I can't take the touch controls. I have the xm4s and the Airpods max. I think they're basically equal other than that. Although the Airpods max disconnect and do way more weird and annoying things than my Sony's ever did. If Sony did a physical volume button, and made the ambient mode akin to the iPodmax, I would go back to Sony.
I was bouncing between these two for months, and ended up with the AirPods Max. Spatial audio really has to be experienced to be believed. When I watch movies and television on my Apple TV with these headphones, I forget that they are actually headphones as the audio does such a superb job of dropping me right into the room on the screen. It’s actually so real it’s almost disconcerting the first time-even though it was entirely implausible, I had to take the headphones off to make sure that a serial killer wasn’t actually twitching in the room beside me. Is it worth the premium over the XM5s? Your mileage may vary, of course, but it sold me. Obviously, the XM5s are spectacular in their own right and I don’t hate them, either!
@@kevinj8190 while obviously I’m just a stranger on the internet, I will say that the Air Pods Max are still my preferred cans for everything from music to movies to talking to people on phone calls. Great stuff, especially if you set up the personalized Spatial Audio with an iPhone. Let me know how it turns out for you!
@@jyexe525 I would imagine so-I presume you’re on an Apple device of one sort or other, correct? Like a MacBook, iPhone, or iPad? I have been able to get Spatial Audio across all of my Apple devices. Haven’t tried pairing the headphones with anything else, though, all of my media consumption flows through Apple devices while my gaming is on PC, which I have a set of wired cans for.
Great video and comparison! I have both and when I'm travelling I always reach for the XM5. It's a lighter pair of headphones to carry and the battery life is reliable. Like you, I find the Airpod Max very needy in the charging department, and because you can't turn them off, they are a bit iffy when you go to use them in regards to how much charge is left in them.
Total apple fan boy (and avid follower of your channel). Have had the AirPods max for a year but also recently bought the Sony xm5 (first Sony product). Both are great. Sony is my travel headset mainly because of the lightness and the real case. AirPods max are for home use. My two cents….
@@grahamlake9728 it’s really weird that you question a person on why they spend their hard earned money on what pleases them. Mind your business and count your own pockets.
I still use both for different reasons. If Apple just made them a but more convenient to travel i would probably use them all the time The sony xm5’s are still great
Just sold my AirPods Max’s and got the XM5s. Love these things however I miss a couple things - the spatial audio and the instant connect to any apple device. However, the sound , and the insane noise cancellation on the Sonys is amazing.
@@Mr102185do u use a certain equaliser setting as I want these headphones but I’m not good to mess around with equalisers myself and sliding up and down bass treble etc What do u use? Are there preset eqs? Also wish these folded like the previous model the case is huge ffs and ugly for the price. Also wish they had instant connect hmmmmmm
@@Ohkeh640 Just seen your comment brother. I just leave the sound signature the way Sony intended. They sound really nice out of the box. You will be happy with these.
Tempted by the Sonys, but think I will wait for the AirPod Max 2's... Proper case, an on/off switch, an IP rating and lighter weight would be good please Apple, that would be lovely. Great review as always thanks Mark!
Awesome comparison! If you're an Apple Ecosystem person then the Airpods Max is a perfect choice. However, the unavailability of turning it off serves as an inconvenience in my opinion. I hope Apple works on it with the Airpods Max 2.
Excellent video. Plenty to take in as I was able to watch the link to the XM4 & 5 comparison. Given your comments, and although I am quite deep into Apple, I think that Sony will be the favourite for my replacement. Additionally, as far as the Sony are concerned, the XM4 are in the running against the XM5's!!
Great video as usual. I think for anyone who owns and consumes media/content on an Apple device, the AirPods Max is a no-brainer. The integration with iOS, Spatial Audio when watching content and listening to music and the overall build and comfort make it a far more exciting and intuitive experience. Pop the headphones on and Apple does the rest. I tried both the XM5 and AirPods Max, and one thing I noticeably hated about the XM5 is the app. Functional yes, but feels like it belongs on an old Android phone. To summarise, Apple device owners, get the APM. For anyone else, grab the XM4s or Bose, will save you a lot of money.
What doesn't make me mind using the app as much is that you only need it once. Configure them and turn off touch controls and you're never using it again.
@@josir1994 well not really , people buy headphones for their performance not the look of an app, if it's functional that's all that matters since you'll hardly use it in comparison to how much you'll use the headphones
I use the XM4 on the go because they are light, fold and are cheaper plasticy so I do throw them in a bag without a case. On Android LDAC helps them sound more dynamic using Apple Music. I use the Airpod Max at home where they look nicer, are more comfortable to wear for extended periods and sound better overall. There is more than one way to optimize the soundstage for the Max. Using accessability settings for sound you can change it and even customize it in detail. This even won over some audiophile reviewers stating one of the standard options was enough. Check it out!
I purchased both and returned the APM for the following reasons. Weight of APM made a difference after a couple of hours of work. Noise canceling better on Sony M5 specially on a plane. APM ear pressure during noise canceling reminded me of my Bose days. Not shutting off became a problem if I just left APM out. Phone would ring and try to connect. Or if on a call, and my son used iPad to watch a video it would connect to iPad. It was a problematic at times.
I own both but love my AirPods max better don’t need to adjust and equalisers or anything on the AirPods max they just work.also like the control on the maxs better too just so simple.
My airpod max stopped working after a year despite one repair already so instead of spending the money to fix it, I bought the XM5 and it's been holding up well with little issues thus far after a few months
I ordered both at the same time and I’ve sent back the Airpods Max because it had a far worse call quality than the Sony XM5. When I made calls sitting on a train, people could not understand what I was saying when I used the Airpods Max and they heard people around me much better then me. With the Sony they heads me perfectly. So I can’t understand how you can say that the Airpods Max have a better call quality…
My hunch about the never-off Air Pod Max is that it's because they're on the Find my Phone connection and need to send a constant signal. It is frustrating, and I'd like to be able to disable it to get battery life up near the Sonys.
I suspect you’re 100% right about this, however actual usage hrs vs XM5 is almost the same. It’s just a pain in the ass you have to be mindful to charge these once a wk regardless if you used them or not.
I think the always-on feature on the airpods is actually amazing. I really love that they are on and connected as soon as I put them on my head. On my old Sony XM3s there was always a noticeable delay when taking them out of the case, and then finding the right button to turn them on. Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of battery life for this convenience!
