Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST experience with the Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5 and tell you which is better, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.
I’ll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling performance, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I’ll share which is the best overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
I’ve also conducted a separate in-depth Beats Studio Pro Review and Sony WH-1000XM5 Review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)
Key Takeaways
- Apple AirPods Max has better comfort, sound quality, active noise cancelling performance, build quality, and more premium materials.
- Beats Studio Pro has pretty much all the same features as the AirPods Max at a fraction of the price, and is a better value for the dollar.
- The Apple AirPods Max is typically $200-300 more expensive than the Beats Studio Pro, depending on sales.
Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Price Compared
Overall, the Beats Studio Pro is anywhere from $100 to $200 cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM5 at current market prices for brand new. They can be much closer in price depending on current sales, and whether you’re buying new, renewed, or used.
Beats Studio Pro Prices
- Retail: $349.99
- New: $199
- Renewed: $160 (save up to $100!)
- Used: $165 (save up to $100!)
Sony WH-1000XM5 Prices
- Retail: $399.99
- New: $328
- Renewed: $220 (save up to $178!)
- Used: $264 (save up to $134!)
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Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort
On my scale, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is 22.5 grams lighter than Beats Studio Pro:
- Beats Studio Pro weight: 268.6 grams
- Sony WH-1000XM5 weight: 246.1 grams
Wearing these back-to-back, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is clearly the more comfortable headphone over the Beats Studio Pro.
The Beats Studio Pro’s biggest issue is its clamping force, which is stronger than any headphones in this class.
Both headphones have very little interior space inside the earcups, which is snug and can feel claustrophobic.
But the XM5 has better cushioning and less clamping force, not to mention is a bit lighter overall.
Beats Studio Pro Comfort: 3.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
Both headphones feature your typical modern features like built-in microphones for calls, Active Noise Cancelling, and Transparency Mode.
The Beats Studio Pro has Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support, while the Sony XM5 has “360 audio”.
The Beats has better Apple ecosystem connectivity as it’s really an Apple product under the hood.
The Sony XM5 includes a hardshell case, but doesn’t fold and collapse like the Beats Studio Pro inside its more compact softshell case.
Build Quality
For build quality, although neither headphone feels particularly sturdy, the Sony XM5’s weak hinge issue is one of the biggest drawbacks.
The Beats feels pretty cheap as well, as its mostly plastic, but seems to use some metal underneath the plastic exterior.
Neither headphone feels premium for its respective price.
Looks
The Beats Studio Pro is quite fashionable in its own right, with collaborations with Kim Kardashian introducing some svelte skin-tone colorways.
I love the variety of colors that the Beats Studio Pro is offered in, and it has a very sleek silhouette when worn on the head.
The Sony XM5 is blockier and has worse proportions, with the earcups being much bigger than the skinny headband.
Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Battery Life Compared
The Beats Studio Pro has 10 more hours of battery life on a single charge compared to the Sony WH-1000XM5:
- Beats Studio Pro Battery Life: Up to 40 hours
- Sony WH-1000XM5 Battery Life: Up to 30 hours
In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate.
Both of these battery figures are above average, with the Beats being particularly long and just under the class-leading 60 hours of the Sennheiser Momentum 4.
Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Performance: Which is better?
The Sony WH-1000XM5 has one of the best active noise cancelling performance currently out right now, along with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra.
The Beats Studio Pro is definitely 1 or 2 tiers below the performance of the Sony XM5, and closer in performance to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Apple AirPods Max.
I would say the Beats Studio Pro’s ANC isn’t bad and can work in most everyday situations, but wouldn’t be my preferred choice on flights.
Beats Studio Pro Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH-1000XM5 Sound Quality Comparison
Stock sound compared…
Out of the box, I might actually prefer the sound of the Beats Studio Pro over the Sony XM5 on account of the Sony’s weird stock tuning.
The Beats Studio Pro is extremely detailed, but is lacking in the low-end bass.
The Sony is strangely very muffled and muddy-sounding stock.
Thankfully, the custom EQ with Sony’s companion app helps to make a night-and-day difference for the XM5, so I’ll be comparing the sound quality with these settings shared below.
(Beats Studio Pro doesn’t have a native built-in EQ, so will be tested as-is stock.)
Best Equalizer Settings for Sony WH-1000XM5
- 400: -2
- 1k: -2
- 2.5k: +4
- 6.3k: +2
- 16k: +2
- Clear Bass: 0
After testing a bunch of EQ settings I found online, I decided to dial in my own preference that aims to be more balanced and less “hyped”, while still opening the XM5 up and reducing the stock muddiness.
Result: Less muddiness, much more clarity, detail, airiness, and dynamics. A fun, clear, energetic, “in your face” sound signature that is consumer-friendly.
Comparing sound quality AFTER EQ…
I think the Beats Studio Pro will surprise a lot of people who may be turned off by the “Beats” brand on first impressions.
The Studio Pro is one of the most detailed and treble-forward headphones in this category of ANC headphones.
However, its biggest weakness is an overall thin sound, lacking in the bass region.
The Sony XM5, on the other hand, has better bass slam and quantity, while also being quite detailed after EQ.
Overall, the XM5 does a much better job of representing the entire frequency range, while the Beats Studio Pro focuses only on the mids and treble exclusively.
Because of this, the XM5 is a better all-arounder for multiple genres than the Beats Studio Pro, which ironically sounds best for acoustic music like Classical and Jazz.
Despite the Beats Studio Pro being very detailed, the Sony XM5 is the more audiophile headphone overall.
Beats Studio Pro Sound Quality: 7.9 out of 10
Sony WH-1000XM5 Sound Quality: 8.3 out of 10 (after EQ)
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5 (after EQ)
Value
The Beats Studio Pro retails at a whopping $349.99, a price that I would personally never pay for these headphones.
But where things get exciting, is that the market price of the Beats can typically be found under $200, and sometimes $180 on sale.
Despite its flaws, $180 for a full-featured wireless ANC headphone makes the Studio Pro worth a serious look for value.
On the other hand, the Sony WH-1000XM5 retails at $398 but can be found brand new for about $328 these days.
Renewed, the XM5 can get down to $220 or so, making it an even better value.
You are getting more headphone for the higher price of the XM5, but it simply can’t compete with the Beats Studio Pro on sale.
Beats Studio Pro Value: 4.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM5 Value: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Beats Studio Pro
Beats Studio Pro Overall Rating
- Surprisingly detailed sound
- Good noise cancelling
- 40 hour battery life
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos
- Bass response is lacking
- Clamping force discomfort
- Noise cancelling is average
- Cheap build quality
Sony WH-1000XM5 Overall Rating
- Fun, excellent sound quality (after EQ)
- All-day comfort and lightweight
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- Stock sound without EQ is mediocre
- Poor build quality on hinges
- Expensive
Overall Winner: Sony WH-1000XM5
Despite the Beats Studio Pro being a fairly decent value on sale, the Sony WH-1000XM5 wins this comparison on account of it being a stronger overall package.
With the XM5, you’re getting better comfort, noise cancelling, and sound quality, albeit at a slightly higher pricetag.
The Beats Studio Pro still has some redeeming qualities, namely, being a better value, Apple ecosystem connectivity, and slightly higher battery life.
Overall, I would personally try to find the Sony XM5 for that $328 market price brand new, or go with a Renewed pair of Sony’s for under $250.
Some extremely strong alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones and price range are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Bose QuietComfort (2023 model). I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to an additional $100?
Want to save up to an additional $100?
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase all of the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, musician, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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