SoundPEATS Q9A vs Sony WH-1000XM2

The bass of these in-ear headphones is pretty powerful. It has great depth and punch. Mids are full and rich so vocals, guitars and keys can easily be heard. The highs are rolled off, so sparkle on the high frequencies is not that prominent, but this also results in a smoother sound that is easier on the ears.

Due to the bass-centric sound signature, these in-ear headphones are best for hip-hop, EDM and dance genres.

These headphones will stay in place even if you get active. The combination of the lightweight earpieces along with the integrated ear-hooks mean that these headphones will not dislodge easily.

These headphones are not prone to damage due to getting wet thanks to its sweat resistance. You can run or do similar activities using these headphones with no issues. These are still not water resistant though so submerging these in water can still cause damage.

These in-ear headphones have remote function buttons built into the earpieces, along with a microphone. This means that you do not have to pull out your smartphone in order to control basic music functions or to answer/end calls.

Along with the in-ear headphones, you get a shirt clip, flexible bands for managing the headphone cable, three pairs of ear tips in different sizes along with a soft case and a pouch for easy transport of these headphones when on the go.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The ear cups can be folded into the headband. This reduces the headphones' size so that it can easily fit inside bags.

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.

There is a built in microphone which negates the need to remove the headphones to answer a call.

You can use these headphones wired using the detachable 3.5mm cable or you can go wireless with Bluetooth.

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.

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.