✦ SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARE

Px7 S2e vs WH-1000XM4 vs WH-1000XM5: which is better?

Px7 S2e, WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM5 compared side by side across 73 specs and 9 scored categories — every winner highlighted, so the right pick is obvious.

3 PRODUCTS · 73 SPECS · 9 SCORED CATEGORIES · LIVE RE-RANKING

COMPARING

3 / 4

HEADPHONES

Add or remove products — every chart and spec row re-ranks live.

BOWERS & WILKINS

Px7 S2e

$399

WINS SOUND QUALITY

SONY

WH-1000XM4

$348

BEST VALUE

← TOP PICK

SONY

WH-1000XM5

$399

BEST OVERALL

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⚡ COMPARZONE VERDICT

The WH-1000XM5 takes the overall win.

Highest composite at 9.0/10 — 0.3 ahead of the WH-1000XM4. Tightest race: comfort, just 0.3 apart. Scroll for the category-by-category breakdown.

View best price →

CATEGORY WINS · 9 SCOREDTIES SHOWN GREY

SOUN

NOIS

BATT

COMF

FEAT

VALU

SOUN

NOIS

BATT

Px7 S2e×1

WH-1000XM4×3

WH-1000XM5×5

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2eWINS SOUND QUALITY

Sony WH-1000XM4BEST VALUE

Sony WH-1000XM5BEST OVERALL

01 · SCORE RADAR

Performance profile

CLICK A PRODUCT TO ISOLATE ITS SHAPE

LARGEST GAPNoise Cancelling — WH-1000XM5 leads by 9.5

TIGHTESTComfort — only 0.3 between the top two

02 · CATEGORY BREAKDOWN

Category showdown

PX7 S2EWH 1000XM4WH 1000XM5

Sound QualityiPx7 S2e · +0.5

PX7 S2E9.1

WH 1000XM48.6

WH 1000XM50.0

Noise CancellationiWH-1000XM4 · +1.0

PX7 S2E8.0

WH 1000XM49.0

WH 1000XM50.0

Battery LifeiWH-1000XM4 · +0.5

PX7 S2E8.0

WH 1000XM48.5

WH 1000XM50.0

ComfortiWH-1000XM5 · +0.3

PX7 S2E8.6

WH 1000XM48.7

WH 1000XM59.0

FeaturesiWH-1000XM5 · +0.5

PX7 S2E7.8

WH 1000XM48.8

WH 1000XM59.3

ValueiWH-1000XM4 · +0.7

PX7 S2E8.1

WH 1000XM49.2

WH 1000XM58.5

SoundiWH-1000XM5 · +9.2

PX7 S2E0.0

WH 1000XM40.0

WH 1000XM59.2

Noise CancellingiWH-1000XM5 · +9.5

PX7 S2E0.0

WH 1000XM40.0

WH 1000XM59.5

BatteryiWH-1000XM5 · +9.1

PX7 S2E0.0

WH 1000XM40.0

WH 1000XM59.1

03 · VALUE MAP

Price vs performance

TOP-LEFT IS THE SWEET SPOT

SCORE PER $100 · RANKED

01WH-1000XM42.50BEST DEAL

02WH-1000XM52.26

03Px7 S2e2.16

Map shows current starting prices · trends show tracked street prices. Check live deals before deciding.

