but in our real-world testing, we were able to eke out only 24 hours. That’s lower than for our other picks but still sufficient, especially when the quick-charge function provides three to five hours of use from a 10-minute charge.

The headphones will warn you when battery power is low, but when you’re given the warning, you should plug in your headphones. The percent is measured in increments of 10, so 10% battery life can mean anywhere from 1% to 10% is remaining. The XM5 also comes with an analog cable for corded listening, but it has no remote and mic.

A closeup of the bottom of the cups on the XM5, displaying control buttons and switches.

The XM5 is especially great for office use. This pair blocks voices better than most noise-cancelling sets—and that can be very helpful in cafés and open-plan offices or when you’re working from a noisy home. You’ll also hear a dip in low-frequency hums, like noise from planes and air conditioners. But this pair isn’t as effective in this respect as our picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones . Plus, the ANC isn’t adjustable, so if you’re prone to eardrum suck , you may find the XM5’s noise cancellation to be uncomfortable.

The microphones pick up speech clearly and reduce background noise on calls. While testing, we noticed that the XM5 seemed to use internal sensors to detect when the wearer was speaking. So when we weren’t talking, callers weren’t subjected to wind or background noise. When we resumed speaking, callers could tell there was wind, but they were able to easily understand what we were saying. The reduction software somewhat compresses your vocal tone, but not so much that it becomes distracting.

The XM5 has a voice-activated hear-through mode; this can detect when you’re speaking, pause your music, and turn on the external microphones so you can hear your conversation partner clearly. When you stop talking, the hear-through mode turns off, and your music resumes. But if the feature isn’t to your liking, no worries; as with many of the XM5’s features, it can be turned off in the app.

The XM5 doesn’t have water resistance. This pair can handle a light spritzing rain, but it’s not IP-rated like our top pick. Sony offers a one-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects but not water damage.

The XM5’s predecessor, the WH-1000XM4, needs more EQ adjustment, but it’s also a great option if you can still find it, especially on sale.

A pair of Edifier Stax Spirit S3 Bluetooth wireless headphones laying with its cups turned in.

If sound quality supersedes all other factors, the Edifier Stax Spirit S3 is the first pair of wireless headphones we’ve tried that can compete sonically with the wired picks in our audiophile headphones guide . But this set lacks some features, such as noise cancellation and water resistance, that you’ll get with our other picks.

This pair’s sound competes with that of vastly pricier wired options. Listening to this pair is a delight. The planar-magnetic drivers and built-in amplifier ensure excellent sound, whether you’re streaming wirelessly or connected with a cable.

High frequencies sounded delicate, providing detail without excessive hiss or piercing. The low end also sounded fantastic. Bass notes had real pitch, as well as clear attack and decay. No matter how intensely the bass bumps on a track, you won’t lose other musical elements in a fog of smeared subwoofer bloat. You can read how its sound compares with that of other excellent wired options in our audiophile headphones guide .

Unlike most Bluetooth headphones, the Stax Spirit S3 sounds fantastic in wired or wireless mode. For many audio fans, being able to connect via a cable and get great sound is essential. Many older audio sources lack Bluetooth capabilities, and until Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless is widely adopted, you can’t listen to CD-quality music wirelessly. The Stax Spirit S3’s internal amplifier helps the set’s tuning stay consistent regardless of the connection method.

This pair is smaller and lighter than most audiophile sets, so you can wear it all day. Though the earcups extend farther out from the head than those of our other picks, the Stax Spirit S3 won’t look out of place at an office. This pair folds up into an included carrying case that’s compact enough to fit in a messenger bag. Also included is a fabric-wrapped 3.5-mm cable and a 3.5-mm-to-6.3-mm plug adapter.

You can easily swap between isolating pleather and “cooling” mesh earpads. The pleather pair blocks some external noise and is soft enough to smoosh around thinner glasses arms. The mesh pair allows in more air (and noise) and is made of a “cooling” material, which we found feels cooler in the same way mint is cooling. Whichever pads you prefer, the sound remains largely the same. Edifier cleverly designed EQ presets in the app that adjust the sound to suit the earpads’ distinct acoustic environments.

The 80-hour battery life is most impressive. It’s especially important because even though these headphones can work with a cable, they are not passive and must always be powered on to function. That’s a downside, as is this pair’s inability to play music while charging. But the quick-charge capabilities prevent this from being a dealbreaker, since a 10-minute charge will get you 11 hours of listening time.

A closeup of the bottom of the cups on the Stax Spirit S3, displaying control buttons.

The microphone quality is very good. Though the built-in microphone isn’t noise-reducing, it won’t be overloaded by a light wind, so you should be able to take calls while walking. A downside is that the microphone doesn’t function when you are connected to a device via cable. You’ll still hear your caller, but the job of capturing your voice will default to the internal mic of your device (phone, laptop, etc.).

The Stax Spirit S3’s dual-device connectivity works well for easy transition between phone and laptop use.

The app’s “hard sell” for the Edifier store is very annoying. Both the “mail” and “discover” tabs within the app lead to Edifier’s store, and escaping those sections isn’t intuitive. Rather than offering the universal X to close, there’s a small circle with a dot in it—at the top right of the app screen—that lets you exit the area. To avoid the hassle, we suggest that you stick to the “headphones” tab.

If anything goes wrong, the Stax Spirit S3 is covered by Edifier’s one-year warranty.

If you’re a committed Apple fan: The Apple AirPods Max is a very good pair of wireless headphones. This set sounds and looks great, pairs easily with Apple devices, and offers the best noise cancellation we’ve ever measured in the airplane band of frequencies. These headphones would be tough competition if they were lighter and less expensive, and if the active noise cancellation were more adjustable to account for eardrum suck. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are lighter and less expensive, have a longer battery life, and block more noise in the human vocal range (if that’s the type of noise isolation you desire). You can read our full writeup on Apple’s over-ear headphones in our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones .

If you want the best noise-cancelling headphones: The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is our favorite noise-cancelling set, even when pitted against newer Bose models. These over-ear headphones are lightweight, have a long battery life and easy-to-use controls, and are compatible with Google, Apple, and Alexa voice assistants. Read all about them in our guide to noise-cancelling headphones .

If eco-friendly practices are important to you: House of Marley has a more environmentally minded approach than many other electronics companies. And the Positive Vibration XL ANC is a really lovely pair of Bluetooth headphones, as long as you don’t use the active noise cancellation. They fit comfortably, with a soft, padded headband and earcups. Unlike most new Bluetoooth headphones, this pair includes a cable with a single-button remote and microphone; so if the battery dies, the XL ANC is still functional and can take calls.

But the noise cancellation, though effective on very low frequencies, isn’t supported by good sound isolation, so folks who are affected by eardrum suck may find using the ANC to be uncomfortable. With the ANC off, the sound is fantastic—balanced and clear. Yet the ANC negatively impacts the sound: Bass notes sounded louder yet duller, as if someone had turned up a subwoofer and tossed a blanket over it.

If you’re looking for wireless headphones for watching TV: We recommend the Insignia NS-HAWHP2 because it uses radio frequency (RF) transmission rather than Bluetooth. You can read about this set in our guide to the best wireless TV headphones .

A lot of new Bluetooth headphones were announced at CES 2024 . Here are some of the more notable ones:

JBL announced four pairs of wireless headphones—two on-ear pairs and two over-ear pairs. The on-ear Tune 520BT features up to 57 hours of battery life and quick-charge capabilities for $50. The $100 Tune 670NC offers adaptive noise cancellation, a smart ambient mode, and up to 70 hours of battery life (44 hours with ANC on).

The over-ear Tune 720BT will offer up to 76 hours of battery life and rapid-charge capability (five minutes of charging gets you three hours of use) for $80, and the Tune 770NC will have adaptive noise cancellation, a smart ambient mode, and up to 70 hours of battery life (44 hours with ANC on) for $130. All four pairs will have Bluetooth 5.3, which is compatible with Auracast , and be available in March.

JLab’s JBuds Lux over-ear ANC headphones will offer an awareness mode, multipoint capabilities, and Google Fast Pair/Find My functions. The Lux will be available in late February for $80.

EarFun announced its first over-ear ANC headphones, the Wave Pro, due in March. This pair will reportedly offer up to 80 hours of battery life, quick-charge capabilities, multipoint connectivity, and support for LDAC for $80.

1More’s SonoFlow over-ear headphones , our former budget pick, will get an update this spring. The new version reportedly offers improved performance, a more substantial metal chassis, a physical dial control, and wireless charging via a charging stand.

Over the years, we’ve tested hundreds of pairs of headphones for this guide, so we can’t include notes on every pair here. Below, we provide our thoughts on some recently tested and high-profile models. If there is a specific model you’re curious about that’s not listed, our full testing notes are available in this spreadsheet .

1More SonoFlow : This pair is our former budget pick. The sound quality is pleasant and adjustable, and the design is lightweight and comfortable, though it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the Soundcore Space One . The 50- to 70-hour battery life is impressive for a model in any price range. The noise cancellation is effective, but it was bested by that of the Soundcore Space One. And the ANC does not work in wired mode, so if you’re on a plane that requires a wired connection to the in-flight entertainment system, you’ll either have to go without ANC or pick up a Bluetooth transmitter .

