All > Sony WH1000XM5
Sony WH1000XM5
Retail Price
$399.00
Lowest Price
$366.16
Release Date
May 20, 2022
While the noise cancelling of the Sony WH1000XM5 isn’t nearly as good as the Air Pods, the sound quality is decent especially when used with EQE or Sony’s EQ app. Battery life is also very good – 30 hours estimated, and the touch controls are solid. During a call, the person called could not hear any background noise, which speaks volumes for the mic’s level of noise cancellation. The charge speed is also very fast. While it falls short in some aspects compared to other top of the line headphones from other brands, it is nevertheless good enough to compete with them. The headphone size can be uncomfortable for some people, considering the head size, and shape.
Purchase Links
Overview
- Performance
- Comfort
- Value for Money
- Portability
- Design
- Material
- Noise Cancellation
- Drawback
- Sound Quality
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Performance - While the noise cancelling isn’t nearly as good as the Air Pods, the sound quality is decent especially when used with EQE or Sony’s EQ app. Battery life is also very good – 30 hours estimated, and the touch controls are solid. During a call, the person called could not hear any background noise, which speaks volumes for the mic’s level of noise cancellation. The charge speed is also very fast. While it falls short in some aspects compared to other top of the line headphones from other brands, it is nevertheless good enough to compete with them. The headphone size can be uncomfortable for some people, considering the head size, and shape.
Comfort - Provided comfort is better than that of Air Pods Max.
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
Value for Money - The product is good, but not enough to make people buy it right away.
r/headphones
05/22/2022
Portability - Inability to fold becomes a hassle. M4s are more travel-friendly than the M5s.
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
Design - Praised for dramatic changes in the headphone design. It has one key upgrade that's legitimately awesome -- but some may disagree. Think the previous ones' design was becoming quite dated and bland so it's nice to see they're finally updating it.
Material - XM5 is lighter and has a better value than the Airpods Max.
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Noise Cancellation - The quality of its noise cancellation is comparable to top and popular brands’ products.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Drawback - The expected sound quality is lacking, considering the price difference with the previous headphone version.
MICHIO_FL_CHAN
05/28/2022
Sound Quality - The bass of the XM5 is more reserved but has better definition (compared to XM4). Based on their $400 price tag, however, some reviewers may believe these headphones should provide a greater perceived boost in sound quality.
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Recommendation - If you want cleaner and tighter sound go for the m5s if you need that boom factor and the powerful excitement maybe the m4s are more your style. If you’ve got a pair of 1000XM4s and are happy with them, there’s zero reason to run out and upgrade. Those headphones can do everything these can. XM5s are marginally better in all departments except portability when compared with XM4s.
Sources
Tags
- Performance
- Comfort
- Value for Money
- Portability
- Design
- Material
- Noise Cancellation
- Drawback
- Sound Quality
- Recommendation
Sources
- CNET
- The Verge
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
r/headphones
05/22/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
MandoRoci
05/03/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
MICHIO_FL_CHAN
05/28/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Shubham7616
05/03/2022
See All Sources
Pros & Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Positive
- Negative
Pros - The Sony WH1000XM5 boasts More refined sound and even better noise canceling, being Slightly more comfortable, Best-in-class voice call quality, and Pairs with two devices at the same time.
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Cons - The Sony WH1000XM5 suffers from its design being very plasticky for $400, having no major new features over 1000XM4, and having a bulky, awkward carrying case.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
See All Sources
Performance, Specifications & Features
- Specifications
- Battery
- Design
- Drivers
- Equalizer
- Microphones
- Noise Cancellation
- Other Features
- Performance - Pairing
- Performance - Wired
- Processor
- Sound Quality
- Voice Call Quality
- Positive
- Negative
Specifications - The Sony WH1000XM5 has the following specifications: Bluetooth 5.2, Active noise cancellation, Ambient Mode, Multipoint, 30-40 hour battery life, 3.5-hour USB-C charging time, LDAC, AAC, SBC Bluetooth codecs, Speak to Chat, 360 Reality Audio, DSEE Extreme, Spotify Tap, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Sony Headphones Connect App for Android and iOS.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Battery - Similar with the M4s. Battery life is the same 30 hours as before if you’re using noise cancellation. Sony says you can get three hours of playback time with a three-minute charge via USB Power Delivery (PD). Can basically wear them for 8 hours straight, only taking them off for bathroom breaks; they’re more comfortable.
