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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless vs Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless
Tested using Methodology v1.8
Updated Feb 10, 2025 03:15 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.8
Updated Feb 10, 2025 03:33 PM
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Amazon.com
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
TypeOver-ear
Noise CancellingYes
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
MicYes
Variants
- WH-1000XM5 (Black)
- WH-1000XM5 (Midnight Blue)
- WH-1000XM5 (Silver)
- WH-1000XM5 (Smoky Pink)
- Soundcore Space Q45 (Black)
- Soundcore Space Q45 (Blue)
- Soundcore Space Q45 (White)
Our Verdict
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless
If you want top-of-the-line over-ears with a powerful ANC system, go for the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless. However, if you're looking for cheaper over-ears without sacrificing too much customization or performance, try the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless. While both headphones have customizable sound profiles via their companion apps, the Sony have a more balanced mid and treble range, which some users may prefer. Their ANC can block out more ambient noise, too, although the Anker headphones are still excellent in this regard. Conversely, the Anker are more comfortable. The manufacturer also advertises them as having a longer continuous battery life, but their build quality is a bit worse.
Check Price
Black
WH-1000XM5
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Amazon.comBlack
Soundcore Space Q45
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Amazon.comMidnight Blue
WH-1000XM5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlue
Soundcore Space Q45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comSilver
WH-1000XM5
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Amazon.comWhite
Soundcore Space Q45
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Amazon.comSmoky Pink
WH-1000XM5
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Amazon.comMain Differences forNeutral Sound
Neutral Sound
Threshold
Neutral Sound
7.7
6.9
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
9.8
5.6
Peaks/Dips
8.1
6.3
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
7.5
8.7
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
Over-ear
Over-ear
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Closed-Back
Wireless
Yes
Yes
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.0
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.55 lbs
0.65 lbs
Clamping Force
0.8 lbs
0.8 lbs
Controls
7.6
7.8
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Good
Decent
Feedback
Decent
Decent
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
Yes
Microphone Control
No
Mute/Unmute
Channel Mixing
No
No
Noise Cancelling Control
On/Off
On/Off
Talk-Through
On/Off
On/Off
Additional Controls
Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant
Breathability
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
Portability
6.0
6.0
Portability Picture
L
8.1" (20.5 cm)
7.6" (19.2 cm)
W
6.9" (17.6 cm)
6.2" (15.8 cm)
H
1.8" (4.5 cm)
2.1" (5.4 cm)
Volume
99.08 in³ (1,623.60 cm³)
99.96 in³ (1,638.10 cm³)
Transmitter Required
No
No
Case
8.0
7.5
Case Picture
Type
Hard case
Hard case
L
9.3" (23.6 cm)
8.5" (21.6 cm)
W
8.0" (20.2 cm)
6.7" (17.0 cm)
H
2.3" (5.9 cm)
2.4" (6.2 cm)
Volume
171.64 in³ (2,812.60 cm³)
138.04 in³ (2,262.00 cm³)
Build Quality
7.5
7.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
7.0
6.5
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Sound Profile
Normalization Frequency
1,350 Hz
600 Hz
Bass Amount
5.3 dB
2.9 dB
Treble Amount
0.2 dB
0.1 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
8.0
7.7
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.39 dB
0.45 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
7.5
8.7
Bass Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
5.4 dB
3.3 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
20 Hz
20 Hz
Low Bass
4.71 dB
3.66 dB
Mid Bass
5.33 dB
3.54 dB
High Bass
6.32 dB
1.19 dB
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
7.8
7.4
Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
2.1 dB
2.49 dB
Low Mid
2.79 dB
-1.4 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.71 dB
1.28 dB
High Mid
-0.4 dB
3.37 dB
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
9.8
5.6
Treble Profile: Target Compliance
RMS Deviation From Target
1.43 dB
4.53 dB
Low Treble
0.49 dB
-1.91 dB
Mid Treble
-0.11 dB
2.64 dB
High Treble
-5.56 dB
-2.88 dB
Peaks/Dips
8.1
6.3
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1 dB
2.13 dB
Dips
1.66 dB
3.14 dB
Imaging
8.8
8.7
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.23
0.26
Weighted Phase Mismatch
3.61
3.26
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.5
0.66
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.56
1.66
Passive Soundstage
4.1
3.6
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.68 dB
5.28 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
7.72 dB
2.93 dB
PRTF Distance
6.74 dB
8.24 dB
Openness
1.8
0.8
Acoustic Space Excitation
2.6
2.6
Virtual Soundstage
4.1
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
On/Off
No
Speaker Modeling
On/Off
No
Room Ambience
No
No
Head Tracking
No
No
Virtual Surround
360 Reality Audio
No
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.9
7.4
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.285
0.331
WHD @ 100
0.099
0.167
Test Settings
Firmware
1.1.1
02.34
Power
On
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
Test Instrument
TP-Link BE9300 BT 5.4
Audio Precision APx517B
EQ
Off
Soundcore Signature
ANC
On
Transport
Tip/Pad
Default
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Integrated
Isolation
Noise Isolation - Full Range
9.4
8.9
Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph
Noise Cancelling
Yes
Yes
Overall Attenuation
