Title: Redefining Excellence: A Review of the Sony WH-1000XM5 ANC HeadphonesSony's latest flagship release, the WH-1000XM5, stands out as a true game-changer in the realm of headphones, redefining excellence in the audio industry with its complete redesign and unrivaled active noise-canceling capabilities.
Design: Featuring a sleek and modern design, the Sony WH-1000XM5 prioritizes comfort with plush ear cups and a comfortable headband for long-lasting wearability. Intuitive controls and touch-sensitive features enhance the user experience, allowing seamless navigation through music tracks, volume adjustments, and calls.Sound Quality: Sony once again raises the bar in audio performance, delivering an immersive soundstage with crisp highs, rich mids, and powerful bass that elevate the listening experience. Whether enjoying music or podcasts, the WH-1000XM5 consistently delivers impressive sound quality.
Active Noise Cancellation: The active noise-canceling technology of the WH-1000XM5 is extraordinary, effectively blocking out ambient noise with advanced algorithms and dual noise sensor technology. Whether in a bustling city or on a noisy airplane, the ANC feature ensures an uninterrupted listening experience.
Battery Life: With up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge and a quick charge feature for rapid top-ups, the WH-1000XM5 offers long-lasting battery life to keep users immersed in their favorite music for extended periods.Additional Features: Packed with additional features like Adaptive Sound Control and Speak-to-Chat, the WH-1000XM5 enhances the user experience by adjusting ambient sound settings based on activity and automatically pausing music during conversations.
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM5 sets a new standard for ANC headphones with its impeccable design, unparalleled sound quality, and advanced features. Whether you're a music enthusiast, frequent traveler, or remote worker seeking tranquility, these headphones are a must-have addition to your audio arsenal.
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A great option for music lovers, and with a great microphone system
I bought these headphones about two months ago and I feel in a position to make a review now.1. PackagingThe headphones come in a beautiful fabric case and bring two cables inside - one to connect to your laptop/computer and another one to charge. Some people are displeased that the case doesn't fold, but that doesn't bother me at all.2. Colour and dirt/stainsI bought them in the silver color. One of my concerns was that makeup might transfer over and that they might become dirty over time. This has not happened. When makeup does transfer, you can easily wipe it with a wet cloth. I also tend to wipe the whole headphones every now and then to ensure they don't become dirty over time, especially because if you wear them for a long time, it gets a bit sweaty on the leather bits. The pictures were taken today, and as you can see, they look brand new.3. Noise cancellationThis feature is not perfect. I have not tried other headphones in order to compare; however, when traveling on the London Underground, I can still hear the loud noise that the carriage makes along the tunnels, unless I put the music really loud.4. MicrophoneThis is where they excel. I had Apple AirPods previously, and the microphone was terrible. The Sony XM5 microphone is brilliant. I am told by the people I'm calling that it cancels noise around me pretty well. I use it for casual phone calls and for work as well. It only doesn't seem to work so well if you're sending a WhatsApp voice message - not sure why.5. SoundThis was one of the most important features for me, and it didn't disappoint! You install an app on your phone that will allow you to make some changes to the sound on the Equalizer. I have attached a picture of how I listen to mine. I recommend searching on Reddit for more recommendations on how to play with the Equalizer to listen to music the way you like.One of the first songs I decided to listen to was "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. Close your eyes, and it's like Roger Waters is singing it right in front of you. My dad was amazed when I gave him the headphones to try with that same song! It's like I can now hear sounds in songs that I couldn't before with my AirPods. But, as I mentioned above, you do need to play with the Equalizer a bit to get to the perfect sound!6. ComfortI find these headphones very comfortable, but it takes a few tries the first time to fit them the way you like. Once you get used to it, you'll be fine. I have worn the headphones for about three hours in a row, and the only thing that starts getting a bit fatigued is the top of your head, but you can always adjust the headphones back or forth to relieve the pressure. The fit is perfect, and they embrace your ears entirely.7. Battery lifeThe battery lasts a really long time; I seldom need to charge the headphones. Just make sure you switch them off when you remove them to put them in the case by clicking the on/off button continuously for a few seconds, as it happened to me not doing that, thinking they would switch off automatically, but they actually stayed on, and the next day there was no battery left. They do charge very quickly, so I just had to charge them for ten minutes to enjoy several hours of music.8. Buttons and systemThese headphones have two buttons on the left side - one that allows you to switch on/off and if you press it once while using it tells you the amount of battery left, and one to activate or deactivate noise cancellation.The right headphone is the one where you can tap with your fingers to play/pause the music; swipe up or down to increase/reduce the volume; swipe left or right for the next/previous song; swipe continuously left or right to move forward or move back on the same song; cover it with the palm of your hand, and it will deactivate noise cancellation while you're covering it (perfect if you just want to listen to the environment around you really quick and then get back to your music).The headphones are a bit sensitive, though, and sometimes when I'm just fixing their position on my head, I accidentally touch the right headphone and end up moving to the next song or to the beginning of the one I was listening to, which is annoying. I am still getting used to this system.9. Overall opinionI would give these headphones a 9 out of 10. They're not perfect, but they're pretty close to it, in my opinion. These are headphones that I intend to keep for years to come. I think they offer a good price/quality ratio, and from the reviews I read before buying these, they are superior to many other popular brands.I did consider buying the XM4, but the reviews stated the microphones were not as good. If you intend to use the headphones for phone calls, video calls, work, etc., I believe the XM5 are the best choice.