Design - Color come in black or off-white, with the latter having a subtle textured finish that is able to hide finger oils and smudges.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Drivers - Sony has switched from 40-millimeter drivers in the 1000XM4s to 30-millimeter drivers, which sound different from their predecessors. The 1000XM5s are tighter, more detailed, and clean up the sometimes muddy bass of the 1000XM4s.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Equalizer - You can use the EQ controls in Sony’s Headphones Connect app on Android or iOS to bring the sound of the M4s and M5s closer together, but the best thing to do is try both of them yourself if possible. You can even go further and get it to sound like the XM3.
Microphones - Good noise-cancelling microphone, does not pick up traffic noise even in the noisy streets of New York. Should also note that with the XM4 you had to manually engage the "noise-canceling optimizer" feature. With this model, the optimizer feature is automatically engaged and the adaptive noise cancellation does seem smoother and more seamless. There's almost no perceptible hiss, unlike with the XM4. And these have double the number of microphones for noise cancellation, as well as what appears to be additional microphones dedicated to voice calling. Add that together with AI algorithm improvements for noise reduction on calls, and the M5s deliver a noticeable upgrade over the M4s in this department.
Noise Cancellation - Sony says the XM5 dramatically reduce noise especially in the mid-high frequency range and an Auto NC Optimiser that automatically optimises noise cancellation, depending on the environment. They stuck with the same QN1 noise cancellation processor for the new headphones, but now it’s also added in a second processor to dial up ANC even further. As a result, the company says noise cancellation performs similarly to the M4s on a plane but should be better at handling street noise and cutting down on nearby voices. When it comes to audio improvements, the active noise cancelling is the main area of focus with two processors handling information from no less than eight microphones to give you an ever better experience than before. Though one user says that they are noticeably worse than both the XM4:s and XM3:s when it comes to cancelling out actual voices.
Other Features - Remained the same as the M4s -- there are things like an adaptive sound mode, an ear-shape analyzer, plus support for Sony's 360 Reality virtual surround audio format for music, which is available with certain music services. The old Sony hallmarks — like holding your hand over the right ear cup to briefly lower your music and boost the outside world — are still present. Sony previously had an “optimize” button, but now the button is gone, and Sony says the same optimization is all happening automatically in the background. The 1000X's signature extra feature was Sony's Quick Attention mode. If you hold your hand over the right ear cup, it pauses whatever audio you're listening to and lets sound in so you can quickly have a conversation then go right back to what you were listening to. These also have Sony's Speak-To-Chat mode that's essentially hands-free Quick Attention. And then the touch controls work quite well.
Performance - Pairing - Faster pairing system. The headphones also support Fast Pair for Android and Swift Pair for Windows.
Performance - Wired - Using wired or wireless connection does affect the sound quality. If you're listening in wired mode, there's a touch more depth and texture to the music.
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Processor - The Sony WH-1000XM5 have Bluetooth 5.2 and are powered by both Sony's QN1 and V1 chips. These new Integrated Processor V1 as well as Sony’s existing HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 help along with the specially designed 30mm drivers to contribute to better ANC.
