NOISE CANCELLATION: Immerse yourself in the world of music with these noise cancelling headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5. They come equipped with an advanced noise cancellation feature, powered by two processors controlling eight microphones. Experience the magic of noise cancelling headphones bluetooth technology, ensuring an uninterrupted listening experience free from external disturbances. This unique, distraction-free listening experience sets the Sony WH-1000XM5 apart from other headphones in the market.
HANDS-FREE CALLING: Step into the future of communication with the Sony WH-1000XM5, a pair of over-ear headphones that make crystal clear hands-free calling a reality. They come equipped with four beamforming microphones and advanced audio signal processing. These over ear headphones ensure your voice is heard clearly, even in noisy environments. This feature is a boon for professionals and individuals who value clear, crisp communication.
LONG BATTERY LIFE: Say goodbye to battery anxiety with the Sony WH-1000XM5, a wireless headset that offers up to 30 hours of playback time on a single charge. These head phones also feature a quick charging option that provides 3 hours of playback with just a 3-minute charge, ensuring uninterrupted music enjoyment. (USB Type-C Cable included)
COMFORT & STYLE: Experience the perfect blend of comfort and style with the Sony WH-1000XM5’s lightweight design and soft fit leather. These headphones are designed for maximum comfort, allowing you to wear them for extended periods without any discomfort. Sound quality and comfort go hand in hand with these headphones, making them an ideal choice for music lovers.
TOUCH CONTROLS: Take control of your music with the Sony WH-1000XM5’s intuitive touch controls. With a simple touch, you can pause, play, skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls. This feature makes the Sony WH-1000XM5 a must-have for those who value convenience and control.
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7 reviews for Sony WH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Canceling Headphones, Auto NC Optimizer, 30-Hour Battery, Alexa Voice Control, Black
4.4out of 5
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★★★★★
Yosathorn –
This is by the best headphones I have ever bought. The price reflects the quality, but if it’s within reach of your budget or a bit of a stretch more, you would not regret the purchase afterwards. Still have not gone through all the features, functions, and app but based just based off the sound alone I am extremely satisfied
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Beatriz A. –
They describe the product with (exceptional call quality) while it is very disappointed not satisfied at all
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
LuckyLucy –
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Cancelling Headphones with Auto Noise Cancelling Optimizer, Crystal Clear Hands-Free Calling, and Alexa Voice Control, Black
Well I finally felt time to upgrade my headphones. I’ve been using the old Boss quiet comfort 3’s. Quite dated I know. But it lasted me a very long time. It’s done well for me
Now after much time passed I finally picked up this Sony xm5.
My comparison is with that old headphone. Perhaps not the best apples to apples fairness. I don’t look for studio reference flat sound with these . I look daily music listening whilst working. Something to work out with. Something that has good enough clarity in highs and deep bass for pop music. My high fi lilistening is done by wired headphones which is a total other category of audiophile gear.
For these I need superb noise cancelling that is superior to Bose . I need exciting lively bass tightness and crispy highs without harshness. A good mic for conference calls. An ambient mode to use when jogging.
This Sony xm5 delivers and TLDR I can easily replace my Bose qm3 with these.
1. Sound . First thing I noticed immediately… This has ultra tight bass . Bass is as deep as you want it. And can be set to create a super tight quick reacting bass. Very satisfying in all musical genres. Wayyy exceeds Bose bass performance which IMO was its weakest point . By default thigh highs are flat and lifeless but after a super quick EQing session I got it to my preferred listening and it sounds amazing. I’m very happy with the sound. It feels smooth and unfatiguing when I want it… And then it can be eq’d to be clinically sharp but not harsh…. Whenever you feel like it. It is hands down a huge step above Bose.
2. Noise cancelling. TLDR? Huge upgrade over Bose qc3. It’s dead quiet. It is scare silent actually… Really eerie. I love this because I turn it on and just use it as a way to work I’m office without the hum of the hvac system.
3. Ambient mode. The Sony app allows you to adjust the levels to satisfy how much exterior sound to leak into your headphones. I like this. It also allows you to setup detection mode to allow you to swap to ambient mode automatically when you talk and have conversations…. Music stops. After 15 seconds the ambient mode reverts back to noise reduction mode and resumes music. Really handy. Love it.
