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Is the Sony WF-1000XM5 worth the upgrade from the Powerbeats Pro 2?

You havePowerbeats Pro 2$25078
+10.0HearWiki points
You're eyeingSony WF-1000XM5$25088

Verdict

Clear upgrade

Going from the Powerbeats Pro 2 to the Sony WF-1000XM5 buys you 10.0 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in noise cancelling (7.5 to 9.0), sound (8.0 to 9.0) and calls (7.0 to 8.0). On paper: battery life 10 h to 12 h, codecs SBC, AAC to SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 and multipoint pairing. Worth checking: battery life (anc on) goes 10 h to 8 h and battery incl. case goes 45 h to 24 h. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Powerbeats Pro 2 to WF-1000XM5), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. The two sit at effectively the same price. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.

−$1
Price difference
+10.0
Score change
-
Cost per point

What actually changes

Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.

  • Sound8.09.0
  • Noise cancelling7.59.0
  • Battery8.08.0
  • Calls7.08.0
  • Value7.07.0

Spec differences

Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.

Spec differences between the Powerbeats Pro 2 and the Sony WF-1000XM5
SpecPowerbeats Pro 2WF-1000XM5Direction
Battery life10 h12 h
CodecsSBC, AACSBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Multipoint pairingNoYes
Battery life (ANC on)10 h8 h
Battery incl. case45 h24 h
Full charge time120 min90 min
Driver size9.5 mm8.4 mm
Case weight69 g39 g
ANC typeadaptivehybrid
Quick charge5 min = 1.5 h5 min = 1 h
Controlsbothtouch
Frequency response20 Hz - 20 kHz20 Hz - 40 kHz
Full side-by-side comparisonWhat beats the WF-1000XM5?Check another pair

About this verdict

Direction matters here: this page answers "Powerbeats Pro 2 to WF-1000XM5". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.