1More SonoFlow SE : A bare-bones edition of the SonoFlow, this set has similar battery life/quick-charge capabilities, app-adjustable tuning, and a lightweight design. But the SE lacks its sibling’s water resistance, software-driven noise-cancelling microphone, and ability to listen wired. The noise cancellation doesn’t sound as effective as the original pair, and the hear-through mode sounds muffled, but the microphone does a pretty good job of reducing background noise. We think spending a bit more for our budget pick is worth it for the extra functionality.

Beats Studio Pro : For every positive, this pair has an equally disappointing downside. The noise cancellation and hear-through modes sound great, but neither is adjustable. It’s easy to use the larger physical buttons, but the power/ANC toggle button is inexplicably small. The foam earpads are soft but not replaceable. Android users get a dual-device connection feature; Apple users do not. There are three EQ settings, but they’re only accessible when listening via USB-C. But most importantly, the sound quality is dramatically impacted by use of the spatial audio: When it’s turned on, the lower bass is emphasized, and higher-pitched sounds have an artificial sharpness. With spatial audio off, the bass is notably diminished.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones : These are good headphones, but they aren’t remarkable enough to justify the $350 price. The build is very comfortable, with a lightweight feel and squishy earpads that should accommodate many glasses arms. These headphones utilize physical buttons rather than the touch controls, and the buttons are easy to learn and find. The hear-through mode sounds natural, and music sounds good, albeit slightly bass-forward out of the box. The Bose app provides an EQ feature that can adjust the tuning, but it consists of only three faders, which is too simplistic. The microphones sound very clear in a quiet room, but background noises in the human vocal range, like a sink running nearby, will be pronounced. The ANC is not as effective as what the rest of the current Bose line can deliver. In fact, at the highest intensity, these headphones reduced less noise in the airplane band than our budget pick. We do love that Bose includes a cable with a three-button remote and mic––a rare old school nicety.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones : Bose’s newest premium over-ear pair, the Ultra sounds good and has a lightweight, comfortable design. But we’d like to see more bonus features to justify the steep $430 price tag. Many headphones that cost under $250 are similarly comfortable and offer better sound customization, longer battery life, always-listening wake words, voice-activated awareness modes, a higher IP rating, and better microphone noise reduction. The ANC works very well, reducing a lot of noise in the airplane band—but it also produced a stronger feeling of eardrum suck than any other headphones we’ve tested. Of course, you can always use the app to dial down the ANC intensity, but really the powerful noise cancellation is the only compelling reason to buy these headphones.

Edifier W820NB Plus : With so many other great options, this pair just fell a bit short. The sound quality is decent, and the padding on the earcups is comfortable. The noise cancellation is moderately effective, but the overall reduction is marred by the design’s lack of passive isolation.

Edifier WH950NB : This pair is a mixed bag. Sonically, the bass is a touch bloated in the upper lows, and the highs have a slight coarseness to them, but neither flaw makes listening unenjoyable. The fit is lightweight and comfortable, and the earcups are deep, which can be more comfortable for people who have prominent or sensitive ears. However, the control buttons are small and tricky to feel, especially if you have larger fingers or challenges with dexterity. Like the W820NB Plus, this set lacks passive isolation. So although the noise cancellation is effective in a band of lower frequencies, you can still hear things like babies crying or dishes clinking. This combo of intense ANC and lack of isolation can exacerbate eardrum suck if you’re sensitive to it.

Onanoff Fokus + : The hear-through mode sounds like the person speaking has their hands cupped around their mouth. The sound quality isn’t much better, with blurry boosted bass and highs with a harsh, coarse edge. The only redeeming aspect to this pair is the boom mic, which is very effective at isolating your voice from background noise.

Phiaton BonoBeats Lite : It has been a while since we’ve tested a new pair of on-ear headphones, so we were hopeful that the BonoBeats Lite would be recommendable for someone who prefers that style. Sadly, this pair wasn’t what we’re looking for. The headband is small with a lot of clamping force. The noise cancellation is middling, the sound quality has recessed vocals, and the hear-through mode has a hissing quality. Bummer.

PSB M4U 9 : PSB is known for excellent bass reproduction, and the M4U 9 is a great example of why. The bass is slightly forward in the mix, but the notes have actual pitch, even at volumes that might cause distortion in other headphones. Out of the box, the highs have a slight icy spike, and male vocals are slightly recessed, but it’s subtle enough to be a matter of preference. Taking the time to complete the hearing-test-based EQ test can improve the experience, and unlike many wireless headphones, this pair sounds just as good wired as it does wireless. However, there are also some downsides. The noise cancellation takes the edge off of low frequencies, but the intensity isn’t competitive with even our budget pick in this guide. The headband transfers a lot of noise, so a small bump or scratch resonates noisily. On a more affordable pair, we might be able to overlook this given the great sound quality, but for $500, we want better.

Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2 : This pair is an evolution of studio headphones and may be considered by people specifically for that purpose. It retains the Shure sound (narrowly boosted high frequencies and extra energy in the lows around 60 Hz) when you listen passively. However, via Bluetooth, the sound out of the box is very boomy, and the three preset EQ modes all go too far in their application of filters. The sound can be customized in the app, but the interface is not user-friendly for beginners and not dexterous enough for experts. We eventually got to a sound that was “close enough” to what we wanted, but it wasn’t easy to get there. The noise cancellation is intense and restricted to lower frequencies, so for those sensitive to eardrum suck, you’ll want to make adjustments. The microphones are clear but pick up external noise and are easily overwhelmed by wind. If you specifically want a pair of studio headphones that can be used wirelessly, these are fine, but we’d suggest getting a pair of Sony MDR-7506 wired headphones and our budget pick here for less money combined.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC XT 2 : This pair is for someone who wants the experience of a car-trunk subwoofer in a wearable format. The bass is loud and boomy, and a small motor vibrates the headphones so that you can feel the bass. It’s not our thing, but if you’re into that, we won’t yuck your yum. We’ll just say, don’t get these if you want effective ANC or balanced sound.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.

Meet your guide

tour one m2 vs xm5

Lauren Dragan

Lauren Dragan is a senior staff writer and has tested nearly 2,000 headphones for Wirecutter. She has a BA from Ithaca College in music performance and audio production. She’s been featured in Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News , The New York Times, and more. Additionally, she’s a voice actor whose work includes projects for Disney and Mattel.

Further reading

A pair of white in-ear headphones plugged into a bluetooth headphone adapter, next to a smartphone playing music.

The Best Bluetooth Headphone Adapter

by Adrienne Maxwell

If you want to use your favorite wired headphones over a wireless connection, the easy-to-use 1Mii ML100 is the best Bluetooth headphone adapter for most people.

tour one m2 vs xm5

The Best Sleep Headphones (But We Hoped for Better)

by Lauren Dragan

All of the sleep headphones we tested fell short in some way, but we still have three recommendations for different uses and budgets.

The two best portable bluetooth transmitters for personal use, the 1Mii ML300 and the 1Mii B03, shown side-by-side.

The Best Bluetooth Transmitters for Home and Portable Use

by Nick Guy

Looking for a way to connect your wireless headphones to a source that lacks Bluetooth? Use a Bluetooth transmitter like 1Mii’s ML300 or B03 .

The two best wireless TV headphones, the Insignia NS-HAWHP2 and the Power Acoustik HP-902RFT.

The Best Wireless TV Headphones

by Nena Farrell and Lauren Dragan

Wireless TV headphones let you watch TV or play games without disturbing others. We like Insignia’s NS-HAWHP2 for its comfort, ease of use, and minimal lag.

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

Forget Sony and Bose: These JBL headphones are my sleeper pick for best of 2023

nina-raemont-headshot

As someone who spends their workdays researching the best earbuds and the highest-quality headphones , nothing excites me more than a pair of headphones with the latest features and a reasonable price tag. If you're like me, you'll love the JBL Tour One M2 headphones , which promise seamless listening, all-day comfort, and high-quality sound. 

Also:  These $350 headphones allowed me to hear things I'd never heard before

With the new Tour One M2, JBL enhanced key features from 2021's Tour One headphones, including active noise cancellation (ANC) and spatial sound. So, I put them to the test.

To test the headphones, I spent many workdays listening to my morning classical music playlist. And I'm happy to report that the ANC impressed me by insulating sound well enough to help me dig into my work or award myself some serious quiet time.   

With a 40mm driver and a vast frequency response range, the Tour One M2 headphones capture and reproduce robust sound that registers far below and above the audible level of human hearing. Basically, you'll hear all the instruments and voices exactly like how the songwriter wants you to.

While listening to Jungle's Back on 74 , the JBL headphones delivered deep bass and crisp vocals. The sound on these headphones is insanely clear and made every album I listened to a delight. With every song I listened to, the immersive sound of the headphones turned my eight hours in the office into a private dance party. That's how good it was.

