Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 worth the upgrade from the Shure Srh1440?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Sony WH-1000XM5 scores 9.0 points above the Shure Srh1440. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. It loses ground on value (7.5 to 7.0). On paper: active noise cancelling, weight 343 g to 250 g and multipoint pairing. Worth checking: driver size goes 40 mm to 30 mm. It's also $31 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.08.0
- Value7.57.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Srh1440 | WH-1000XM5 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Weight | 343 g | 250 g | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Driver size | 40 mm | 30 mm | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Frequency response | 15 Hz - 27 kHz | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Srh1440 to WH-1000XM5". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.