“Now three years old, Sony's best headphones are still a force to be reckoned with.”
- Excellent sound
- Very good comfort
- Ultra-clear call quality
- Excellent noise canceling
- Very good battery life
- Hi-res compatible (wired/wireless)
- Hands-free voice assistant access
- Fold-flat, but don’t fold up
- No Auracast support
- Hinge may break under stress
It’s been nearly three years since Sony launched its current flagship noise-canceling wireless headphones, the WH-1000XM5. In that time, the landscape has changed considerably, with new versions from top competitors like Bose, Apple, JBL, and Sennheiser, plus several new wireless cans aimed at the highly discerning audiophile segment, from brands like Focal, Dali, and Bowers & Wilkins. Even Sonos has now joined the fray, with the launch of the Sonos Ace.
We’ve also seen a huge uptick in trends such as spatial audio and lossless audio, largely thanks to Apple’s marketing muscle and its Apple Music streaming service.
So does that mean the WH-1000XM5 are now has-beens? Far from it. They may be missing a few modern bells and whistles, but the XM5 remain the best overall headphones you can buy. Here’s why I think so.
Video review
The best box
Before we get right into it, first a quick shout out to the folks responsible for Sony’s packaging. The XM5 come in the same ultra-recyclable plain cardboard containers that the company pioneered with the WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds. You won’t find a trace of plastic anywhere, and while buying consumer electronics might not be the best thing for the planet, at least you won’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 headphones, packed in a zippered carry case. The case has a magnetically closed compartment, where you’ll find the analog cable and, once again, a comically short USB A-to-USB-C charging cable. Wondering about an airplane adapter? Sony has apparently decided that if you still really need one, there are plenty on Amazon
Where have we seen this design before?
The XM5 took its design inspiration from Bose’s $399 Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, and Apple’s $549 AirPods Max. Those cans fold flat, but they don’t fold up. What they lose in portability, they gain in elegance — single points of contact from the headband to the earcups makes for a sleek, sophisticated look.
Sony’s interpretation of this style uses one-piece tubular sliders that terminate in pivots hidden within the earcup housings. The XM5 keep their predecessor’s slightly rubberized, matte-finish in a choice of black or what Sony calls “silver” (it’s actually more a sand color), but use a sightly narrower headband.
Ironically, not long after Sony adopted the fold-flat approach for the XM5, Bose abandoned it when it debuted the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones in 2023, returning to the older fold-flat/fold-up architecture of its previous models.
It’s not hard to see why. The one downside to Sony’s move into modernity is that they take up more room in a backpack or purse. The included travel case is much larger than the one you get with the WH-1000XM4. When sitting around your neck, the earcups face “up” with the hard plastic of the outer shells resting against your collarbones instead of the ear cushions.
As it turns out, that sleek, single point of contact between the headband and the earcups is something of an Achilles’ Heel. Reddit and other online forums contain plenty of stories of broken XM5 hinges. My review sample is still in one piece after 35 months, but it’s spent most of its life indoors.
Comfort, controls, and connections
Most of its life, but not all. I have taken the XM5 on nearly every flight, from short hops between Toronto and New York City to punishingly long hauls like Toronto to Tokyo. Despite the lack of a fold-up hinge, I can slide them in front of my laptop, where their low-profile manages to take up very little room.
They’re also impressively comfortable. The XM5 are a teensiest bit lighter than the XM4, clocking in at 8.81 ounces vs. the XM4’s 8.95 ounces. That doesn’t sound like much — and it isn’t — but, amazingly enough, you can feel it. I’ll be darned if Sony hasn’t managed to make the XM5 even more comfortable than the already excellent XM4, despite the narrower headband. Part of the reason is balance — the XM5 feel like they distribute their weight better. Another factor is the new ear cushion design, which is at once lower profile (which helps to keep the mass of the earcups closer to your head) and yet just as cushy.