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2023
Now that I have used it for a couple of weeks I can say I am really happy with my choice.
COMFORT *****
This is one I can wear all day - the soft headphone cups are very comfortable and I do not feel the strap at all and I have very short hair. The headset is adjustable and it even comes with a tutorial in the app that shows you how to set it. If you don't follow this I can see how some people could squeeze it on and feel it's too tight or sore on the headband but just following in the instructions there is nearly no weight on the headphone strap and it is padded well enough.
SOUND *****
The sound quality is excellent. Out of the box it sounds good but with the app provided fine tuning the EQ it is exceptional. For music you really can hear the detail in songs. The base is super clean with no distortion and plenty of depth and mids are clear and full, not the hollow scooped out sound you get from some other headphones. The highs are crystal clear without being tinny.
Movies are great to listen to. Even without APTX low latency it has no problems with delays or lip sync on anything I have tested on Phone (Android) or desktop (Windows). Movies with great sound design like A quiet place 2 are incredible. Note I am using the Alternative A2DP Driver from bluetooth goodies on Windows so that I can use LDAC codec for higher bandwidth and quality and Tidal for high quality music but it works very well with spotify and standard windows bluetooth connection.
Gaming - if you really look for it you can notice a slight delay but nothing that affects gameplay for me. Explosions, atmospheric music, dialogue all sound fantastic from Single player story driven games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake to competitive multiplayer like Naraka Bladepoint or Apex legends.
Connectivity ****
With support for Bluetooth 5 and LDAC connection should be solid. Never had cutouts or distortion when within the advertised range even through walls. It support multi device which allows you to connect to your tablet or PC while still controlling EQ, ANC and switch between devices from your phone which works well. Sadly if you use multidevice it prevents using LDAC so I leave this feature turned off as it is still really quick and easy to switch between devices - as soon as you hit connect on a paired device it takes over the connection, you get the ding and it's ready to go. It also remembers which of the devices it was last connected to when you turn it on.
ANC *****
The Active Noise cancelling is S tier - it really does work well. Cancelling out much more background noise than expected making it a dream to use in a noisy office or café. The way they have implemented pass through is really good so you can just hold you hand to the right ear to lower the volume of your music and have the 8 mics pass the outside sound to you and amplify it so you can quickly talk to someone. I don't use the automatic pass through when you start talking feature but I could see it being useful for some people. It also has good noise cancelling for the mic so making a voice/video call in a noisy area still sounds great for both you and the person you are calling.
Negatives
Of course there are some negatives but thankfully they are relatively minor.
Firstly, they do not fold down as compact as other headphones. You're not going to fit this into your pocket or even want to throw it into a bag but it does come with a nice case and so constatly wearing it or take a big enough bag for it in the case.
The other is that although the soft touch material on the cups feels way better than plastic or metal and transfers a lot less sound if something rubs against it like a hood or your hand it does leave unsightly greasy marks. I am experimenting with skins for it from xtreme skins as you can see in one of the photos which solves the problem but I didn't find the skins a good fit for the curved sides but your mileage may vary. I probably will put up with the greasy look to avoid the extra weight and faff of the stickers.
The battery life would fall into this category as while very good it is not as long as some cheaper models offer. I can still run it all day with no issues of comfort or battery but I do find I am topping it up every other day instead of once a week as I have done with previous headsets. It's understandable with the relatively light weight and constantly on HQ ANC or pass through (I never use ANC off completely).