Sound Quality - Better sound quality than before. The sound detail in M5s are better. The sound produced by M4s and M5s are different but is not considered negative, it just depends on personal preference. Sony has equipped the XM5 with new more rigid 30mm carbon fiber drivers and these do sound markedly different from the two previous models. The XM4 plays a little louder at the same volume level on my phone and is more forward and aggressive sounding. In most instances however, the M5’s sounds are noticeably more refined, detailed, and spacious. The added clarity and detail is particularly beneficial on tracks where you have several instruments playing at the same time. The XM5's have a little more midrange focus and clarity, not as much sparkly treble boost, and bass has been returned to be tighter and more mid/upper bass punch than a huge sub bass boost. Like the XM4, these headphones support Sony's "high-definition" LDAC audio codec, which is available for streaming over a number of Android devices and certain dedicated music players. These headphones also support multipoint, meaning you can connect to two devices at once.
Voice Call Quality - Noise reduction during calls is better than before. It took Sony five tries, but it's finally cracked the code on noise reduction during calls. These are truly impressive when it comes to calling in noisy environments. These have four beam-forming microphones for voice calls and Sony's engineers have come up with some nifty AI (software algorithms) to isolate your voice while blocking a lot of background noise (you'll still hear car horns and kids shouting).
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Sources
Tags
- Specifications
- Battery
- Design
- Drivers
- Equalizer
- Microphones
- Noise Cancellation
- Other Features
- Performance - Pairing
- Performance - Wired
- Processor
- Sound Quality
- Voice Call Quality
Sources
- The Verge
- TECH ADVISOR
- CNET
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
TheMightyGumball
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
JarickL
05/22/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
See All Sources
Build & Design
- Battery
- Build
- Buttons & Ports
- Charging
- Comfort
- Comfort - Issues
- Design
- Design - Portability
- Design - Folding
- Drivers
- Features
- Material
- Microphone
- Noise Cancellation
- Packaging
- Processor
- Size
- Sound Quality
- Weight
- Positive
- Negative
Battery - Battery life is still the same 30 hours which is more than enough to cover pretty much any long-haul flight. There are rumors of a larger battery resulting in 40 hours, however the rating is indeed 30 hours, which is same as the XM4. Also, you now get three hours of playback off of just a three minute charge.
Build - Build is reminiscent of the B&W PX7 due to the sliding adjustment, size of the ear cups, and headband size/padding, except with soft touch rubber instead of fabric. It still has a touch sensitive panel on the right side ear cup for skipping pausing etc. and there are also twice as many mic slots. The mics are better than the XM4s but the price and inability to fold detract from a user’s opinion of them.
Buttons & Ports - The ports have been placed in new spots better than the previous designs. There is a button for switching between noise cancellation and ambient mode. A power button, a half millimeter jack, and type C port are also found in the headphone. The touch panels are superb - they've really improved response times and decreased fail rates from xm4.
Charging - Fast charging allows three hours of listening even with just three minutes of being plugged in.
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
Comfort - The headphones are comfortable to wear because it is lightweight. They fit in the head snugly but don’t have that overly clamped feeling. The ear pads are a bit wider and more memory foam-y, which results in improved overall comfort.
Comfort - Issues - The clamping force is so low that all the weight of the headphones is on top of the head. Wearing it for long hours makes ears hurt. After an hour the band on top of the head starts to get painful.
Design - The 1000xm5s look totally distinct from their predecessors. It has a narrower headband with extremely thick cushioning. Combine that with the super lightweight of the whole headphones to make this entire pair more comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The headphone structure is made of plastic in order to make it lightweight and comfortable, at the expense of folding as such may cause structural failure. As a result however the durability is best while being less burdensome on the head. It also looks more sleek and modern, and less fragile compared to the previous model with all the moving pieces.
Design - Portability - The headphones fold flat but not up, making it bulkier when stored, but the reasoning behind the design makes sense, and they still look great. They are much lighter, the cups don’t pinch the tops of ears at all. They kinda clamp but not enough to hurt because they are so lightweight. Not being able to fold is a point of disappointment for multiple users however, especially users that have gotten used to the XM4’s design. The ear cups still pivot and turn just as they did before.
