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Nothing Ear (2024) vs Sony WF-1000XM5

96 facts in comparison

Based on 938 Reddit opinions. Close race—Ear (2024) edges ahead.

938 opinions
Ear (2024) leads by 4pts
Reddit's Pick
Nothing Ear (2024)
84%
B+
Based on
1,453 Redditors
Winner

Nothing Ear (2024)

~$109
807 opinions

tldr; Nothing's mainstream bud. Clean design, solid ANC, good sound for price. ChatGPT integration is gimmicky but fun.

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VS
Sony WF-1000XM5
80%
B+
Based on
246 Redditors

Sony WF-1000XM5

~$328
131 opinions

tldr; Flagship TWS. Best ANC in buds, great sound, premium price. The current benchmark.

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Sound QualityFit & ComfortANC PerformanceBattery & CaseCall Quality
🎵SOU
❤️FIT
🔇ANC
🔋BAT
📱CAL
68
Points
82
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
94%85%
Fit & Comfort
65%—
ANC Performance
55%—
Battery & Case
39%—
Call Quality
85%—

Why is Sony WF-1000XM5 better than Nothing Ear (2024)?

  • ?? Best-in-class ANC
Based on 1,699 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Ear (2024)

Winning by 4 points (84% vs 80%)

Better sound quality
Signature transparent design
Improved ANC over Ear (2)
High confidence (1,699 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 1,699 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Ear (2024)
8.4/10
1,453 mentions
Sony WF-1000XM5
8.0/10
246 mentions
SOUND QUALITY
Ear (2024)9.4/10
Sony WF-1000XM58.5/10
FIT COMFORT
Ear (2024)6.5/10
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
CALL QUALITY
Ear (2024)8.5/10
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
BATTERY CASE
Ear (2024)3.9/10
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
ANC PERFORMANCE
Ear (2024)5.5/10
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
FEATURES
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM59.2/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Ear (2024): 5|Sony WF-1000XM5: 5
Sound QualityEar (2024)
Ear (2024)94%
Sony WF-1000XM585%
Fit ComfortEar (2024)
Ear (2024)65%
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
Call QualityEar (2024)
Ear (2024)85%
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
Battery CaseEar (2024)
Ear (2024)39%
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
Anc PerformanceEar (2024)
Ear (2024)55%
Sony WF-1000XM5N/A
FeaturesSony WF-1000XM5
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM592%
ComfortSony WF-1000XM5
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM561%
Build QualitySony WF-1000XM5
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM567%
ValueSony WF-1000XM5
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM5100%
BassSony WF-1000XM5
Ear (2024)N/A
Sony WF-1000XM589%
Ear (2024)84%
Sony WF-1000XM580%
Close race - Ear (2024) edges ahead by 4 points

Key Specs

SpecNothing Ear (2024)Sony WF-1000XM5
Brand
Nothing
Sony
Manufacturer
Nothing
Sony
Color
Black
Black
Weight
0.11 pounds
0.025 Pounds
Height
2.185035 inches
3.4645669256 inches

Key Highlights

Nothing Ear (2024)Winner
🎨 Signature transparent design
🔇 Improved ANC over Ear (2)
🎵 Balanced, slightly bright
💰 Great value around $100
🤖 ChatGPT integration
Sony WF-1000XM5
?? Best-in-class ANC
?? Excellent sound
?? Smaller fit
?? Flagship price

Topic Battles

Ear (2024): 5|Tied: 0|Sony WF-1000XM5: 0
🎵Sound Quality
Ear (2024) wins
Ear (2024)
94%
Sony WF-1000XM5
85%
❤️Fit & Comfort
Ear (2024) wins
Ear (2024)
65%
Sony WF-1000XM5
—
🔇ANC Performance
Ear (2024) wins
Ear (2024)
55%
Sony WF-1000XM5
—
🔋Battery & Case
Ear (2024) wins
Ear (2024)
39%
Sony WF-1000XM5
—
📱Call Quality
Ear (2024) wins
Ear (2024)
85%
Sony WF-1000XM5
—

