Short answer: the Beyerdynamic MMX150, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #365 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.9/5, at $189.99; the Sony WH-1000XM5 ranks #405, rated 2.6/5, and costs $198, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 481 over-ear headphones, and the Sennheiser HD 550, ranked #8 at $199.95, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
What the Beyerdynamic MMX150 does well: Bass is lifted about 3.7 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. Watch for: A 5.9 dB peak near 6.7 kHz can make cymbals and sibilance sound sharp.
What the Sony WH-1000XM5 does well: It offers active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-resolution streaming, a built-in microphone, and about 30 hours of battery life. The tradeoff: Bass sits about 7 dB over target and sub-bass about 6 dB over, with the low mids another 3 dB over, so the sound is bloated and bass-heavy for anyone wanting a balanced presentation.
Buy the Beyerdynamic MMX150. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sony WH-1000XM5 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Bass is lifted about 3.7 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight.
Amazon $189.99 eBay
It offers active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-resolution streaming, a built-in microphone, and about 30 hours of battery life.
Amazon $198.00 Lowest Sony $299.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Beyerdynamic MMX150 | Sony WH-1000XM5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $189.99 | $198.00 |
| Ranked | #365 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #405 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wireless and wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic | 1 x 30mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | 48 ohms |
| Harman Preference Score | 57 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.23 dB standard deviation | 3.33 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.05 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.2 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Sensitivity | - | 102 dB/mW |
| Weight | - | 0.6 lbs (250 g) |
| Frequency Response | - | 4Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Battery Life | - | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
| IP Rating | - | None |
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