Not really a negative as I didn't expect this from it but this is not a headset to wear while working out, jogging or in the rain. It has no water resistance. For those purposes I prefer to use earbuds anyway and find the Pixel Buds do the job just fine but of course the sound quality and lack of ANC mean it does not compare when you have the option of the Sony XM5s.
Overall an excellent headset if you can appreciate great sound quality even if not an audiophile, with top notch noise cancelling and comfort.
Colour Name: BlackStyle Name: SingleVerified Purchase
Excellent sound, noise-cancelling and comfort
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2023
I read and watched a lot of reviews about ANC headphones and the Sony XM5s kept coming up as one of the top picks. Even though I was tempted by cheaper, but still highly rated headphones this seemed to be the best.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2023
Now that I have used it for a couple of weeks I can say I am really happy with my choice.
COMFORT *****
This is one I can wear all day - the soft headphone cups are very comfortable and I do not feel the strap at all and I have very short hair. The headset is adjustable and it even comes with a tutorial in the app that shows you how to set it. If you don't follow this I can see how some people could squeeze it on and feel it's too tight or sore on the headband but just following in the instructions there is nearly no weight on the headphone strap and it is padded well enough.
SOUND *****
The sound quality is excellent. Out of the box it sounds good but with the app provided fine tuning the EQ it is exceptional. For music you really can hear the detail in songs. The base is super clean with no distortion and plenty of depth and mids are clear and full, not the hollow scooped out sound you get from some other headphones. The highs are crystal clear without being tinny.
Movies are great to listen to. Even without APTX low latency it has no problems with delays or lip sync on anything I have tested on Phone (Android) or desktop (Windows). Movies with great sound design like A quiet place 2 are incredible. Note I am using the Alternative A2DP Driver from bluetooth goodies on Windows so that I can use LDAC codec for higher bandwidth and quality and Tidal for high quality music but it works very well with spotify and standard windows bluetooth connection.
Gaming - if you really look for it you can notice a slight delay but nothing that affects gameplay for me. Explosions, atmospheric music, dialogue all sound fantastic from Single player story driven games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake to competitive multiplayer like Naraka Bladepoint or Apex legends.
Connectivity ****
With support for Bluetooth 5 and LDAC connection should be solid. Never had cutouts or distortion when within the advertised range even through walls. It support multi device which allows you to connect to your tablet or PC while still controlling EQ, ANC and switch between devices from your phone which works well. Sadly if you use multidevice it prevents using LDAC so I leave this feature turned off as it is still really quick and easy to switch between devices - as soon as you hit connect on a paired device it takes over the connection, you get the ding and it's ready to go. It also remembers which of the devices it was last connected to when you turn it on.
ANC *****
The Active Noise cancelling is S tier - it really does work well. Cancelling out much more background noise than expected making it a dream to use in a noisy office or café. The way they have implemented pass through is really good so you can just hold you hand to the right ear to lower the volume of your music and have the 8 mics pass the outside sound to you and amplify it so you can quickly talk to someone. I don't use the automatic pass through when you start talking feature but I could see it being useful for some people. It also has good noise cancelling for the mic so making a voice/video call in a noisy area still sounds great for both you and the person you are calling.
Negatives
Of course there are some negatives but thankfully they are relatively minor.
Firstly, they do not fold down as compact as other headphones. You're not going to fit this into your pocket or even want to throw it into a bag but it does come with a nice case and so constatly wearing it or take a big enough bag for it in the case.
The other is that although the soft touch material on the cups feels way better than plastic or metal and transfers a lot less sound if something rubs against it like a hood or your hand it does leave unsightly greasy marks. I am experimenting with skins for it from xtreme skins as you can see in one of the photos which solves the problem but I didn't find the skins a good fit for the curved sides but your mileage may vary. I probably will put up with the greasy look to avoid the extra weight and faff of the stickers.
The battery life would fall into this category as while very good it is not as long as some cheaper models offer. I can still run it all day with no issues of comfort or battery but I do find I am topping it up every other day instead of once a week as I have done with previous headsets. It's understandable with the relatively light weight and constantly on HQ ANC or pass through (I never use ANC off completely).
Not really a negative as I didn't expect this from it but this is not a headset to wear while working out, jogging or in the rain. It has no water resistance. For those purposes I prefer to use earbuds anyway and find the Pixel Buds do the job just fine but of course the sound quality and lack of ANC mean it does not compare when you have the option of the Sony XM5s.
Overall an excellent headset if you can appreciate great sound quality even if not an audiophile, with top notch noise cancelling and comfort.
Images in this review
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