Sony 1000X Redefines Luxury: Beats Bose Ultra?
Build & Design
- Weight:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: 264g (all-plastic, faux leather)
- Sony 1000X The Collection: 320g (stainless steel, faux leather)
- Material Feel:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Exhibits some creakiness, all-plastic build.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Feels more robust and premium, less prone to creaking.
- Color Options:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Five colors (more in some markets).
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Two colors.
- Portability:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Folds compactly.
From the video - Sony 1000X The Collection: Does not fold.
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Folds compactly.
- Carrying Case:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Hard-shell case, difficult to use due to internal mold.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Sleek hard-shell case with magnetic clasp, larger footprint.
From the video
- Headband Design:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Telescopic adjustment, no ratchets.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Telescopic adjustment, no ratchets, unique stainless steel prong design.
From the video
- Port Reinforcement:
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Reinforced stainless steel around ports.
Controls
- Control Type:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Mostly physical buttons, one unresponsive touch slider for volume.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Three physical buttons and highly responsive touch controls on the right ear cup.
- Ease of Use (Skipping Tracks):
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Requires combinations of long/short presses.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Simple swipe forward to skip tracks/ads.
- Power Management:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Automatic power-off when removed, powers on when worn (9/10 times reliable).
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Traditional power button.
Comfort
- Overall Comfort:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Excellent, balanced clamping force, good ear cup space, minimal heat.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Very comfortable with spacious ear cups, feels almost weightless despite higher weight.
- Clamping Force & Stability:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Good balance, stays secure during moderate activity.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Lighter clamping force, may shift or fall off during active movements.
- Ear Pads:
- Both: Removable ear pads.
Noise Cancelling & Transparency
- Active Noise Cancelling (ANC):
- Both: Top-tier performance.
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Slightly better at suppressing voices.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Very comparable for low-end engine noises.
- Transparency Mode:
- Both: Excellent, S-tier performance.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Slightly better at letting in low-end sounds and voices, more natural.
- ANC/Transparency Modes:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Combines ANC and transparency, includes immersive modes (e.g., “cinema”).
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Highly customizable adaptive sound control, different modes for activities (sitting, walking, commuting), adjustable slider, auto-ambient mode, voice pass-through.
- Wind Blocking:
- Both: Include wind-blocking features.
Microphone Performance
In quiet environments, both headphones perform admirably, ensuring clear communication. When faced with noisy conditions, the Sony demonstrates a slight advantage, effectively minimizing background distractions, whereas the Bose allows some ambient noise to filter through. In windy conditions, neither is ideal, but if forced to choose, we would opt for the Sony, as the Bose exhibits more wind noise and tends to cut out the voice more frequently.
For call controls, both allow users to answer and hang up calls, adjust volume, and switch ANC modes. However, the Sony is unique in offering a direct microphone mute function from the headphones themselves.
To hear the raw microphone samples, check out the video embedded at the top of this post!
Battery & Charging
- Battery Life:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: 30 hours.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: 24 hours (reduced from previous generations).
- Fast Charging:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: 15 minutes for 3 hours of use.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: 5 minutes for 1.5 hours of use.
Sound Quality
- Drivers:
- Sony 1000X The Collection: 30mm bespoke drivers.
- Audio Codecs:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Basic codecs, aptX Adaptive.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Basic codecs, LDAC, LC3.
- Audio Over USB:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Yes.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: No.
- Sound Signature (Out of Box):
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Punchy mid-bass, fun and impactful sound.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Slightly more intimate, mids slightly recessed, lower treble focus.
- EQ Customization:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Limited 3-band EQ.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Comprehensive 10-band EQ.
- Spatial Audio / Immersive Modes:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Immersive mode (e.g., “cinema”).
- Sony 1000X The Collection: New 360 UPM mix (cinema, music, background music modes), surpasses Bose’s immersive mode.
While the Bose delivers a fun and impactful sound with its punchy mid-bass, we found its limited three-band EQ restrictive. The aptX suite can also limit compatibility. The Sony, though initially presenting a more intimate sound with recessed mids and less treble, truly shines after customization. Simply switching to the “clear” preset in the app makes the sound much more present and rich, without the treble fatigue sometimes experienced with the Bose. Sony’s comprehensive 10-band EQ allows for extensive sound tailoring, and its new 360 UPM mix, accessible via a dedicated button, offers superior spatial audio experiences for cinema, music, and background listening, outperforming Bose’s immersive mode.
App & Features
- Multipoint Connectivity:
- Both: Supported.
- Pairing:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Hold power button.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: Power off and on.
- Device Management:
- Both: Device list in app, can pull connection from previously paired devices via Bluetooth menu.
- Wear Sensor:
- Both: Automatically pause/resume audio when removed/worn.
- App Depth & Customization:
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones: Simpler UI, less extensive customizability.
- Sony 1000X The Collection: More comprehensive and advanced, packed with features like adaptive sound control, “speak to chat,” “find your EQ,” 360 Reality Audio, and head gestures.
Tech Specs
- Sony 1000X The Collection
- Weight: 320g
- Drivers: 30mm bespoke
- Codecs: LDAC, LC3
- Battery Life: 24 hours
- Fast Charge: 5 mins for 1.5 hours
- EQ: 10 bands
- Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones
- Weight: 264g
- Codecs: aptX Adaptive
- Battery Life: 30 hours
- Fast Charge: 15 mins for 3 hours
- EQ: 3 bands
Final Verdict
Considering the price difference at launch – the Sony 1000X The Collection at $650 versus the Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Gen 2 headphones at $450 – this comparison might seem unfair. However, we firmly believe that the Sony emerges as the superior product. While the Bose is undeniably excellent, excelling in comfort, portability, decent call quality, and a straightforward app experience, the Sony justifies its higher price point with clear advantages.
The Sony offers a more premium build quality, superior transparency mode, better call performance, and a richer, more customizable sound experience. The extensive EQ options and advanced features in the Sony app provide a level of personalization that the Bose simply cannot match. Ultimately, if your budget allows for the investment, the Sony 1000X The Collection delivers a more refined and feature-rich audio experience.
Products Mentioned
✅ Sony lent us their headphones and Bose sent us a sample for free for review purposes.
✅ No one got input at any stage in the creation of this content. All opinions and bad jokes are strictly our own.
✅ Affiliate shopping and merchandise links above earn us commission.