For better or worse, the ANC is powerful enough that it can be difficult to hear and communicate with people or be aware of your surroundings with these headphones on. I wore them on the subway to test out the different audio modes -- Ambient Aware and ANC -- and found the headphones much better suited for moderately noisy environments compared to high-volume environments like a subway. 

Also: Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones: The perfect headphones for all-day listening

In too loud of spaces, I could tell that the Tour One M2 had trouble canceling every noise and delivered poorer sound when the volume was lower. The Ambient Aware mode, which was created for busy environments that require your awareness, reflects far too much background noise and complicates the listening experience. Because of that, I rarely used this feature.

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I was especially blown away by how comfortable the headphones were after spending a few weeks with the Tour One M2 -- I could wear them for an entire workday without ear fatigue. The headphones have a lightweight feel, which I noticed immediately. The ear cups swivel to fit the shape of your head and ears, so there's less stiffness around the upper ear that causes irritation and ache compared to other headphones without such flexibility. 

Also: Shopping for expensive headphones? The best option for you may be much cheaper

One feature I especially love about the Tour One M2 is Smart Talk. You can turn this feature on in the JBL Headphones app to automatically pause your music once you start talking to someone. When the headphones register that you've stopped talking, they will restart your music after five, 15, or 20 seconds. 

Smart Talk is so handy for quick office conversations across cubicles when you don't want to fumble with the pause and play controls. On that note, the touch controls on these headphones are so receptive and quick that there is minimal fumbling involved when you want to quickly tap the right ear cup to pause or play sound. 

The JBL headphones app offers an impressive range of equalizer settings for you to toy with to get the most out of your music. You can customize the EQ for songs heavy in bass, for jazz, for the club, and more. 

Also: Best headphones for music listening 

With ANC turned off, your battery will last you for up to 50 hours. You're looking at around 30 hours with ANC turned on, which is still more battery than what Apple's AirPods Max or Sony's WH-1000XM5  are rated for. The Tour One M2's extended battery life makes them an outstanding pair of headphones for all-day gaming, regular music listening, and long conference calls. Plus, with a five-minute quick charge, you can get three extra hours of power. 

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If I haven't given enough reasons why these headphones are amazing for the workday, then let me get into JBL's SilentNow feature, another unique feature I love about the Tour One M2 headphones. This feature disconnects your headphones from Bluetooth and turns ANC on for a customizable duration of time to limit distractions and create a silent bubble of productivity around you. 

If you've got a business proposal you need to churn out or need to update a convoluted spreadsheet that requires your undivided attention, this is an amazing feature that encourages deep work. 

Also: The best noise-canceling headphones, tested and reviewed

There was some trouble in paradise, however. The touch controls are a breeze to use while sitting down and working, but while I was running outdoors on a windier day, they were less receptive to my commands. The volume buttons on the right ear cup had trouble turning up and down as I was running but had no trouble doing so while working at my desk. 

Additionally, the lack of an IP rating means the Tour One M2 are not waterproof, let alone sweatproof. So, the Tour One M2 are definitely best suited for stationary activities. 

ZDNET's buying advice 

JBL's Tour One M2 headphones impressed me with their breadth of features that make music more immersive and isolate you from external noises. For $300, you're getting the latest version of Bluetooth, longer battery life compared to most wireless headphones on the market, excellent ANC, the convenient Smart Talk feature, and spatial sound, all within a lightweight and comfortable headset. 

Video gamers, EQ connoisseurs, and desk job employees looking for all-day music and deep work features will love and reap the benefits of the Tour One M2 headphones.

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JBL Tour One M2 Review

Over-ear headphones brimming with features

JBL Tour One M2 main

JBL’s flagship wireless over-ears offer an enormous number of features to make the commute more enjoyable, with fine sound, effective noise cancellation and an excellent wireless performance. But the competition they’re up against is tough.

  • Lightweight design
  • Excellent wireless performance
  • Great call quality
  • Effective noise cancellation
  • Clear, balanced sound
  • Unremarkable looks
  • Beaten for bass depth and extension
  • Tough competition

Availability

  • UK RRP: £279.99
  • Europe RRP: €299
  • Australia TBC

Key Features

  • SilentNow Wakes you up from your noise cancelling slumber
  • Voice control Supports both Google and Amazon’s voice assistants
  • Multi-Point Can be connected to two devices at once

Introduction

JBL makes a gazillion headphones and speakers each year. Just recently it announced it had sold 200 million headphones, making the company the numero uno brand in the overall headphone market.

The JBL Tour One M2 are the company’s latest flagship over-ears, and in its own words, outperforms its previous headphones. Ticking the requisite boxes for a headphone in 2023, there is adaptive noise cancellation, personalized sound, spatial audio support and long battery life provided in a lightweight design.

We’ve come across a few headphones that are jack of many trades but master of only a few. Could that same description apply to the Tour One M2?

  • Lightweight and comfy design
  • Good controls

There’s a definite lack of flash to the Tour One M2’s appearance, their only real indulgence to style are the glossy highlights on the earcups and headband. Otherwise, these headphones are here to do a job, which is to sit on your head without causing discomfort.

And it’s mission accomplished, as they’re light on the head, causing very little bother. That’s unlike the previous JBL over-ears I tested in the Club One , which had a tight clamping force and bulky size. The Tour One M2 is positively light by comparison.

JBL Tour One M2 in case

They’re comfortable in the right places, the padding on the underside of the headband and earcups is nice and supple, the earcups are spacious and the clamping force is nice and snug. I can’t find anything to complain about. I haven’t noticed wind noise to be a factor in disrupting the ANC performance .

Controls are a mixture of physical buttons (power/Bluetooth, noise cancelling and volume) and touch controls (playback). Power button is a slider, a slightly flimsy one that you might accidentally swipe down on it as I did when grabbing the headphones. It can also be a little difficult to turn them off with the headphones on the head; I had to dig my fingernails in to ease the slider up.

JBL Tour One M2 buttons close up

Touch controls are well implemented: one tap to pause, another to skip forward and three to skip back. The noise cancelling button is on the left earcup and that allows for toggling between ANC on and pass-through modes. This is another aspect of the headphones I can’t find much to grumble with.

The headphones are also collapsible, which is a change from 2022’s trend of non-foldable headphones, which means you can pack them easily into a bag or put them into the carry case, which also has a pouch for storing cables/accessories (a 3.5mm cable, USB-C charging and airplane adapter). They also come in a more fetching silver finish (at least from the promotional photos).

JBL Tour One M2 carry case hard

  • Effective rather than resounding ANC
  • Pretty faultless call quality
  • Features in abundance

JBL does like to pack headphones with as many features as possible, and the Tour One M2 are no different. The adaptive noise cancelling is the highlight, and the performance is respectable, if not quite emphatic.

They do clear out a lot of surrounding noise, from people walking past on a late night in Shoreditch (voices effectively subdued) to cars, buses and vans going by, but there’s still some noise peeking through.

I did notice the level of the adaptive noise cancelling was not always consistent, which you would expect since it’s adaptive , but oftentimes it let through more noise than the ‘standard’ ANC mode.

Compared to the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45 , the Tour One M2 can’t match both pair’s eerie sense of calm.

JBL Tour One M2 hanging

They’re also not too effective at dealing with the noise on the Tube when it starts to get ‘loud’. I’ve used these headphones on the Northern, District and Jubilee lines and as soon as the howl of the wind picks up, music tends to take a background seat until it dies down. You can, obviously, raise the volume to combat it, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

It does, at least, exercise its noise cancelling cleanly, with none of that ‘whooshing’ sound as cars go by or that ANC whine. It also doesn’t noticeably alter the tone of audio being played, so I’d describe the noise cancelling as effective, but you can get better around the £300 mark.

The transparency is another effective feature, amplifying surrounding sounds so I can hear announcements on the train easily. As is the case with JBL headphones, the Tour One M2 has two different versions in Ambient Aware and TalkThru.

The former sounds clearer and adopts a more natural tone – it’s the standard ambient mode that grants greater transparency to sounds around you, the strength of which can be altered in the app. The response sliding from low to high ambience is instant.

TalkThru mutes music and focuses on people’s voices, and it does this very well. Used on the train, the headphones fixed their focus on people’s voices across the carriage, including the rustling of a bag which was amplified so much I felt it was happening right beside me.

JBL Tour One M2 headphones app ANC

For calls the JBL uses a 4-mic set-up with JBL’s Voice Aware technology, and the performance was excellent. The person I called commented they could hear me clearly and that background noise was kept to a minimum. They could hear people nearby but not to the point where he could make out what they were saying. That’s a very effective performance in my book.

Battery life is stated as 30 hours with noise cancelling on and 50 hours with it off. There’s no mention of fast charging but filling up the battery from dead reportedly takes two hours.

Delve into the JBL Headphones app and there’s a choice between enabling Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or accessing a mobile device’s native voice assistant. The Equalizer comes with five presets and the option to make a 10-band custom EQ.