Other benefit is if you ever lose them or if anyone ever steals them, you can track it at any point without them having any way to turn them or the AirPods tracking off. It’s actually a pretty decent benefit I don’t think enough people mention. There’s no way to turn them off unless they’re 100% dead, so no matter where they are or who has them, you can track them
that’s an argument but it still wouldn’t hurt they could be powered off. like i almost always have my ipad on standby but still it’s good it can be turned of if i really need to safe some battery
Good comparison thanks! Though there are so many good headphones coming out this summer. Would love to see the comparison among XM5, the new Master and Dynamics, B&W Px7 S2.
When complaining about the "always on" feature I think it may be helpful to say that it enables "find my" for the headphones which could be useful if you happen to misplace them or leave them behind somewhere.
I hated the AirPods max case at first but then realized it’s a blessing in disguise as I also dislike the big hard cases for other headphones because they are so bulky and won’t fit into my purse. So I got myself a bag made from thin fabric and throw AirPods max in there with their ridiculous case and off they go into my purse. As a result they are well protected and a much lighter package than the Sonys in their solid case.
Or…you could just drop the Sony into the same fabrics bag and it would sound better. It would still take up less space in your purse as the headband and cups are smaller and much lighter!
I e tried the last three Sony XM models and none of them sounded good to me to the point I always went back to Bose Quiet Comforts. Until I bought the Max. It is a preferred sound signature thing but they have been my favorite headphones for well over a year. The other features are icing.
At a certain price point sound is expected to be good but to me comfort is not negotiable. AirPods Max sound phenomenal but the clamping force makes reach for a painkiller before the end of the first song you listen to on them. XM4 on the other hand are lighter with no big clamping force. but your ear sits on the padding and the mesh of the ear cups, which turned my ears into a volcano. Bose qc series are my pick forever and ever as they sound good enough I can wear them for hours and completely forget they're there
Great review but I came to the opposite conclusion. I don’t care about the lightening connector charging because I have so many lightening cables. I do care about build quality and comfort and interchangeable ear cups after my experience with Bose QC headphones which did not really hold up that well. The Sonys don’t look any better than the Bose headphones in that regard. The killer feature of the AirPods Max though is how easily they switch between my iPhone, iPad and iMac. This review didn’t really explore the differences in pairing multiple Apple devices with the Sonys but my Bose headphones were a pain to switch between three devices. The AirPods Max are amazingly in this regard.
Well owning these I can tell you switching between multiple devices is a piece of cake. It doesn't matter if it's hooked up to Google Chromecast or an iPad or an Android. You will have to have the app controlling that on one of those devices.
@@thecrowfliescrooked So to switch between devices you need to use the app? Bose had an app to do that too. I found it slow and a bit flaky though. For example if I used the app on my phone to switch the second BT connection between my iPad and Mac, it would drop the connection to the phone and leave the headphones connected to the iPad and the Mac. That was really irritating particularly since I didn't have a Bose app on my Mac and on the iPad, the Bose app was fixed in full screen portrait mode which makes no sense on a 12.9" iPad in a keyboard case. It sounds like the Sony app is a lot better.
@@andrewgrant788 yes. I understand. And for some reason it does default to your last connected device. But once you use the app to switch it's quite quick and seamless.
I initially bought the Sonys, the case broke straight away and they felt way to flimsy. I swapped for AirPod max and for me they are so much better however I would have liked a bit moss bass.
I have no experience with Apple AirPods Max however I got my XM5stheree days ago. The longest listening session I've had is 2 hours and I experienced no discomfort wearing them. At this point I am a happy camper with my XM5s.
I have both and let me tell you now Sony just blows airpod max out of the water with performance. Apple looks hood aesthetic wise but Sony minimalistic futuristic look is perfect imo.
I hate how the Sony cups don’t swivel like the AirPods Max and the case has to be the size of a small backpack. The fact that the APM are easier to travel with and get louder make me prefer the Apple headphones.
You can listen to Dolby Atmos on iPhone using XM5 by going to Bluetooth settings and mark XM5 as headphone. (No spatial audio though). For the voice call, if you take both headphones out on the street, you will find the XM5 nearly eliminate all car / bus / truck noises and the conversation still clear for the other side of the call. AirPods Max couldn’t do that. Give it a go. Comfort for me, XM5 is way better, I got a wider head and have glasses, the AirPods Max pressure on both sides of the ears gives me headaches whereas I can wear the XM5 for hours.
Here in Finland both of these sell right now for 499€. So, to me, XM5s sound way too expensive and Apple only little bit on the expensive side. I have auditioned some much much more costly cans (Meze Liric at 2000€ was one of them) but never have I’ve done any A-B comparisons between Sony and Apple, so my mind isn’t made up yet. So thanks, now I have something to compare my findings when I get a chance to do a proper comparison myself. 👍
I own both and agree with most of what you had to say. I do find the Sony design a bit bulky albeit light. Also I find the Sonys to feel too warm to wear in short order. As for the case, neither succeeds against the smaller cases of the xm4 or bose 3 and 4 series. But - and forgive me Mark - there is something to be said for grabbing the Max in its small case to jump in the car. The Max is a sturdy product and not one that needs to be babied. My test is that I generally reach for the Max or the B&O HX headphones that I love. Often the whole is really more than the sun of its parts. Now, if either Sony or Apple wants to offer weather resistance, well then that might change everything for me.
I just picked up some XM5s over the weekend and after a few days use I started getting headaches from the Noise Cancelling 🙃 so looks like I'm returning them.
i have sony 1000 xm5s and i have tried airpod max too. I feel xm5 are more comfortable to wear and the sound quality and noise cancelling is really phenomenal. I really feel these were my best 500 dollar investment ever.
I have the AirPods Max and the Sony XM4s. Personally, I like the fact that the XM4s fold down into a nice case, so those will be my travel headphones. I use the Apple unit mainly for listening to audiobooks in bed at night. Why those? Because they do not have touch sensitive controls. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally paused playback on the XM4s, or switched off noise cancelling, or caused the playback to jump forwards or backwards, just by moving around. I find the Apple more comfortable, in that I can keep them on my head for longer without overheating or having them become otherwise uncomfortable. Sound quality? I have no complaints either way.
