Sony WH-1000XM5 vs AKG K271 MKII

Short answer: the Sony WH-1000XM5, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #121 of 134 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.6/5, at $269. The AKG K271 MKII ranks #124, rated 2.5/5, at $214.38, $54.62 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 134 over-ear headphones, so if sound quality matters, consider the HIFIMAN Ananda Nano instead, ranked #3 at $319.

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. Watch for: 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.

Why pick the AKG K271 MKII: A closed-back studio design with 104 dB sensitivity at 55 ohms, so it plays loudly from a phone or laptop without an amp. The tradeoff: Bass is thin, with sub-bass about 15 dB and the 60 to 200 Hz region about 8 dB under target, so music lacks weight and punch.

Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $54.62 with the AKG K271 MKII does not make up for the sound-quality gap.

Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.

Specifications Side By Side

Related Headphone Comparisons

How Sony WH-1000XM5 compares with other leading options:

• Beats Studio3 Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM5
• AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
• Jabra Evolve 40 vs AKG K271 MKII
• AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser HD 569
• Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 vs Logitech G930

Prices on this page were last checked October 10, 2026 at 5:37 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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The Two Headphones In Full

Sony WH-1000XM5: $269.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: 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. At 250 g it is lighter than the other wireless over-ears at its level. Presence and treble are within about 3 dB of target, and the largest deviation in the upper range is a modest 4.6 dB peak near 6.2 kHz, so the top end is relatively smooth.

Cons: 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. A 3.6 dB dip near 2.3 kHz pulls back vocals slightly, while air above 10 kHz is about 2 dB low. It has no IP rating for water or dust protection. The Beats Studio3 Wireless has a higher rating.

Full Sony WH-1000XM5 review and specifications →

Released	May 2022 (4 years ago)
Active Noise Cancelling	Yes
Back	Closed
Battery Life	30 hours (Manufacturer specified)
Bluetooth Codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC
Bluetooth Version	5.2
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Connection	Wireless and wired
Deviation From Target	3.33 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 30mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	4Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
IP Rating	None
Impedance	48 ohms
Sensitivity	102 dB/mW
Tonal Tilt	-1.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.6 lbs (250 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-3.2 dB	0.70
Peak	2,448 Hz	+6.9 dB	2.46
Peak	173 Hz	-5.6 dB	0.96
Peak	3,028 Hz	-5.4 dB	2.03
Peak	1,327 Hz	+3.3 dB	0.58
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+4.9 dB	0.70
Peak	6,110 Hz	-2.3 dB	5.81
Peak	875 Hz	-1.2 dB	4.07
Peak	1,197 Hz	+1.0 dB	3.28
Peak	63 Hz	+0.4 dB	2.13

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sony WH-1000XM5 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Beats Studio3 Wireless

AKG K271 MKII: $214.38 Amazon eBay

Pros: A closed-back studio design with 104 dB sensitivity at 55 ohms, so it plays loudly from a phone or laptop without an amp. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz and the lower mids land almost exactly on the Harman target in oratory1990’s measurement. A slightly bright tilt suits listeners who prefer a neutral to bright sound.

Cons: Bass is thin, with sub-bass about 15 dB and the 60 to 200 Hz region about 8 dB under target, so music lacks weight and punch. Presence from 3 to 6 kHz is down about 6 dB, with a 7.5 dB dip near 4 kHz that pulls vocals and guitars back. At 240 g with a preference score of 48, the Beats Studio3 Wireless is rated higher.

Full AKG K271 MKII review and specifications →

Released	May 2008 (18 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.85 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 30mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	16Hz - 28kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	48 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	55 ohms
Sensitivity	104 dB SPL/V
Tonal Tilt	+1.16 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0.5 lbs (240 g)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.2 dB	0.70
Peak	812 Hz	-3.2 dB	0.18
Peak	4,439 Hz	+8.0 dB	1.08
Peak	145 Hz	+6.6 dB	1.69
Peak	8,134 Hz	-4.5 dB	0.99
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+2.3 dB	0.70
Peak	1,771 Hz	-3.4 dB	2.92
Peak	830 Hz	+3.3 dB	2.86
Peak	2,453 Hz	+2.0 dB	2.96
Peak	650 Hz	-2.9 dB	5.06

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the AKG K271 MKII (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
  • AKG K271 MKII vs Jabra Evolve 40
  • AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser HD 569