3. Mic for conference calls. Absolutely outstanding without premature cutting off of voice which is a common issue with these headphone mics… Bose suffered from this greatly. This is crystal clear mic and no issues using this in professional conference calls.
4. Tap controls.. very simple straight forward. Uses a swipe or tap setup on the right ear. The entire right side ear flat side is a drawing board . Large surface area makes for superbly reliable gestures that make it consistent and easy to control. Swiping up and down is volume. Swiping fwd or back is tracks. Double tapping pause and resumes. Theres no way to adjust the gesture actions on the app. .nor is there a way to make the left side become gesture side in case you prefer left side …. It’s ONLY right side. To me it is not a show stopper but perhaps for others it could be. The only other buttons is the ANC button to toggle noise cancelling mode and ambient mode. You can program double or triple clicking of the button to launch Spotify or other music apps but I only use double tap for Spotify. The other button is on/off / pairing. This isn’t customizable. I would have liked to see a bit more customizable actions here but it’s OK… Sometimes it’s better to have more simplicity. Oh by the way you can turn OFF the tap swipe gestures entirely case you find this to be annoying with accidental taps especially when You’re wearing the headphones laying down
5. Automatic modes. Based on location , you can have your phone help detect location and automatically set your profile for you. Example if you’re working , set noise cancelling … Or if it detects jogging then setup ambient mode . Etc… handy but not something I would use. I like to be in control.
6. Comfort. This is a really light weight product. Very comfortable. Wraps FULLY account ear. Theres no issue with long wear time because it’s so light and feels great. The vinyl material wraps the foam and doesn’t feel sweaty . You can replace this with other materials ( third party). Lots out there. I really wished there are larger Labelling of L and R to quickly visually see which side is right. It’s a tiny little R on the inside of the headphone head piece … The BOSe had a huge R and L on the inside of the headphone ear foam so it’s hidden front he outside but still stealthy. I get that Sonys design for these headphones are minimalist stealthy look but the R and L could’ve been larger and still stealthy.
7. This uses USBC. And charges quick and lasts a long time. Whilst not as long as my Bose, it’s long enough for me to be reliable to last me entire day and MORE. no problem. I have no issues here. It’s fantastic.
8. The Sony connect app is clean and easy to use. It’s what unlocks the Sony headphones to another level. Much better than Bose software. You need it for eq and various profiles . Without it you’re going to miss out.
So to conclude I’m gonna give it huge 5 star rating. Rare for me. It’s a fantastic device. Huge upgrade from my Bose qc3. Really happy with this so far. And what made it a great buy from me is I’ve found it in Amazon warehouse open box pricing. You can’t beat that .
Hope this helps
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★★★★★
LuckyLucy –
fone maravilhoso, me ajuda muito no dia a dia de estudos e reuniões. ele não zera completamente o barulho externo, mas diminui tanto que eu acabo nem me ligando que ta tendo barulho. tava em duvida entre ele e o da apple, mas escolhi ele pelo custo beneficio e nao me arrependo. recomendo 100%
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Waydavis –
I am almost 65 years old SO, I DO NOT have the ears of a 18 year old. That said, I consider these to be good for these reasons:
A: Exceptional battery life.
B: Call quality that was considered good UNTIL I did a direct comparison to my Blueparrott B450-XT’s – NO WHERE NEAR the quality of the Blue 450’s, BUT the Blues are made specifically for calls in noisey environments. . Blues are in my opionion the defacto standard by which all other ANC phone calls should be judged. My “demo” for people is to run my upright vacuum cleaner whilst on a call. People on the other end cannot hear it AT ALL – REALLY!, I hear them, and they hear me perfectly! TRULY amazing! I did the same test with these and alas they failed miserably in comparison. I expected that. I was told they sound like I am in a room away from the microphone, a bit fishtank like, and muddy. SO, they’ll do in a call but not as a primary phone call device in noise. I heard a sample of the BOSE 700’s and they were terrible, which is what prompted me to get the Sony’s.
C: One unconventional thing they do great at: A Sleep Aid. Yup, they drown out all the extraneous noises like people talking, Air conditioners, fans, Water coolers, hums, etc. ALL gone with nothing playing through them!
I bought them primarily for playing on my PS5, and watching TV late at night. They do both quite well.