04 · THE FULL SHEET

Full specifications

73 SPECS · ALL SHOWN

SPECS

Px7 S2e$3991W8.6

WH-1000XM4$3482W8.7

WH-1000XM5$3992W9.0

Typei

Over-ear

Over-ear closed-back

Driver SizeMMi

40 mm← TIED BEST

30 mm

Frequency Responsei

10 Hz - 30 kHz

4 Hz - 40 kHz

4 Hz – 40 kHz

Codec Supporti

SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD

SBC, AAC, LDAC

LDAC / AAC / SBC

Hi-Res AudioiSAME

Yes

Spatial Audioi

Yes← BEST

Yes

Battery Life (ANC)HRiSAME

30 hr

Quick Chargei

15 min = 7 hours

10 min = 5 hours

3 min = 3 hours

Has A WirediSAME

—

Has A WirelessiSAME

—

Bluetooth VersioniSAME

—

Has Aptx AdaptiveiSAME

—

Has AptxiSAME

—

Has LdaciSAME

—

Has LdhciSAME

—

Has Bluetooth Le AudioiSAME

—

Has Aptx Low LatencyiSAME

—

Has Aptx HdiSAME

—

Has Aptx LosslessiSAME

—

Has AaciSAME

—

Has AuracastiSAME

—

Audio LatencyiSAME

—

Maximum Bluetooth RangeMiSAME

—

Has Fast PairingiSAME

—

Supports Bluetooth Pairing Using NfciSAME

—

MultipointiSAME

Yes

FitiSAME

—

Has A Detachable CableiSAME

—

Is Designed for KidsiSAME

—

Can be FoldediSAME

—

Has a Tangle Free CableiSAME

—

Travel Bag is IncludediSAME

—

Has an Open-Back DesigniSAME

—

Cable LengthMiSAME

—

Has Stereo SpeakersiSAME

—

WeightGi

307 g

254 g

250 g← 2% lighter

Water ResistanceiSAME

None

Build QualityiSAME

—

Sound QualityiSAME

—

Release DateiSAME

—

Has A Noise-Canceling MicrophoneiSAME

—

Has Ambient Sound ModeiSAME

—

Has In/On-Ear DetectioniSAME

—

Number Of MicrophonesiSAME

—

Has A Mute FunctioniSAME

—

Multipoint CountiSAME

—

Has A Control Panel On The DeviceiSAME

—

Can Be Used As A HeadsetiSAME

—

Has An In-Line Control PaneliSAME

—

Value-for-MoneyiSAME

—

Warranty PeriodYEARSiSAME

—

Noise IsolationiSAME

—

ComfortiSAME

—

Active Noise CancellationiSAME

Yes

ANC Microphonesi

8← BEST +33%

Battery LifeHOURSiSAME

—

Charge TimeiSAME

—

Has Usb Type-CiSAME

—

Has A Battery Level IndicatoriSAME

—

Has Wireless ChargingiSAME

—

Battery PoweriSAME

—

Has A Solar Power BatteryiSAME

—

Has A Rechargeable BatteryiSAME

—

Has A Removable BatteryiSAME

—

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Anc)iSAME

—

Lowest FrequencyHZiSAME

—

Highest FrequencyHZiSAME

—

Driver Unit SizeMMiSAME

—

ImpedanceOHMSiSAME

—

Supports Spatial AudioiSAME

—

Sound Pressure LevelDB/MWiSAME

—

Has A Neodymium MagnetiSAME

—

Has Passive Noise ReductioniSAME

—

ROW WINS

05 · WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU

Pick by persona

RE-RANKS LIVE AS YOU ADD OR REMOVE PRODUCTS

THE ALL-ROUNDER

Best overall

WH-1000XM5SONY9.0

ALL GROUPSEQUAL WEIGHT

Best total score across weighted category factors.

RUNNER-UP · WH-1000XM4 (8.7)

FOR VALUE SEEKERS

Best bang for buck

WH-1000XM4SONY8.7

SCORE ÷ PRICELIVE PRICES

Strongest score-to-price ratio from the available price data.

RUNNER-UP · WH-1000XM5 (2.3)

PRIORITY · NOISE CANCELLING

Best for noise cancelling

WH-1000XM5SONY9.5

NOISE CANCELLING WEIGHTEDCONF 91%

Best visible score in the noise cancelling category group.

RUNNER-UP · Px7 S2e (0.0)

PRIORITY · SOUND

Best for sound

WH-1000XM5SONY9.2

SOUND WEIGHTEDCONF 88%

Best visible score in the sound category group.

RUNNER-UP · Px7 S2e (0.0)

06 · BOTTOM LINE

Why pick each

STRENGTHS · AND ONE HONEST TRADE-OFF

#3BOWERS & WILKINS0.0

Px7 S2e

“A luxury hi-fi wireless headphone with refined sound, premium materials, and aptX Adaptive hi-res support.”

Sound Quality 9.1

Comfort 8.6

Wins Active Noise Cancellation

Wins Battery Life (ANC)

TRADE-OFFANC trails Sony and Bose

WINS SOUND QUALITYBest price →

#2SONY0.0

WH-1000XM4

“The still-excellent previous-gen Sony flagship, offering top-tier ANC and smart features at a now-mid-tier price.”

