So here we are again. Sony releases another iteration of their flagship noise canceling headphone and the internet collectively loses its mind. “Best headphones ever!” “Nothing touches them!” “Game changer!” — you know the drill. I picked up a pair to find out if the hype is real or if we’re all just being sold marketing.
Let me tell you what I found.
Unboxing and Build
The box is clean. Minimal. Very Apple-like in presentation which I appreciate. Inside you get the headphones, a carry case that’s noticeably slimmer than the XM4’s, a USB-C charging cable, and a 3.5mm audio cable. No airplane adapter this time around, which is a minor annoyance if you travel.
The headphones themselves feel premium. Soft-touch matte plastic all around — no metal headband this time which some people aren’t happy about. Personally? I don’t care. They’re comfortable and they feel solid. The earcups are round now instead of oval, which changes the fit compared to the XM4. Some people love it, some hate it. My ears fit just fine.
One thing I immediately noticed — these do not fold flat anymore. They fold inward but not flat like the XM4’s. For some people that’s a deal-breaker for travel. Worth knowing going in.
Clamp force is lighter than the XM4 which for me was welcome. Long sessions don’t leave you feeling like your head was in a vice.
Controls and Features
Touch controls on the right earcup — swipe for volume, forward/back for tracks, tap for play/pause. They work reliably and I had no complaints. The left earcup has a button for ANC/ambient mode cycling.
Multipoint bluetooth connects to two devices simultaneously. It works. I switch between my laptop and phone without the usual frustration of pairing/unpairing. Sony got this right.
Sony Headphones Connect app gives you a ton of control — EQ, ANC settings, speak-to-chat, all of it. The app is one of the better manufacturer apps I’ve used. It’s not perfect but it’s functional and doesn’t feel like an afterthought.
Battery life — Sony claims 30 hours with ANC on. Real world I’m getting 27-28 hours. That’s excellent. A 3-minute charge gives you 3 hours. Very practical.
Noise Cancellation
This is where the XM5 earns its reputation. The ANC is flat out the best I’ve heard on a consumer headphone. Period. I tested these on a busy street, in a coffee shop, next to an HVAC unit running full blast. The low frequency hum — gone. Background chatter — reduced to a whisper. It’s genuinely impressive.
Sony changed the microphone configuration to 8 mics for ANC compared to 4 on the XM4. You can hear the difference. Where the XM4 would let some mid-range ambient noise through, the XM5 handles it much more cleanly.
Ambient mode (when you want to hear your surroundings) is also excellent — natural sounding with no artificial artifacts.
Sound Quality
Here’s where I’m going to give you the honest take rather than the marketing version.
Bass: It’s there. It’s clean. Not bloated, not overpowering. If you’re coming from a bass-heavy headphone like Beats you might think these sound thin. They’re not — they’re just more accurate. You can tune it in the app if you want more thump but out of the box the bass is well controlled and extends nicely. I threw some Marcus Miller at these — “Jean Pierre” from the Tutu Revisited album — and the bass lines were tight and articulate. Not the most impactful bass I’ve ever heard but accurate and satisfying.
Midrange: This is where I have a slight issue. The mids feel a touch recessed to me. Vocals sit back in the mix a bit more than I’d like. I put on Norah Jones “Come Away With Me” — her voice should be front and center, intimate, present. On the XM5 it felt just slightly veiled. Not bad, just not as natural as I’d want. You can EQ this out partially but it’s the headphone’s character.
Treble: Smooth. Very smooth. No harshness, no sibilance even on brighter recordings. Jeff Beck “Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers” has guitar notes that can get edgy on treble-hot headphones. Not here. Everything stays composed and controlled. For long listening sessions this is a real strength — no fatigue.
Soundstage and Imaging: For a closed-back wireless headphone the staging is decent. Nothing extraordinary. I put on the Yardbirds “For Your Love” — the stereo spread is there but don’t expect the headstage you’d get from an open-back. Imaging is competent. I can place instruments in the mix without much effort but nothing will wow a serious audiophile here. These are consumer headphones doing consumer headphone things.
Detail retrieval: Good but not great. I compared these to my Focal Clears for reference. The Clears reveal layers in recordings that the XM5 smooths over. That’s expected at this price point and use case — these are all-day wear comfortable wireless headphones, not reference monitors.
Who Are These For?
People who travel. People who work in open offices. People who want great sound without having to think about it too hard. People who listen to music all day and need battery life and comfort above all else.
If you’re sitting at a listening chair evaluating gear? These aren’t the headphone for that conversation. If you want to enjoy music on a plane, at a desk, on a commute without being bothered by the world around you — these might be the best option available right now.
Verdict
The Sony WH-1000XM5 does what it sets out to do better than nearly anything else at its price. The ANC is class-leading. Comfort is excellent. Battery life is excellent. Sound quality is good — not audiophile good, but genuinely enjoyable.
The slightly recessed mids and the lack of flat fold are real compromises. If you’re coming from XM4’s and love them, the upgrade is modest. If you’re coming from something older or buying your first premium wireless headphone — these should absolutely be on your shortlist.
Price: $349 (frequently on sale for $279-$299)
Worth it at $279? Yes.
Worth it at $349? Probably, if ANC is a priority.
Tested with: Sony NW-A55 Walkman, MacBook Pro, iPhone 15 Pro via bluetooth and wired. Music sources: Tidal HiFi, local FLAC files.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones
Industry-leading noise cancellation · 30hr battery · Multipoint Bluetooth
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