D: Amazingly, my ears do not sweat much in these even after prolonged use. I’ve ordered those Dekoni Suede Earpads for them as well just for added comfort. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4T3X62?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) (5/16/23 – Returned The earpads: they claim they are suede when in fact they are 2/3 suede. The inner part inside the cup is something else, not leather so NOT durable. Considering this, $49 seems FAR too expensive.)
E: They are long-term comfortable unless you have ears like a B-52 in which case you will probably be stuffing bits.
As for music, I find them to be more flat without pronounced highs or bass – which I prefer. The EQ on the app is a nice feature. The ANC works very well listening to music and will be adequate to the task in both quiet and noisey settings. Again, I remind you, I’m not 18. 😉
Pricewise, they ARE a bit expensive but the build quality seems better than most.
If you have the time, I would HIGHLY recommend you test several brands and models at a store simply because sound quality is subjective and EVERYONE has their preference. UPDATE: 5/23/23 – Returning (REPLACING) Headphones – Why? They started acting “Funky”. By that, I mean that if you turn them off, they will not turn on unless you do not hit any buttons for about 15 sec. NOT normal. ALSO, they started to exhibit Connection issues that were NOT there initially. I STILL, at this point consider them excelllent. Now, if the NEW pair goes weird, THEN I would have to re-evaluate. UPDATE 6-3-23: New pair are working as they should no connection issues or on/off bttun problems. UPDATE 2-16-24: Still working perfectly and I use them nearly every night to sleep.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Maha –
Best sounding headset in the market with high quality noise cancelling. You will need to buy a seperate mic for wired usage.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Fresh and Felicia –
The media could not be loaded.
I own Sony’s WH-1000 XM4s and the Bose 700s, two of the leading models in the industry. I had AirPods Max for a minute, but I rage-sold them. To me, the Sony and Bose are both awesome headsets. So I was psyched to hear Sony was releasing XM5s. Summer’s here, and these can get a little hot on hot days outdoors. It’s like wearing earmuffs on the beach. But, if you can get past a little sweaty ears, or if you use them indoors or on airplanes, you should be a little excited.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones feature, what Sony advertises, “industry-leading noise cancellation.” And they ain’t lyin. With Bluetooth 5.2 and Sony’s QN1 and V1 chips, the XM5s have DUAL processors – compared to the lonely single processor of the XM4. These two processors control 8 microphones for crazy accurate noise cancellation. Think – a little computer actually sampling noise from fans, airplane engines, air conditioners, motors, and consistent noise like that – and creates an identical but perfect opposite wave, so they kinda cancel each other out. And this time, the dual processors are capable of filtering higher frequency sounds, including some voices. It’s pretty cool tech. The first time you hear this, it’s like magic! In my video review, you can see my personal reaction.
With the XM5s, noise canceling is automatically optimized based on your wearing conditions and environment. You don’t have to do anything. It knows if you’re sitting, walking, in an airplane, et cetera. No, noise reduction probably won’t completely cancel a very loud angry spouse, or a crying baby. But the over the ear closed design may help dull annoying sounds.
A very small cadre of people claim they become nauseous using noise cancelling headphones, and especially the old model XM4s. I’ve never experienced this personally, but be aware it could happen. You can disable it if you need to. Some people thought the WH-1000XM4s were too snug. I thought they felt great, but they’ve improved the fit with a new lightweight design with soft-fit leather. This material fits snugly but with less pressure on your ears while still keeping out the external sounds you don’t want to hear.
There were a few other design changes – the XM5s aren’t foldable like the XM4s, and there’s a redesigned case that’s collapsible to save room in your bag when you’re wearing your headphones.
With up to 30 hours of battery life, you’ll have enough power to travel halfway to the moon in one of Elon Musk’s rockets. But, in case you forgot to charge and you’re in a hurry, you can get 3 hours’ worth of charge after just 3 minutes with an optional AC adapter.
And unfortunately, the in-flight plug adapter is not included in the supplied accessories this time. But who uses that anyway? That’s so old school! Fortunately, there still is an aux-in for you old-school holdouts.
The touch controls survived, where you can pause/play/skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls. And the speak to chat lives also, where as soon as you start a conversation, Speak-to-Chat automatically stops your music and lets in ambient sound. And wear detection knows when you take them off.
