Sony WH-1000XM5

The Sony WH-1000XM5 bundle is a tough sell. Call quality is abysmal at 4.2 out of 100, and sound, ANC, and battery all fall behind the competition. Unless you really want the free speaker, grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 instead.

Performance is a mixed bag that leans heavily toward disappointing. The noise canceling, which is supposed to be Sony's crown jewel, only hits the 34th percentile. That's well below what you'd get from the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or even the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4. Sound quality is a bigger letdown, falling behind most competitors in our database. You'll get audio, but it lacks the clarity and punch of the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2. The mic is one of the worst we've seen for calls, and the battery life is a real letdown compared to the 30-hour marketing claim. Connectivity is solidly middle of the pack, so pairing won't be a headache, but it won't blow you away either.

Stacked against the competition, the XM5 gets left in the dust. The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 and Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 both deliver far superior sound and build quality. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra absolutely dominates in noise canceling and comfort, two areas where the XM5 stumbles. Even the Technics EAH-A800 offers a more balanced package. The Apple AirPods Max is a different beast entirely with its ecosystem lock-in, but it still outperforms the XM5 in sound and build. The only thing the XM5 has going for it is this bundle deal, and that's not enough to close the gap.

At $278, this bundle tries to justify itself with a free speaker, but the core product is a letdown. You're paying for the Sony badge and not much else. The sound, ANC, and battery all fall behind competitors that cost the same or less. The speaker might be a nice bonus if you need one, but it doesn't fix the fact that the headphones themselves are a weak spot in this price range. You can get a much better audio experience from the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra without needing a bundle to mask the flaws.

Sony's WH-1000XM5 is a weird one in our database. The name carries serious weight, but the numbers here tell a different story than the hype would suggest. We're looking at a bundle that throws in a Bluetooth speaker, which feels like a way to sweeten a deal that might need it. The 30-hour battery claim is fine on paper, but our percentile data puts real-world battery life near the bottom of the pack, which is a red flag for travelers. Build and comfort scores are mediocre too, landing in the 30s. For a flagship pair of cans, that's a rough start. The sound signature scores even lower, sitting at the 25th percentile, which means you're not getting the audio fidelity the price tag implies. Calls are the absolute weakest link here, scoring a dismal 4.2 out of 100. If you take a lot of calls, these are basically a non-starter.

Anyone who takes calls regularly should look elsewhere because the mic quality is a real letdown. If you care about sound fidelity, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are massive upgrades. And if you need all-day comfort and top-tier noise canceling, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is the obvious choice. This bundle only makes sense if you're dead set on a Sony and need a cheap Bluetooth speaker thrown in.

Skip the Sony WH-1000XM5 unless you absolutely need that bundled Bluetooth speaker and don't care about call quality or top-tier sound. There are just too many better options at this price. If you want best-in-class ANC, grab the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. If sound is your priority, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 is the way to go. The XM5 feels like a legacy product coasting on an old reputation, and the numbers back that up.