So I have got this massive trip coming up next month flying from JFK to Singapore and that is basically 18 hours in the air which sounds like absolute torture if I dont have some decent noise cancelling. I currently use some old earbuds but they hurt after like two hours so I am finally ready to drop some real cash on a pair of Sony over-ears because everyone swears by them for travel. My budget is roughly $350-400 but I am still feeling pretty stuck on which model to actually pull the trigger on before I head out.

I spent like three hours on Reddit and some tech blogs last night looking at the WH-1000XM5 vs the XM4 and it honestly just made me more confused than when I started. Some people say the XM5 has better microphones and slightly better noise cancelling for high-pitched sounds like people talking but then everyone else screams about how they dont fold up. Since I am traveling with just a small carry-on backpack space is kind of a big deal for me. Is the hard case for the XM5 really that much bigger and bulkier in a bag? I also read that the XM5 has this weird feature where it automatically adjusts the noise cancelling based on your environment and you cant manually set it to max... that sounds like it would be super distracting on a plane if it keeps shifting every time the pilot speaks or the cabin pressure changes.

The XM4 is cheaper and apparently more durable but I dont want to buy older tech if the noise cancelling is significantly worse on a loud Boeing 777. Also I wear thick-rimmed glasses most of the time so comfort is a huge factor for me. Does anyone here actually use these for 10+ hours straight? I am worried about the cabin pressure feeling in the ears or getting too hot.

Basically I just want to know if the XM5 is worth the extra bulk and the weird auto-adjusting stuff for a really long flight or if I should just stick with the classic XM4 and save some money. Which one actually handles the low engine hum better in your experience?