But – how do they sound?
Sony has popped new, more rigid, 30mm carbon fiber drivers in the XM5s. They have more of an audiophile sound profile with slightly more balanced sound, better clarity, and more accurate bass. That’s important if you listen to real music, you know, with actual instruments, like rock, jazz, r and b, country, classical, and music like that. The XM4s have 40mm drivers, which will probably be better for hip-hop. The XM5s will reproduce hip-hop very accurately, meaning the way the studio producer intended you to hear it, but they probably won’t have the head-vibrating tinnitus-inducing bass many people want. TBH that’s hard to find in any headphone due to physics.
The XM5s support LDAC and spatial 3D audio, whatever that is, and they have also upgraded their Sony Music Studios Edge-AI music algorithm, which somehow magically guesses what musical dynamics were lost during compression and tries to replace that, so everything sounds crisp and clean without losing the bass that’s necessary in most of today’s popular music.
I have heard some folks claimed the MX4s sounded “muddy” with some music. I didn’t notice that, but I’m a producer and I’m familiar with equalization. There are about 20 presets including several you can create yourself.
And even without the Qualcomm APTX Low Latency chip, both my XM4s and XM5s allowed me to watch a complete movie on Netflix on my 2022 Samsung Frame television, wirelessly, from 10-plus feet away, with ZERO loss in mouth synchronization. Plus, like my XM4s, the XM5s still have dual Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them with two devices at the same time and switch back and forth between them. It’s a pretty cool feature if you use them for your phone, but also want to use them to watch YouTube videos at work on your computer. But, you probably shouldn’t tell your boss about that.
And the XM5s work with Google Assist, Alexa, and Siri. You can even set up Spotify playback with a few taps. Try that on your Air Pods Max.
The big win seems to be a vast improvement in the sound of your voice during phone calls quality. They’re actually impressive when it comes to calling in louder rooms. I’ve made test calls on busy streets and on windy sidewalks, and my call-ee said she couldn’t tell I was actually outdoors. Apparently, the four beam-forming microphones and the dual-processor software can recognize your voice and somehow block a lot of background noise. I mean, you can still probably hear tire screeches, gunshots, and car alarms, things you’ll typically hear in the city. But a lot of the noise is just gone. Like magic!
Oh – and there’s Speak to Chat. You start speaking, and the XM5s automatically adjust noise cancellation to pick up the voices of other people. No buttons, no fumbling with your phone. That’s a pretty cool feature.
So are they worth the upgrade? If you have XM4s and you think your call quality is shaky, then grab some XM5s and sell your sweaty old XM4s on Craigslist. If you’re moving from Bose’s Noise Canceling 700 or QuietComfort 45s, the new dual processors and 8 microphone array will provide some noticeable improvements, plus the dual Bluetooth sync, so they’re probably worth looking into. If you’re done with your Air Pods Max and prefer better compatibility with non-Apple stuff including android phones, PCs, and Sony or Samsung Smart TVs, it’s a no-brainer.
Yosathorn –
This is by the best headphones I have ever bought. The price reflects the quality, but if it’s within reach of your budget or a bit of a stretch more, you would not regret the purchase afterwards. Still have not gone through all the features, functions, and app but based just based off the sound alone I am extremely satisfied
Beatriz A. –
They describe the product with (exceptional call quality) while it is very disappointed not satisfied at all
LuckyLucy –
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Cancelling Headphones with Auto Noise Cancelling Optimizer, Crystal Clear Hands-Free Calling, and Alexa Voice Control, Black
Well I finally felt time to upgrade my headphones. I’ve been using the old Boss quiet comfort 3’s. Quite dated I know. But it lasted me a very long time. It’s done well for me
Now after much time passed I finally picked up this Sony xm5.
My comparison is with that old headphone. Perhaps not the best apples to apples fairness. I don’t look for studio reference flat sound with these . I look daily music listening whilst working. Something to work out with. Something that has good enough clarity in highs and deep bass for pop music. My high fi lilistening is done by wired headphones which is a total other category of audiophile gear.
For these I need superb noise cancelling that is superior to Bose . I need exciting lively bass tightness and crispy highs without harshness. A good mic for conference calls. An ambient mode to use when jogging.
