expired
Missed This Deal? Get alerts when similar deals are posted.
Navy Exchange
Deal Details
Available to vets only
219.99 - 20.00 coupon THEBIGGAME
= 199.99
https://www.mynavyexcha
219.99 - 20.00 coupon THEBIGGAME
= 199.99
https://www.mynavyexcha
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Available to vets only
219.99 - 20.00 coupon THEBIGGAME
= 199.99
https://www.mynavyexcha
219.99 - 20.00 coupon THEBIGGAME
= 199.99
https://www.mynavyexcha
Community Voting
Deal
Score
+4
Good Deal
Bad Deal
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
9 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The XM5s brought me faith back to humanity. these headphones are near perfect.
The XM5s brought me faith back to humanity. these headphones are near perfect.
I'm tempted on these QC45 to replace my first gen 35s, but don't know if there is enough of an upgrade to justify the cost.
I'm tempted on these QC45 to replace my first gen 35s, but don't know if there is enough of an upgrade to justify the cost.
I got Soundcore Q35's for $100 from A****n as well, to compare whether the Bose are worth twice the cost.
update: after trying the Bose and Q35's side by side, the Bose are certainly nicer. Smoother-feeling, more comfortable fit (Q35 is not uncomfortable) where the cups encompass my ears and seal against my skin better. I'd unscientifically estimate the noise occlusion on the Bose to be ~30% better. One complaint I've seen about Bose is that you cannot disable the ANC function, but this is literally the only reason I need a headset so doesn't concern me.
By my limited estimation, both sets are good values at these price points.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
The XM5s brought me faith back to humanity. these headphones are near perfect.
I have tested QC45 by borrowing it from my brother. QC45 sounds the same as XM5 and is so incredibly comfortable that you can wear them for the whole day without an issue.
Everyone who has tried both QC45 and XM5 has told me QC45 is better.
I am very interested in knowing what your argument is for saying XM5 is somehow better.
I have tested QC45 by borrowing it from my brother. QC45 sounds the same as XM5 and is so incredibly comfortable that you can wear them for the whole day without an issue.
Everyone who has tried both QC45 and XM5 has told me QC45 is better.
I am very interested in knowing what your argument is for saying XM5 is somehow better.
1. QC45s are more comfortable for the ears, but the XM5s are actually comfortable overall. I have big ears and I wear them for hours and sometimes forget they're on my head. The QC45s are more comfortable overall due to the spacing for the ears, but they're definitely bottom heavy. The XM5s have a better weight distribution which makes it 'feel' lighter even though they are slightly heavier than the qc45's.
2. Switching between computers - The XM5s work absolutely FLAWLESSLY between my Mac and PC. My QC45s couldn't even keep a solid connection on one of the devices, and struggled badly to try and switch connections between the two.
3. Build quality - both have excellent build quality. Sony's slightly higher. This is a con for most, but I actually don't like the folding of the QC45s since I don't travel with them and hang them on a hook in my office.
4. I thought I was going to hate XM5's touch interface, but gotta say I prefer it strongly over the QC45 buttons which I never could get the hang of even after weeks of use.
5. Sound quality - both sound great, but the XM5s have better base overall. Prefer XM5s but I honestly didn't mind Bose sound other than the lack of punch.
6. Price - Bose were $220 and Sony XM5s were $240 (both taxed). Winner is Bose here but really not by much (~10%)
7. Sony XM5s gave me slightly longer range the QC45s and this mattered in my place since I walk around. I don't know if that's because of the newer
8. App control - The Bose hands down have a better app. The design is near perfect. Sony's is a piece of crap. Too much clutter, although EQ gives a bit more granular control. Still Bose clear winner here, although once I setup the headphones, they retain the setting and I don't touch them again.
9. Noise isolation on Bose were excellent, but XM5s IMO are better.
10. Interface - Seriously, Bose WTF were you thinking when designing the voices on these things. They sound like pixelated garbage. "Connected to N-I-G-H-T-C-R-A-W-L-E-R". I have to hear it spell out my computer's long name every single time, followed by my other computer's name. Sony's voice is crisp, clear, and feels significantly higher quality.
11. Sound Leakage: XM5s hands down. Bose QC45s leak a ton of sound but the XM5s have a huge lead here. rtings objective reviews backup this finding. It's about 80% more leakage (+7.8 dB). This was important to me since I don't want to wake wifey.
12. Microphone is incredibly better on the XM5s. The Bose microphone sucks. Honestly though this was not a concern for me since I don't really use the microphones at all. Just an observation though.
13.Latency - I think Bose wins here, especially with PC/Mac. Bose has about half the latency but honestly I've never noticed any latency with my XM5s when watching videos.
14. Case - honestly, I don't care. The QC45 SEs came with a soft case from Costco, while the XM5s came with a hard case. I put both in my storage room since I don't use it at all.
15. Charging speed: Both charge fast, but XM5s hands down charge faster, especially if you need a quick 3 minute charge to listens to a few hours of music. This is important to me since sometimes I will forget to charge my headphones at my desk. "3 minutes of charge with a USB-C cable yields 180 minutes, which is five times faster than the QC 45 fast charge."
16. Battery life - XM5 is superior by about 20%. This is important to me.
The top features for me was:
1. Connectivity to my PC & Mac
2. Battery life
3. Comfort
4. Sound quality
5. Sound leakage
The XM5s provide a far better user experience in (almost!) every way. Your mileage may vary, but gosh for me it was night and day. I can never go back to my QC45s.
17.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!