Company & Product Overview

With the release of the new Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling headphone, Audio Advice is seeing an ever-evolving increase in wireless headphone technology.

Since 2020, the Sony WH-1000XM4 has been an instant industry leader and Audio Advice favorite. It was such a big hit, it even topped our Best Wireless Headphones list, and our list of Must-Have Audio Gear For Working Remotely. Our Sony XM4 Tips & Tricks tutorial video even captured more than 200,000 views on YouTube! Needless to say, Sony’s premium sound, advanced noise-cancellation technology, and sophisticated design are the main ingredients that have made the previous model resonate with so many of our customers.

While the name still hasn’t changed much, there are some significant improvements to the new WH-1000XM5. If you already own the XM4, or if you are considering noise-cancelling headphones like Apple’s Airpod Max, Bowers & Wilkins PX7S2, Bose 700, or Bose QuietComfort 35 II, then this review will help you decide if the improvements are worth the upgrade.

Plus, purchases from the Audio Advice website will receive an exclusive Tips & Tricks video showing you how to get up and running fast with your new Sony WH1000XM5 Noise-Cancelling headphones.

Packaging, Design & Build Quality

In terms of looks, the new XM5 has been completely revamped with some pretty noteworthy changes in build and design. First, we’ll discuss the similarities between the previous model and the new XM5.

The previous XM4 was and is still available in a black or silver color option. The new XM5 is constructed with a newer vegan leather material that also comes in either black or silver color options—however, the silver finish for the XM5 is slightly more cream-colored, and softer compared to the XM4.

The XM4 featured shiny copper or gold accents around microphones and ventilation ports with the Sony logo on top of the earcups. The new XM5 skips all of these accents, and embraces a more minimalistic design, overall. We like how the alterations in the XM5’s construction gives the headset an understated style that also makes it look like a totally different headphone.

The XM5’s earcups and headband/yoke structure are completely redesigned. The earcups do not swivel and fold like the previous version. Instead, the new Sony WH-1000XM5 features swiveling ear cups—which allows the headphones to lay flat on a desk in case a headphone stand isn’t close by. This smart design also allows you to stow the headphones inside the carrying case with enough room to fit the included accessories alongside.

The XM5 also uses fewer plastics throughout the headphone’s outer construction. Instead, Sony covered its redesigned headband with a very soft vegan leather material, which reduces the overall weight of the headset compared to the previous design (8.9 ounces vs 8.83 ounces).

In lieu of horizontal Sony logos at the top of the XM4’s earcups, the XM5 has vertical Sony logos that run along the headphone’s completely redesigned yoke. The headband structure, itself, is designed thinner, lighter and a lot more flexible than the Sony WH-1000XM4.

There is no change to the placement of the buttons, but the button that was labeled “Custom” is now labeled “NC/Ambient.” In the Sony Headphones app, you can re-program this button to toggle between noise-canceling and transparency modes—which allows sound from the outside world to be piped into your headset—or you can turn either mode Off. You can also program it with a double or triple press to quickly access built-in services such as playing/changing Spotify playlists. Be sure to check out our Tips & Tricks video to see how to set this up!

There is still a headphone jack on the left ear cup and a USB-C port for charging the battery on the right ear cup. Inside the left ear cup, there’s an NFC chip that automatically pairs compatible devices just by tapping it. At Audio Advice, we are big fans of brands that label the left and right earcups, and Sony makes it straightforward again this time. The left ear is clearly marked with the letter “L” and the right is distinguished with a red “R” right above the earcups.

In the box, Sony includes a 3.5mm stereo miniplug cable, and a short USB Type-A to USB-C charging cable. Also, bundled with the package is a new soft-shell travel case that has been redesigned for the Sony XM5’s new form factor. The redesigned case is collapsible to save space, so it easily slips into a backpack and does a pretty good job protecting the headphones while in a bag too.

Comfort

The Sony WH-1000XM5 weighs less than 9 ounces—or just slightly over half a pound—which is only about 0.07 ounces lighter than the previous model. However, after about 15 minutes, pressure on the top of the head was noticeably distributed around the ears more evenly compared to the previous XM4—and this helped reduce pressure points for longer listening sessions.

While we have no issue with the comfort level of the previous XM4, there is significantly less pressure on the crowns of our heads while wearing the new redesign. This is because more pressure is being transferred directly to the ear pads from the XM5’s flexible & lighter headband structure, which is exactly what you want when redesigning a headphone to feel comfortable.

