There are many choices when it comes to earphones and headphones these days. We have in-ear, we have over-the-ear, bone conduction, and thankfully, not under-the-ear. So, finding the best is essential for anyone since many of us use earphones or headphones every day, whether or not it’s for phone calls or even listening to music.

Sony is one of the companies that immediately comes to mind when you think of anything entertainment and media, and this is especially true when it comes to headphones as well, when they released the first 1000X. 

So in this video, I will be reviewing their latest version of the headphones, the WH-1000XM5, and comparing it with last year’s WH-1000XM4 to help you make a purchase decision.

 

Unboxing

Let’s start with the box. The XM5 comes with a more minimalist and eco-friendly box. Both of these points are big upgrades in my eyes, where Sony is keeping the focus on the headphones itself. Now, the first thing you will see is the paper visuals cover in front. 

Taking that off, you will find the box with the 1000X Series written on the box.

Then opening the box, there is a small card slitted between the carrying case tab holder, which has the instructions on the outside.

Then on the inside, there is the 360 Reality Audio Music Service Free Trial and other additional paperwork.

Then the carrying case within the box is notably larger than the XM4. It also has a nice cute little magnet pocket in the middle where you’ll find the USB-A to USB-C cable and also the 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.

And speaking of which, compared to the XM4 there is no airplane adapter, but based on my recent flight experience, it seems like it is now using the 3-pin version, not this 2-pin version. Now, that could be just the particular plane that I was on, but keep that in mind.

 

Design & Build Quality

The XM5 themselves come with a total overhaul of the design of the headphones. The thick and broad headband of the XM4 has been updated to a sleeker cylinder design, making the design more minimalistic aesthetically.

And with that, it has forced Sony to abandon one of my favorite features of the WH-1000XM4, which is the portability. This is because it is not going to fold to fit in a sleek case anymore. So instead, you’re stuck with a clunkier and a more cumbersome case compared to the previous XM4, which you can always use without the case.

So, that is not one of my favorite “upgrades” of the XM5 because Sony should have just stuck to its guns and kept the WH-1000X’s signature foldable portability.

Other than that, the XM5 looks and feels like a very premium product. The foams are extremely comfortable and sturdy to wear for a very long period of time. The headphones themselves are light and way lighter than the XM4, which blows my mind. The lighter weight also improves the overall comfort when using the headphones. And I doubt that you’ll even feel the XM5 even when you fall asleep. It’s THAT light!

The cans feel very well-built and sturdy, and the headband does not give your head a death grip when you put them on. But it does hold on tight so it won’t go flying when you headbang to your favorite Dragon Red track. *blink blink*

The canisters are larger and more comfortable in the XM5. In fact, if you really look closely, you won’t even realize the difference between the XM5 and the XM4. But, the slight difference actually makes a huge difference, especially regarding people with bigger ears. 

And because it is larger, I found that my medium-sized (or big-sized ears) fitted in nicely nestled inside the ear cups, without any effort, as there were times that the XM4 did rest on the top or below of my ears, at certain moments of time.

The ports and buttons are the same except for the naming of the Function Button, which is called “Custom” on the XM4 and “NC/AMB” on the XM5.

Speaking of which, you can use the button to call out Google Assistant or Alexa if you wish to do so.

And finally, you can get the same music controls too, with the familiar touch and swipe panel gestures that you are familiar with on the XM4 as well.

 

Connectivity

Like the XM4, you will need to download Sony’s Headphones Connect app and once the headphones is turned on, it will immediately detect the XM5 over there.

Once you’re done with the initial setup, you’ll be able to control everything within the app and also access the built-in equalizer. And you’ll definitely need to set up the 360 Reality Audio to use it with compatible apps like TIDAL to experience a whole new level of immersion.

The app has been updated since the launch of the XM4. But there aren’t many significant updates to revamp the experience since the experience has always been great ever since it was announced.

 

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

So, the WH-1000XM5 wouldn’t be the WH-1000X without Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). You’ll be able to toggle this in the app or by using the NC/AMB button labelled on the XM5 on the left ear cup.

Now, just when you think that the ANC could not improve even better since it is already very good. Well, the XM5 has improved as Sony has fine-tuned the ANC to make it more natural. With the Mark 4 and the Mark 3, some people may experience a weird vacuum-like sensation when the ANC is turned on. It doesn’t seem to be the case regarding the XM5s, especially when you are sitting in a very quiet room.

And during my music listening, I always left the ANC turned on, as music sounds way better.

 

Additional Features

Now, paired together with ANC functionality is, of course, the Ambient Sound Mode. When you turn off the ANC, you’re basically turning on the Ambient Sound Mode. In case you did not know, as the name suggests, this mode allows you to hear the environment, which is more important if you are using this when you’re commuting. 

