Nothing Headphones (1) vs Sony WH-1000XM5: Which noise canceling headphones win?

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

Nothing has finally entered the headphone game with the Nothing Headphones (1), a pair of cans that feature the brand's signature transparent design. There's a tape-cassette motif running through the earcups, and a whole host of features to fire a warning shot over the bow of the established competition.
Nothing's first foray into the over-ear headphone space is one that not many were expecting, but they pack in some flagship features for a lower price. Excellent noise canceling and standout design are the name of the game here, but is it enough to worry the XM5?
The WH-1000XM5 have only just been replaced at the top step of Sony's headphone lineup, but they're still some of the best headphones we've ever tested. They changed the ANC game with excellent noise canceling and very good sound. But how do they fare against the new kid on the block?
Sony's WH-1000XM5 are a staple in the headphone game. They've been around a number of years at this point, and gained a host of different awards and accolades for their good sound and excellent noise canceling.
So that begs the question — is it age and wisdom that will come out on top, or youth and enthusiasm that will win the day? I've put the two head to head to discover which is worth buying in 2025.
Nothing Headphone (1)
Sony WH-1000XM5
Price
$299/£299/AU$549
$399 / £379 / AU$649
Colors
Black; Silver
Black; platinum silver; midnight blue; dusty pink
Size
Not specified
Not specified
Weight
11 ounces
8.8 ounces
Battery life (rated)
Up to 80 hours
Up to 40 hours
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC support
Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC support
Special features
Adaptive ANC, Ambient Sound Mode, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable sound, quick charge, passive mode, Spatial Audio
Adaptive ANC, Ambient Sound Mode, DSEE Extreme Audio, Bluetooth multipoint, customizable sound, quick charge, passive mode, 360 Reality Audio
The Nothing Headphone (1) have launched at a flagship-challenging price of $299. That makes them a whole $150 less than the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, $250 less than the AirPods Max, and, crucially, less than the Sony WH-1000XM5.
The Sony option is going to set you back $399 even to this day. That's a whole $100 more than Nothing's new effort, and while there are still reasons to pay the extra, there can be only one winner.
Both are easy to get hold of at the likes of Amazon and Best Buy, and stock levels remain consistent across the board as of publishing.
This is an early victory for the significantly cheaper Nothing Headphone (1), but let's see if it keeps this up throughout the battle.
There's no way you could call the Sony WH-1000XM5 an ugly pair of headphones. There's a simplistic elegance to their design thanks to a single block color finish and uniform, smooth handfeel.
They're minimalism in headphone form, and that lends them the ability to blend in. Those in the know are aware you've got an expensive pair of over-ear headphones, but those who don't won't think you're trying to show off.
The carrying case is good, if a little large. They're fairly comfortable too, although I would watch out for their thin headband. I've found it can dig into the top of your head during extended listening sessions.
As for the Nothing Headphone (1), you're looking at something that puts design before everything else. They've got that mad-cap transparent design and cassette motif, making them shout from the rooftops about your headphone choice.
Build quality is better on the Nothing headphones, interestingly. There's plenty of metal here to go with the plastic components, and they feel much sturdier than the Sony cans.
Unfortunately, the Nothing Headphone (1) is slightly less comfortable than the XM5. They're heavier and the cushioning isn't as thick, making them harder to wear for longer periods. I've also found they can press on ear piercings, too, something I'm not a massive fan of. They're still fairly comfy, but Sony is better.
This is down to physical controls vs touch controls — and if you're anything like me, that means that the Nothing's controls are going to come out on top. They feature some very intuitive buttons, switches and even a roller that make controlling the headphones a joy.
Volume is dictated by a volume roller, which clicks down to pause and play. Skipping is managed with a clicky paddle just under the volume roller. They turn on with a switch on the bottom of the earcup, and there's a customizable button on the top. They're all excellent, and you can change their function in the app.
The app is well set out and easy to use, letting you manipulate the EQ with fewer bands but greater bandwidth than Sony. There's no fancy "change the ANC level depending on your GPS location," however.
Sony's controls are, apart from ANC control and power, touch sensitive. That means a series of taps and swipes to control your music. They're some of the best touch controls around, but that doesn't stop them from suffering from the classic touch control problems.
I'm talking about skipped tracks when you go to manipulate your headphones to be more comfortable, missed taps when it's wet outside, unwanted volume changes when you put your hood up in a snowstorm. They work, but they can still be annoying.