These are all good things. But you may find — especially if your noggin is as small as mine — that the XM5’s clamping force isn’t as strong as the XM4. It’s not a problem for casual use, but if you like to be active in your headphones (something Sony specifically discourages on the attached warning label that features a big “no” sign over an image of a man sweating), you’ll notice that the XM5 move around a bit more.
My only note on comfort is that the headband will, over time, cause some pressure on the top of your head.
- 1. Sony WH-1000XM4 (left) and WH-1000XM5
- 2. Sony WH-1000XM4 (left) and WH-1000XM5
- 3. Sony WH-1000XM4 (left) and WH-1000XM5
The XM5’s controls are identical to the XM4: Two dedicated power/Bluetooth and ANC/multifunction buttons on the left earcup, and a touch-sensitive panel on the outer surface of the right earcup. They’re easy, accurate, and intuitive to use, and Sony has kept the awesome quick-attention feature which instantly replaces ANC with transparency mode when you cover the right earcup with your hand. The built-in wear sensor gives you fast and responsive auto-pause and resume for music, and it can be disabled in the app if you don’t need it.
As for music genres, take your pick. There aren’t any that won’t be an absolute joy to listen to.
I still find the long-press on the power button an unintuitive way to turn the cans on, but it’s hard to deny that buttons are likely to last longer than mechanical switches over the long term. Sony has replaced some of the XM4’s spoken voice prompts with short audible tones. It allows for fast transitions (especially between ANC modes) but I still find the tones 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-foot range. With Google Fast Pair, they set up on Android devices in a flash, and even on an iPhone it’s pretty easy. You get Bluetooth multipoint for simultaneous connections to a phone and a computer (or any other two Bluetooth devices), but it’s worth noting that if you want that phone connection to use Sony’s LDAC codec — the highest quality wireless link you can get — you’ll need to forego the second device. Apparently LDAC and multipoint are mutually exclusive.
Sound quality
It’s unusual for a premium set of headphones to boast smaller drivers than its predecessor, but that’s what Sony decided to do. The XM5 are equipped with carbon-fiber-based 30mm dynamic transducers which are 25% smaller than the ones used in the XM4. The change allows for the lower weight of the XM5, but Sony claims they sound better, too. And I agree. Mostly.
No beating around the bush: The WH-1000XM5 are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy right now.
It all depends on how you define “better.” There’s no question in my mind that the XM5 exhibit greater subtlety and finer details, and the frequencies are beautifully balanced. At the same time, bass response is expertly managed, with a low end that does what low ends should do: Provide the thump, groove, and resonance that completes the musical picture, without dominating the other frequencies. The soundstage is open and airy and has the kind of precision that lets you build a map of the players and their instruments in your mind’s eye.
As for music genres, take your pick. I can’t think of any that won’t be an absolute joy to listen to. In short, they sound fantastic, especially when you engage the LDAC codec (Android only, sorry Apple users) and feed these cans high-quality content from Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, or your own ripped music.
But (you knew there was a “but …” coming), in delivering such a detailed and nuanced performance, Sony has taken a bit of a step back from the WH-1000XM4’s power and bass-forward signature. Like the drivers inside them, these two great headphones deliver two different sonic experiences. The XM5 will appeal most to those who seek a more neutral sound and who may have found Sony’s previous efforts too bombastic, while the XM4 continue to be the right choice for folks who like their tunes with a little extra punch.
As always, the Sony Headphones app gives you full manual EQ control should you wish to alter the factory tuning, and Sony provides several useful presets along with an independent bass boost adjustment. I like the default settings so much, I left these tweaks alone.
On the connectivity side of the listening experience, it’s worth noting that you can’t use the headphones on a dead battery, even if you’re connected via the analog cable. You should also know that the XM5 don’t support USB Audio, so if you want a way to listen to truly lossless digital music, you’ll need to use an external DAC/amp with the analog cable.
Noise canceling and transparency
When they debuted, the WH-1000XM5 were the best noise-canceling headphones you could buy. They’re still superb, but now they’re in second place. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Headphones enjoy a small but noticeable lead in that department.
