Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 better than Bose QuietComfort Ultra for office noise?

For pure office noise blocking, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is generally the better pick, with the Sony WH-1000XM5 close behind. In practice, Bose tends to edge out Sony a bit on active noise cancellation for common office sounds like HVAC hum, low background chatter, and keyboard noise.

If your priority is the quietest possible desk experience, I’d lean Bose QC Ultra.

If you also care a lot about calls and voice pickup, both are strong, but I wouldn’t make a blanket claim that one is always dramatically better than the other without testing in your own environment.

Comfort and fit matter too: either model can perform differently depending on your head shape and how well the cups seal around your ears, so the best one for you can vary a bit from person to person. The Sony WH-1000XM5 also does not fold compactly, while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra is more portable for storage and travel.