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QuietComfort 35 II vs WH-1000XM5

Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. The WH-1000XM5 is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Bose · Audio

QuietComfort 35 II

Buy If$350
57% of 1,256 owners recommend
~1 in 3 failure rate — ~1 in 3 long-term owner reports mention a failure, most commonly the power switch, Bluetooth, or battery, typically surfacing between 10 and 73 months of ownership. Warranty outcomes lean resolved — most who reported back got a replacement or repair covered — but a meaningful share landed outside warranty.

Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk.

+ Repeatedly mentioned as the reason owners stick with them — comfort stands out across hundreds of reports.

− A vocal minority find the sound tuning too bass-heavy or otherwise colored compared to rivals.

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Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony · Audio

WH-1000XM5

Stay Away$248
39% of 2,433 owners recommend
~1 in 3 failure rate — ~1 in 3 long-term owner reports describe a failure, overwhelmingly the hinge (132 counts), typically surfacing between 5 and 23 months. Warranty resolution skews unresolved: 93 unresolved versus 36 resolved cases. At 30% serious-failure rate, this is above the 27% baseline for the 10 wireless headphones we track — failing more than most in its category.

Don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead

+ Repeatedly mentioned as the benchmark other wireless headphones get compared against.

− A recurring theme: hinge failures dominate long-term reports, with 132 hinge-specific counts logged.

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Questions people keep asking

Which is better, the QuietComfort 35 II or the WH-1000XM5?

Reddit's answer is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. The WH-1000XM5 is a Stay Away — don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead.

Is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Buy If. Buy it if you prioritize long-term comfort and durability and can stomach a real failure risk. Comfort and durability keep a loyal following, but ~1 in 3 long-term reports mention a power-switch or Bluetooth failure — know that going in.

Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 worth it?

Reddit's verdict is Stay Away. Don’t buy it — get the Sony WH-1000XM4 instead. Exceptional sound with a structural flaw you must factor in: ~1 in 3 long-term reports describe a hinge failure.