Value 9.2

Noise Cancellation 9.0

Wins Spatial Audio

TRADE-OFFCall quality trails the newer XM5

BEST VALUEBest price →

#1SONY0.0

WH-1000XM5

“The all-round ANC benchmark: class-leading noise cancelling, rich tunable sound, and excellent call clarity.”

Noise Cancelling 9.5

Features 9.3

Wins ANC Microphones

Wins Weight

TRADE-OFFNo longer folds flat

BEST OVERALLBest price →

Still deciding? The WH-1000XM5 is the safest pick.

COMPOSITE 9.0/10 · WINS 5 OF 9 CATEGORIES

Buy the winner →

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5: which is best?

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is our overall pick, scoring 9.0/10 against 8.7/10 for the Sony WH-1000XM4 — a 3% edge. Current starting prices span $348–$399. The score weighs category-specific headphones attributes, spec wins, price signals, and data confidence — not sponsorships.

Sony WH-1000XM5 leads overall with a 9.0 total score.
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e wins 5 comparable specs with a 7% weighted win rate.
Sony WH-1000XM5 has the strongest high-impact advantage in ANC Microphones.
Sony WH-1000XM4 has the best visible score-to-price balance based on available starting price.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e8.6/10

A luxury hi-fi wireless headphone with refined sound, premium materials, and aptX Adaptive hi-res support.

Pros

+ Refined, detailed, musical sound
+ Premium materials and elegant design
+ aptX Adaptive 24-bit hi-res support
+ Very comfortable plush earpads

Cons

− ANC trails Sony and Bose
− 30-hour battery is only average for the price
− Fewer software features than rivals

Best for: Audiophiles wanting refined sound · Buyers who value design and materials · Android users with aptX Adaptive devices

“The Px7 S2e is for buyers who treat headphones as a hi-fi component first and a gadget second. The sound is wonderfully refined and the build feels genuinely premium, but the ANC and feature set trail Sony and Bose, and 30 hours of battery is merely adequate.…”

Sony WH-1000XM48.7/10

The still-excellent previous-gen Sony flagship, offering top-tier ANC and smart features at a now-mid-tier price.

Pros

+ Excellent, class-leading-for-its-era ANC
+ Folds flat for compact travel
+ Rich feature set with Speak-to-Chat and adaptive control
+ Great value at current discounted prices

Cons

− Call quality trails the newer XM5
− No aptX support, LDAC only on Android
− Touch controls less reliable in cold weather

Best for: Bargain hunters wanting flagship ANC · Travelers who need foldable headphones · Android users who want LDAC

“The XM4 is one of the best value propositions in audio: near-flagship ANC and a rich feature set at a price that now sits well below newer rivals. It lacks the XM5's improved mics and the latest LDAC refinements feel marginal, but for most listeners it…”

Sony WH-1000XM5WINNER 9.0/10

The all-round ANC benchmark: class-leading noise cancelling, rich tunable sound, and excellent call clarity.

Pros

+ Class-leading noise cancellation
+ Rich, customizable sound with LDAC
+ Excellent call clarity
+ 30-hour battery with quick charge

Cons

− No longer folds flat
− Premium price
− Not water resistant

Best for: Frequent travelers · Office and focus work · Hi-res music listeners

“The best all-rounder for most people: superb ANC, customizable sound, and the clearest calls in the class. It no longer folds flat and the price stays premium.”

Frequently asked questions

Which is best: Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e, Sony WH-1000XM4 or Sony WH-1000XM5?

By ComparZone's weighted scoring of category-specific headphones specs, the Sony WH-1000XM5 scores highest overall (9.0/10, 0.3 points ahead of the Sony WH-1000XM4). It is the better all-round pick, but the right choice depends on your priorities — the spec table above shows exactly where each one wins.

What are the main differences between these headphones?

The biggest measurable differences are Codec Support, Type, Frequency Response. The grouped spec sheet above marks the winner of every comparable spec.

Can I compare other headphones on ComparZone?

Yes — ComparZone supports dynamic comparison pages for any 2 to 4 headphones from the same category, with verified specs, transparent scores, and live prices. See the related comparisons below or build your own from the category page.

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