It ’s been nearly three years since Sony found its current flagshipnoise - canceling wireless headphones , the WH-1000XM5 . In that time , the landscape has exchange considerably , with new versions from top competitors like Bose , Apple , JBL , and Sennheiser , plus several new wireless cans aimed at the highly make out audiophile segment , from brands like Focal , Dali , and Bowers & Wilkins . Even Sonos has now joined the ruffle , with the launch of theSonos Ace .
We ’ve also visualise a immense uptick in trends such asspatial audioand lossless audio frequency , for the most part thanks to Apple ’s selling heftiness and its Apple Music streaming service .
So does that intend the WH-1000XM5 are now has - beens ? Far from it . They may be omit a few modern bells and whistles , but the XM5 remain the dependable overall headphones you may buy . Here ’s why I retrieve so .
Video review
The best box
Before we get correct into it , first a quick shout out to the folks responsible for Sony ’s packaging . The XM5 follow in the same radical - recyclable plain cardboard containers that the company pioneered with theWF-1000XM4wireless earbuds . You wo n’t find a ghost of plastic anywhere , and while buying consumer electronics might not be the best thing for the planet , at least you wo n’t be adding to your local landfill when you unbox your new cans .
As for what ’s in that enviro - friendly box : You get the earpiece , pack in a zippered carry case . The case has a magnetically closed compartment , where you ’ll find the analog cable’s length and , once again , a comically short USB A - to - USB - C charging overseas telegram . Wondering about an airplane adapter ? Sony has on the face of it resolve that if you still really need one , there are plentyon Amazonyou can buy .
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Where have we seen this design before?
The XM5 took its invention inspiration from Bose ’s $ 399Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 , and Apple ’s $ 549AirPods Max . Those cans fold up flat , but they do n’t fold up up . What they misplace in portability , they realise in elegance — unmarried point of striking from the headband to the earcups make for a silky , advanced smell .
Sony ’s interpretation of this style practice one - piece tubular slider that terminate in pivots hidden within the earcup housings . The XM5 keep their predecessor ’s slightly rubberized , matte - finish in a selection of black or what Sony calls “ silver ” ( it ’s really more a guts coloring material ) , but use a sightly narrower headband .
Ironically , not long after Sony adopted the fold - matt plan of attack for the XM5 , Bose abandoned it when it debut theQuietComfort Ultra Headphonesin 2023 , returning to the older fold - prostrate / fold - up computer architecture of its late models .
It ’s not heavy to see why . The one downside to Sony ’s move into modernism is that they take up more room in a packsack or purse . The included travel case is much larger than the one you get with theWH-1000XM4 . When sit around your cervix , the earcups face “ up ” with the hard plastic of the out shells resting against your clavicle instead of the spike cushions .
As it change state out , that satiny , single pointedness of tangency between the headband and the earcups is something of an Achilles ’ Heel . Reddit and other online forums hold plenty of stories ofbroken XM5 hinges . My critical review sample is still in one piece after 35 months , but it ’s spent most of its spirit indoors .
Comfort, controls, and connections
They ’re also impressively comfortable . The XM5 are a teensiest bit lighter than the XM4 , clocking in at 8.81 oz. vs. the XM4 ’s 8.95 ounces . That does n’t sound like much — and it is n’t — but , astonishingly enough , you’re able to feel it . I ’ll be darn if Sony has n’t managed to make the XM5 even more comfy than the already excellent XM4 , despite the narrower headband . Part of the reason is balance — the XM5 feel like they distribute their weight comfortably . Another factor is the new spike shock design , which is at once depressed visibility ( which helps to keep the mass of the earcups closer to your fountainhead ) and yet just as easygoing .
These are all good things . But you may discover — especially if your noggin is as small as mine — that the XM5 ’s clamp force is n’t as potent as the XM4 . It ’s not a problem for casual use , but if you care to be active in your headphones ( something Sony specifically discourages on the committed warning recording label that features a big “ no ” mansion over an look-alike of a man sweating ) , you ’ll mark that the XM5 move around a number more .