This Sony xm5 delivers and TLDR I can easily replace my Bose qm3 with these.
1. Sound . First thing I noticed immediately… This has ultra tight bass . Bass is as deep as you want it. And can be set to create a super tight quick reacting bass. Very satisfying in all musical genres. Wayyy exceeds Bose bass performance which IMO was its weakest point . By default thigh highs are flat and lifeless but after a super quick EQing session I got it to my preferred listening and it sounds amazing. I’m very happy with the sound. It feels smooth and unfatiguing when I want it… And then it can be eq’d to be clinically sharp but not harsh…. Whenever you feel like it. It is hands down a huge step above Bose.
2. Noise cancelling. TLDR? Huge upgrade over Bose qc3. It’s dead quiet. It is scare silent actually… Really eerie. I love this because I turn it on and just use it as a way to work I’m office without the hum of the hvac system.
3. Ambient mode. The Sony app allows you to adjust the levels to satisfy how much exterior sound to leak into your headphones. I like this. It also allows you to setup detection mode to allow you to swap to ambient mode automatically when you talk and have conversations…. Music stops. After 15 seconds the ambient mode reverts back to noise reduction mode and resumes music. Really handy. Love it.
3. Mic for conference calls. Absolutely outstanding without premature cutting off of voice which is a common issue with these headphone mics… Bose suffered from this greatly. This is crystal clear mic and no issues using this in professional conference calls.
4. Tap controls.. very simple straight forward. Uses a swipe or tap setup on the right ear. The entire right side ear flat side is a drawing board . Large surface area makes for superbly reliable gestures that make it consistent and easy to control. Swiping up and down is volume. Swiping fwd or back is tracks. Double tapping pause and resumes. Theres no way to adjust the gesture actions on the app. .nor is there a way to make the left side become gesture side in case you prefer left side …. It’s ONLY right side. To me it is not a show stopper but perhaps for others it could be. The only other buttons is the ANC button to toggle noise cancelling mode and ambient mode. You can program double or triple clicking of the button to launch Spotify or other music apps but I only use double tap for Spotify. The other button is on/off / pairing. This isn’t customizable. I would have liked to see a bit more customizable actions here but it’s OK… Sometimes it’s better to have more simplicity. Oh by the way you can turn OFF the tap swipe gestures entirely case you find this to be annoying with accidental taps especially when You’re wearing the headphones laying down
5. Automatic modes. Based on location , you can have your phone help detect location and automatically set your profile for you. Example if you’re working , set noise cancelling … Or if it detects jogging then setup ambient mode . Etc… handy but not something I would use. I like to be in control.
6. Comfort. This is a really light weight product. Very comfortable. Wraps FULLY account ear. Theres no issue with long wear time because it’s so light and feels great. The vinyl material wraps the foam and doesn’t feel sweaty . You can replace this with other materials ( third party). Lots out there. I really wished there are larger Labelling of L and R to quickly visually see which side is right. It’s a tiny little R on the inside of the headphone head piece … The BOSe had a huge R and L on the inside of the headphone ear foam so it’s hidden front he outside but still stealthy. I get that Sonys design for these headphones are minimalist stealthy look but the R and L could’ve been larger and still stealthy.
7. This uses USBC. And charges quick and lasts a long time. Whilst not as long as my Bose, it’s long enough for me to be reliable to last me entire day and MORE. no problem. I have no issues here. It’s fantastic.
8. The Sony connect app is clean and easy to use. It’s what unlocks the Sony headphones to another level. Much better than Bose software. You need it for eq and various profiles . Without it you’re going to miss out.
So to conclude I’m gonna give it huge 5 star rating. Rare for me. It’s a fantastic device. Huge upgrade from my Bose qc3. Really happy with this so far. And what made it a great buy from me is I’ve found it in Amazon warehouse open box pricing. You can’t beat that .
Hope this helps
LuckyLucy –
fone maravilhoso, me ajuda muito no dia a dia de estudos e reuniões. ele não zera completamente o barulho externo, mas diminui tanto que eu acabo nem me ligando que ta tendo barulho. tava em duvida entre ele e o da apple, mas escolhi ele pelo custo beneficio e nao me arrependo. recomendo 100%
Waydavis –
I am almost 65 years old SO, I DO NOT have the ears of a 18 year old. That said, I consider these to be good for these reasons:
A: Exceptional battery life.
