Head to head
Bose QuietComfort Headphones vs Sony WH-1000XM4
Bose QuietComfort Headphones leads 2 to 1 on the 3 rankable specs, but Sony WH-1000XM4 costs $1 less. Most of the 14 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
Compare a different headphone
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation$179Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Swap
Compare a different headphone
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation$179Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 2 to 1
Buy the Bose QuietComfort Headphones.
- Leads 2 of 3 rankable overall specs; Sony WH-1000XM4 takes 1.
- Weight: 240 g vs 254 g
- Charging time: 2.5 hours full charge vs 3 hours full charge
- Sony WH-1000XM4 is $1 cheaper. Pay the difference only if weight matters to you.
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Bose
240 g (8.5 oz)
Sony
254 g (8.95 oz)
Active Noise Cancelling≠
Bose
Yes (Quiet Mode with adjustable noise cancellation levels)
Sony
Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor)
Battery life
Bose
24 hours on a single charge
Sony
30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off)
Comfort, Clamp & Travel Fit Check
Ergonomic factors that affect daily comfort, glasses wearers, and luggage space.
Folding & Travel Packability
Folds flat & inward into small zippered case
Folds flat & inward (ultra-compact zippered case)
Clamp Force & Glasses Comfort
Signature light clamp (~3.9 N, zero crown pressure)
Gentle clamp force (~4.2 N, comfortable with glasses)
Weight & Crown Pressure
240g (lightest in premium ANC class)
254g (lightweight plastic composite)
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Bose: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Sony: What to watch for
- Hardware Quirk
Microphones struggle significantly in windy outdoor conditions.
- Ergonomics
Shallow earcups cause ear cartilage to touch inner driver grille.
Design
leads 1-0| Type | Over-ear, closed-back | Over-ear, closed-back |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 240 g (8.5 oz) (wins this row: lower) | 254 g (8.95 oz) |
| Foldable | Yes (collapses and folds inward into compact case) | Yes (collapsible foldable headband) |
| Carrying case | Hardshell zip travel case included | Compact hard-shell zippered carrying case included |
| IP rating | No official IP rating | No official IP rating |
Audio
5 differences| Driver | Custom 40 mm dynamic transducers | 40 mm dome type (CCAW Voice coil) |
|---|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes (Quiet Mode with adjustable noise cancellation levels) | Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor) |
| Transparency mode | Yes (Aware Mode with adjustable environment blend) | Yes (Ambient Sound Control with Quick Attention) |
| Supported codecs | AAC, SBC | LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Microphones | 4-mic beamforming voice pickup array | Precise Voice Pickup Technology with 5 microphones |
Connectivity & Battery
3 differences| Multipoint Bluetooth | Yes (Bluetooth 5.1 multipoint pairing) | Yes (Bluetooth 5.0 multipoint for 2 devices) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 24 hours on a single charge | 30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off) (wins this row: higher) |
| Charging time | 2.5 hours full charge (15 min quick charge gives 2.5 hours) (wins this row: lower) | 3 hours full charge (10 min quick charge gives 5 hours) |
Ownership
0 differences| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
|---|
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Bose QuietComfort Headphones
Ultra-comfortable folding ANC headphones with classic Bose noise cancellation and 24-hour battery life.
- Foldable design collapses neatly into an ultra-compact travel case
- Legendary lightweight 240g comfort ideal for long flights
- Tactile physical buttons and reliable multi-point Bluetooth switching
What you give up
- Lacks spatial audio head tracking found on QC Ultra
- No high-resolution LDAC or aptX codec support
Pick this one if
Sony WH-1000XM4
Popular folding noise-cancelling headphones with LDAC high-resolution audio, DSEE Extreme, and 30-hour battery.
- Folding headband hinges collapse smaller than the newer XM5
- Supports high-res LDAC streaming and DSEE Extreme upscaling
- Superb value with industry-tested noise cancellation
What you give up
- Microphone voice isolation trails newer XM5 in windy conditions
- Cannot use LDAC while 2-device Bluetooth multipoint is enabled
Best for each use
Flights & commutes
Tied on flights & commutes. Sony WH-1000XM4 is cheaper.
Calls & work
Too close to call on calls & work from the spec sheets. Only battery life is rankable here.
Sound quality
Too close to call on sound quality from the spec sheets. Only weight is rankable here.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Bose QuietComfort Headphones ↗ · Sony WH-1000XM4 ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or the Sony WH-1000XM4?
Sony WH-1000XM4 costs $1 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or Sony WH-1000XM4?
Bose QuietComfort Headphones has this deal-breaker: no LDAC or aptX. Android phones stream at standard AAC or SBC quality.
Which is better for flights & commutes, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones or the Sony WH-1000XM4?
Tied on flights & commutes. Sony WH-1000XM4 is cheaper. The 2 rankable flights & commutes specs split 1 to 1. Saves $1 at list price.
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 14 specs tracked here, 11 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.