Or you could rely on the Personi-Fi to craft your own personalized audio profile. It achieves this by conducting a test that measures how well you hear a series of receding blips for your left and right ear. The Low Volume Dynamic EQ boosts highs and lows when listening at lower volumes.

JBL Tour One M2 headphones app personalised sound

There is JBL’s take on Spatial Sound with Movie, Music and Game profiles, and you can modify controls for the Action Button (left earcup) and the touch panel, though that only refers to disabling it.

Smart Talk is like Sony’s Speak to Chat, automatically enabling the TalkThru mode when it senses you’re speaking and lowering music volume. It not only reacts quickly when I start talking but is prompt to return to music. The speed at which music resumes can be set in the app.

The Smart Audio & Video feature presents the best audio quality with music (in what way it doesn’t specify) as well as improving lip-sync performance with video. Switching between them necessitates the JBL headphones re-connecting with the source device, and I must admit that watching videos on Prime Video and YouTube, I couldn’t tell if there was a pronounced difference between the two modes. What I did notice was a couple more dropouts on YouTube with Video mode than I did in the Audio mode.

The SilentNow feature disconnects the Bluetooth connection and turns on the noise cancelling, so you can catch 40 winks and not be disturbed. You can set when it starts, how long it goes for and whether you want a notification to wake you up.

JBL Tour One M2 headphones app customised

The Personal Sound Amplification seems to achieve a similar objective as the Ambient Aware feature, which makes me ponder why it’s included. At least it offers a different set of customisations by changing the balance from left ear to right.

Elsewhere there’s Auto Power Off, Auto Play & Pause (which is speedy) and a Max Volume Limiter that protects your hearing. All the way at the bottom of the app is the means to update the firmware.

The headphones support Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC codecs supported. Connectivity has been excellent, there hasn’t been any dropout, significant or otherwise, whether walking through populated areas like Soho or in busy transport hubs such as Victoria train station.

Sound Quality

  • Good treble performance
  • Not for bass addicts
  • Clear, balanced tone to music

In a similar vein to JBL’s Live Pro 2 wireless earbud, the Tour One M2 take a balanced approach to audio that may strike some as bland. On the default volume they do sound reticent, the soundstage is rendered small and its sense of energy lacks ‘fizz’. But just two nudges on the volume control and the JBL gives a much better account of itself.

With GoGoPenguin’s Erased by Sunlight there’s clarity to the headphones’ treble performance and good tonal variation of the piano notes throughout the song. You can sense how much pressure is applied to each piano note, the sound of the trailing edge as it lingers; the brightness of each note is an improvement on the Club One’s dulled performance.

JBL Tour One M2 logo detail

I wouldn’t say the JBL offers the biggest bass performance. There’s weight provided to the drum hits in the Smashing Pumpkins’ Bullet with Butterfly Wings, but a headphone such as Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless expresses it with more depth and heft.

You get with the JBL a spacious, slightly wider and clearer performance, but the sense of energy and drive half-way through the track in its frenzied guitar section isn’t as intense on the JBL as it is with the Sennheiser or even the Club One.

Dynamically, the headphones feel broad in terms of describing the difference between a track’s highs and lows, a shade less sprightly in conveying the nuances of singers. The stereo image it offers of Tune-Yards’ Hypnotized is also not as vividly realized as on the Sony WH-1000XM4 , I sense more depth to the Sony’s performance than the JBL can offer.

With vocals there’s a clarity that’s possibly better than either the Sennheiser or Sony’s smoother approach takes. The difference with the Spinners’ Could It Be I’m Falling in Love is hard to judge, but I think there’s more character and a smidge more presence to the lead vocals on the Sony.

JBL Tour One M2 laying flat on table

It matches up to what I think of the JBL’s mid-range performance, which is clear and detailed, but the other headphones dig out more definition of instruments for a more musical performance.

That said, the JBL holds up well to both the Sennheiser and Sony. Its more neutral, perhaps even clinical approach doesn’t have the richness of either the Momentum or WH-1000XM4, but some listeners may prefer that approach.

The JBL also offers spatial sound within the JBL Headphones app and that amounts to a wider soundstage with vocals recessed to create a sense of depth. I’d stick with the default audio as all this really does is make the soundstage bigger rather than the sense of sounds being around you.

The Personi-Fi personalized audio is something that will differ with each person. I preferred to have it off than on, the slight emphasis on the midrange that I heard came across as too processed and giving voices a tone that felt artificial.

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Should you buy it.

If you prefer clear, balanced audio to a richer-sounding headphones Everybody has their preference when it comes to audio. There are many ways to serve a track to your ears, and if you prefer a balanced, more neutral approach to audio that’s what the Tour One M2 offer.

The competition is fierce You’ve got efforts from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Shure, all around the same price and they range from being pretty good to excellent. There’s lots of options to choose from, especially for better noise cancelling.

Final Thoughts

The JBL Tour One M2 are a pair of headphones that score 8/10 in many categories and 9/10 in a few, which made deciding on a score a tad more difficult than expected.

As an overall package, they’re very competitive with regards to the competition. Their wireless performance is pretty faultless, as is their call quality performance. They sound very good but not brilliant, and perhaps the lack of any high-res audio codecs goes against them. But for those who prefer a balanced sound then they’re a pair to seek below the £300 mark.

Their noise cancelling is not class-leading – the Bose QuietComfort 45 are better in this instance – but they’re good for the commute and travel, and the levels of comfort the headphones offer is finely tuned. The list of features is extensive, and some will probably never use half of them, but there’s something for everyone who enjoy music, games or TV on-the-go.

I’ve found the Tour One M2 have been a very reliable pair of headphones in the two weeks I’ve used them, and while they’re short of the very best, for those who want headphones that cover a wide range of features and boast a very good performance (and who wouldn’t want that?), this flagship effort from JBL are well worth checking out. But the competition is decidedly tough.

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We test every set of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.

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As far as we can tell, the Tour One M2 do not have any fast-charging abilities

The the Tour One M2 does carry support for Bluetooth multi-point, and they’re able to connect to two devices simultaneously.

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Kob Monney

Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and …

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JBL Tour One M2 review

The pro-audio dna is strong in these stylish noise cancelling headphones from jbl.

JBL Tour One M2

Louder Verdict

The JBL Tour One M2 can be considered a sensational update on an already winning design. Thanks to those big 40mm drivers, they’re beautifully dynamic and are as at home with nu metal as they are classic rock. Sumptuously finished, and supremely comfortable to wear, they come highly recommended.

Exciting, dynamic audio performance

Insanely comfortable

Bass isn’t subterranean

Takes time to master physical controls

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

  • The alternatives

The JBL Tour One M2 headphones offer advanced noise cancelling and reassuringly dynamic audio thanks to big 40mm dynamic drivers. Suited to guitar-led indie rock, melodious prog and grinding nu-metal, they’re versatile crowd pleasers.

The black or silver design is understated for JBL and the cups pivot so they’re easy to stow - although it takes a bit of practice to master the body controls. The right has a power/pairing switch and volume control rockers and is touch sensitive for playback or voice control, while the left has a customisable button for Active Noise Cancellation and related modes.

The headphones run Bluetooth 5.3 LE and support two device multipoint connections while battery life is up there with the best at around 30 hours with ANC on and 50 hours when it’s off.

JBL Tour One M2: Design

A second generation iteration of JBL's flagship over-ear headphones, the Tour One M2 are handsome in a minimalist way, with matte ear cups offset by a gloss trim. There’s a choice of two colours: stealthy-black or glam rock silver. The headphones fold and the cups pivot, making them compact enough to stow in a bag or deep pocket. 

The right cup has a power and pairing switch plus volume control rockers and is touch sensitive for simple playback control or voice control; the left offers ANC modes. Like their predecessor, these headphones are supremely comfortable to wear. Tipping the the scales at just 268g, they don’t over clamp and the faux leather padding used in the headband and earmuffs is marshmallow soft.

The JBL Tour One M2 also come with a carry case, 3.5mm cable, USB-C cable and airline adapter.

JBL Tour One M2: Features

The feature roster is the right side of smart on the JBL Tour One M2. The noise cancelling headphones react to your voice, pausing music and enabling Ambient Aware mode, so you can carry on a conversation. An alternative Smart Talk mode lowers the volume of music so that you can hold a quick conversation. 

The JBL Tour One M2 also feature an updated version of the brand’s True Adaptive ANC noise cancelling tech which is generally impressive. In ANC mode they hide intrusive noise, effectively cloaking even high volume distractions. I wore the JBL Tour One M2 on a flight to New York and they made short work of aeroplane engine noise to the point where it was undetectable when using British Airways' inflight entertainment system. A Man Called Otto barely had to raise his voice.

If you want to take advantage of noise cancelling without draining Bluetooth, there’s also a SilentNow feature. This disconnects your smartphone and activates ANC which is good for both short and long commutes.

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.3 LE, the battery life on the JBL Tour One M2 is generous. These headphones run for 30 hours with ANC activated and 50 if you turn ANC off. That’s more than enough for several days ear-wear without worrying about charging.