I couldn’t stand touch controls for Xm4s. The XM5s don’t fold. I travel and so I will stick with my Max, AirPod Pros. FYI I have a soft cinch bag that I slip my Maxs in to protect in my backpack for travel, saves weight and works great. I wish they were usb c.
XM5, no doubt. My currently Edifier I charge once a week, using something about 35h to 40h in that period. I use a ordinary USBC cable that can be easily found or, I carry myself an USBC that charges everything. I can´t bear the idea of buy an headphone that would be useful for many years that uses a lightning port now that the main product of Apple (iPhone) will come with USBC. Other observation, if you have to charge more often the AirPods Max, so the battery life will drop soon because of to many cycles.
Do you hate the touch control? I really love it 😆 it feels premium for me. Like B&O, the brand is luxury, and they mostly use touch control for headphones.
The Airpods Max are faulty. When the ANC is on, there's random popping and crackling noises on bass heavy songs. When the ANC is off, theres no issues. Because of that I have to return them and will try the Sony's XM5's.
Two questions: 1. How is the noise cancelling for high tones? I live right above a train yard(? Is that the word) and so I hear a lot of shrill shrieky, squeaky noises that I want to shut out. 2. Do the Aipods Max have a cable to connect them directly? I know the Sonys do. I play a lot of rhythm games on my phone and that doesnt go well with the delay that comes with a Bluetooth connection.
Great video Mark. Is discounting for the Air Pods Max mean v2 on the horizon? Though firmly in the Apple Eco System I will consider the MX5’s for my music listening. My air pods pro for calls and you tube. If Apple do address the cons in the Max’s then things will get a lot more interesting I think.
You really need to EQ the Sony's to get the best sound quality. The AIrpods Max don't offer a true EQ, but you can really shape the sound on the Sony's.
At the very end I bought Sony xm4 for here in Italy are now at 199 euros which is an insane price. AirPods Pro 2 are my favorite in ear and I tried the AirPods Max in store millions of time but are really overpriced, great transparency, good sound I admit, materials are premium just as any apple product and if you have all apple products as me I have to admit the are super integrated (a part from the lighting cable) but they are really really overpriced for battery life, case, sound, cables for you have to pay extra money for that and for the case. True not worth the money for me. Great work ad always, superlove your channell
You can replace the ear pads on the xm5s too, they’re just more solidly installed so they don’t just pop off. Also, this review just makes it sound like you don’t know how or where the touch controls are and what they do 😂 Right ear cup, my dude. If you cover it most or all of the way with a hand or arm, you can activate ambient mode until you uncover it
I think think it would be nice to hear what you think of the headphones after listening to some classical.Music or acoustic jazz. Adele’ is so phony and layered with vocal synthesized voices that i am not sure that her music is up to audiophile quality. And I confess that I have never heard of the other bands. So try some purely acoustic music and see what happen.
Hi,currently im choosing between two of these and I know that if you tap on sony1000xm5 they will turn off noise cancelation or put it back but does apple max has that?
I am really not getting the dig about the charging cable. If you’ve got AirPods Max, you’re likely using an iPhone. So it’s the same cable. If you are using an iPad, you likely have an iPhone. Either way, the most extra cable you need to bring with you is 1 extra tiny cable. The chargers are the same now. As for the case, yes it is not protective like the Sony case, but the size means they slip easily into a backpack with ease. Handy, if, like me you’re on a long haul flight and you want to carry them with you onto the plane and place them in storage pockets in seats or if you’re lucky, in other storage options. My AirPods Max went with me from Australia to the UK and back, thrown into my backpack and moved from one location to another for two weeks. I never stayed in one location more than 2 nights and I didn’t take any special precautions for them. Put them in case, chucked in backpack, backpack thrown into car. Rinse and repeat. A big bulky case would have meant taking something out of the pack to make room for them and that would have been by far the worse of the two options.
They should be USB-C, mate. I'm yet to hear a decent argument for Lightning on a modern pair of headphones. They stick out like a sore thumb. And we'll have to agree to disagree on the case, I'm afraid - it's an embarrassment.
@@MarkEllisReviews What *exact* functionality is lost with using a Lightning connector as a charging cable? Sorry, I get why the UA-cam community always have to find something to have a go about, but your words are hyperbolic. For sure, would it be better if it used USB-C? Of course. But embarrassing? I think you need to have a cuppa, put some headphones on and have a chill about how lucky we are that anyone in the position to spend A$900+ on a pair of headphones has the luxury to complain about the choice of connector for charging. I enjoy your videos regardless.
@@cejay67 No functionality is lost at all - it's a convenience thing, in my opinion (we clearly have differing opinions on this, and I respect yours). Apple has dropped three balls with the AirPods Max - the charging method (they need to join the USB-C brigade - it is fast becoming a standard), the case (it isn't fit for purpose), and the inability to turn the headphones off. As I say, mate, we have differences of opinion on this - that's absolutely fine. Let's respect one another.
Really wish Apple would add the ability to power off the AirPods Max, there’s been times when I haven’t used them for a few days and gone out the house only to find they have 10-15% remaining
@@youngjacuzzi3676 that’s true, but how hard would it really be to add a option to fully power it off, maybe by pressing and holding the crown and noise control button. I don’t see how it would hurt to give people the option.
The weight speaks against Apple Airpods. I tried them in Apple Store and I have to say I could not wear them for more than 10 minutes. I don't have Mike Tyson's neck 😉
I ended up just collecting all of them to stop stressing deciding. I love Apple minimalistic case. It protects the cushions and and speakers. I easily put them into my slim laptop bag which I can't fit with XM5. Apple is a premium one and deserves the same care. I love the apple case. For 30 bucks you can get any 3rd party case. But for Sony, you can't get a minimalistic one.
The Sony’s are very good. I tried all the ones in Bestbuy, but not the AirPods Max, and these were definitely the best sounding. As far as comfort, they are pretty good. I have noticed on my other Sonys that I will take them off after an hour or less to cool off my ears. The noise cancelling was very important. I bought these because I mow grass for myself and mother and need something to listen to Audible books and these work. Usually I can only listen to music with my other headphones or earbuds. With these I can listen to books while driving a very loud zero turn mower.
