When comparing Bose QuietComfort 25 vs Sony WH-1000XM2, the Slant community recommends Sony WH-1000XM2 for most people. In the question“What are the best headphones for blocking out open office noise?” Sony WH-1000XM2 is ranked 2nd while Bose QuietComfort 25 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Sony WH-1000XM2 is:
The bass has good punch and control which works really well with most genres of music. The mids are slightly forward at just the right levels, which ensures that vocals can be clearly heard. The highs are emphasized and sound great with a lot of clarity and detail, especially on the upper registers.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Good portability
The traveling case is small and provides room for spare batteries and other components. This makes it pretty portable, for those that can't or don't want to leave their headphones at work.
Pro Battery is easily replaceable
These headphones use a triple-A battery to power noise canceling. Should it run out of charge, it can easily be replaced.
Pro Active noise canceling is very good
With the feature switched on, you can really zone in on the music. Noise canceling is very effective at blocking out ambient noise, especially the lower frequencies. On a flight for example, engine noise is drastically reduced, as well as most of the sound from the conversations in your vicinity.
Pro Plenty of comfort features
The QC25 feels comfortable even after wearing it for several hours. The pads go over the ear and feel soft, as the ample cushioning is covered with supple and high quality synthetic leather. Aside from the usual headband padding, it also has an inner Alcantara lining that feels really nice on the skin.
Pro Noise canceling levels can be adjusted
You have a number of options as to how you want to use these headphones' active noise canceling feature. You can either have the feature on or off while you are listening to music, or have noise canceling on without audio. This is a nifty feature if you just want to enjoy some peace and quiet when in a noisy place.
Pro Light and easy to wear
These headphones will not tire your head or neck out, even if you wear them for quite some time. These are pretty light at around 196 grams.
Pro Fun sound with boosted highs
Sub-bass is a bit laid back, but the overall low-end production is punchy and with good extension. Mids are clear and forward so vocals, guitars and keys sound good with these. The upper treble is boosted, which results in good detail, but can also give harshness to the sound.
Overall, this is a really fun set of cans to listen to, especially if you just want to have a fun music listening experience.
Pro Fun-sounding with good details to the audio
The bass has good punch and control which works really well with most genres of music. The mids are slightly forward at just the right levels, which ensures that vocals can be clearly heard. The highs are emphasized and sound great with a lot of clarity and detail, especially on the upper registers.
Pro Right ear cup functions as touchpad remote
Swiping or tapping on the right ear cup's surface can pause or play track, go to the next track or go back to the previous one and can control volume levels as well. Also, the right ear cup has more of a textured surface compared to the old MDR1000x model's smooth, leather-like surface. This makes gesture control much more accurate on the WH-1000XM2.
Pro Quick Attention mode allows easy conversations
If you need to talk while using these, all you need to do is to cover the right ear cup with the palm of your hand. This activates Quick Attention mode which cuts off the music and amplifies voice for easy conversation. To get back to listening to music, all you need to do is to remove the palm from the ear cup.
Pro 4 noise cancelling modes to choose from
Aside from just turning noise cancelling on or off, users can set it to Ambient Sound which offers 2 further options.Normal Mode allows some outside noise through, while Voice Mode allows voice frequencies through the noise cancelling.
Pro Mobile app grants extra functionality and easy tweaking of the headphones
The WH1000XM2 comes with a companion mobile app that allows you to easily tweak the various settings of the headphones including EQ and noise cancelling levels. The app can also take advantage of the accelerometers in your smartphone as you move, adjusting noise cancelling and audio settings on the fly to give you the optimal listening experience.
Pro Good noise isolation
These have great noise isolating properties and can block out a good amount of sound even with the noise cancelling off. The ear cups are closed back, while the ear pads go over the ear and seal well, awhich effectively minimizes sound leakage to and from the headphones.
Pro Can fold down to a more compact size
The ear cups can be folded into the headband. This reduces the headphones' size so that it can easily fit inside bags.
Pro Active noise cancelling is very good
The WH-1000XM2's active noise cancelling is one of the best in the market today. With the mode activated, a significant amount of outside noise is blocked, allowing you to really enjoy your music with minimal distractions. The Bose QC 35 II slightly edges out the Sony in this aspect though.
Pro Built in mic makes taking calls very easy
There is a built in microphone which negates the need to remove the headphones to answer a call.
Pro Can be used wired or wireless
You can use these headphones wired using the detachable 3.5mm cable or you can go wireless with Bluetooth.
Pro Very long battery life
The internal battery can last up to 30 hours of listening to music in wireless mode with noise cancelling on. This number goes up to 40 hours in wired mode with noise cancelling activated.
Pro Carrying case allows for easy and secure transport
This comes with a carrying case that is made from high quality materials. It should provide extra protection to the headphones against scratches and minor impacts, which are quite common when taking these while traveling.
Cons
Con Audio has not enough power on some phones
Takes a lot of power for volume. Not all phones have enough audio output to reach high volume.
Con High frequency noise may still mix with audio
While low frequency sounds are effectively blocked, high frequency ones can still be heard. Female voices and high pitched noises may still get in the way of your music.
Con No noise canceling auto shut-off
The feature continues to drain battery even if the headphones are not used. Turn this off before storing.
Con Noise canceling is uncomfortable for some users
A number of users complain about the headphones' noise canceling having a feeling of pressure in the ears, which they find to be quite uncomfortable.
Con Highs can be too piercing
The boosted highs add a lot of detail to the sound that these headphones produce. This also makes it too harsh for some.