Helpfully, they’ll also fast charge if you’re caught short. Ten minutes on the juice translates to around five hours of playtime - and there’s also support for Google Assistant and Alexa.

JBL Tour One M2: Sound

I think the JBL Tour One M2 offer an exhilarating listen thanks to the pair of large 40mm dynamic drivers which do the sonic lifting, tuned with JBL pro-sound pixie dust. They sound fast and dynamic, with excellent fine detail.

There’s a variety of sound profiles on the partnering JBL app (Club, Bass, Vocal, Jazz), but Studio is the only one you need. It offers loads of detail and a balanced mid-range which is delivered with a bourbon-sweet musical edge.

This tonality perfectly fits the indie rock of Sydney-based three-piece Middle Kids. The stabby guitar riff of Highlands doesn’t get in the way of the silky euphoric vocals.

These headphones also support JBL Spatial Sound, a novel post-processing mode that creates a more immersive sound stage. There are three presets: Movie, Music and Game but results are variable. The Music setting's spatial treatment works a treat on the live cut of American Beat by the Headcats, effectively putting you stage front and the live atmosphere wraps around you. 

I’m not so convinced it adds much to the studio release of Motorhead's Ace Of Spades though. The standard Studio EQ when cranked up is rewardingly raw and rowdy enough.

Bass delivery can be considered clean and agile and perfectly showcases Roger Waters ' propulsion bass riff on Pink Floyd ’s Money , although I can see some might hanker for more exaggerated weight. 

The crunching opening to Muse ’s Hysteria could perhaps slam harder but this is a minor niggle for such a fine pair of hard rockin’ headphones.

The bottom line is the JBL Tour One M2 sound great. Consider me satisfied.

JBL Tour One M2: The alternatives

There’s no shortage of competing quality noise cancelling headphones. One obvious alternative to the JBL Tour One M2 are the Sony WH-1000XM5 . Similarly minimalistic in style, they come in slightly more expensive but boast slightly better noise cancelling and a host of smart features, including Speak-to-Chat and 360 Reality Audio support. But the drivers are smaller at just 30mm.

A budget big brand alternative would be the Sennheiser HD 450BT over-ear headphones . These also offer Active Noise Cancelling, a 30 hour battery life and lightweight design (238g).

Steve May

Steve is a home entertainment technology specialist who contributes to a variety of UK websites and mags, including Louder Sound, Yahoo UK, Trusted Reviews, T3, The Luxe Review and Home Cinema Choice. Steve began his career as a music journo, writing for legendary rock weekly Sounds, under the nom de plume Steve Keaton. His coverage of post punk music was cited in the 2015 British Library exhibition Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination, as a seminal influence on the Goth music scene.

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tour one m2 vs xm5

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Home / Reviews / Audio / Headphones / JBL Tour One M2 review: quality and comfort

JBL Tour One M2 review: quality and comfort

These high-end cans come feature-packed

Jack Needham

When it comes to noise-cancelling cans, a few big names are usually first to trip off the tongue. But while Sony, Bose and Sennheiser might effectively silence the outside world, they’re also pricey. JBL reckons it can compete on clarity while undercutting on price. The JBL Tour One M2 has everything you’d expect from a pair of top-tier headphones, only they cost £50 less than the stellar Sony XM5 .

Given the firm’s track record, there’s every reason to expect great things. JBL soundbars are some of the best around, and the JBL Reflect Pro earbuds gave the Beats Fit Pro a run for their money in our Stuff Gadget Awards 2022 . Now, we have the JBL Tour ONE M2. Time to find out of that translates to over-ear headphones.

Design and comfort: Snug, but lacking style

JBL Tour ONE M2

Let’s get what may be (to our eyes) the Tour One M2’s biggest flaw out of the way first. These headphones aren’t going to turn many heads, with a choice of monotone black or silver colours and a tiny JBL logo on each earcup being the only real design flourish. But hey, maybe you’re wholeheartedly impressed by glossy plastic, or prefer your tech on the subtle side.

It all feels sturdy, with just the right amount of flex and lots of adjustment in the headband. The ear cups also pivot, so it should suit all head sizes.

The hard shell carry case that comes bundled with the headphones feels secure and well-made. Give it a shake and you won’t near any rattles coming from inside, so you can be confident in chucking it into a backpack. You’ve got to fold the ear cups in a specific way to sit them securely, though – it’s perhaps a little fiddlier than some rivals. There’s also a pouch holding the included USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm cable and air travel adapter.

Where JBL really knocks it out of the park is in the comfort factor. These are light, durable, softly cushioned headphones that won’t become an annoyance during any long distance trips. The padded leatherette cups provide a tight, almost suction-like seal around your ears, which helps provide plenty of passive sound isolation and keeps wind noise from interrupting your music. 

Features: Tap away

JBL Tour ONE M2

A few taps on the right ear cup will control your tunes: once to play and pause, twice to skip a track, three times to go back. A tap and hold will trigger Siri, Alexa or Ok Google, too. It’s all rather sensitive, which can lead to a few accidentally skipped tracks, but still preferable to pulling your phone out each time.

Setup is quick, easy and painless, with a sliding switch on the right earcup both powering on the headphones and entering pairing mode. From there, pretty much every tweak is done through the JBL Headphones app. 

That includes adjusting the Adaptive Noise Cancelling, which uses four mics to react to changes in exterior sound. It’s reasonably quick to adjust, but you can still tell when the isolation levels increase or decrease in real-time. Overall you can expect decent, though not class-leading cancellation, with louder, more sudden noises creeping in. The Ambient Aware transparency mode is effective enough though.

TalkThru lets you have conversations without removing the headphones, which always seems a little rude to us, but works as intended. Taking phone calls is also pretty flawless, with algorithms cutting out most wind noise and a loopback option if you want to hear more or less of your own voice while chatting. We thought the Smart Talk feature, which cuts off your music when it hears your voice, worked a little too well at times. Clearing your throat or gulping down a drink can sometimes make it kick in, and we had to tweak the settings in the app to stop it constantly triggering while out for an afternoon stroll.

You can now pick between two Smart Audio and Video listener profiles, which are meant to fine-tune what you’re listening to, but offered very little noticeable difference to us. It’s also worth pointing out that many in-app features can’t be customised beyond an ‘on/off’ switch.

There are no complaints when it comes to battery life. JBL says the Tour One M2 can last around 50 hours per charge, which is double that of the previous-gen model. Expect 30 hours with ANC enabled, though. That largely bore out in our testing, so we could get through several working days before needing to plug in – as long as you remember to turn on the auto power down function through the app. From our experience, a 30ish minute charge will provide an 80% top-up.

Two device multipoint connectivity is a welcome addition, letting you quickly flip between Spotify on your phone and YouTube on a laptop. It supports Bluetooth 5.3, but makes do with basic SBC and AAC codecs; anyone after hi-res sound will need to hunt down a pair of aptx- or LDAC-equipped cans.

Sound quality: More space, less bass

JBL Tour One M2 review in hand

Like a lot of JBL kit, the Tour One M2 attempts a more balanced sound signature. Bass junkies may be a little disappointed, as the low-end doesn’t resonate with much power. You can tweak the EQ through the companion app, but none of the presets add much oomph in that department.

Otherwise trebles are crisp, the soundstage is wide and immersive once you crank the volume, and everything I listened to was delivered with good precision. Vocals have real impact, and there didn’t seem to be any genre it struggled with.

JBL’s Personi-Fi hearing test creates a personal audio profile, playing a series of chimes that decrease in volume. It’s a little clunky, with short gaps between frequencies. Maybe that’s why the boosted end results offered little improvement.

Spatial audio also makes an appearance, providing a more immersive experience if you like that sort of thing. It certainly expands the soundstage, but doesn’t give the same sense of being encapsulated by sound that you get from rivals like the Apple AirPods Max . While it’s far from a dedicated gaming headset, we did like the effect this had when booting up Battlefield V .

JBL Tour One M2 verdict

JBL Tour One M2 review earcups

With a fantastic listening experience, comfortable fit and competitive battery life, the JBL Tour One M2 is a great pair of over-ear headphones. They’re a worthy alternative to the more expensive models that make up our best noise-cancelling headphones list .

Noise cancelling isn’t the best around, so commuters or frequent travellers may want to extend their budget a little further, and there’s some tweaking to be done through the companion app to get interruption-free playback. But it’s otherwise a very solid all-rounder.

Stuff Says…

Score: 4 /5

Not perfect, but a worthy investment and some of the most comfortable phones around.

Comfort factor

Crisp sound for a range of listening

Top-tier noise cancelling

Lacking in style

Clunky app with some uneccessary features

Profile image of Jack Needham

A writer of seven years and serial FIFA 23 loser, Jack is also Features Editor at Stuff. Jack has written extensively about the world of tech, business, science and online culture. He also covers gaming, but is much better at writing about it than actually playing. Jack keeps the site rolling with extensive features and analysis.

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tour one m2 vs xm5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Which noise canceling headphones win?