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Nothing Ear (2024)

Best Praise
+16 pts
“Just wanted to mention that I had the Nothing Ear 2024 Earbuds and liked them a lot it's a great discount and these buds definitely are stylin. I had three issues which may be **specific to me?** 1. fit-They would pop out of my ear 2. Controls- I couldn't get the the Double pinch and hold to work reliably so I had to make a tradeoff between controlling Volume or control mode (transparency/ANC . I also found out that I like tap controls better. 3. Durability- Day 28 the left ear bud popped out of my ear on to concrete. After that fall I couldn't get it to charge. I really loved these earbuds and I think most will be happy with them but wanted to mention my experience. Amazon has an easy return policy so at this price they are worth a try.”
r/earbuds
View
Top Criticism
+3 pts
“In terms of ANC it is "nothing" compared to the airpods pro 2, same can be said about the hear through.”
r/earbuds
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Sony WF-1000XM5

Best Praise
+12 pts
“I really love my wf-1000 xm5s. I prefer them to many hybrid high-end IEMs I have heard. My hypothesis is that they have a single DD that’s just closer to my ear. I wonder if someone has tested the sonic effects of sound tube length. I bet that bass punch and technicalities suffer if sound has to travel through a 2cm tube.”
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+2 pts
“I have both: the XM4, XM5 and now the LinkBud S. The XM5s were my daily driver, but the best thing about them, the foam and passive noise cancellation, was also the main weakness. As they cannot be washed, they eventually become unusable and the official Sony replacement costs between $20 and $30. Not great. A few weeks ago, I lost one of the XM5 earphones. The XM4s still have the battery problem, so I researched and came up with the linkBuds S (\~60usd). It is essentially the same as the XM5, but with silicone ear tips instead of foam, and the case has a little less battery life. Everything else (app, DSEE, codecs, etc) is the same. The noise cancellation is better than my old Jabra Elite 7, and I would say the same as the XM5, but without the passive isolation. Now, the LinkBuds S are my daily driver, and they don't have the issue of the eartip, since the silicon is washable. Hope this helps.”
r/HeadphoneAdvice
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Nothing Ear (2024)
Sony WF-1000XM5
$160$240$320Apr '25Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Low: $89Low: $213Current: $144.79
Nothing Ear (2024)
All-time low: $88.99(2026-02)
$33 below 90-day avg
Sony WF-1000XM5
All-time low: $179.99(2025-03)

Which is Better?

Nothing Ear (2024) Wins
84%
(2024)
vs
80%
WF-1000XM5

Close race, but Nothing Ear (2024) edges ahead by 4 points based on 1,699 Reddit opinions.

Why Ear (2024)Winner
  • 🎨 Signature transparent design
  • 🔇 Improved ANC over Ear (2)
  • 🎵 Balanced, slightly bright
  • More discussed (1,453 vs 246)
Why Sony WF-1000XM5
  • ?? Best-in-class ANC
  • ?? Excellent sound

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

47%Positive
Positive
47%
Neutral
44%
Negative
9%
Based on 1,453 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

43%Positive
Positive
43%
Neutral
47%
Negative
10%
Based on 246 Reddit opinions
Nothing Ear (2024)Check prices Sony WF-1000XM5Check prices

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Nothing Ear (2024) or Sony WF-1000XM5?
Based on 1,699 Reddit comments, Nothing Ear (2024) has a slight edge with 84% positive sentiment vs Sony WF-1000XM5's 80%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Nothing Ear (2024) or Sony WF-1000XM5?
Both have similar approval ratings (84% vs 80%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Nothing Ear (2024)?
Reddit users highlight: Signature transparent design. Improved ANC over Ear (2). Balanced, slightly bright. With 1,453 mentions and 84% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Sony WF-1000XM5?
Reddit users highlight: Best-in-class ANC. Excellent sound. Smaller fit. With 246 mentions and 80% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,699 Reddit comments: 1,453 about Nothing Ear (2024) and 246 about Sony WF-1000XM5. Data was sourced from Earbuds community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

938 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/4/2026

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