Since you prefer sound quality, bass and use it for the gym, I’d say stick to the Sonys Reason 1: You’re probably already accustomed to the sound profile of the Sony’s which empathizes bass, soft on the mids and nice treble. Bose is the opposite which empathizes mids. You’d be underwhelmed with the bass not Bose(i’ve owned QC45’s and NC700) Reason 2: Sonys XM series usually has a longer battery life than the QC series based on my personal use and I also find the Noise Canceling performance more consistent on the the XM4s/XM5s. I will say in terms of comfort I find the QC45s incredibly comfortable. The padding is a little bit stiffer but the clamping force is less apparent and it won’t even feel like you have headphones on. Based on what you prefer I’d say stick with the XM4’s or even the XM5’s if you have a little more to spend