Bose and Sony flagship noise-canceling headphones compared

  • Specs compared
  • Price and availability
  • Sound quality
  • Call quality
  • Battery life

The QC Ultra Headphones combine class-leading ANC with intuitive features and universal spatial audio to deliver one of the most engaging, peaceful listening experiences money can buy.

  • Modernized design
  • Effective Immersive Audio experience
  • Intuitive controls
  • Impressive ANC
  • High cost compared to most rivals
  • Middling battery life for a flagship design

Sony has stepped up its ANC tech with the XM5 to give Bose a run for the money. They sound superb, and the 30-hour battery life (with ANC) is strong. Everything from the touch controls to the Headphones Connect app is well thought out and seamlessly integrated.

  • Articulate and engaging sound
  • Great control options
  • Impressive noise-cancelation
  • Long battery life
  • Stellar call quality
  • Redesign divides opinion
  • Gets hot around the ears during longer listening

This Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5 face-off compares the flagship models from two of the world's greatest headphone rivals. If you're looking to make a buying decision on the  best noise-canceling headphones  money can buy, this face-off will tell you everything you need to know. 

While we've already covered the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Bose 700 , the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the next closest rival to the new Bose flagship. The Sony model have been around since May 2022, and have managed to hold their own in terms of noise-canceling despite strong competition from big-name rivals. But how do they compare to the newer Bose?   

As the Bose 700 successor, the all-new  QuietComfort Ultra Headphones  are masterfully engineered and boast plenty of upgrades in a new sleek design with intuitive touch controls. They come with a price increase, though, making them the more expensive option.

In this face-off I weigh up the pros and cons of two of the best noise-canceling headphones I've tested. Read on to discover the differences, and which of these two masterful noise-canceling models are the right headphones for your needs. 

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Specs compared

Bose quietcomfort ultra headphones vs. sony wh-1000xm5: price and availability.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are available to buy now for $429 at the Bose store  as well as online retailers including  Amazon ,  Best Buy , and  Walmart . The new Ultra Headphones are $50 more costly than the previous flagship: the Bose 700. They're available in black and white smoke color options.

Available in black, blue or silver color options, the Sony WH-1000XM5 launched in May 2022 at $399 / £379 / AU$649. By comparison, the refreshed design and eco credentials bumped up this next-gen flagship by $50 over the model they replaced. See how they compare in our Sony WH-1000XM5 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4 face-off .

In terms of overall cost, the Sony headphones continue to offer a mind-bending feature set and are the better priced model overall. 

Winner:   Sony WH-1000XM5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Design

Both headphones stand out for their luxe styling. You're sure to get noticed with either of these upmarket headphones on your head or draped around your neck when on your travels. The new Bose Ultra Headphones appear to take design cues from rival models to create a chic and well-crafted headphone. Their superior craftsmanship, blending the 700’s sharp-looking aesthetics with the QC series’ pleasant wearable design, adds twistable and foldable earcups. 

The headband is more substantial and has softer padding. The sturdy aluminum frame allows the earcups to slide out or retract to get the right fit, while the premium leather wraps around the headband and earcups provide impressive long-term comfort. Even the bundled carrying case has gotten a facelift, featuring cutouts to collapse and stow the Ultra Headphones securely when on the move.

The  Sony WH-1000XM5  sees the new design opting for a slimmed-down chassis, narrow synthetic leather headband and simpler earcups. They offer good comfort levels and I like the slightly larger earcups, which helped my ears feel more comfortable when wearing the Sonys.  

It's a matter of personal taste, but both models look slightly better in their lighter finishes over the non-descript matte black versions. They also seem to wear better than black versions, and the Sonys in particular are prone to showing scuffs and sticky finger marks.

Winner: Tie

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Controls

Physical buttons and voice activation are part of both models. Tactility is responsive and solid, ensuring all intended commands are properly executed. Advanced mic arrays give both models excellent speech recognition and vocal capture when using the digital assistant. Firing up Alexa or Google Assistant with their wake-word phrase was instantaneous, and voice commands were addressed as quickly as they were received.

Touch controls are on the right earcup for both models to navigate playback commands. Wear detection is supported on both, but the Bose Ultra has a new volume control strip on the right earcup that feels accurate and is a great addition.

The left earcup on the Sony has a physical button that allows you to cycle through your noise-canceling options.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Sound quality

When it comes to sound delivery, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 represent top-tier performance. Although each has their strengths and your preference for one or the other will come down to personal taste, the Sony WH-1000XM5 give the stronger presentation across a wide range of music styles.

Immersive Audio is the headline feature of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. The universal spatialized audio is made possible by proprietary digital signal processing software, so whatever music source or streaming platform you use, you'll benefit from immersive listening on Bose's newest flagship.

Immersive Audio gave a phenomenal first impression. With the "Still" setting, I felt like I was listening to live music. Sounds appeared to have more space around them and felt like they wrapped around my head. I wouldn't say that it always felt entirely natural, and some elements of music that I know well were less prominent with Immersive Audio enabled. But it gave an impressive sense of spaciousness that stays anchored to a fixed point no matter where I moved my head. 

The "Motion" setting delivers the same dynamic listening experience while on the go but keeps the immersive sound experience equally balanced to the same level in each earcup. 

Bass levels appear to be slightly stronger when either of the Immersive Audio modes are selected. This may be intentional as it helps to draw you in to using the mode, but the Off setting feels far more natural in terms of stereo soundstage even if the bass sounds leaner. The Immersive Audio settings are fun and the sonic presentations are livelier than what you’ll hear from Apple or Sony’s spatial audio, too. Not to mention the QC Ultra’s headtracking is spectacularly accurate with zero latency.

The Sonys give you the option to manually adjust the equalizer in the Headphones companion app, but the default setting is pretty nicely balanced to begin with. Listening to Christine and the Queens "Tilted" the Sony's frequency range handling sounds smooth and refined. Listening on my morning commutes really put a spring in my step. Bass levels are strong, and my only criticism is that upper treble details lack a little expression. 

Nevertheless, there's exceptional layering of the upper bass and mid frequencies while listening to "La Ritournelle" by Sébastien Tellier, and the orchestral elements give a perfect sense of acoustic space with a wide and enjoyable soundstage. 

While Bose's signature sound balance has a richness and warmth that's very pleasant, I found I needed to adjust the EQ for a better balance on the QC Ultra Headphones. Listening to orchestral and acoustic tracks I know well, I found that certain mid frequencies were less prominent than I'm used to hearing, making the Sony WH-1000XM5 the better choice for audiophiles looking to hear every strand of the recording mix.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5  

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Active Noise Cancelation

The main reason why I've pitted these two headphones together is to see which have the better ANC performance. 

There's no doubt about it, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have the best noise-canceling performance I've encountered. Set to Max, I could barely hear anything of what was going on around me and I'd say that nearly 95% of unwanted sounds were silenced during my testing. They completely silenced the world around me to the point where I couldn't hear anyone in the office. My keyboard taps were non-existent, as was the sound of the kitchen faucet when I turned it on to top up a glass with cold water. Any blaring noises that caught my attention sounded like background effects on songs. 

Bose continues to lead the way with the most powerful noise neutralizing headphones you can buy.

Sony's ANC is impressive, too. Without leaving any trace of how hard the ANC circuitry is working, the Sony WH-1000XM5 banish pretty much all external sound and leave a nice dark background against which your music can do its thing. 

It really is a close race between these two flagship ANC models, but Bose continue to lead the way with the most powerful noise neutralizing headphones you can buy. Rarely have I heard ANC so effective, allowing me to luxuriate in my favorite music without distraction.   

Winner:  Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Call quality

Sadly, the QC Ultra Headphones don't outperform the Sony in terms of voice calling quality. That may sound shocking given the QC Ultra’s flagship status and price, but that doesn’t make them an inferior calling headset. They performed well with wireless video and voice calls, eliminating background noise, but some high-frequency sounds and wind did enter conversations.

The Sony's impressive mic array systems ensure that the XM5 achieve the kind of call quality best described as "exemplary." Wind-noise is kept to a minimum, and both ends of a conversation prove clear and easy to follow on any calls I took. However, it is Sony’s Transparency Mode that steals the show, granting up to 20 levels of ambient attenuation, and was strong enough to pick up conversations happening around me with ease.

Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Battery life

Bose says the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones give listeners 4 hours more battery than the Bose 700, meaning you should get 24 hours of continuous listening on a full charge. That said, enabling Immersive Audio brings that estimate down to 18 hours.  Allow up to 2 hours for the headphones to fully charge, and the fast-charge feature provides up to 3 hours of play time from a 15-minute charge.

The WH-1000XM5 are good for 30 hours between charges if you keep active noise-cancelation switched on, and that will rise to as much as 40 hours if you turn it off. The XM5 need a leisurely 3.5 hours to go from "flat" to full when charging via the USB-C input on the right earcup, and can retain an hour’s-worth of power after 10 minutes or so. The XM5 are also USB-PD (Power Delivery)-compatible, and charged in this way can get three hours of power after just three minutes.

