YouTube channel expert Droider shared his personal Sony WH-1000XM5 and AirPods Max headphones experience. He also said which one would be better overall. Sony costs around $400 and AirPods Max costs around $550.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 comes with a compartmentalized sleeve for various cables. In addition, the cable comes out of the box with the headphones.
You also get a case with the AirPods Max. However, it is very small and completely useless compared to its predecessor.
By weight, the AirPods Max comes out a little more – 386 g against 254 g. But at the same time, with Apple headphones, neither head nor neck got tired, even when worn all day.
As for the ingredients and the sensations that come from them, they are completely different. Sony’s headphones are made of plastic like eco-leather. Everything looks very nice both externally and to the touch. AirPods Max use steel, a material similar to silicon. You can also easily replace the ear cushions if you wish. It turns out: lightness and minimalism versus durability and premium materials.
Finally, about the sound. Bass is also adequate, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is generally cleaner and more detailed than previous generations. But the presenter likes the sound of AirPods Max more. These headphones deliver a cleaner, more detailed, even brighter sound. The mids do not sag and at the same time there is enough high frequency and the bass is deep in moderation. Apple manages to create the effect of presence.
Test results showed that AirPods Max sounded louder than Sony WH-1000XM5. See pictures above for details.
As for surround sound, the Sony WH-1000XM5 definitely loses to Apple, according to the expert in this regard. In addition to Dolby Atmos support, AirPods Max has the ability to keep the sound at the same level even when you turn your head. The Sony WH-1000XM5 also supports Dolby Atmos, but with certain limitations.
Sony headphones can live up to 30 hours in noise reduction or transparency mode (Apple – 20 hours) and up to 40 hours without these functions. In addition, 3 minutes of charging gives 3 hours of work, 10 minutes – 5 hours of work. At the same time, after charging for 5 minutes with AirPods Max, you can use the headset for only 1.5 hours. The Sony WH-1000XM5 is also equipped with a universal USB-C connector. The problem with Apple headphones is that there is no way to turn them off, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 has a power button and auto power off.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 really has excellent noise reduction, but it can’t always successfully deal with suppression of people’s speech. The AirPods Max, however, muffles speech well, but sometimes can’t cope with background noise.
The transparency mode of the Sony WH-1000XM5 is well implemented, but the feeling that you are not wearing headphones is still not created. AirPods Max manages to create just such an impression.
Via the wire, you can use these and other headphones. But Sony does it much better.
Sony has done a great job updating its headphones over previous models. Sony WH-1000XM5’s sound, microphone and transparency mode have indeed gotten noticeably better, but not better than AirPods Max’s.
Source: Ferra
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