Hello you are doing really great. Just had one question- Is sony wh1000-xm5 comfortable with spectacles/eye-glasses?? Does it hurt our ears ?? Thank you
He talks about phone call quality but doesn't mention the XM5's outstanding background noise cancellation of the mics that no other ANC headphone comes even close. That says it all about his comparison video.
“He” reads these comments and would dearly love some decent debate rather than teeth-itchingly boring comments like this. And the “outstanding background noise cancellation” is entirely your opinion, which I respect.
I am an audiophile and an editor but I must say that both sound horrible, I bought the Sony 1000XM5 and I must share that they sound lifeless, they have no dynamic range, they are clumsy, the low frequencies stand out, there is no clear midrange and the treble is heard forced, It doesn't feel like there are sound layers for each instrument and vocals, just one with everything, speaking of the voice it sounds very boring after a while, I managed to correct that as best I could with the app but the sound doesn't seem to be hi-res, the ANC is brutal, the best without a doubt but that is half the equation, the sound with cable is the same as what I mentioned before but in this way there is no way to establish the eq that I put in the app , I used the Xperia 1 IV due to its high compatibility and the Fiio M11 Plus with Tidal Music with the song Learning To live from Dream Theater and Rotunda by Markus Schulz, Jochen Miller, sadly I had to return these headphones. In the case of the Airpods Max they do not have that clumsy and boring sound, although they do not have a dedicated app, nor do they have better control when reproducing the frequencies, the sound opening is more detailed, that they sit flat is fine, hence if Apple releases one update for the eq and it can be established more to the taste of each one, I used my best friend's Airpods Max with Tidal Music on his IPhone 12 Mini and the Fiio M11 Plus (with cable) with the same songs mentioned above, with cable the Airpods gave me a much higher result than the Sony. I have been lucky enough to listen to this list of headphones from colleagues who were very kind to let me listen to some songs on them, the AKG K712 Pro, Sennheiser 599 hd, Philips Fidelio l2, V-Moda M200 and M100 Master, Focal Elegia, Audio Technica m70x, Beyerdynamic dt 770 pro and Meze 99 Classics. My non-personal editing headphones (from my office) are the V-Moda M200 Studio (Cable) that have a flat sound, in my preference there are no better closed ones for the price due to their flat, precise and faithful representation, with a frequency amplifier you will be able to modify them to your ideal sound, my personal headphones are the V-Moda M100 Master (Cable) and these headphones are noticeably elevated in low frequencies compared to their brothers the M200, even if you are a bass head the M100 Master would be my recommendation, but looking for some personal ANC to travel and edit with the possibility of really listening in Hi-Res my option would be the V-Moda M200 ANC with LDAC, Aptx HD and dedicated app with eq editing, on the other hand if you want another option of headphones that They outperform Sony and Apple in sound, I highlight, in the sound section, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 combined with a Nura Bluetooth 5.3 Audio Transmitter for better data transmission and Snapdragon Sound on Windows and Mac via USB Type C.
I am not a sound engineer and to tell you honestly I just go to reviews which is better. For me, on my personal choice. I would rather choose the AirPods Max. Now that the second generation comes out, I think it would be safe to say - “WTF JUST BUY IT”. Thank you for your honest reviews man. This helps me a lot what to buy. Good present this coming holidays.
Thats weird. There are people saying the mics, NC, and transparency actually came out better on the XM5s slightly. And sound is what you perceive it to be. I have the XM5s however, and it only fits me better since I have Samsungs s22 Ultra.
Did the result of this battle surprise you?
I trust sony though hahaha
I can't take the touch controls. I have the xm4s and the Airpods max. I think they're basically equal other than that. Although the Airpods max disconnect and do way more weird and annoying things than my Sony's ever did. If Sony did a physical volume button, and made the ambient mode akin to the iPodmax, I would go back to Sony.
I'm going American! No question!
no, mx5 is much better at callings, their micro/source is superior to airpods
I was bouncing between these two for months, and ended up with the AirPods Max. Spatial audio really has to be experienced to be believed. When I watch movies and television on my Apple TV with these headphones, I forget that they are actually headphones as the audio does such a superb job of dropping me right into the room on the screen. It’s actually so real it’s almost disconcerting the first time-even though it was entirely implausible, I had to take the headphones off to make sure that a serial killer wasn’t actually twitching in the room beside me. Is it worth the premium over the XM5s? Your mileage may vary, of course, but it sold me. Obviously, the XM5s are spectacular in their own right and I don’t hate them, either!
You might have sold me on this because I have the apple tv
@@kevinj8190 while obviously I’m just a stranger on the internet, I will say that the Air Pods Max are still my preferred cans for everything from music to movies to talking to people on phone calls. Great stuff, especially if you set up the personalized Spatial Audio with an iPhone. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Hi, does Spatial Audio works on the Apple TV platform but without the Apple TV box ?
@@jyexe525 I would imagine so-I presume you’re on an Apple device of one sort or other, correct? Like a MacBook, iPhone, or iPad? I have been able to get Spatial Audio across all of my Apple devices. Haven’t tried pairing the headphones with anything else, though, all of my media consumption flows through Apple devices while my gaming is on PC, which I have a set of wired cans for.
@@BrianJones-wk8cx thanks
Great video and comparison! I have both and when I'm travelling I always reach for the XM5. It's a lighter pair of headphones to carry and the battery life is reliable. Like you, I find the Airpod Max very needy in the charging department, and because you can't turn them off, they are a bit iffy when you go to use them in regards to how much charge is left in them.
Total apple fan boy (and avid follower of your channel). Have had the AirPods max for a year but also recently bought the Sony xm5 (first Sony product). Both are great. Sony is my travel headset mainly because of the lightness and the real case. AirPods max are for home use. My two cents….
Why have more than one? And having forked out for Apple overpriced kit why buy a Sony, unless you are missing something in the Apples!
@@grahamlake9728 it’s really weird that you question a person on why they spend their hard earned money on what pleases them. Mind your business and count your own pockets.
hey, know its been a while but u got a clear winner yet?
I still use both for different reasons. If Apple just made them a but more convenient to travel i would probably use them all the time
The sony xm5’s are still great
Ok cool! Thanks@@allanrscott1130
Just sold my AirPods Max’s and got the XM5s. Love these things however I miss a couple things - the spatial audio and the instant connect to any apple device. However, the sound , and the insane noise cancellation on the Sonys is amazing.