Practically speaking, the eight-mic arrangement and dual-chip processing — which enables real-time adaptive changes — does everything you need it to do. The XM5 doesn’t just reduce some external noises — it erases them.
The degree to which the on-board processors are able to separate your voice from background noise is remarkable.
Sony says it’s especially helpful for dealing with voices, like the din in a coffee shop or restaurant, but I found it worked in almost every scenario I tried. The roar of a turboprop airplane engine was reduced to a whisper; Manhattan’s signature mix of traffic, construction, loud voices, and perpetual car horns were diminished to the point where my nerves weren’t frayed (my hometown of Toronto isn’t exactly quiet, but c’mon, nothing else is NYC). And these were the benefits when I wasn’t playing any music at all. Add some tunes — even at moderate volumes — and you might just convince yourself those external sounds aren’t there at all.
Sony has automated the process of optimizing ANC on the XM5, so if you change the way you wear the headphones (adding or removing eyeglasses; changing hairstyles) or there’s an alteration in atmospheric pressure, there’s nothing you need to do. I’ve read some criticisms of Sony’s adaptive ANC algorithm, but I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad experience.
I’m much less enthusiastic about the optional activity and location tracking in the Sony Connect app, which tries to make changes to ANC and transparency as you switch up your day from sitting to walking to running, etc. It never seems to get this mix right.
Transparency mode is also excellent, though if there’s one area where Apple maintains a slight edge, this is it. You’ll have an easy time hearing everything that matters, and the optional voice-enhancement mode does exactly what it purports to do. But somehow, the AirPods Max manage to convince you you’re not wearing headphones — something the XM5 fall just shy of achieving.
Switching between the two modes is fast and easy, whether you use the dedicated button for longer periods or the quick-attention gesture for short interactions.
Call quality
This is another area where the XM5 handily outshines its predecessor and almost every other competitor. The degree to which the on-board processors are able to separate your voice from background noise — even when it’s very loud — is remarkable. They pull this off without the compression and muddiness that often accompanies this kind of algorithmic magic, and there’s only the slightest hint of harshness when the system is pushed to its limits.
Former Digital Trends Editor-at-large, Caleb Denison and I both recorded voice samples in busy urban locations and we both experienced the same thing: Sounds that were super intrusive on our end, were seemingly non-existent when we listened to the recordings. Meanwhile, our voices sounded natural, with a pleasant, warm, tone.
There’s only one other set of headphones that are better for calls: the JBL Tour One M3.
Battery life
Sony claims 30 hours of continuous playback with ANC on, and 40 hours when it’s off. From what I can tell, those numbers seem bang-on accurate. Sony doesn’t indicate how much of a hit these numbers will take when using LDAC, but based on my experience, you can expect it to eat up to 40%.
Either way, these stats are more than adequate for even the longest of flights. However, if you happen to own a USB Power Delivery (PD) charger, you’ll be able to quick-charge the XM5 with an extra three hours of playtime in a ludicrously fast three minutes. Yes, one minute equals one hour.
Conclusion
At $400, Sony’s best noise-canceling headphones cost the same or less than newer models from Bose, Apple, Sonos, and JBL. Their advanced age means they lack a few features we’ve started to get used to, like spatial audio, USB Audio, and support for Auracast, and they’re all things we’d like to see in the WH-1000XM6.
But despite these omissions, the WH-1000XM5 remain the best all-around noise canceling cans for most people. Because when it comes to sound quality, comfort, call quality, ANC, and battery life — the essential ingredients we want from these devices — the XM5 are still outstanding.
You can now find wireless cans with better sound quality: Mark Levinson’s No 5909, Dali’s IO-12, Master & Dynamic’s MW75, and Focal’s Bathys are all good examples. However, you’ll pay a lot more for these headphones, while sacrificing Sony’s lightweight comfort, ANC, and call quality.
The one weakness that has become apparent over time is Sony’s choice of materials for the rotating hinge that connects the XM5’s headband to the earcups. It just isn’t robust enough to withstand heavy use. I don’t think it’s a reason to avoid them, but it’s definitely a reason to handle them with a little extra care.