The earcup chambers in the XM5 are larger, which provided some extra surface area around our ears. Since they cover more surface area, they evenly distributed the pressure around our ears better. Having slightly larger earcups also meant there was more room in the chamber for our ears to stay cooler for longer.

The XM5’s new pressure-relieving foam padding is also thicker, softer, and more plush than the previous XM4. The soft earpads did a fantastic job reducing the pressure against our heads, and this also provided a noticeably better noise-isolating seal than before.

The headband is also padded with this supple cushioning, which provided a pliable, relaxed fit against the sides of our heads. We also liked the way the new vegan leather felt a tad bit cooler against our skin. All of this combined to create a lighter, cooler, more secure fit compared to the previous version

Overall, we were really impressed with how well the Sony WH-1000XM5’s lightweight materials make the smart compromise between a secure fit that stays on your head and a level of comfort that stays comfortable longer.

Features & Technology

Active noise-cancelling headphones work by intelligently playing with the phase of sound so that incoming sound is canceled out with outgoing sound. A sophisticated system of microphones captures ambient noise around you and then the headphone reproduces a precise signal with the same amplitude and frequency that's out of phase to cancel the ambient wave out. Sony excels at this, but there’s a lot more to unpack that contributes to the XM5's popularity.

We'll start with the features that carry over to the new XM5.

All Day Battery-Life

First, the same great battery life remains unchanged. You still get 30 hours of continuous music playback time with active noise cancellation on and 40 hours when ANC is off. If you use the headset for taking calls, you’ll get about 24 hours of use with ANC on and 32 hours with ANC off. Once the headphones die, you now get 3 hours of use from just a quick 3-minute charge, which is fantastic!

Personal ANC Optimization

The Personal Noise-canceling Optimization feature also remains unchanged. This takes a series of readings inside and outside your headset for noise-cancellation that’s dynamically tailored for you and your surroundings. This feature helps balance the atmospheric pressure and reduces the “sucking” effect that’s typical in noise cancelling headphones. So, we appreciate seeing this feature again in the new model.

Wear Detection

There is a proximity sensor behind one of the earcups. This sensor works with Sony’s “wear detection” technology, which senses when you are wearing the headphones so that music pauses or resumes based on the wearing status.

When you do take the headphones off, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will pause the audio source for you. The proximity sensor inside the left ear cup senses the proximity of objects, so if you don’t put the headphones back on, they will automatically power off after 15 minutes or so. Then, when you put the headphones back on, the wearing sensor will detect this and the XM5’s will reinstate the audio source so you don’t even have to press any buttons. It’s all automatic. This is not only convenient—it also helps conserve battery life.

Quick Attention Mode

Sony’s cool “Quick Attention Mode” is still here, allowing you to place your hand over the right ear cup to automatically duck the volume of the music down to let ambient noise in. This is useful as it enables you to have a quick conversation and then go right back to whatever you were listening to just by removing your hand.

On the XM4’s, you had the option to reconfigure the touch controls to immediately pull up Google Assistant or Alexa from your smartphone. You can still do this with the XM5’s—but you can also set up Google Assistant or Alexa to activate via a voice command "wake word." The setup requires just a one-time change through Sony's Headphones Connect app, which is a free download for Apple^® and Android^™.

Speak-To-Chat

One of the most exciting features that was added to the Sony WH-1000XM4 was “Speak-To-Chat,” and we are glad to see this feature offered again in the Sony WH-1000XM5.

This is a hands-free version of Quick Attention that automates it when the headset detects you are speaking. If someone comes up and wants to chat, all you have to do is start talking and the microphones in the headset will detect your voice, pause the music for you, and the ambient mode will automatically pipe outside noise in—letting you hear the other person without lifting a finger. The audio will automatically resume playback after a set period that you can change in the app.

Multipoint Connectivity

The latest-and-greatest Bluetooth 5.2 spec is the most reliable version of Bluetooth available and it opens the door for connecting two devices over Bluetooth at once. Sony calls this feature “Multipoint Connectivity,” which means you can finally connect these with two Bluetooth devices at the same time! Multipoint Connectivity allows the XM5 to automatically pause music playing on your laptop and switch to an incoming call on your phone without removing your headphones or fumbling with the Bluetooth settings.