Spatial Audio isn’t all that great. It’s good, but feature we don’t need. I love the AirPods Pro. The Maxs are 😆
Just to be clear, which among the two has a deeper bass
@@ikegwuonuchisom3208 Sony XM5’s for sure.
@@Mr102185do u use a certain equaliser setting as I want these headphones but I’m not good to mess around with equalisers myself and sliding up and down bass treble etc
What do u use? Are there preset eqs? Also wish these folded like the previous model the case is huge ffs and ugly for the price. Also wish they had instant connect hmmmmmm
@@Ohkeh640 Just seen your comment brother. I just leave the sound signature the way Sony intended. They sound really nice out of the box. You will be happy with these.
Tempted by the Sonys, but think I will wait for the AirPod Max 2's... Proper case, an on/off switch, an IP rating and lighter weight would be good please Apple, that would be lovely. Great review as always thanks Mark!
Thanks, Robsa! And I totally agree on all those wishlist items.
These future not going to get 🤣🤣
Also would love for them to have usb c.
😂Imagine having expectations like this
Keep wishing do you think apple cares?
Awesome comparison!
If you're an Apple Ecosystem person then the Airpods Max is a perfect choice. However, the unavailability of turning it off serves as an inconvenience in my opinion. I hope Apple works on it with the Airpods Max 2.
Hi, do you know if Spatial Audio works with a movie on Apple TV platform if I don’t have the Apple TV box ?
Excellent video. Plenty to take in as I was able to watch the link to the XM4 & 5 comparison. Given your comments, and although I am quite deep into Apple, I think that Sony will be the favourite for my replacement. Additionally, as far as the Sony are concerned, the XM4 are in the running against the XM5's!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Apple headphones just make anyone look like a cyberman , cool in dr who, ridiculous in tescos.
Yes, I realise it's a subjective thing, but I can't agree with people who say the Max's look good. I think they look ridiculous.
@@The_Calm_Chaos same that’s why i got the xm5 and i’m soooo happy omfg
Great video as usual. I think for anyone who owns and consumes media/content on an Apple device, the AirPods Max is a no-brainer. The integration with iOS, Spatial Audio when watching content and listening to music and the overall build and comfort make it a far more exciting and intuitive experience. Pop the headphones on and Apple does the rest. I tried both the XM5 and AirPods Max, and one thing I noticeably hated about the XM5 is the app. Functional yes, but feels like it belongs on an old Android phone. To summarise, Apple device owners, get the APM. For anyone else, grab the XM4s or Bose, will save you a lot of money.
What doesn't make me mind using the app as much is that you only need it once. Configure them and turn off touch controls and you're never using it again.
I'm not sure the look of the app is suuuuper important.
@@DezTessler of course it's important, like how icons look definitively premium when they are all stuck on the top unlike peasants' icon down there
@@josir1994 well not really , people buy headphones for their performance not the look of an app, if it's functional that's all that matters since you'll hardly use it in comparison to how much you'll use the headphones
@@SwagyP please sense the sarcasm in my comment
I use the XM4 on the go because they are light, fold and are cheaper plasticy so I do throw them in a bag without a case. On Android LDAC helps them sound more dynamic using Apple Music. I use the Airpod Max at home where they look nicer, are more comfortable to wear for extended periods and sound better overall. There is more than one way to optimize the soundstage for the Max. Using accessability settings for sound you can change it and even customize it in detail. This even won over some audiophile reviewers stating one of the standard options was enough. Check it out!
I purchased both and returned the APM for the following reasons.
Weight of APM made a difference after a couple of hours of work.
Noise canceling better on Sony M5 specially on a plane.
APM ear pressure during noise canceling reminded me of my Bose days.
Not shutting off became a problem if I just left APM out. Phone would ring and try to connect. Or if on a call, and my son used iPad to watch a video it would connect to iPad. It was a problematic at times.
I own both but love my AirPods max better don’t need to adjust and equalisers or anything on the AirPods max they just work.also like the control on the maxs better too just so simple.
My airpod max stopped working after a year despite one repair already so instead of spending the money to fix it, I bought the XM5 and it's been holding up well with little issues thus far after a few months
I ordered both at the same time and I’ve sent back the Airpods Max because it had a far worse call quality than the Sony XM5. When I made calls sitting on a train, people could not understand what I was saying when I used the Airpods Max and they heard people around me much better then me. With the Sony they heads me perfectly. So I can’t understand how you can say that the Airpods Max have a better call quality…
Because we both have different opinions on this, Norbert, which is fine (I respect yours).
My hunch about the never-off Air Pod Max is that it's because they're on the Find my Phone connection and need to send a constant signal. It is frustrating, and I'd like to be able to disable it to get battery life up near the Sonys.
I suspect you’re 100% right about this, however actual usage hrs vs XM5 is almost the same. It’s just a pain in the ass you have to be mindful to charge these once a wk regardless if you used them or not.
I think the always-on feature on the airpods is actually amazing. I really love that they are on and connected as soon as I put them on my head. On my old Sony XM3s there was always a noticeable delay when taking them out of the case, and then finding the right button to turn them on. Personally, I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of battery life for this convenience!
Fair enough! Glad it works for you.
Other benefit is if you ever lose them or if anyone ever steals them, you can track it at any point without them having any way to turn them or the AirPods tracking off. It’s actually a pretty decent benefit I don’t think enough people mention. There’s no way to turn them off unless they’re 100% dead, so no matter where they are or who has them, you can track them
that’s an argument but it still wouldn’t hurt they could be powered off. like i almost always have my ipad on standby but still it’s good it can be turned of if i really need to safe some battery
I still can't believe there are people defending the fact that you can't turn these off hahhhah
@@Mardoxx7 I just don't see why it matters. They go into such a low power state, who cares? It's a nonsense complaint.
Good comparison thanks! Though there are so many good headphones coming out this summer. Would love to see the comparison among XM5, the new Master and Dynamics, B&W Px7 S2.
Agreed! And I have my eyes on them 😉
When complaining about the "always on" feature I think it may be helpful to say that it enables "find my" for the headphones which could be useful if you happen to misplace them or leave them behind somewhere.
Doesn’t excuse it at all I’m afraid, mate.