My only note on comfort is that the headband will , over prison term , induce some pressure on the top of your head .
The XM5 ’s ascendency are identical to the XM4 : Two dedicated mogul / Bluetooth and ANC / multifunction buttons on the left earcup , and a touch - sore panel on the proscribed Earth’s surface of the right earcup . They ’re easy , exact , and intuitive to use , and Sony has kept the awing quick - attention characteristic which instantly replace ANC with transparency mode when you cover the right-hand earcup with your hand . The built - in wearing sensing element move over you fast and responsive automobile - break and sum up for music , and it can be disabled in the app if you do n’t need it .
As for music genre , take your selection . There are n’t any that wo n’t be an absolute joy to heed to .
I still receive the long - insistence on the might button an unintuitive way to turn the derriere on , but it ’s hard to deny that buttons are likely to last longer than mechanical switches over the long full term . Sony has replaced some of the XM4 ’s spoken representative prompts with short audible tones . It allows for fast transitions ( especially between ANC modes ) but I still detect the tonicity harder to decipher than voice prompts .
The XM5 are equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 , and as you ’d expect , the wireless connection is rock - solid all the way up to its theoretical 32 - metrical unit range . With Google Fast Pair , they set up on Android gadget in a flash , and even on an iPhone it ’s pretty easy . You getBluetooth multipointfor simultaneous link to a phone and a computer ( or any other two Bluetooth devices ) , but it ’s deserving noting that if you want that phone connexion to use Sony ’s LDAC codec — the gamy quality radio linkup you could get — you ’ll require to forego the second gimmick . Apparently LDAC and multipoint are mutually sole .
Sound quality
It ’s unusual for a agiotage solidification of headphones to boast smaller drivers than its forerunner , but that ’s what Sony decided to do . The XM5 are equip with carbon copy - fiber - based 30 millimetre active transducers which are 25 % smaller than the ones used in the XM4 . The change tolerate for the depleted weighting of the XM5 , but Sony claims they go good , too . And I agree . Mostly .
No beating around the George H.W. Bush : The WH-1000XM5 are the best noise - canceling headphones you’re able to grease one’s palms right on now .
It all depends on how you fix “ better . ” There ’s no question in my mind that the XM5 show greater shade and fine details , and the frequencies are attractively balanced . At the same clock time , sea bass response is like an expert manage , with a small end that does what gloomy oddment should do : put up the thump , groove , and sonority that discharge the melodic picture , without overlook the other frequencies . The soundstage is assailable and airy and has the kind of preciseness that countenance you build a map of the player and their instruments in your psyche ’s centre .
As for music genres , take your pick . I ca n’t imagine of any that wo n’t be an absolute joy to mind to . In short , they voice fantastic , especially when you engage the LDAC codec ( Android only , disconsolate Apple users ) and feed these pot high - quality content fromApple Music , Tidal , Amazon Music , or your own ripped music .
But ( you know there was a “ but … ” coming ) , in present such a detailed and nuanced performance , Sony has taken a minute of a step back from the WH-1000XM4 ’s power and bass part - forward signature . Like the drivers inside them , these two great earphone redeem two different transonic experience . The XM5 will appeal most to those who essay a more neutral auditory sensation and who may have found Sony ’s previous travail too orotund , while the XM4 continue to be the proper pick for folk who like their tunes with a little superfluous slug .
As always , the Sony Headphones app gives you full manual EQ control should you wish to spay the manufactory tuning , and Sony provides several useful presets along with an independent bass boost adjustment . I care the nonpayment mount so much , I left these tweaks alone .
On the connectivity side of the listening experience , it ’s deserving note that you ca n’t use the headphone on a all in bombardment , even if you ’re connect via the analog cable television service . You should also know that the XM5 do n’t patronize USB Audio , so if you want a way to listen to trulylosslessdigital euphony , you ’ll need to use an externalDAC / ampwith the analog cable .
Noise canceling and transparency
When they debuted , the WH-1000XM5 were the best noise - set off headphones you could buy . They ’re still superb , but now they ’re in second place . Bose ’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones love a small but detectable lead in that department .
much speak , the eight - mic arrangement and double - chip processing — which enables real - time adaptative changes — does everything you need it to do . The XM5 does n’t just trim some outside noises — it erases them .
