I’m in the market for a new set of consumer-grade in-ear noise cancelling bluetooth headphones after my daughter permanently misplaced my Beats Fit Pro 
I looked around the internet for reviews, but there’s so much paid/AI-generated content out there that it had me wishing there were some user reviews on here. So instead I’ve ordered three headsets (Seenheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Sony WF1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra) to try em out and post a comparison myself.
The MTW4 and XM5 I have here and have tested extensively already, the Bose are arriving today so I’ll add my impressions of those to the mix once I had some time with them.
I’d love to hear other people’s impressions and recommendations as well, thought since so many of us are deeply into sound, it could be interesting to have this community’s takes on consumer-grade headsets as a balancing factor against all this terrible AI-generated content that’s clogging up the search results on Google & co.
So here’s my take on the XM5 vs MTW4:
Build quality and fit
The XM5 are super lightweight and the case is comparatively tiny, which is great for portability. and while they do feel nice overall, the ARE made entirely of plastic.
In contrast the MTW4 are a little heavier and bigger but are also made with metal accents and generally feel more premium / better built. Their case is quite a bit bigger but has this textile texture that feels quite nice.
In terms of fit, both are comfortable enough but the MTW4 is just that bit more comfortable for me, despite the additional weight. It feels like the XM5 really depend on a tight fit in the ear canal to be fixated in the ear, whereas the MTW4 exert less pressure and just sort of “rest” in the ears while also being “fixed” as reliably as the XM5. Both are stable enough in the ear to use them at the gym, ironically more so than my Beats Fit Pro were. That said, every ear is different so YMMV.
sound quality
Both sound surprisingly good for a bluetooth in-ear headset. I mean really quite good.
The XM5 are more clinical, very precise with fast transients and a broad, wide sound stage. The stereo field is almost exaggerated but still within reasonable limits where the effect is primarily immersive. Separation is intense, every sound pops and almost stands for itself. Clinical really is the term that comes to mind. Resolution is also very good, I can’t believe how detailed both of these are for their size and price.
The MTW4 on first impression are a bit more centre-focussed and less immersive but that’s sort of just the first impression…with a bit of time to adjust to their sound signature, they really come alive, the soundstage is more centred, yes, but that centre somehow has a lot more depth than the XM5s offer with their broader sound (in terms of soundstage). Separation is also not as intense as on the XM5s but still every instrument comes through clearly but they blend together better…it’s hard to describe, the XM5 lay out all elements/ingredients on a platter to be viewed and analysed bit by bit, whereas the MTW4s keep the whole intact but still gives access to all of its elements…the XM5s sound like a deconstructed dish, the MTW4 like a nice stew where each ingredient’s note comes through clearly. I find the sound of the MTW4s more emotive and moving and their depth transport me into the music more if I give them a minute or two to do so. The XM5 have an initial wow-factor but then there’s not the same depth behind that initial impression, it kind of stays there. Bass is tighter on the XM5s though, which I like.
Both sound really excellent for the form factor and money, but for my tastes, the MTW4s have that more emotional sound that I seek when just listening back to music I like.
I should add that I’m judging both here AFTER having used their respective apps’ “adapt the sound to your ears” functions, ie letting the software apply an EQ curve it deems suitable for me. I figure there’s really no point in judging these by their accuracy and flatness as the whole point of headphones such as these is to have an enjoyable listening experience rather than an accurate one, at least in my book.
noise cancelling
I have a few flights coming up in the next two weeks, which is what motivated me to replace my Beats Fit Pros as I don’t like flying and I hate the noise levels in your average short/mid-range plane’s cabin.
I haven’t had a chance to test em both on a plane yet, but at home they both do a decent job in cancelling out the kitchen fan and other various consistent (and annoying) noises (eg the purring of an air purifier). I think the XM5s do a slightly better job at taking these sounds out completely, there’s a little bit of a faint presence of eg the (super noisy) kitchen fan on the MTW4s. Oddly the XM5s let voices through a bit more than the MTW4s though. I think their noise cancelling effectiveness curve must have a slight dip somewhere in the mid-range.
Both headphones have a quality transparency mode also that is easy to activate and deactivate (brief tap on the left ear bud on both).
Overall I’d say the XM5s are the slightly more competent noise cancelling headphones, but the real test for me will be once I get to test them out on a flight next week.
mic quality
I mean, mic quality is notoriously bad on bluetooth in-ear headphones but my do the the MTW4s mics suck! Brutal sound quality, basically useless for anything other than calling your mom just to tell her you’re alright. It’s a shame, I love their sound signature and their fit, but the shotty mic quality just kills them for telephony. They sound like someone using the in-built mic on a cheap voice recorder to record a voice coming out of a telephone handset.
The XM5s are MUCH better in this regard, I’ll write MUCH BETTER again just to emphasise how much better they are. Mind you they’re still not fantastic but just a lot clearer, more open and more present than the MTW4s mics by a few miles at least.
A bluetooth headset paired to my phone will have to be able to handle calls at least to some rudimentary level, but I wouldn’t dare having eg a conversation with a client on the MTW4s. Which is a real shame, because if it weren’t for the shitty mic quality, I’d probably keep these over the XM5s for their more emotive sound (to my ears).
portability
XM5 are WAY portable, their case and the headphones are very small, it’s a really nice size to carry around. The MTW4s case is only marginally wider and longer but is twice as high as the Sony’s case. That said, it’s still smaller than the case of my Beats Fit Pros and the MTW4s are still small enough to be comfortable to carry around without any issues. But the XM5s case is so compact that I could have it in my pocket and forget about it completely.
Both headsets offer around 6-7.5hrs of battery time per charge, which is plenty for me.
Overall, I think the XM5s are the better bluetooth headset, while the Momentum True Wireless 4s have a beautiful sound signature that is much more enjoyable than it should be given the size and type of headphones that they are. But the XM5s also have a very good sound in an incredibly tiny package, and that paired with the MUCH better microphone, the excellent battery life and the compact packaging make them the better fit for me over the more emotional sound and the more premium build quality of the MTW4s
Bose headset should arrive today, let’s see how those measure up.