As soon as you end the call, the music on your laptop will resume playing—all while never having to take off your headphones or update settings! Multipoint Connectivity works with other devices too, so you can Bluetooth with your TV, switch to your phone, and then back to your TV again, automatically.

Convenient Fast-Pairing

If you are a Windows user, there’s also fast-pairing with either Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature or Swift Pair—which makes it easier to pair your Sony XM5’s with your Windows computer. Google’s Fast Pairing feature let’s you easily find your headphones if they get misplaced by playing a tone sound using Google’s Find My Device app on your smartphone.

More Hands-free Voice Controls

You can say “OK Google” or “Alexa” to activate your preferred voice assistant. Connect with friends, get information, set reminders, listen to music and hear notifications, and more. You can even control the headphones’ features like noise cancellation, listen to emails in Microsoft Outlook and join Microsoft Teams meetings using Google Assistant or Siri.

Wireless Hi-Res Audio & Dolby Atmos

The wireless range has been extended to almost 33 feet, so you have plenty of range to walk away from your audio source and still wear your Sony XM5’s. Speaking of music sources, Sony WH-1000XM5 supports Sony’s hi-res LDAC codec plus the more common lower-res ACC and SBC codecs. You also get Sony’s DSEE Extreme™, which automatically upscales compressed music files, and restores the frequencies lost during compression in real-time.

These headphones also let you experience 360 Reality Audio & Dolby Atmos content. With a Sony WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter connected to a Sony BRAVIA XR TV, your XM5’s recreate the ideal arrangement of phantom speakers all around you for an immersive Dolby Atmos or 350 Reality Audio experience. We like that you can be immersed in the scene and feel right at the heart of the action when you pair the Sony WH-1000XM5’s with Sony’s other products.

Premium Sound Quality

These features are all very cool, but we think one of the biggest upgrades for the new Sony WH-1000XM5 is the redesigned 30mm driver. The 30mm drivers inside the XM5s are physically smaller than the 40mm drivers inside the XM4s, but the redesigned drivers deliver a more refined and well-rounded soundstage. Inside the new XM5 drivers are diaphragm domes made from a light, rigid carbon fiber that moves quickly and accurately to deliver more high-frequency detail without distortion. The result is a clearer, more balanced soundstage overall—without the extra bass emphasis you get from the Sony XM4s. The premium sound and wide range of frequencies from 4Hz to 40kHz remains unchanged.

Stronger Noise-Cancellation

Equipped with eight dedicated microphones for hushing external sounds—all controlled by two high-performance processors—the Sony WH-1000XM5 will capture more of your voice and the outside world with even better noise cancelling performance too. This is the most important feature when shopping for a noise cancelling headphone or considering upgrading to this new model.

Two of Sony’s ground-breaking High-Definition Noise Cancelling processing chips are on board—the QN1 and V1 processors—which combines the new microphone pattern with Sony’s new "Auto NC" algorithm to cancel out more higher frequencies and voices. These mics also work with the ambient noise mode that pipes in clear sound from the outside world when you want to hear what’s going on around you without taking off the headphones.

Additionally, there are four dedicated microphones that use beamforming technology to capture your voice clearly. These voice-capturing beamforming microphones are specially calibrated to only pick up your voice for clearer voice sound quality on calls. Through Sony’s advanced audio signal processing, these extra microphones improve the signal-to-noise ratio to make your voice stand out clearer to the other person during a call.

At Audio Advice, this is the feature we are the most excited about, so we put Sony's noise cancelling performance to the test in the next section.

Performance

We wanted to know how well the XM5’s voice-calibrated beamforming microphones improved the noise cancellation and quality of phone calls, so we compared it with the XM4. We used them in a variety of scenarios like walking the dogs, driving, crossing the street in a bustling downtown, and at the office. We also used them for working out, and we were impressed with the XM5’s active noise-cancelling performance in every scenario.

Noise-Cancellation Test

In terms of low-frequency cancellation like the low-end rumble on an airplane or the sound of a train passing by, both performed extremely well. But, we give a slight edge to the new XM5 here. The low-end hum while riding in a car was noticeably cancelled out much better with the XM5. There was also a clear difference in performance when it came to noises in the higher frequencies. When we were out and about in a noisy city with sirens, honking cars, and the sounds of people talking all around us, we were impressed by how well the XM5 canceled these types of sounds compared to its predecessor. Wearing the Sony WH-1000XM5 in this type of environment was like being in a private world. Overall, the active noise cancellation in the XM5 did a better job of canceling out higher and lower frequencies compared to the XM4.

