• Great all-round headphones

  Sony WH-1000XM5

  Battery Life

  Up to 30 hours with ANC on, up to 40 with ANC off

  Wireless?

  Yes

  Microphones

  4 mics per earcup, Auto NC Optimizer for ANC

  Compatible With

  Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

  Brand

  Sony

  Frequency Response

  4Hz–40,000Hz (JEITA)

  Sony’s WH-1000XM5 boast a radical new design that improves on the previous model in almost every way: they sound better, the noise-canceling now optimizes itself, and the Wearing Detection feature is much quicker to respond. Quite simply some of the best all-round headphones you can buy. 

  Pros & Cons

  • Clear sound quality
  • Impactful bass
  • Very user-friendly

  • Could feel more premium
  • Doesn't fold up

  $398 at Amazon
• Marathon battery life

  Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

  Battery Life

  Up to 60 hrs music playtime via Bluetooth and with ANC

  Wireless?

  Yes

  Microphones

  2 mics per side, beamforming for noise reduction

  Brand

  Sennheiser

  Transducer Size

  42mm diameter

  Frequency Response

  50Hz–10kHz

  Sennheiser’s Momentum range of headphones spans many styles and price brackets, but the Momentum 4 Wireless are its high-end over-ear offering. These wireless noise-cancelers combine a stacked feature set, superb sound quality and one of the longest battery lives around in a compelling package.

  Pros & Cons

  • Neutral sound balance
  • Battery life trounces rivals
  • Impressive noise-canceling

  • Plasticky build
  • Don't fold up

  $380 at Best Buy $380 at Amazon

If you’re looking for the best over-ear headphones, Sony and Sennheiser should be on your list. Their models combine comfort, performance, features, and build quality to devastating effect, and nowhere is this more obvious than with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Sony WH-1000XM5. The Momentum 4 Wireless boast the longest battery life of any model in this category, while the XM5 are a master of all trades. Let’s see which is best for you.

Price, availability, and specs

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless launched at around $350, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 cost $399 at launch. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Sony WH-1000XM5 are among the pricier over-ear headphones available. They offer sophisticated active noise cancelation (ANC), great build quality (i.e. better quality materials, which should help them last longer), and excellent sound quality with advanced audio processing, which helps justify their higher prices over cheaper models like wireless earbuds. Headphones like these are regularly discounted, so you can wait for a sale if you're interested.

• 	Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless	Sony WH-1000XM5
  Battery Life	Up to 60 hrs music playtime via Bluetooth and with ANC	Up to 30 hours with ANC on, up to 40 with ANC off
  Wireless?	Yes	Yes
  Brand	Sennheiser	Sony
  Frequency Response	50Hz–10kHz	4Hz–40,000Hz (JEITA)
  Connection Type	USB-C	USB-C, 3.5 hours
  Weight	10.3 ounces (293g)	8.8 ounces (249g)
  Noise Cancellation	Hybrid Adaptive ANC	ANC with ambient sound mode
  Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max)	Bluetooth 5.2

Design and fit

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 are slimmer, with fewer exposed parts than its predecessors. Sony calls its new look a “noiseless design” because it has re-engineered the whole package to eliminate elements that exacerbate wind noise. The end result is fewer exposed hinges and joints, and overall, a more seamless look. There is a downside though: They don’t fold up like previous Sony models. Instead, only the ear cups fold flat. This means they’re bulkier when not in use and will take up more space in your bag. It also makes them (slightly) more susceptible to knocks and bumps while being carried, so it is wise to use the supplied carrying case.

The XM5 are still well-made and feel built to last, but they are a bit plastic-y, which you wouldn’t expect given the price (especially as their predecessors in the XM range feel more premium). But the memory foam earpads make for a very comfortable fit, and they’re very easy to adjust.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones suffer from similar problems. They, too, feel a little cheaper than you would expect at this price point, and like the XM5, the ear cups fold flat, but the headphones don’t fold into a more compact form. But again, they’re comfortable, exerting enough pressure on your head to keep the generous ear cushions in place without squeezing your head like a vice. Just make sure you use the included carrying case when not in use.

