Good products put me in a good mood, as does writing about them.
Sony’s new WH-1000XM5 headphones put me in a good mood.
At $400, the WH-1000XM5 is the company’s newest pair of high-end wireless noise-canceling headphones. the XM4 as a less expensive option.
However, if you have the funds, the new hearing aids are worth the extra money. The WH-1000XM5 is an overall upgrade compared to previous models of Sony’s much-loved XM series. They get advantages of a new design with improved drivers. and more hardware for greater noise cancellation, as well as greater noise relief in phone calls.
The result is the pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones you can buy.
The WH-1000XM5 represents Sony’s first major redesign in the WH-1000XM series since the launch of the first styling (called the MDR-1000X) in 2016, and the result is a sleeker look.
Headphones are still most commonly plastic with a matte end and a padded leatherette headband. Sony also sticks to its same black and silver color options. That said, the silver hue has been revised with a milky gray appearance in comparison. to the beige appearance of the old Sony headphones.
The WH-1000XM5 headphones don’t fold like previous models, making them less compact for travel. Still, the earphones can twist and flatten. Additionally, Sony has redesigned the case to lay flat when the earphones are inside, meaning it’s not as bulky to buy in a bag.
In contrast, the padded headband of the WH-1000XM5 is narrower and rounder than previous versions. Unfortunately, this gives the impression that the headphones put more pressure on the most sensitive part of my head. That said, the XM5 pads are comfortable, and I like that the headphones are a little less tight around the ears compared to previous models.
Sony’s pedigree in the over-ear wireless headphone box is undeniable, and the WH-1000XM5 is a good fortune that the company can proudly hang on its wall of fame.
Almost all music genres take advantage of this advanced definition. Clear acoustic styles, such as Hawaiian guitar and classical music, are impressive. But even the busiest music, such as rock and jazz, stands out through perfect separation. who use virtual tracks, such as hip hop or techno, get an additional impact thanks to tighter rhythms.
Ready to use, the WH-1000XM5 has Sony’s signature audio profile: the music feels warm, with an emphasis on the richness of the bass and conservative mids that make you feel like you’re listening to songs in a padded room.
To be transparent, this default profile is not my favorite sound type. I prefer a wider soundstage with a clearer and clearer upper end that features upper mids and treble while maintaining bass and depth. Fortunately, with some tweaks, the WH-1000XM5 can produce the sound that suits my tastes.
Using the Sony Headphones app, I set the headphones to the “Bright” equalizer preset and set “Clear Bass” to 4. With those s in place, the WH-1000XM5 sounds better than any wireless earbud you’ve tried.
This shows how subjective sound is, so it’s wonderful that Sony designed headphones to be so responsive to adjustments. equalizer in the Sony Headphones app to find the settings that work best for you.
Sony has literally doubled the hardware of the previous WH-1000XM4 by adding 8 microphones and two processors for noise cancellation in the XM5.
To compare the noise reduction functionality of the new model, I tested the WH-1000XM5, XM4, Bose QuietComfort forty-five and Bose 700 at the same time under an overpass that reaches about 80 decibels. The WH-1000XM5 has just outperformed all competitors.
To be clear, all of those headphones are wonderful for noise reduction, especially with non-unusual low-frequency sounds, such as the background hum of a busy city or the engines of an airplane in flight. But, the WH-1000XM5 goes beyond. mile with higher frequencies, such as the sound of cars driving on rainy roads on a rainy day. As a result, the XM5 performs the most comprehensive task of reducing overall ambient noise.
When it comes to battery life, there’s no genuine improvement here, as you get the same 30-hour battery life as the XM4. However, Sony has made headway in fast charging, where 3 minutes of charging now gives you 3 hours of noise-canceling playback. . On the XM4, it took at least 10 minutes of charging to get five hours of playback.
I tested the phone call functionality of the WH-1000XM5 by taking a call on a busy street with traffic and cars honking, and the headphones worked strangely well. The user I called told me that I could hear the low and constant hum of the city, nor the normal traffic.
They said they may infrequently hear a slight noise when cars honk nearby, but they can still obviously hear me the entire phone call. This point of functionality is an improvement over the XM4 and comparable to the Bose 700.
You don’t want the Sony Headphones app, but it will help you get the most out of the XM5 headphones. On the one hand, it will allow you to play with their sound, which will allow them to shine.
You can also enable Sony’s DSEE Extreme audio scaling feature that helps improve sound quality when connected to devices that support low-bandwidth codecs, such as AAC on iPhones.
The WH-1000XM5 touch sensors on the right earbud for multimedia and volume functions, and the controls use intuitive swipes and taps.
Included with the headphones is the foldable case, which consists of a dual 3. 5mm cable so you can connect it to devices that still have a headphone jack, such as an airplane’s entertainment system. cable than the less unusual 2. 5mm to 3. 5mm cable used through Bose.
In the diversity of high-end wireless headphones worth $400, the direct competitor to the WH-1000XM5 is Bose’s 700 wireless noise-canceling headphones. They’re wonderful in each and every way, but the XM5 has little merit with its incredible noise cancellation and will offer an additional 10 hours of battery life. However, the audio quality is comparable and the Bose 700s are more comfortable. You can read my review of the Bose 700 here.
There are also Nuraphone headphones from Nura, which are unique. This is a set of hybrid headphones to place over the ear and inside the ear that measure your hearing and adjust the audio profile based on how you hear particular sounds through an initial setup process. the quality is very good and the noise cancellation is also comparable to the XM5 and Bose 700.
However, the look in the ear may not be to everyone’s liking. In addition, there are many functions to adjust the sound after you have created your auditory profile. You can read my Nuraphone review here.
If $400 is too high a asking price, you have a choice between Sony’s WH-1000XM4 and Bose’s QuietComfort 45. These are wonderful features with audio quality and noise cancellation, but the XM5s are a bit above both. You can read my review of the Sony WH-1000XM4 here.
If $350 is the absolute maximum of your budget, you’re probably satisfied with Sony’s similar WH-1000XM4 headphones. But, if you can save an additional $50 for the new WH-1000XM5, get it.
Improving audio quality and noise cancellation is worth it. Simply put, those are the $400 noise-canceling wireless headphones on the market right now.
The WH-1000XM5 is now available from Sony, Amazon, B
Pros: excellent audio quality, beautiful reaction to equalizer settings, maximum comprehensive noise cancellation functionality on the market, battery life
Cons: The headband can be uncomfortable over time, a little expensive