In terms of overall playback times, the WH-1000XM5 headphones come out on top.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Verdict

The impressive redesign, outstanding noise canceling and Immersive Audio tech on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones make these the best noise-canceling headphones overall. But they're beaten by Sony's flagship in several key areas: battery life and sound quality. 

Ultimately, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are the more compelling set of cans overall. While not quite up to the standards of the new Bose, the progressive changes that Sony has made to its ANC technology with each new generation makes them the closest Bose rival on the market. They're more affordable, and I appreciate how light they feel to wear on my head and the engaging sound they deliver that puts a spring in my step.

If you really do just want the best-in-class noise cancelation for a long-haul flight, though, the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones should be your go-to choice. These svelte-looking cans are engineered to handle ambient sounds across the entire frequency spectrum, and the Immersive Audio is a fun element that many will enjoy.

More from Tom's Guide

  • Best Bose headphones
  • 5 wireless earbuds I recommend for audiophiles
  • Wireless earbuds mistakes you're probably making   

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Lee Dunkley

As a former editor of the U.K.'s Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee covers all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring.

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Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

tour one m2 vs xm5

Now that Bose has re-entered the conversation for best active noise canceling (ANC) headphones on the market, how do they stack up against the previous top pick? Here, we compare the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5 to see which cans are worth your money.

Editor’s note: this article was published on November 23, 2023, and is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones compared to the Sony WH-1000XM5?

ANC headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 share a number of design elements, as what makes a good set of ANC headphones is in large part to each company’s efforts in the past. Bose and Sony both have done so much to shape what people expect that it would be notable if these headphones didn’t follow a very similar formula: both headphones offer top-of-the-line specs, soft leatherette padding, and deep ear cups designed to isolate very well.

tour one m2 vs xm5

Both headphones are comfortable enough to be worn for hours on long flights. Both headphones are similarly light, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are more portable, owing to their carrying case and ability to fold down to fit inside. The Sony WH-1000XM5, on the other hand, can only fold flat.

Though neither set of headphones have any sort of ingress protection rating , minor rain or sweat won’t negatively affect them. However be careful: just because we didn’t run into water issues doesn’t mean you won’t.

How do you control the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5?

Man places finger on right ear cup to control Sony WH-1000XM5

Controls for both headphones are about as different as you can get, as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones primarily use physical buttons for playback and call control, whereas the Sony WH-1000XM5 use a collection of touch gestures. Though there’s no right or wrong way to make controls for headphones, we tend to recommend cans that use the touch gestures because they run less of a risk of compromising the seal that they make with your head.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones controls:

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have only two buttons to control calls and playback.

There’s limited ability to customize controls, for example you can use the Bose Music app to change the function of the shortcut. However, there’s really not a whole lot you can change about either headphones in terms of controls customization — you’ll need to use your phone for the advanced stuff.

Sony WH-1000XM5 controls:

Should you use the apps of either bose quietcomfort ultra headphones or sony wh-1000xm5.

If you’d like to equalize your headphones , enable either spatial audio features, or get OTA firmware updates, you’ll need to install the Bose Music app or the Sony Headphones Connect app. That said, it’s not required for either headphones — so if you’re a privacy-conscious individual you may elect to forgo these apps.

Bose has a web-based updater tool if you connect the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to your computer over USB-C, but Sony does not. If you want to perform firmware updates with the headphones, you’ll need to install the app.

How do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 connect?

Though both headphones are primarily intended to connect via Bluetooth, either can be used with a wired source . The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a 2.5mm to 3.5mm TRS cable included in the packaging, and the Sony WH-1000XM5 uses a simple 3.5mm TRS cable. Easy peasy.

Angled view of the Sony WH-1000XM5 power and noise canceling buttons

However, each headset takes a different approach to offering high-bitrate listening over Bluetooth. The Sony WH-1000XM5 uses Sony’s proprietary codec LDAC — previously the best on the market — to get higher-quality tunes to your ears. Because of its age, LDAC is supported by most Android phones, though iPhone users will be out of luck. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones on the other hand, uses a newer platform exclusive to Android smartphones that use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or newer processor: Snapdragon Sound. You don’t really need to worry about the specifics here, just know that if you have a phone with these specs, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones will use a high-bitrate codec called aptX Lossless that boasts better latency and data transfer rates than LDAC. We should point out, however, that the improvement is not a huge one, just slightly better.

Is battery life better on the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5?

We test every set of headphones, earbuds, and gaming headsets with the same battery life test in our labs, making our results comparable from product to product. In a clear win for the Sony WH-1000XM5, lasting 31 hours and 53 minutes with ANC on, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones can only last 27 hours and 37 minutes under the same conditions. Though 4 hours and change isn’t a huge difference proportionally, that’s an extra day of commuting, or a half of a work day. That’s a difference you’ll notice.

The USB-C charging port of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.

To compound this one, over time the reduced need to charge will mean that over the course of a year or two, you’ll have put less strain on the Sony WH-1000XM5’s USB-C port and battery by having significantly fewer charge cycles. This helps keep your headphones in good working order, hopefully avoiding  the landfill . Side note: always recycle your headphones, don’t throw them away .

Do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5 cancel noise better?

Both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 represent the top end of the market when it comes to ANC headphones , so we’re not comfortable saying that either model will be obviously better than the other. However, by our measurements, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones ekes out a win here.

Loading chart ...

Because both headphones isolate ears so well, you’ll notice that they will block out a lot of outside noise even when you’re in a fairly loud environment. Just remember that ANC headphones are not a substitute for hearing protection, and the main reason they are beneficial is that they allow you to listen to your music at a much quieter volume .

Both of these headphones are stellar noise cancellers.

Do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones sound better than the Sony WH-1000XM5?

We tested the Sony WH-1000XM5 in the lab with state-of-the-art equipment.

Which headphones sound better will come down to personal preference, and your willingness to tinker to get your cans sounding the way you want them. Both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 sound pretty good to most people, but they have their quirks . Neither headphone meets our headphone preference curve perfectly, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for you.

Though both headphones are bassy, the Sony WH-1000XM5 have a more pronounced “bass shelf” that can make some vocals and instruments a bit tough to hear. We suggest using the app to tick the “clear bass” option down two notches to keep this in check. Similarly, you might want to use the “Bass Reducer EQ” preset with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to make sure that overemphasis in the lows isn’t too extreme for you.

Because both headphones make use of high transfer-rate Bluetooth codecs, you’re unlikely to be able to notice any issues with fidelity. However, neither are truly lossless, but that’s one of the reasons we still have wired connections. Still, these two headphones are some of the most popular ANC headphone models for a reason, and a big part of it is the sound quality. Only the Focal Bathys and Apple AirPods Max noticeably surpass these headphones for audio quality.

Do the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5 have a better microphone?

The microphones of both the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Sony WH-1000XM5 are excellent, though they have minor differences. This is not one of those things that should make or break your buying decision simply because they perform so similarly. You may notice that the Sony WH-1000XM5 fares slightly better in windy conditions, but that’s about it. If you would like to hear for yourself — and see how others prefer the mic quality of each set of headphones — then listen using the widgets below.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Sony wh-1000xm5 microphone demo (ideal conditions):, bose quietcomfort ultra headphones microphone demo (windy conditions):, sony wh-1000xm5 microphone demo (windy conditions):, which microphone sounds best to you, bose quietcomfort ultra headphones vs sony wh-1000xm5: price and availability.

Because both Bose and Sony are two of the biggest headphone brands out there, you should not have any trouble finding either the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5 anywhere online or in big box stores. Since the Sony cans have been out for over a year, you should be able to find them on sale more readily than Bose’s offering.  The Sony WH-1000XM5 started $30 cheaper than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, and on sale, that gap should widen considerably.

Should you get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM5?

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a matte exterior.

Neither of these headphones will leave you wanting more, but the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones will set you up well into the future for a longer period of time. Though LDAC had its heyday and was for a long time the best Bluetooth had to offer, Snapdragon Sound seems to be ready to supplant it in the market, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones will stay relevant for longer because of it.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra

That’s not to say you won’t be happy with the Sony WH-1000XM5 if you can get it at a discount; on the contrary. They offer some of the best ANC out there, they are easily equalized to your preferences, and support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. Some people may be willing to put up with the slight step down for the superior controls as well: the differences are not as big as they may seem. But it really just comes down to how much you want to spend on headphones, and if you absolutely must have the latest and greatest instead of something that’s merely excellent.

Frequently asked questions

Both headphones can be used for gaming, but both headphones will not perform better than a headset designed for that purpose. Bluetooth adds latency to your audio, so you may want to use something else.

Neither headphones boast any ingress protection that would qualify as “good for workouts,” so we advise getting some headphones that are more suited to the task .

Yes, you can compare samples of each above.

Yes, among the best on the market currently.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Sony WH-1000XM5

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones aliexpress pricetag

53 facts in comparison

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

Why is bose quietcomfort ultra headphones better than sony wh-1000xm5.