Work Environments

Multipoint Connectivity enhanced our workflow in the office when we were on our laptops and listening to music with the Sony WH-1000XM5. Let’s say your headset is connected to your laptop while listening to music over Bluetooth, and then all of a sudden your phone rings. Previously, you would have to take off our headphones to answer the call on your phone—or dig around inside the Bluetooth pairing-settings to disconnect one device to pair with the other.

The XM5’s Multipoint Connectivity allowed us to switch back-and-forth between music playing on our laptops, and the audio from incoming phone calls more seamlessly than with the XM4. Pairing between devices was snappier, and the connection performed more reliably that before.

During hands-free phone calls, customers told us clarity and definition of our voices on the calls were better isolated when using the XM5 vs the XM4. The four beamforming voice-capturing microphones made a difference here, and the improved microphone quality freed up our hands to work more efficiently and talk at the same time.

People also told us the reduction of background noises was significantly better during our calls. This feature was particularly useful in our open office setting. This also performed well whenever important phone calls came in while walking on a busy street bustling with people and sounds everywhere.

Overall, the additional mics allowed the person on the other end to hear us more clearly without interference from background noises. Our favorite feature to use in the office is still Sony’s Speak-To-Chat. Speak-To-Chat automatically pauses the music and quickly pipes in ambient noise that you want to hear just by speaking. Whenever a colleague tapped us on the shoulder to discuss something important, the ambient awareness mode was faster, more reliable and voices in the enviroment were slightly clearer. For us, this feature makes it extremely convenient to shift attention to co-workers just by speaking to them, and then back onto work again. The music resumed right where we left it, and this is still a big hit in our office!

Working Out

If you enjoy wearing over-ear headphones for working out, your ears will appreciate the more flexible, secure fit and teh increased room in the earcup chambers to breathe. We noticed the new Sony WH-1000XM5 let us exercise longer without having to take as many breaks for our ears to cool off. If you like using a pair of headphones with noise-cancelling to help you stay in the zone, then this will be a nice improvement for anyone wanting to use this for working out.

As a bonus, the secure fit from larger ear pads and a lightweight, flexible headband created a significally better sealing experience compared to the XM4. Sound stayed locked inside the earcups, and the clamping force from a lighter, and more flexible headband prevented outside noise from entering into the earcups. Not only did this improve the listening experience, but the tighter sealing-condition improved the passive noise-isolation as well.

Overall Recommendation

At Audio Advice, we are big fans of noise-cancelling headphones that offer great performance. However, most sacrifice sound quality by focusing on noise-cancellation tech, instead. The original Sony MDR-1000X changed the perception of noise-cancelling headphones and set a new standard in performance. When Sony introduced the WH-1000XM3 in 2018, it changed everyone’s expectation of what noise-cancelling headphones could sound like—and they did it again with the WH-1000XM4 in 2020.

It's hard to imagine Sony's world-class noise cancellation could get any better, but somehow it improves with every generation of these headphones. This time, the improvements in the new Sony WH-1000XM5 have raised the bar even higher. Sony constantly listens to user-feedback from previous owners and they truly delivered everything we were hoping for in the new mark 5. It’s hard to believe, but the best noise-cancelling headphones are even better!

You still get the same impressive frequency response across a wide range of frequencies from 4Hz to 40kHz that made us all fall in love with the XM4—plus, exclusive features that were co-developed with Sony Music Studios in Tokyo — like Edge-AI, LDAC, DSEE Extreme, and 360 Reality Audio.

The XM5's low-end is still full and well-defined, but it is better balanced overall. The midrange is warm and punchy, and the highs are just as exciting as they were in the XM4. The eight microphones combined with Sony’s ground-breaking High-Definition Noise Cancelling processing take Sony’s advanced noise-cancelling performance, crystal clear call quality, and ambient noise reduction to the next levels.

Overall, the XM4 was already the most fun to use noise-cancelling headphone we had ever seen—but the new XM5 is even better. We think the new Sony WH-1000XM5 is a lot more than a worthy successor to the XM4. If you use noise-cancelling headphones to do any kind of work, we think the improvements in stability and reliability you get from this complete redesign more than pays for itself. Many of us here at Audio Advice are using these to help us focus at the office and at home.