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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• B&W P5 biggest strength: an over-ear, metal-bodied design with active noise cancellation, touch controls and a very wide 20 Hz–38,000 Hz range — a self-contained "quiet listening" package with no dongles to think about.
• B&W P5 biggest trade-off: it is the heavier of the two at 1.9 lb, it is wired only, and the flat, slightly curved earcup shape plus the metal enclosure make it a bulkier thing to live with on the move.
• Sony MDR1AM2 biggest strength: a 40 mm aluminium-coated liquid crystal polymer driver with a 3 Hz–100,000 Hz range, a lightweight frame, soft cushioned synthetic-leather earpads and swivel cups for portability.
• Sony MDR1AM2 biggest trade-off: no active noise cancellation at all, and it ships with two short cables (about 3.94 ft each) rather than one long one.
• Pick B&W P5 if you want one wired headphone that also shuts out the room around you.
• Pick Sony MDR1AM2 if you want the lighter, more portable, high-resolution-focused listen with a mic for calls.
The P5 is the "sit down and listen properly" option of the two. Its whole pitch is natural sound built on ultra-linear neodymium magnets and highly optimised Mylar diaphragms — the idea being that the driver does the work so you do not need artificial bass or treble boosts to enjoy it. Whether or not you buy that marketing framing, the spec sheet backs up the ambition: a 20 Hz to 38,000 Hz frequency range and a 26 ohm impedance, which is an easy load for a phone or laptop to drive without a dedicated amp.
The trade-offs are real, though. At 1.9 lb it is a substantial object, and between the metal build and the flat, slightly curved earcups it is not the headphone I would throw in a jacket pocket. It is wired, so you are tethered. And the touch control surface is a taste thing — some people love the swipe-and-tap approach, others want a physical dial they can find by feel with gloves on. If you want maximum portability or a cable you can swap for a balanced one, the P5 is not chasing that buyer.
Who should skip it? Anyone who mainly wants the lightest possible over-ear for long, hot listening sessions, and anyone who refuses to pay for ANC they will never switch on. If you always listen in a quiet room, you are buying a feature you will leave idle.
Sony MDR1AM2: Who It's For
The MDR1AM2 is built around one headline idea: high-resolution audio. The spec sheet is unusually explicit about it — a 3 Hz to 100,000 Hz frequency range from a 40 mm dynamic driver, with an aluminium-coated liquid crystal polymer diaphragm. Sony's own framing is that the LCP diaphragm keeps mid and high tones clear and lively, which is exactly the region that flatters vocals and acoustic material. A 16 ohm impedance means it is trivially easy to drive from a phone or a laptop headphone jack.
The comfort story is where this one wins people over. Sony describes a lightweight frame designed to relieve pressure, plus soft cushioned synthetic-leather earpads, and a closed-back design that keeps sound from leaking out. Long sessions — a full workday, a long train ride, an album you keep restarting — are the point here. The swivel ear cups fold flat for portability, and it ships with a carrying pouch plus two cables: one with an inline remote and microphone, and a balanced-connection cable. That microphone matters if you take calls from a laptop or phone; the P5 gives you no such thing.
Bass is handled by what Sony calls beat response control, aiming at deep, punchy low end. The aluminium enclosure and premium build materials suggest it is meant to survive daily use rather than live on a shelf.
The obvious gap: there is no noise cancelling here. The closed-back design blocks some sound passively, but a plane engine or a busy train carriage will get through. The supplied cables are also short — roughly 3.94 ft each — so if you like to roam from your desk while plugged into a fixed source, you will feel the leash. And "Bluetooth" appears in the connectivity field alongside the wired 3.5 mm jack, but this is fundamentally a wired headphone; treat the wired path as the point.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for blocking out noise → B&W P5. Active noise cancellation plus over-ear cups is the only real isolation play in this pair.
• Best for long, comfortable listening sessions → Sony MDR1AM2. Lightweight frame, pressure-relieving design, soft cushioned pads and swivel cups.
• Best for calls and voice chat → Sony MDR1AM2. It is the only one of the two with an inline remote and microphone cable.
• Best for a phone or laptop without extra gear → both, honestly. 26 ohm and 16 ohm are both easy loads; the Sony is marginally the easier drive.
• Best for high-resolution source files → Sony MDR1AM2. A 3 Hz–100,000 Hz range and an LCP diaphragm are explicitly aimed at that use.
• Best for touch-based control → B&W P5. It is the only one with touch control rather than a remote.
• Best for travelling light → Sony MDR1AM2. Swivel cups, a pouch and a lighter overall package beat a metal case and 1.9 lb.
• Best for a quiet-room purist → B&W P5. If you never need ANC, its natural tuning and metal build are the appeal; if you never need ANC and want less weight, the Sony wins instead.
In my opinion, the Sony MDR1AM2 is the better buy for most people. It is lighter, easier to live with, comfortable for hours, portable thanks to the swivel cups, and its high-resolution driver, wide frequency range and included mic cable cover more real-world jobs than the P5 does. The P5 is the one I would pick if noise cancelling is non-negotiable — that single feature decides it, and nothing else in the spec sheets closes the gap. So: buy the P5 for the quiet, buy the MDR1AM2 for everything else. And one last time, since search engines keep sending people here — if you are looking for earbuds for side sleepers, transparency mode earphones for side sleepers, or sweat resistant in ear headphones for side sleepers, skip both of these and start a different search.
For commuting specifically, yes, in my view — the P5 is the only one with active noise cancellation, which is what actually helps on a train or a plane. The MDR1AM2 relies on passive isolation from its closed-back cups, which is far less effective against engine drone.
No. The spec sheet lists noise control as none. It blocks some sound passively because of the closed-back over-ear design, but there is no active system, so do not expect it to quiet a loud room the way the P5 can.
The MDR1AM2, most likely. Sony's design brief is explicitly about a lightweight frame that relieves pressure and soft cushioned synthetic-leather earpads. The P5 is a metal-bodied 1.9 lb headphone, which is a lot of weight for a multi-hour session.
The Sony MDR1AM2, by a wide margin on paper — 3 Hz to 100,000 Hz versus 20 Hz to 38,000 Hz. Whether you can hear the difference depends on your source files, but the MDR1AM2 is the one positioned for high-resolution audio.
Yes — I deliberately do not quote prices here, because they move. Use the "Check latest price on Amazon" button on this page to see the current figures for both before you commit.
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