Both designs are very functional, but the XM5 are a little sleeker and come in more finishes (black, silver, and blue, compared to the 4 Wireless’ black or white colorways). So they get our vote in this round.

Sound and call quality

Of course, you buy headphones for the audio quality, not just to look at them, and this is where the XM5 and Momentum 4 Wireless really excel. We found in our Momentum 4 Wireless review that they sound superb and handle busy productions without the sound ever becoming muddied. Even the bass reproduction is particularly impressive. Sound quality is helped by the aptX and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs. These transfer music wirelessly in higher quality than more standard codecs like AAC and SBC, meaning better sound quality, as long as your headphones and music source both support them.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless sound awesome, but they’re up against the Sony WH-1000XM5, which are possibly the best in the business when it comes to sound quality at this price level. Their audio is a little more musical than the Momentum 4 Wireless’s, with an airy, open soundstage that gives each instrument on a track room to breathe. They don’t support the aptX codecs, which are becoming more common, but they do play nice with Sony’s own LDAC format. Both aptX and LDAC give a higher bitrate than more standard codecs like SBC and AAC, meaning better sound quality. But these better quality codecs are supported on fewer devices than their lesser alternatives SBC and AAC.

Call quality is also a little better with the Sony WH-1000XM5 than the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless thanks to Sony’s noiseless design and its Precise Voice Pickup technology, which uses four mics and AI-powered noise-reduction technologies to isolate your voice from background interference like the wind. The Momentum 4 Wireless also have four mics, but their noise-canceling system just isn't as effective as Sony's.

Software

This round is more clear-cut. Sennheiser’s app leaves a lot to be desired. We found it sluggish and unresponsive, with connection drop-outs being a common occurrence. The EQ, which is used for adjusting the headphones’ sound profile, is too basic, though you can install a third-party app to do the same job. But it’s a shame Sennheiser’s own app isn’t more adequate.

Sony’s Headphones Connect app, by contrast, is a lot more stable, easier to use, and more feature-rich. You can choose from various presets or tweak the equalizer as you see fit. It also gives you a range of other personalization options to make the audio bespoke to you.

Sony also comes out on top with noise-canceling. Both pairs of headphones are great in this regard, but the XM5 reduce all background sounds to a mere murmur and even succeeds in muffling louder sounds. The Momentum 4 Wireless, meanwhile, allows louder outside sounds to seep through, which can sound more distracting. There’s not a huge difference between them, but if isolation is what you need, we would go for the XM5.

The XM5 also adjust their noise-canceling level depending on your surroundings. So if you go from a quiet coffee shop to a busy street, the noise-canceling will adjust accordingly, making the experience more seamless.

Battery life

Battery life is where the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless really come into their own. They deliver 60 hours of runtime before needing a recharge — that’s twice the 30 hours offered by the Sony WH-1000XM5.

What’s even more impressive is that the 60-hour figure isn’t only possible under certain conditions. Some manufacturers shout about marathon battery life, but when you dig into the small print you realize their headline figures are only possible with noise-canceling turned off and sometimes even listening over a wired connection rather than Bluetooth. But the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless manage 60 hours of runtime with both Bluetooth and ANC activated, which is nothing short of staggering. And if your battery does run out? You can always listen wired, which – unlike some headphones – doesn’t need a battery.

The WH-1000XM5 last 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC activated, or 40 hours without. This is still pretty impressive. If you're in a rush to leave the house, a 10-minute charge will give you 5 hours of battery life, which is more than most people use in a day. They too can be used wired without using any battery life.

Which is right for you?

The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best over-ear headphones at this price level. If you want an upgrade in terms of sound quality, you’ll have to spend crazy money. Their noise-canceling is among the most effective around, neutralizing even the harshest of sounds, and their feature set is second to none.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless come in a close second, though. They’re very good in all areas apart from the app, but they’re simply outclassed across the board by the Sony headphones. Their 60-hour battery life remains unbeaten, so if a long runtime is your priority, they’re the cans for you.