Overview
What is Bose QuietComfort 45?
Bose QuietComfort 45 is a noise-canceling headphone designed to provide a better listening experience. It features advanced noise-canceling technology that blocks unwanted noise while still allowing you to hear your music.
In addition, the headphones are comfortable to wear and have long battery life. Whether you’re looking for a better way to listen to music on your commute or you want to block out noise at work, bose or sony headphones are a great option.
What is Sony WH-1000XM4?
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones. They are the successor to the Sony WH-1000XM3, which was released in 2018. The headphones have several features that make them stand out from the competition.
They have a new processor that allows for better noise cancellation and a feature that allows you to adjust the level of noise cancellation based on your environment. The headphones are also comfortable to wear for long periods and have long battery life.
Bose QuietComfort 45 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4
Design and build
The Bose QuietComfort 45 is more comfortable than the Sony WH-1000XM4 and lives up to its name. Bose’s headset is lighter than Sony’s (240g vs. 254g), and a somewhat smaller footprint comes with it. While the Sony WH-1000xm4 vs Bose QC45 II seem considerably different, they share one feature: both headsets look almost identical to their predecessors.
The Bose QC 45 adds a USB-C charging connector but appears identical to the QuietComfort 35 II. The WH-1000XM4 differs from Sony’s previous headset even less, with somewhat bigger ear cushions and a visible sensor within the left ear cup. This isn’t always negative; the WH-1000XM3 and the QC 35 II are simple to use and comfortable to wear, and the newest headphones are no exception.
The QuietComfort 45 is made primarily of plastic and has a folding construction, making it a compact, portable pair of headphones. The hinges on the headphones also swivel to allow them to lay flat.
The QC 45 has on-ear controls in tactile buttons that are pretty simple to use. On the rear of the right headphone are three controls that control volume and playback, while on the back of the left headphone is a button that toggles noise cancellation.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is likewise made of plastic, with a foldable frame and hinges that pivot to lay flat. Its on-ear controls, like its predecessor, are a combination of buttons and touch instructions.
On the rear of the left headphone are buttons for power and switching between active noise cancellation and transparency modes. At the same time, the side of the right earphone is touch sensitive—various taps and swipes control playback and volume.
Battery life
Sony headphones have some of the best ANC showtimes, and the WH-1000XM4 is one among them. A full charge lasts 30 hours with ANC turned on and 38 hours without. We’re talking about many hours more than any Bose headphones.
A rapid charge provides 5 hours of gaming on a 10-minute charge, which is incredible. Remember that listening at a high volume and using various features simultaneously will reduce runtime by about 2 hours.
Bose eventually gave in and improved battery life, allowing the QuietComfort 45 to 24 hours of use with ANC turned on. Please don’t ask how long you can listen with ANC turned off since you can’t turn it off.
According to the business, ANC is never fully turned off, so you’ll be in one mode or the other, which can quickly consume the battery. Rapid charging is effective, with a 15-minute quick charge providing up to 3 hours of playing, but we like to charge any set of wireless headphones as little as possible.
Controls
Sony programmed touch, tactile, and motion-detection controls into the WH-1000XM4. The trio works wonderfully, especially with touch sensors, which reliably record and identify tap and swipe actions. Each button provides strong tactile input to guarantee orders are carried out, and the auto-pause/play feature works flawlessly while removing or putting the headphones on your head.
Sony has included two more user-friendly features in this model. Quick Attention pauses music when you place your palm over the right earcup, and Talk-to-Chat recognizes your voice using the built-in microphones and powerful signal processing, halting music anytime you speak. Both features perform admirably.
You also receive exceptional speech recognition to carry out spoken commands with the help of digital aid. The WH-1000XM4 supports Alexa and Google Assistant, so you may activate the AI bots by saying “Alexa” or “Hey Google” into the appropriate wake word feature. Siri and Bixby may also be activated manually.
The controls from the previous model were copied and pasted onto the QuietComfort 45. The three-button module on the right earcup and the Action Button on the left are allocated to all functions.
We’re alright without on-ear detection or touch controls because the buttons are responsive to pushes. The inability to attach the digital assistant to the Action Button, on the other hand, is a stingy move. In terms of digital assistants, you’ll get a solid performance from Google Assistant, Siri, and Bixby for hands-free voice commands.
Comfort and fit
Bose understands comfort and noise cancellation, so it’s no surprise that the QuietComfort 45 is one of the more comfortable headphones in the category. The soft cushioning is soothing on the skin and allows for some ventilation, which helps to reduce moisture buildup while wearing the cans for several hours each day. The headband conforms perfectly around the skull and does not get enough praise. Adjusting the extenders to the right position improves fit.
The WH-1000XM4 provides a high level of comfort. The cushioning feels like a cloud on the ears and atop the head, while the extenders reach a considerable length to fit wider skulls. Unfortunately, to minimize slippage, they must be adjusted one notch lower than your chosen degree of comfort, resulting in a tighter fit that might be tiring for individuals with low pain sensitivity.
Audio quality
Both headphones provide satisfying audio, but the WH-1000XM4 takes things to the next level. It employs the same 40mm drivers as the WH-1000XM3 to create a broad soundstage with detailed bass performance — and that’s just with the default EQ.
You may select from several well-designed presets complimenting various music genres, or you can construct your music profile by manually tweaking the frequencies. If that isn’t enough, prepare for even more musical magnificence.
Sony improved its Bluetooth audio algorithm and introduced LDAC codec compatibility, which employs a combination of lossless and lossy compression to deliver high-resolution audio. DSEE Extreme and Edge-AI technologies are also included in the bundle to improve digitally-compressed data quality.