Design - Folding - To other users the inability to fold is not much of a setback as it can prevent tearing on the joints of the headphones. The folding had always made them feel weak and flimsy.
Design - The new design provided smoother adjustment and less pressure to the ears as it fits snugly to the ears while blocking the external noise. The headband is slightly thinner, and, instead of arms that cradle the ear cups at both sides, there’s a single stem running down the center. The earcup hinges were made with the airpods max type of look in mind.
Drivers - The 1000xm5’s 30 mm drivers definitely made the sound quality tighter, more detailed and cleaned up the sometimes muddy base of the 1000xm4s. They are made from a light and rigid carbon fibre composite material for better high frequency sensitivity resulting in a more natural sound.
Features - A new feature such as Quick Access allowed hassle-free listening where you can resume playback on Spotify with just two or three taps without needing to pick up your smartphone.
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
Material - While the AirPods Max are made out of more premium materials, the Sony WH-1000XM5's are significantly lighter and the better value. They also feature new synthetic leather ear pads that seem more durable than to the pads on the XM4. The metal on previous models made leaning against a hard wall (tile, concrete, etc) and accidentally brushing them against the surface feel atrocious. Everything you can see or touch on the thousand xm5s is all plastic that's not to say they're not durable. You can make a good case that the AirPods Max are too heavy, and Sony is clearly prioritizing extended comfort above a lavish design.
Microphone - The XM5 offers better sound quality and great noise reduction. It has eight microphones in total and four are used for voice combined with AI noise reduction. It is generally good for calls for work for stuff where you need a mic built into the headphones.
Noise Cancellation - These actually have the same QN1 chip that was in the m4s only now there are two of them and so ANC is even better. Noise cancelling is superb - slightly but noticeably better than xm4. As far as white noise is concerned like airplane engines road noise all that sort of stuff they do an a plus job at canceling that.
Packaging - The packaging contained no plastic, while the headphones are recycled materials.
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
Processor - The QN1 chip is doubled in the M5 version, meaning each ear cup gets a designated processor, improving response times alongside better isolation and enhancing the ANC.
Size - They are 10mm smaller than the XM4 and XM3 but bring improved sound clarity and bass reproduction. The carrying case however, is bigger than the previous designs when stored/carried due to the change from dual-hinge to single-hinge.
Sound Quality - Similar to the previous version but is still excellent; it’s not as bassy as the previous gens. The sound is superb - but not sure it's noticeably better than xm4.
Sources
Tags
- Battery
- Build
- Buttons & Ports
- Charging
- Comfort
- Comfort - Issues
- Design
- Design - Portability
- Design - Folding
- Drivers
- Features
- Material
- Microphone
- Noise Cancellation
- Packaging
- Processor
- Size
- Sound Quality
- Weight
Sources
- The Verge
- CNET
- TECH ADVISOR
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
the_fr33z33
05/03/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
JarickL
05/22/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
MORZPE
05/28/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
JarickL
05/22/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
wahoux
05/28/2022
MORZPE
05/28/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
possums101
05/03/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Also-Alpharius
05/03/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
MORZPE
05/28/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
ShortCircuit
05/13/2022
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
Marques Brownlee
05/13/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/13/2022
MORZPE
05/28/2022
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
CNET - David Carnoy
05/12/2022
See All Sources
Price & Availability
- Price
- Availability
- Positive
- Negative
See All Sources
Miscellaneous
- Connectivity
- Price
- Port
- Resistances
- Positive
- Negative
Connectivity - Inability to work wirelessly with PlayStation 5 is disappointing.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
Price - Along with new improvements, the price also hiked a lot.
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
Port - The USB-C port is only for the purpose of charging, it should be used for other purposes as well.
TECH ADVISOR - Chris Martin
05/13/2022
Resistances - As the product is not water nor sweat resistant, it cannot be used during exercise.
The Verge - Chris Welch
05/12/2022
See All Sources
Comments