B: Call quality that was considered good UNTIL I did a direct comparison to my Blueparrott B450-XT’s – NO WHERE NEAR the quality of the Blue 450’s, BUT the Blues are made specifically for calls in noisey environments. . Blues are in my opionion the defacto standard by which all other ANC phone calls should be judged. My “demo” for people is to run my upright vacuum cleaner whilst on a call. People on the other end cannot hear it AT ALL – REALLY!, I hear them, and they hear me perfectly! TRULY amazing! I did the same test with these and alas they failed miserably in comparison. I expected that. I was told they sound like I am in a room away from the microphone, a bit fishtank like, and muddy. SO, they’ll do in a call but not as a primary phone call device in noise. I heard a sample of the BOSE 700’s and they were terrible, which is what prompted me to get the Sony’s.
C: One unconventional thing they do great at: A Sleep Aid. Yup, they drown out all the extraneous noises like people talking, Air conditioners, fans, Water coolers, hums, etc. ALL gone with nothing playing through them!
I bought them primarily for playing on my PS5, and watching TV late at night. They do both quite well.
D: Amazingly, my ears do not sweat much in these even after prolonged use. I’ve ordered those Dekoni Suede Earpads for them as well just for added comfort.
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4T3X62?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)
(5/16/23 – Returned The earpads: they claim they are suede when in fact they are 2/3 suede. The inner part inside the cup is something else, not leather so NOT durable. Considering this, $49 seems FAR too expensive.)
E: They are long-term comfortable unless you have ears like a B-52 in which case you will probably be stuffing bits.
As for music, I find them to be more flat without pronounced highs or bass – which I prefer. The EQ on the app is a nice feature. The ANC works very well listening to music and will be adequate to the task in both quiet and noisey settings. Again, I remind you, I’m not 18. 😉
Pricewise, they ARE a bit expensive but the build quality seems better than most.
If you have the time, I would HIGHLY recommend you test several brands and models at a store simply because sound quality is subjective and EVERYONE has their preference.
UPDATE: 5/23/23 – Returning (REPLACING) Headphones – Why? They started acting “Funky”. By that, I mean that if you turn them off, they will not turn on unless you do not hit any buttons for about 15 sec. NOT normal. ALSO, they started to exhibit Connection issues that were NOT there initially. I STILL, at this point consider them excelllent. Now, if the NEW pair goes weird, THEN I would have to re-evaluate.
UPDATE 6-3-23: New pair are working as they should no connection issues or on/off bttun problems.
UPDATE 2-16-24: Still working perfectly and I use them nearly every night to sleep.
Maha –
Best sounding headset in the market with high quality noise cancelling. You will need to buy a seperate mic for wired usage.
Fresh and Felicia –
The media could not be loaded.
I own Sony’s WH-1000 XM4s and the Bose 700s, two of the leading models in the industry. I had AirPods Max for a minute, but I rage-sold them. To me, the Sony and Bose are both awesome headsets. So I was psyched to hear Sony was releasing XM5s. Summer’s here, and these can get a little hot on hot days outdoors. It’s like wearing earmuffs on the beach. But, if you can get past a little sweaty ears, or if you use them indoors or on airplanes, you should be a little excited.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones feature, what Sony advertises, “industry-leading noise cancellation.” And they ain’t lyin. With Bluetooth 5.2 and Sony’s QN1 and V1 chips, the XM5s have DUAL processors – compared to the lonely single processor of the XM4. These two processors control 8 microphones for crazy accurate noise cancellation. Think – a little computer actually sampling noise from fans, airplane engines, air conditioners, motors, and consistent noise like that – and creates an identical but perfect opposite wave, so they kinda cancel each other out. And this time, the dual processors are capable of filtering higher frequency sounds, including some voices. It’s pretty cool tech. The first time you hear this, it’s like magic! In my video review, you can see my personal reaction.
With the XM5s, noise canceling is automatically optimized based on your wearing conditions and environment. You don’t have to do anything. It knows if you’re sitting, walking, in an airplane, et cetera.
No, noise reduction probably won’t completely cancel a very loud angry spouse, or a crying baby. But the over the ear closed design may help dull annoying sounds.