The level to which the on - board processors are able to separate your voice from scope haphazardness is remarkable .
Sony says it ’s especially helpful for conduct with voice , like the blaring in a coffee bean shop or restaurant , but I found it forge in almost every scenario I tried . The roar of a turboprop airplane engine was decoct to a susurration ; Manhattan ’s signature premix of dealings , building , forte voices , and perpetual car horns were diminished to the spot where my nerves were n’t scratch ( my hometown of Toronto is n’t just still , but c’m on , nothing else is NYC ) . And these were the welfare when I was n’t play any medicine at all . tot up some line — even at moderate volumes — and you might just convince yourself those external sound are n’t there at all .
Sony has automatize the process of optimizing ANC on the XM5 , so if you exchange the elbow room you wear the headphones ( adding or murder specs ; change hair style ) or there ’s an alteration in atmospheric force per unit area , there ’s nothing you need to do . I ’ve learn some criticisms of Sony ’s adaptative ANC algorithm , but I ca n’t say I ’ve ever had a unsound experience .
I ’m much less enthusiastic about the optional activity and position tracking in the Sony Connect app , which tries to make changes to ANC and transparency as you switch up your 24-hour interval from sitting to walking to track , etc . It never seems to get this mix right .
Transparency modal value is also first-class , though if there ’s one area where Apple maintains a slight edge , this is it . You ’ll have an easy time get wind everything that count , and the optional phonation - enhancement mode does incisively what it aim to do . But somehow , the AirPods Max superintend to win over you you ’re not wearing earpiece — something the XM5 decline just shy of achieving .
Switching between the two modes is fast and easy , whether you employ the dedicated button for long periods or the quick - aid motion for short interactions .
Call quality
This is another area where the XM5 handily outshine its predecessor and almost every other competitor . The degree to which the on - board C.P.U. are capable to separate your voice from screen background noise — even when it ’s very loud — is remarkable . They pull this off without the compression and cloudiness that often companion this form of algorithmic magic , and there ’s only the slight hint of harshness when the system is promote to its point of accumulation .
There ’s only one other set of headphones that are good for call : theJBL Tour One M3 .
Battery life
Sony claims 30 hour of continuous playback with ANC on , and 40 hours when it ’s off . From what I can tell , those numbers seem strike - on accurate . Sony does n’t show how much of a strike these numbers will take when using LDAC , but based on my experience , you could carry it to eat up to 40 % .
Either way , these stats are more than equal for even the tenacious of flights . However , if you materialize to own aUSB Power Delivery ( PD ) courser , you ’ll be capable to quick - excite the XM5 with an special three hour of playtime in a ridiculously fast three minutes . Yes , one minute equals one hr .
Conclusion
At $ 400 , Sony ’s best stochasticity - canceling earphone cost the same or less than young models from Bose , Apple , Sonos , and JBL . Their advanced age have in mind they miss a few features we ’ve begin to get used to , like spacial sound , USB Audio , and support for Auracast , and they ’re all thingswe’d like to see in the WH-1000XM6 .
But despite these skip , the WH-1000XM5 stay on the best all - around haphazardness cancel seat for most citizenry . Because when it number to sound quality , comfortableness , call quality , ANC , and battery life — the essential ingredients we want from these machine — the XM5 are still salient .
you could now come up wireless cans with just sound quality : Mark Levinson ’s No 5909,Dali ’s IO-12,Master & Dynamic ’s MW75 , andFocal ’s Bathysare all good example . However , you ’ll pay a good deal more for these earphone , while sacrificing Sony ’s lightweight consolation , ANC , and call quality .
The one weakness that has become apparent over time is Sony ’s option of cloth for the rotating flexible joint that unite the XM5 ’s headband to the earcups . It just is n’t full-bodied enough to withstand overweight habit . I do n’t think it ’s a intellect to nullify them , but it ’s definitely a grounds to handle them with a small special care .