Now, you can also use the app to automate when the Ambient Sound Mode kicks in when you have your headphones on, where it can activate automatically when you’re walking or even when you’re on the bus or train during commute. You can even set it to activate ANC when you’re at your desk OR if you need to activate Ambient Sound Mode very quickly, for example, if you are ordering a drink, just simply cover your left ear cup.

Another cool feature which the XM4 had, is the Speak-to-Chat function, you’ll just have to speak and the headphones will make your music fade into the background, bringing the voice of the person that you are talking to into focus. Then, once you’re done, the headphones will automatically get back into your music. Now, this particular feature was quite a hit or miss when I was using the XM4 for a very long time, but it turned out very well and worked very well on the XM5.

The XM5 can also play and pause automatically when the headphones are put on or taken off. And it has been optimized to reduce the time that it takes the headphones to change it to play or pause the music.

And also the XM5 brings in another aesthetic change as you cannot see the proximity sensor, as you can see it on the XM4 compared to the XM5, where it is very well hidden beneath the mesh.

 

Microphones

While many of these similar functions are making a comeback from the XM4, there is one significant change or an upgrade on the XM5, which is the super great microphone quality.

This time around, the XM5 can detect and amplify or suppress more effectively than the XM4. And this is extremely prominent when taking phone calls using the headphones. In fact, the XM5 has the best microphone so far in the WH-1000X series, where it can pick up voice way much better than the previous generations.

However, Sony has just a little more to do to make it perfect, because while it is better at picking up voice, it doesn’t sound 100% natural. That said, the Apple’s AirPods Max only outdoes it, but it is still better when it comes to the noise cancellation. And with the design overhaul, the headphones is even more noise-isolating than before. 

And the tightness of the headband is just nice, which allows it to work together with the foam to isolate the sound, when it comes to the Active Noise Cancellation on the microphones. 

Do check out my YouTube video for sound test, where I tested both the XM5 and XM4 on different environment!

 

Sound Experience

Finally, we have to talk about the sound experience of the Sony WH-1000XM5. 

Firstly, the headphones supports three codecs, similar like before, they are SBC, AAC and LDAC, and if you choose to prioritize on sound quality in the app instead of connection, it will default to the highest quality codec possible.

Now, when it comes to comparing it between this and the XM4, it is marginally better than the XM4, where Sony has increased the bass levels in the XM5, giving it a more rounded sound profile out of the box, not too “boomy” kind, so that was sweet. 

Now yes you can, of course, customize it further using the Headphones Connect app’s equalizer. Based on my test, I use the Excited EQ Preset across all genres compared to the other EQs or even turning it off. That said, with my taste in music, the added rounded bass tone is a very welcomed adjustment, as once again, I have never been a fan of the overpowering of bass, especially when hearing the vocals when listening to Rock music.

So with this, the Sony WH-1000XM5 continues to push the bar regarding audio immersion and of course quality. Music on the headphones is warm and full across multiple genres. And you can actually hear the different layers of music and appreciate the mixing a lot better than most wireless headphones in the market (especially within this price range) to the point that you’ll hear some nuances in the background if the audio processing wasn’t able to suppress it.

 

Battery

Now, Sony claims a battery life of up to 30 hours of playback, and for me, I have been using this headphones consistently, especially when it comes to watching Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi during my whole entire time and watching other shows as well. And of course, listening to music throughout the day on and off, which got me about 25 to 26 hours of battery life.

Now, that is a little far off from the claimed battery life, but I feel that you could get more if your volume is at least down two notches and maybe turn off the noise cancellation feature, and of course maybe even not use the Speak-To-Chat feature as much. But I have to say that any headphones beyond 24 hours is still considered very good. 

And I have to say that the Quick Charging on the headphones was also really excellent, as it got me almost 6 hours of battery with just a mere 10 minutes of charge and that for me is super convenient, so the whole not meeting the 30 hours mark was not a “deal breaker” at all.

 

Conclusion

So in conclusion, the Sony WH-1000XM5 continues Sony’s legacy to be one of the best wireless headphones in the market for the price that you pay. They continue to make meaningful updates, but with the overall design, they’ve also created one of the biggest setbacks ever, which is of course the portability.

But for me, for someone who uses the AirPods Max, I’ve already gotten used to the whole non-foldable design anyway, so it does come down to a personal preference over here.

However, folding aside, that does not detract from the improvements that Sony has made regarding the audio quality, noise cancellation, and of course the amazing microphone pick-up. So overall, I can say that the XM5 feels like I have taken two steps forward and just a little step back.

So it looks like the XM4 and XM5 will be available for me side-by-side in the foreseeable future. So, if you prefer portability, you have the XM4 option. But for the price, the Sony WH-1000XM5 continues to be the front-runner regarding the overall experience.