-25.81 dB
-23.55 dB
Bass
-17.63 dB
-20.12 dB
Mid
-28.25 dB
-22.07 dB
Treble
-33.04 dB
-29.36 dB
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
9.1
8.7
Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph
Airplane Noise Attenuation
-21.43 dB
-19.97 dB
Airplane Noise Isolation Audio
Office Noise Attenuation
-19.38 dB
-19.78 dB
Office Noise Isolation Audio
Street Noise Attenuation
-24.28 dB
-21.76 dB
Street Noise Isolation Audio
Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
Female Voice 1
Male Voice 1
Female Voice 2
Male Voice 2
ANC Wind Handling
ANC Wind Handling Graph
ANC Wind Noise
Leakage
7.7
7.7
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
35.69 dB
35.66 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
Yes
In-Line
No
No
Boom
No
No
Detachable Boom
No
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
6.7
6.1
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
236.29 Hz
261.43 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.43 dB
4.6 dB
HFE
7,240.77 Hz
3,726.47 Hz
Weighted THD
N/A
1.26
Gain
-13.92 dB
-24.02 dB
Noise Handling
8.3
8.2
SpNR
7.61 dB
16.13 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
8.5
8.0
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
8.0
8.5
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
8.5
8.7
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
27 hrs
27.8 hrs
Additional Charges
0.0
0.0
Total Battery Life
27 hrs
27.8 hrs
Charge Time
3 hrs
1.8 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer
Audio While Charging
No
No
Passive Playback
Yes
Yes
Charging Port
USB-C
USB-C
App Support
8.0
8.0
App Picture
App Name
Sony Sound Connect
Anker Soundcore
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
Yes
Yes
macOS
No
No
Windows
No
No
Equalizer
Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets
ANC Control
On/Off
Adjustable
Mic Control
No
No
Room Effects
No
No
Playback Control
Yes
No
Button Mapping
Yes
No
Surround Support
Yes
No
Connectivity
Wired Connection
9.8
7.4
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
Yes
Yes
USB Audio
No
No
Detachable
Yes
Yes
Length
4.04 ft (1.23 m)
3.44 ft (1.05 m)
Connector
1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS
Latency - Analog
0.4 ms
18.1 ms
Latency - USB
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Connection
Analog
Analog
Bluetooth Connection
8.7
8.4
Bluetooth Version
5.2
5.3
Multi-Device Pairing
2 Devices
2 Devices
Quick Pair (Android)
Yes
No
Quick Pair (iOS)
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
330.71 ft (100.80 m)
334.65 ft (102.00 m)
Latency - SBC
241 ms
250 ms
Latency - aptX
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)
N/A
N/A
Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)
N/A
N/A
Latency - LDAC
233 ms
403 ms
Recorded Latency
Recorded Latency Codec
SBC
LDAC
AAC Support
Yes
Yes
Wireless Connection (Dongle)
0.0
0.0
Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Latency - Dongle
N/A
N/A
Recorded Latency
N/A
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
Wired USB
No
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PS5 Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
PS5 Wired USB
No
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
Audio Only
Audio Only
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Base/Dock
0.0
0.0
Type
No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
USB Input
No
No
Line In
No
No
Line Out
No
No
Optical Input
No
No
RCA Input
No
No
Dock Charging
No
No
Power Supply
No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
Check Price
Black
WH-1000XM5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlack
Soundcore Space Q45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comMidnight Blue
WH-1000XM5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBlue
Soundcore Space Q45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comSilver
WH-1000XM5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
Soundcore Space Q45
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comSmoky Pink
WH-1000XM5
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless
Comments
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless vs Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Wireless: Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.
Hi! It’s important to note that comfort is highly subjective and not everyone will have the same experience with each product! As an example, in my own personal experience, I felt quite the opposite from you haha. I can’t wear the XM5 for more than 15 minutes before feeling some pain, and can use the Anker Space Q45s for a full day without any issue!
For testing however, we take into consideration multiple things when evaluating comfort, and the pressure on the top of the head is something that multiple users online seem to have experienced with the XM5 and their new design.
As for the noise handling, are you referring to the Noise Isolation tests? If so, adaptive ANC systems are harder to test for than a non-adaptive ANC system with our current methodology. The results can be due to how fast the ANC can actually react to our testing on both headphones. This is also why we went out and tried to add as many recordings and subjective impressions of the XM5’s performance in the text of the review.
Rest assured, our reviews are based on objective data-driven testing and we don’t accept any incentives for favorable reviews. We also make sure to buy all of the products we test ourselves to eliminate any potential brand influence!
We hope to be able to better test adaptive ANC systems soon, as they’re becoming more of a norm on the flagship models of manufacturers. Stay tuned for a future (maybe not so far future) test bench update! 🙂
How dare you give the Q45 higher comfort rate than the XM5? I had both of them the pain I got from the Q45 is the most pain I have ever had from a headset in my life! and the noise handling come on !! the Q45 is not that good to be equal to XM5! are you paid to do that ?