A very small cadre of people claim they become nauseous using noise cancelling headphones, and especially the old model XM4s. I’ve never experienced this personally, but be aware it could happen. You can disable it if you need to. Some people thought the WH-1000XM4s were too snug. I thought they felt great, but they’ve improved the fit with a new lightweight design with soft-fit leather. This material fits snugly but with less pressure on your ears while still keeping out the external sounds you don’t want to hear.
There were a few other design changes – the XM5s aren’t foldable like the XM4s, and there’s a redesigned case that’s collapsible to save room in your bag when you’re wearing your headphones.
With up to 30 hours of battery life, you’ll have enough power to travel halfway to the moon in one of Elon Musk’s rockets. But, in case you forgot to charge and you’re in a hurry, you can get 3 hours’ worth of charge after just 3 minutes with an optional AC adapter.
And unfortunately, the in-flight plug adapter is not included in the supplied accessories this time. But who uses that anyway? That’s so old school! Fortunately, there still is an aux-in for you old-school holdouts.
The touch controls survived, where you can pause/play/skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls. And the speak to chat lives also, where as soon as you start a conversation, Speak-to-Chat automatically stops your music and lets in ambient sound. And wear detection knows when you take them off.
But – how do they sound?
Sony has popped new, more rigid, 30mm carbon fiber drivers in the XM5s. They have more of an audiophile sound profile with slightly more balanced sound, better clarity, and more accurate bass. That’s important if you listen to real music, you know, with actual instruments, like rock, jazz, r and b, country, classical, and music like that. The XM4s have 40mm drivers, which will probably be better for hip-hop. The XM5s will reproduce hip-hop very accurately, meaning the way the studio producer intended you to hear it, but they probably won’t have the head-vibrating tinnitus-inducing bass many people want. TBH that’s hard to find in any headphone due to physics.
The XM5s support LDAC and spatial 3D audio, whatever that is, and they have also upgraded their Sony Music Studios Edge-AI music algorithm, which somehow magically guesses what musical dynamics were lost during compression and tries to replace that, so everything sounds crisp and clean without losing the bass that’s necessary in most of today’s popular music.
I have heard some folks claimed the MX4s sounded “muddy” with some music. I didn’t notice that, but I’m a producer and I’m familiar with equalization. There are about 20 presets including several you can create yourself.
And even without the Qualcomm APTX Low Latency chip, both my XM4s and XM5s allowed me to watch a complete movie on Netflix on my 2022 Samsung Frame television, wirelessly, from 10-plus feet away, with ZERO loss in mouth synchronization. Plus, like my XM4s, the XM5s still have dual Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them with two devices at the same time and switch back and forth between them. It’s a pretty cool feature if you use them for your phone, but also want to use them to watch YouTube videos at work on your computer. But, you probably shouldn’t tell your boss about that.
And the XM5s work with Google Assist, Alexa, and Siri. You can even set up Spotify playback with a few taps. Try that on your Air Pods Max.
The big win seems to be a vast improvement in the sound of your voice during phone calls quality. They’re actually impressive when it comes to calling in louder rooms. I’ve made test calls on busy streets and on windy sidewalks, and my call-ee said she couldn’t tell I was actually outdoors. Apparently, the four beam-forming microphones and the dual-processor software can recognize your voice and somehow block a lot of background noise. I mean, you can still probably hear tire screeches, gunshots, and car alarms, things you’ll typically hear in the city. But a lot of the noise is just gone. Like magic!
Oh – and there’s Speak to Chat. You start speaking, and the XM5s automatically adjust noise cancellation to pick up the voices of other people. No buttons, no fumbling with your phone. That’s a pretty cool feature.
So are they worth the upgrade? If you have XM4s and you think your call quality is shaky, then grab some XM5s and sell your sweaty old XM4s on Craigslist. If you’re moving from Bose’s Noise Canceling 700 or QuietComfort 45s, the new dual processors and 8 microphone array will provide some noticeable improvements, plus the dual Bluetooth sync, so they’re probably worth looking into. If you’re done with your Air Pods Max and prefer better compatibility with non-Apple stuff including android phones, PCs, and Sony or Samsung Smart TVs, it’s a no-brainer.