I'm not an apple user so I went with the XM5 and wow... They are amazing and very comfortable
I hated the AirPods max case at first but then realized it’s a blessing in disguise as I also dislike the big hard cases for other headphones because they are so bulky and won’t fit into my purse. So I got myself a bag made from thin fabric and throw AirPods max in there with their ridiculous case and off they go into my purse. As a result they are well protected and a much lighter package than the Sonys in their solid case.
Or…you could just drop the Sony into the same fabrics bag and it would sound better. It would still take up less space in your purse as the headband and cups are smaller and much lighter!
I e tried the last three Sony XM models and none of them sounded good to me to the point I always went back to Bose Quiet Comforts. Until I bought the Max. It is a preferred sound signature thing but they have been my favorite headphones for well over a year. The other features are icing.
At a certain price point sound is expected to be good but to me comfort is not negotiable.
AirPods Max sound phenomenal but the clamping force makes reach for a painkiller before the end of the first song you listen to on them.
XM4 on the other hand are lighter with no big clamping force. but your ear sits on the padding and the mesh of the ear cups, which turned my ears into a volcano.
Bose qc series are my pick forever and ever as they sound good enough I can wear them for hours and completely forget they're there
Great review but I came to the opposite conclusion. I don’t care about the lightening connector charging because I have so many lightening cables. I do care about build quality and comfort and interchangeable ear cups after my experience with Bose QC headphones which did not really hold up that well. The Sonys don’t look any better than the Bose headphones in that regard. The killer feature of the AirPods Max though is how easily they switch between my iPhone, iPad and iMac. This review didn’t really explore the differences in pairing multiple Apple devices with the Sonys but my Bose headphones were a pain to switch between three devices. The AirPods Max are amazingly in this regard.
Thanks for offering your opinion!
Well owning these I can tell you switching between multiple devices is a piece of cake. It doesn't matter if it's hooked up to Google Chromecast or an iPad or an Android. You will have to have the app controlling that on one of those devices.
@@thecrowfliescrooked So to switch between devices you need to use the app? Bose had an app to do that too. I found it slow and a bit flaky though. For example if I used the app on my phone to switch the second BT connection between my iPad and Mac, it would drop the connection to the phone and leave the headphones connected to the iPad and the Mac. That was really irritating particularly since I didn't have a Bose app on my Mac and on the iPad, the Bose app was fixed in full screen portrait mode which makes no sense on a 12.9" iPad in a keyboard case. It sounds like the Sony app is a lot better.
@@andrewgrant788 yes. I understand.
And for some reason it does default to your last connected device. But once you use the app to switch it's quite quick and seamless.
I initially bought the Sonys, the case broke straight away and they felt way to flimsy. I swapped for AirPod max and for me they are so much better however I would have liked a bit moss bass.
I have no experience with Apple AirPods Max however I got my XM5stheree days ago. The longest listening session I've had is 2 hours and I experienced no discomfort wearing them. At this point I am a happy camper with my XM5s.
I have both and let me tell you now Sony just blows airpod max out of the water with performance. Apple looks hood aesthetic wise but Sony minimalistic futuristic look is perfect imo.
in some coutries such as vietnam they’re at the same price, I personally purchased an airpods max.
I hate how the Sony cups don’t swivel like the AirPods Max and the case has to be the size of a small backpack. The fact that the APM are easier to travel with and get louder make me prefer the Apple headphones.
This is the best and most unbiased comparison of these headphones I‘ve seen so far. Great video.
That means everything - thank you!
You can listen to Dolby Atmos on iPhone using XM5 by going to Bluetooth settings and mark XM5 as headphone. (No spatial audio though).
For the voice call, if you take both headphones out on the street, you will find the XM5 nearly eliminate all car / bus / truck noises and the conversation still clear for the other side of the call. AirPods Max couldn’t do that. Give it a go.
Comfort for me, XM5 is way better, I got a wider head and have glasses, the AirPods Max pressure on both sides of the ears gives me headaches whereas I can wear the XM5 for hours.
Here in Finland both of these sell right now for 499€. So, to me, XM5s sound way too expensive and Apple only little bit on the expensive side. I have auditioned some much much more costly cans (Meze Liric at 2000€ was one of them) but never have I’ve done any A-B comparisons between Sony and Apple, so my mind isn’t made up yet. So thanks, now I have something to compare my findings when I get a chance to do a proper comparison myself. 👍
No problem!
I own both and agree with most of what you had to say. I do find the Sony design a bit bulky albeit light. Also I find the Sonys to feel too warm to wear in short order. As for the case, neither succeeds against the smaller cases of the xm4 or bose 3 and 4 series. But - and forgive me Mark - there is something to be said for grabbing the Max in its small case to jump in the car. The Max is a sturdy product and not one that needs to be babied. My test is that I generally reach for the Max or the B&O HX headphones that I love. Often the whole is really more than the sun of its parts. Now, if either Sony or Apple wants to offer weather resistance, well then that might change everything for me.
I just picked up some XM5s over the weekend and after a few days use I started getting headaches from the Noise Cancelling 🙃 so looks like I'm returning them.
You get use to it and the headaches go away I had it with my AirPod pros but just turn the noise canceling off
i have sony 1000 xm5s and i have tried airpod max too. I feel xm5 are more comfortable to wear and
the sound quality and noise cancelling is really phenomenal. I really feel these were my best 500 dollar investment ever.
I have the AirPods Max and the Sony XM4s. Personally, I like the fact that the XM4s fold down into a nice case, so those will be my travel headphones. I use the Apple unit mainly for listening to audiobooks in bed at night. Why those? Because they do not have touch sensitive controls. I can't tell you how many times I accidentally paused playback on the XM4s, or switched off noise cancelling, or caused the playback to jump forwards or backwards, just by moving around. I find the Apple more comfortable, in that I can keep them on my head for longer without overheating or having them become otherwise uncomfortable. Sound quality? I have no complaints either way.
Agree! I do the same!
you can turn touch controls off in their app
I couldn’t stand touch controls for Xm4s. The XM5s don’t fold. I travel and so I will stick with my Max, AirPod Pros. FYI I have a soft cinch bag that I slip my Maxs in to protect in my backpack for travel, saves weight and works great. I wish they were usb c.
XM5, no doubt. My currently Edifier I charge once a week, using something about 35h to 40h in that period. I use a ordinary USBC cable that can be easily found or, I carry myself an USBC that charges everything.