Thankfully, the app for the XM5 is robust It's more complicated than the Nothing X app, but it's packed with features like a very strong EQ adjuster and loads of ANC settings.
This is where things are going to start looking rocky for the Nothing Headphone (1). Despite sound tuning from premium audio brand KEF, the Headphone (1) doesn't sound particularly good out of the box.
The tuning is too dark. It relies on the lower mids too much, and it means that the rest of the soundscape isn't as well represented. The result is music that sounds like it's happening on the street over.
To make them sound better, you'll want to use the extensive EQ settings in the app. They are capable of sounding much better than the core tuning, but that shouldn't be locked away given that most users are never going to touch the EQ.
To make the Nothing Headphone (1) sound better, you have to use the extensive EQ settings in the app.
Sony's headphones sound very good out of the box. They've got more bass than some might like, but the sound is otherwise spacious, airy, and detailed when compared to the Nothing Headphone (1).
They're not the best sounding headphones at this price point, but there's still plenty to enjoy when you get your tunes going. This round has to go to the Sony WH-1000XM5 and their superior sonic chops.
Nothing has done its utmost here to try and upset the competition. The Headphone (1) is packed with features to bring them up to par with the XM5, including a version of spatial audio and its own leveled ANC system.
The Spatial audio should be left turned off, however, and the leveled ANC system should either be used at 'max' level or in the off position — I've never found myself in a situation when I've needed 'medium' ANC.
The EQ is a great feature, though, and the rest of the feature set, like LDAC and USB-C mode, are welcome additions to something that costs $100 less than the XM5.
But the XM5 just bring more to the table. DSEE improves the sound of compressed audio files, and the GPS-enabled ANC modes are extremely impressive.
The spatial '3D reality audio' feature might not be supported by many of the best streaming services, but it does a better job of spatializing music than Nothing's custom model.
Overall, the Sony headphones pack in a greater number of more useful features to take the win in this round.
Considering it's Nothing's first foray into over-ear noise canceling, the Nothing Ear (1) do a very good job of blocking out the outside world. Thanks to 6 microphones and some clever AI, they're capable of canceling the noise of buses, trains and annoying humming air conditioners in offices.
They struggle slightly with loud, abrupt sounds, but that's true of all ANC cans. Where they fall down is when the world starts getting windy — wind noise has an annoying habit of making itself known through the microphones, and invading your personal music bubble.
It's still good ANC, mind you, and it's better than that of the similarly priced competition. Alas, the Sony WH-1000XM5 feature even better noise canceling.
Thanks to 8 microphones and equally as clever algorithms, the Sony headphones do a better job at blocking out unwanted sounds and noise. They similarly keep the noise of bus engines, trains and offices out, but they fare better with wind noise and with consistent noises like chatty coffee shops and loud airplane engines.
Transparency modes are natural sounding across both headphones, although again, the Sony have a slight edge over the Headphone (1).
This is another tricky section for the Sony's, although it might not be as cut and dry as first expected. The Nothing Headphone (1) have more battery life all in, but there's more to the story.
ANC staying power is 35 hours for both sets of headphones, but turn the ANC off, and things are more interesting. The Sony WH-1000XM5 last for 40 hours with ANC off, while the Nothing Headphone (1) have a rated 80 hours of battery life.
I'd love to know where 45 hours of battery life goes when you turn the ANC on, but that increase in endurance is welcome.
Just look at how close the Nothing Headphone (1) got to the Sony WH-1000MX5. They've got a more interesting design, ANC that comes very close to the noise blocking of Sony's cans, and battery life that shows them the door.
But the XM5 have still got it where it counts, and ultimately take the victory. They're more comfortable, sound much better out of the box, and have more features overall that are more useful to a wider range of potential users.
The Nothing Headphone (1) are an impressive pair of headphones, no doubt about it, especially when you consider that they're Nothing's first pair. But they don't quite have the chops to take down Sony just yet.
Nothing Headphone (1)
Sony WH-1000XM5
Price and value (5)
4
4
Design (15)
14
13
Controls (10)
8
7
Sound quality (25)
15
22
Active noise cancelation (20)
17
19
Call quality (10)
6
8
Connectivity (5)
5
5
Battery life (10)
9
8
Total Score (100)
78
86