  • Sweat resistance ?
  • Can be folded ?
  • 0.5 hours shorter charge time ? 3 hours vs 3.5 hours
  • 20 m greater wireless connectivity range ? 30 m vs 10 m
  • Has aptX Low Latency ?
  • Has aptX Adaptive ?

Why is Sony WH-1000XM5 better than Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones?

  • Has a neodymium magnet ?
  • 6 hours longer battery life ? 30 hours vs 24 hours
  • Has a 3.5mm male connector ?
  • 7 more microphone(s) ? 8 vs 1
  • Has Dolby Atmos ?
  • 0.2 m longer cable ? 1.2 m vs 1 m

Which are the most popular comparisons?

Sony WH-1000XM5

Edifier WH950NB

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Anker Soundcore Space One

JBL Tour One M2

JBL Tour One M2

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Sony WH-CH720N

Sony WH-CH720N

Bose QuietComfort 45

Bose QuietComfort 45

Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-1000XM4

Bose QuietComfort SE

Bose QuietComfort SE

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Beats Studio Pro

Beats Studio Pro

Apple AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max

Anker Soundcore Space Q45

Anker Soundcore Space Q45

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX

Cheap alternatives

JBL Tour One M2

Philips Fidelio L3

Technics EAH-A800

Technics EAH-A800

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

User reviews

Overall rating.

Build quality

Sound quality

Value for money

Noise isolation

No reviews yet

Be the first. Use your experience to help others in the community make a decision.

Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (Sony WH-1000XM5)

Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones)

Connectivity

Wireless & wired

Miscellaneous

Which are the best headphones.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Sony WH-1000XM3

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX

Shure Aonic 50 Gen 2

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2

IMAGES

  1. JBL Tour One M2 Review

    tour one m2 vs xm5

  2. JBL Tour One M2 Review

    tour one m2 vs xm5

  3. JBL Tour One M2 Noise-Canceling Wireless Over-Ear

    tour one m2 vs xm5

  4. JBL Tour One M2 Review

    tour one m2 vs xm5

  5. JBL Tour One M2: Top 5 Features

    tour one m2 vs xm5

  6. TEST: JBL Tour One M2

    tour one m2 vs xm5

COMMENTS

  1. JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: What is the difference?

    93 dB/mW. 102 dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. has a neodymium magnet. JBL Tour One M2. Sony WH-1000XM5. Devices with neodymium magnets are lighter and more powerful than those which use ferrite magnets.

  2. Sony WH-1000XM5 vs JBL Tour One M2 Review

    But with the ANC turned off, The Tour One will give you 50 hours of charge. And charging the Tour One M2 for only ten minutes will provide a 5 hours of play. With the XM5's ANC off, you can get 40 plus hours of battery usage. Bluetooth. The Tour One M2 offers Bluetooth 5.3 LE, which is the latest version, guaranteeing a reliable connection.

  3. Help with deciding between WH1000-XM5 vs JBL Tour one M2?

    JBL tour one M2 (Rs.16500) and WH1000-XM5 (Rs26000). Budget : Rs 27000 max. Source : LG Quad DAC or Mac book pro audio jack. Usage : Music and Movies. The confusion is most reviewers are saying JBL has better sound than Sony's XM5 (warm and muddled). But Sony has Head tracking spatial audio and better sound cancelling technology.

  4. Buy This One! JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH 1000 XM5

    You guys have been spamming us about the JBL Tour One M2. So fine… here's a comparison with the Sony WH 1000 XM5. ⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯🛒 Links For Latest Prices⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯🎧 B...

  5. A Review By Comparison Of The Jbl Tour One M2 Vs. Sony Wh 1000Xm5

    The resistance of a wire is measured in ohms. JBL Tour ONE M2 's impedance is 32Ohms, the lower the impedance, the easier it is to get higher volume and requires less power. Sony WH 1000XM5 's impedance is 48Ohms. The impedance of earbuds is the electrical resistance of the driver unit present on the inside.

  6. JBL Tour One vs Sony WH-1000XM5: What is the difference?

    Sound quality. has active noise cancellation (ANC) JBL Tour One. Sony WH-1000XM5. This type of device allows you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise. Ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. lowest frequency. 10 Hz.

  7. JBL Tour One M2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Which Noise Cancelling Headphone

    In head-to-head tests, Sony's mic quality resulted in better clarity compared to the JBL. Wind noise handling was stellar too. Sony call quality rating: Tier S. The JBL Tour One M2 also use four microphones to block out ambient noise during calls, along with noise and echo cancelling tech.

  8. The Best Bluetooth Wireless Headphones

    The JBL Tour One M2 over-ear Bluetooth headphones sound great, have a long battery life, and offer premium features at a lower price than the competition.

  9. Weight: how does JBL Tour One M2 compare to Sony WH-1000XM5?

    JBL Tour One M2. 250g. Sony WH-1000XM5. We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry. A lower weight is also an advantage for home appliances, as it makes transportation easier, and for many other types of products. Weight: is this important to you?

  10. Forget Sony and Bose: These JBL headphones are my sleeper pick ...

    The Tour One M2's extended battery life makes them an outstanding pair of headphones for all-day gaming, regular music listening, and long conference calls. Plus, with a five-minute quick charge ...

  11. JBL Tour One M2 Review

    The JBL Tour One M2 are a pair of headphones that score 8/10 in many categories and 9/10 in a few, which made deciding on a score a tad more difficult than expected.

  12. JBL Tour One M2 review

    The JBL Tour One M2 also come with a carry case, 3.5mm cable, USB-C cable and airline adapter. JBL Tour One M2: Features . The feature roster is the right side of smart on the JBL Tour One M2. The noise cancelling headphones react to your voice, pausing music and enabling Ambient Aware mode, so you can carry on a conversation. An alternative ...

  13. JBL Tour One M2 review: quality and comfort

    The JBL Tour One M2 has everything you'd expect from a pair of top-tier headphones, only they cost £50 less than the stellar Sony XM5. Given the firm's track record, there's every reason to expect great things. JBL soundbars are some of the best around, and the JBL Reflect Pro earbuds gave the Beats Fit Pro a run for their money in our ...

  14. JBL Tour One M2: Better than Sony XM5?

    JBL Tour One M2: Better than Sony XM5? JBL's just launched their second gen Tour One over the ear headphones. Not only has the sound improved, but JBL has taken a massive leap in Active Noise Cancellation this year with incredible features. Can the Tour One M2 dethrone my all-time favourite Sony headphones?

  15. Sony XM5 vs JBL Tour One M2 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4, what to buy

    Sony XM5 vs JBL Tour One M2 vs Sennheiser Momentum 4, what to buy? Headphones - Wireless/Portable. I could get a wired Senny, but I will be moving around a lot and hit the gym with it (only use headphones when I'm on the treadmill or cycle) JBL and Sony were suggested by my friends and the momentum 4 caught my eye when I was browsing.

  16. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs. Sony WH-1000XM5: Which noise

    The XM5 need a leisurely 3.5 hours to go from "flat" to full when charging via the USB-C input on the right earcup, and can retain an hour's-worth of power after 10 minutes or so.

  17. Sony WH-1000XM2 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: What is the difference?

    vs. JBL Tour One M2. vs. Sony WH-1000XM5. vs. Sony WH-CH720N. Price comparison. Sony WH-1000XM2. new Used Rent Accessories. SONY Wireless noise canceling stereo headset WH-1000XM2 NM (CHAMPAGNE GOLD)(International version/seller ... SONY Wireless noise canceling stereo headset WH-1000XM2 NM (CHAMPAGNE GOLD)(International version/seller warrant)

  18. JBL Tour One M2

    JBL Tour One M2's True Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology tunes out distractions so you can enjoy your favorite playlists—or even the sound of silence—all powered by legendary Hi-Res certified JBL Pro Sound. Immerse yourself in superb, spatial audio on the go for up to 50 hours or enjoy the clarity of the 4-mic technology while having ...

  19. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

    The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have a 2.5mm to 3.5mm TRS cable included in the packaging, and the Sony WH-1000XM5 uses a simple 3.5mm TRS cable. Easy peasy. On the left earcup, you can find the 3.5mm port for wired listening with the Sony WH-1000XM5. However, each headset takes a different approach to offering high-bitrate listening ...

  20. Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Sony WH-XB910N: What is the difference?

    vs. JBL Tour One M2. vs. Sony WH-XB910N. vs. JBL Live 660 NC. vs. Sony WH-1000XM5. vs. Sony WH-CH720N. Price comparison. Sony WH-1000XM5. new Used Rent Accessories. Sony WH-1000XM5 The Best Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer, Crystal...

  21. JBL Tour One M2

    JBL India has launched its newest premium over-ear headphones in the Wireless and Noise Canceling category - JBL Tour One M2. The headphones come with True ...

  22. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM5

    JBL Tour One M2. 5. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX. 6. Sony WH-1000XM4. 7. Technics EAH-F70N. 8. Technics EAH-A800. 9. KEF Mu7. 10. Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal (2022) User reviews. Overall rating. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. 0 User reviews. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. 0 User reviews. Write a review. Sony WH-1000XM5. 8.7. 73 User ...