I can´t bear the idea of buy an headphone that would be useful for many years that uses a lightning port now that the main product of Apple (iPhone) will come with USBC.
Other observation, if you have to charge more often the AirPods Max, so the battery life will drop soon because of to many cycles.
Great review very straightforward and precise . Appreciate it .
Glad it was helpful!
Do you hate the touch control? I really love it 😆 it feels premium for me. Like B&O, the brand is luxury, and they mostly use touch control for headphones.
The Airpods Max are faulty. When the ANC is on, there's random popping and crackling noises on bass heavy songs. When the ANC is off, theres no issues. Because of that I have to return them and will try the Sony's XM5's.
Loved this video!!! Really loved the comparison
Thank you!
ive got both and i keep coming back to the xm5
Excellent review, thank you! Subscribed.
Welcome onboard!
Two questions:
1. How is the noise cancelling for high tones? I live right above a train yard(? Is that the word) and so I hear a lot of shrill shrieky, squeaky noises that I want to shut out.
2. Do the Aipods Max have a cable to connect them directly? I know the Sonys do. I play a lot of rhythm games on my phone and that doesnt go well with the delay that comes with a Bluetooth connection.
5 is fantastic gets uncomfortable on top of head after three hours needs more padding
Great video Mark. Is discounting for the Air Pods Max mean v2 on the horizon? Though firmly in the Apple Eco System I will consider the MX5’s for my music listening. My air pods pro for calls and you tube. If Apple do address the cons in the Max’s then things will get a lot more interesting I think.
I think we might see them next year - not convinced they're a 2022 product.
great shirt mate
Great comparison, thanks for sharing.
You really need to EQ the Sony's to get the best sound quality. The AIrpods Max don't offer a true EQ, but you can really shape the sound on the Sony's.
I suck at eq lol wish they just made some good options for us to choose from
Apple vs Sony
I need both
At the very end I bought Sony xm4 for here in Italy are now at 199 euros which is an insane price. AirPods Pro 2 are my favorite in ear and I tried the AirPods Max in store millions of time but are really overpriced, great transparency, good sound I admit, materials are premium just as any apple product and if you have all apple products as me I have to admit the are super integrated (a part from the lighting cable) but they are really really overpriced for battery life, case, sound, cables for you have to pay extra money for that and for the case.
True not worth the money for me. Great work ad always, superlove your channell
XM5s get very uncomfortable after an hour or more of use from the headband causing pain on top of my head. Sony needs to fix that on the next version
if price wasnt in the picture which one is the better choice?
Great review, have you tried Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2?
You can replace the ear pads on the xm5s too, they’re just more solidly installed so they don’t just pop off.
Also, this review just makes it sound like you don’t know how or where the touch controls are and what they do 😂 Right ear cup, my dude. If you cover it most or all of the way with a hand or arm, you can activate ambient mode until you uncover it
Biggest point I agree with you is: buttons. Touch control is absolutely nonsense
Hello, I have Sony 1000xm5, can you recommend me which phone gives the best sound for this headphone?
Touch contorl is better imo
I think think it would be nice to hear what you think of the headphones after listening to some classical.Music or acoustic jazz. Adele’ is so phony and layered with vocal synthesized voices that i am not sure that her music is up to audiophile quality. And I confess that I have never heard of the other bands. So try some purely acoustic music and see what happen.
Hi,currently im choosing between two of these and I know that if you tap on sony1000xm5 they will turn off noise cancelation or put it back but does apple max has that?
Airpods max Vs nuraphones? Thoughts?
Honestly if apple had an eq app for all their audio equipment it would make more people lean towards them
Can ear pads on the Sony be replaced?
Great review Mark Apple!
😂😂
Can someone tell me which of the two makes ur ears get warm faster ? For some reason my ears are quite easily getting hot when covered
So theres no way to turn off Airpods Max???
I am really not getting the dig about the charging cable. If you’ve got AirPods Max, you’re likely using an iPhone. So it’s the same cable. If you are using an iPad, you likely have an iPhone. Either way, the most extra cable you need to bring with you is 1 extra tiny cable. The chargers are the same now. As for the case, yes it is not protective like the Sony case, but the size means they slip easily into a backpack with ease. Handy, if, like me you’re on a long haul flight and you want to carry them with you onto the plane and place them in storage pockets in seats or if you’re lucky, in other storage options. My AirPods Max went with me from Australia to the UK and back, thrown into my backpack and moved from one location to another for two weeks. I never stayed in one location more than 2 nights and I didn’t take any special precautions for them. Put them in case, chucked in backpack, backpack thrown into car. Rinse and repeat. A big bulky case would have meant taking something out of the pack to make room for them and that would have been by far the worse of the two options.
They should be USB-C, mate. I'm yet to hear a decent argument for Lightning on a modern pair of headphones. They stick out like a sore thumb. And we'll have to agree to disagree on the case, I'm afraid - it's an embarrassment.
@@MarkEllisReviews What *exact* functionality is lost with using a Lightning connector as a charging cable? Sorry, I get why the UA-cam community always have to find something to have a go about, but your words are hyperbolic. For sure, would it be better if it used USB-C? Of course. But embarrassing? I think you need to have a cuppa, put some headphones on and have a chill about how lucky we are that anyone in the position to spend A$900+ on a pair of headphones has the luxury to complain about the choice of connector for charging. I enjoy your videos regardless.
@@cejay67 No functionality is lost at all - it's a convenience thing, in my opinion (we clearly have differing opinions on this, and I respect yours). Apple has dropped three balls with the AirPods Max - the charging method (they need to join the USB-C brigade - it is fast becoming a standard), the case (it isn't fit for purpose), and the inability to turn the headphones off. As I say, mate, we have differences of opinion on this - that's absolutely fine. Let's respect one another.
XM4's are still the best and successor for ANC of XM3's
Really wish Apple would add the ability to power off the AirPods Max, there’s been times when I haven’t used them for a few days and gone out the house only to find they have 10-15% remaining
Infuriating, isn’t it?
10-15 percent is a lot of play time tho. Plus you know what u signed up for. I check my battery before I go out.
@@youngjacuzzi3676 that’s true, but how hard would it really be to add a option to fully power it off, maybe by pressing and holding the crown and noise control button. I don’t see how it would hurt to give people the option.