Then there’s Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial audio platform. It’s compatible with select high-resolution streaming providers (such as Amazon Music, Tidal, and Deezer) and adds 3D effects to music, which it does extremely effectively.
Bose used a unique TriPort acoustic design and a volume-optimized Active EQ to provide the QuietComfort 45 with a more refined sound. While not as powerful or immersive as the WH-1000XM4, the QuietComfort 45 delivers lots of clarity, sharp mids, and strong bass that is more well-balanced this time.
The soundstage can struggle with intricate compositions, but it’s hardly a disaster. Bose does not provide any form of sound personalization or spatial audio. The Bose AR platform has also been discontinued.
Call quality
The QuietComfort 45 isn’t the brand’s greatest calling headset, and while it’s a step down from the QuietComfort 35 II, many people will consider it one of the best headphones with a mic for voice and video conversations. Calls made both inside and outside sound loud and clear, and Bose’s mic array does an excellent job of canceling background noise. You should avoid speaking to people in windy weather since the microphones take up a lot of wind when in calling mode.
Call quality has not been kind to Sony’s over-ear series, and the WH-1000XM4 is no exception. Callers frequently complained about muffling when they stepped outdoors, proving that Precise Voice Pickup technology does not live up to its claims. Wind resistance was also inadequate.
Active Noise Canceling
The Bose QC35 ii vs Sony WH-1000XM4 provide significant advancements over their predecessors in active noise cancellation (ANC), but how do they compare?
The Sony WH-1000XM4 has stronger passive isolation from 200-1000Hz than the Bose QuietComfort 45, but the Bose’s ANC outperforms it—reaching almost 40dB of attenuation, which means sounds in that range seem one-sixteenth as loud. The enhanced isolation of the QuietComfort 45 significantly widens the gap at frequencies over 1000Hz.
Both headsets handle the kind of noises that ANC impacts the best and most identically. The decrease in high-end, incidental noise—which passive isolation affects the most—is significantly greater with the Bose QuietComfort 45. It’s worth noting that turning off ANC on the Bose QC 45 automatically activates the aware mode. Still, on the Sony WH-1000XM4, you may disable both modes for a more traditional listening experience.
To acquire a comparable outcome to our ANC charts, you must have a suitable seal with the headphones around your ear. External noise will flow through the physical barrier of the headset if gaps grow between the padding and your skull, rendering both passive isolation and ANC ineffective. Both headsets feature odalisque ear cushions that should suit most ear sizes, so finding the right fit should be straightforward.
Apps and special features
The WH-1000XM4 outnumbers the QuietComfort 45 in features roughly three to one and has a more appealing app. Sony Headphones Connect comes with a plethora of customizing options. The EQ with numerous settings, Ambient Sound Control, DSEE Extreme, NC Optimizer, Quick Attention, Speak-to-Chat, and 360 Reality Audio have previously been mentioned. Is there anything else? Absolutely.
Other noteworthy features include saving headphone settings, prioritizing sound quality or connectivity, and executing automated firmware upgrades. You may also turn off the headphones using the app. Bose vs Sony headphones also have a battery-level display, music player, voice alerts, and a power-off setting.
However, it is not simply the sound controls and user settings that distinguish the WH-1000XM4 as a functional force to be reckoned with. There is also an interconnection. The WH-1000XM4 is powered by Bluetooth 5.0, which ensures robust and long-lasting wireless performance.
It also has NFC technology for easy connecting; tap the left earcup on the back of a compatible smartphone to connect. Not to mention multipoint technology, which allows the headphones to be connected to two devices simultaneously.
The good news is that QuietComfort 45 users will be able to use Bose Music instead of the soon-to-be-retired Bose Connect app. The bad news is that they only have a few benefits.
Aside from basic functionality (such as music player, firmware upgrades, and toggle settings), only two important features are available: Self Voice and SimpleSync. The former allows customers to choose how loudly they hear themselves during phone calls. At the same time, the latter connects the headphones to a Bose smart speaker or Soundbar for private audio streaming on televisions.
At the very least, the QuietComfort 45 utilizes Bluetooth 5.1 to deliver long-range (up to 50 feet) and steady connectivity for listening to Spotify or taking Zoom conversations. Unfortunately, Bose deleted NFC from the spec list since many people forget it was included in the QuietComfort 35 II.
- Read more: Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs Bose QuietComfort 45
FAQs
Is there anything better than Sony WH-1000XM4?
We discovered that the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 performed better than the Sony WH-1000XM4 in registering swipes and touches.
Does Sony sound better than Bose?
To conclude, Sony electronics are often less expensive than Bose’s. Furthermore, Sony products are more versatile than Bose’s. While Sony gadgets can do more functions for less money, Bose items perform better. Noise cancellation, for example, is often of higher quality in Bose products.
Is Sony WH-1000XM4 discontinued?
Cost and availability The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones will not be discontinued. Instead, they’ll keep their $349/AU$395 price tag (they debuted in Australia at AU$549) and be offered alongside the WH-1000XM5.
Can you work out with Sony WH-1000XM4?
While the Sony WH series is not specifically built for working out, they are among the best headphones on the market. They may keep you motivated even if your training regimen does not include high-tempo CrossFit exercise.
Is Sony releasing new headphones in 2022?
Sony has announced its new WH-1000XM5 premium over-ear noise canceling headphones for 2022, even though they were not supposed to arrive for another couple of months.
Conclusion
After testing, both the Bose QuietComfort 35 II vs Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are excellent choices in the noise-canceling headphone category.
The Bose headphones are slightly better at canceling low-frequency sounds like the rumble of an airplane engine. In contrast, the Sony headphones block out higher-frequency sounds like human conversation.
If you’re looking for the best possible noise cancellation, either of these headphones will do a great job. Thanks for reading this article!