Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 vs WH-1000XM5
Audio · 3,469 owner opinions across both productsBuy the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
Reddit's answer is the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Buy only if you prioritize all-day comfort and strong noise cancellation over long-term reliability. The WH-1000XM5 is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead. At $150 against $200 today, the WH-1000XM5 costs $50 more and carries the weaker verdict.
Built from 3,469 owner opinions across both products · 470 long-term reports · how we decide
What owners say
46% would buy againof 570 owners
First 6 months 32% → long-term 65%+33of 61 long-term owners
38% would buy againof 2,899 owners
First 6 months 44% → long-term 60%+16of 409 long-term owners
The WH-1000XM5's record runs 2,899 owners against 570 for the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 — weigh the thinner side accordingly.
What you’ll regret
The bluetooth
~1 in 6 long-term reports mention a failure, most within the first 25 months. Bluetooth and firmware reboot-loop issues are the most cited components. Warranty resolution leans unresolved — the majority of reported cases landed outside warranty or went unresolved. That said, the NC700's 11% serious-failure rate is well below the 24% baseline for the 15 wireless headphones we track.
Typically reported months 0–24 · 61 long-term owners
The hinge
~1 in 3 long-term reports mention a failure, overwhelmingly the hinge, typically appearing between 6 and 23 months of ownership. Of 409 long-term owner reports, 121 describe issues that went unresolved — most cases land outside warranty. This is a higher failure rate than the 24% baseline for wireless headphones we track.
Typically reported months 6–22 · 409 long-term owners
These are the share of long-term owner reports that mention a failure, not the share of units that fail — owners with working units mostly don’t post.
Price and value
Gap today: $50 — Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is the cheaper buy.
Price links carry an affiliate tag. It never changes the verdict.
comfort and sound quality matter most to you and you're willing to accept some reliability risk.
sound quality and comfort are your top priorities and you keep a close eye on warranty coverage.
Questions people ask about this matchup
Which is better, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or the WH-1000XM5?
Reddit's answer is the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Buy only if you prioritize all-day comfort and strong noise cancellation over long-term reliability. The WH-1000XM5 is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead.
Which is more reliable, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or the WH-1000XM5?
The Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, by the numbers: 11% of its long-term reports mention a serious failure against 32% for the WH-1000XM5. What separates them is what fails — bluetooth on the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, hinge on the WH-1000XM5.
Is the WH-1000XM5 worth $50 more than the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700?
At $200 against $150 today, the WH-1000XM5 costs 33% more and carries the weaker verdict (Stay Away against the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700's Risky Buy) — the extra money buys features, not a better ownership record.
Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 full verdict →WH-1000XM5 full verdict →All Audio verdicts →