The weight speaks against Apple Airpods. I tried them in Apple Store and I have to say I could not wear them for more than 10 minutes. I don't have Mike Tyson's neck 😉
You will have Mike’s neck if you keep wearing them😉
Sony Xm4 are the best ones.
Bettr than xm5
As of 2024 I got my xm5 for 280€
I ended up just collecting all of them to stop stressing deciding.
I love Apple minimalistic case. It protects the cushions and and speakers. I easily put them into my slim laptop bag which I can't fit with XM5. Apple is a premium one and deserves the same care. I love the apple case. For 30 bucks you can get any 3rd party case. But for Sony, you can't get a minimalistic one.
I keep wanting to pull the trigger on the APPLE headphones......but the case. I just can't.
Why you have to be a apple fan.. Bought a sony m5 and love it can connect two phones apple and android works great
I was set on the XM5's but now that the price is about the same, im not sure anymore since I use Iphone.
The Sony’s are very good. I tried all the ones in Bestbuy, but not the AirPods Max, and these were definitely the best sounding. As far as comfort, they are pretty good. I have noticed on my other Sonys that I will take them off after an hour or less to cool off my ears. The noise cancelling was very important. I bought these because I mow grass for myself and mother and need something to listen to Audible books and these work. Usually I can only listen to music with my other headphones or earbuds. With these I can listen to books while driving a very loud zero turn mower.
No Sony keep touch control! Its way faster than fumbling around for the correct button.
Hello you are doing really great.
Just had one question-
Is sony wh1000-xm5 comfortable with spectacles/eye-glasses??
Does it hurt our ears ??
Thank you
He talks about phone call quality but doesn't mention the XM5's outstanding background noise cancellation of the mics that no other ANC headphone comes even close. That says it all about his comparison video.
“He” reads these comments and would dearly love some decent debate rather than teeth-itchingly boring comments like this. And the “outstanding background noise cancellation” is entirely your opinion, which I respect.
You're literally the only one who said the Apple ones are better for calls.
Awesome! I’m unique 😀
The XM5s are miles better for calls and it's not even close.
I listened to the Max and I think the bass is not strong enough. I don’t want Ultra bass headphones but there is just not much bass
Can you do a comparison with the technics a800?
In India the Airpods max costs $720 USD but the Sony recently went on sale for $280 USD. So it was a no brainer to get the sony hehe
Yes Peter Gabriel, sledgehammer, love it!
tbh i would expect Airpods Max to win in ALL categories since it is almost double the price.
I refuse to own anymore products that dont use usb c- which is why I bought an iphone 15. so those headphones are a no go.
I am an audiophile and an editor but I must say that both sound horrible, I bought the Sony 1000XM5 and I must share that they sound lifeless, they have no dynamic range, they are clumsy, the low frequencies stand out, there is no clear midrange and the treble is heard forced, It doesn't feel like there are sound layers for each instrument and vocals, just one with everything, speaking of the voice it sounds very boring after a while, I managed to correct that as best I could with the app but the sound doesn't seem to be hi-res, the ANC is brutal, the best without a doubt but that is half the equation, the sound with cable is the same as what I mentioned before but in this way there is no way to establish the eq that I put in the app , I used the Xperia 1 IV due to its high compatibility and the Fiio M11 Plus with Tidal Music with the song Learning To live from Dream Theater and Rotunda by Markus Schulz, Jochen Miller, sadly I had to return these headphones.
In the case of the Airpods Max they do not have that clumsy and boring sound, although they do not have a dedicated app, nor do they have better control when reproducing the frequencies, the sound opening is more detailed, that they sit flat is fine, hence if Apple releases one update for the eq and it can be established more to the taste of each one, I used my best friend's Airpods Max with Tidal Music on his IPhone 12 Mini and the Fiio M11 Plus (with cable) with the same songs mentioned above, with cable the Airpods gave me a much higher result than the Sony.
I have been lucky enough to listen to this list of headphones from colleagues who were very kind to let me listen to some songs on them, the AKG K712 Pro, Sennheiser 599 hd, Philips Fidelio l2, V-Moda M200 and M100 Master, Focal Elegia, Audio Technica m70x, Beyerdynamic dt 770 pro and Meze 99 Classics.
My non-personal editing headphones (from my office) are the V-Moda M200 Studio (Cable) that have a flat sound, in my preference there are no better closed ones for the price due to their flat, precise and faithful representation, with a frequency amplifier you will be able to modify them to your ideal sound, my personal headphones are the V-Moda M100 Master (Cable) and these headphones are noticeably elevated in low frequencies compared to their brothers the M200, even if you are a bass head the M100 Master would be my recommendation, but looking for some personal ANC to travel and edit with the possibility of really listening in Hi-Res my option would be the V-Moda M200 ANC with LDAC, Aptx HD and dedicated app with eq editing, on the other hand if you want another option of headphones that They outperform Sony and Apple in sound, I highlight, in the sound section, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 combined with a Nura Bluetooth 5.3 Audio Transmitter for better data transmission and Snapdragon Sound on Windows and Mac via USB Type C.
Try Louis la Roche easy on me adel remix 🎉
The Airpods Max are still about $760 in my country 😭
AirPods case is better if u have a smaller bag the Sonys are way to big
AirPods Max is an unfinished product. More flaws than the good things.. Sony takes easily this battle. Best headphones in 350€ price range.
I don't have both and i can't afford both 😭
I am not a sound engineer and to tell you honestly I just go to reviews which is better. For me, on my personal choice. I would rather choose the AirPods Max. Now that the second generation comes out, I think it would be safe to say - “WTF JUST BUY IT”. Thank you for your honest reviews man. This helps me a lot what to buy. Good present this coming holidays.
How refreshing - thanks!
@@MarkEllisReviews bizarre!
Thats weird. There are people saying the mics, NC, and transparency actually came out better on the XM5s slightly. And sound is what you perceive it to be. I have the XM5s however, and it only fits me better since I have Samsungs s22 Ultra.
Proud owner of the xm5’s
Are there any adults still in the apple ecosystem? I thought it was just kids or really old people
Good point
Subjective. Sound is better in apple.
Of course it’s subjective!
Oh 2 points , airpods max don't work well with android phones....I wonder how do people miss this point. Also, it's almost double the price..
True, I’m just not sure why you’d buy a pair of AirPods Max if you were an Android user - virtually every other pair of headphones makes more sense.
Airpods Max FTW