Sony WH-1000XM5, analysis: improving in everything, shining where always

Undoubtedly, the WH-1000XM4 has been one of the best ANC headphones in recent years. And they probably still are considering the price at which they can be purchased now at many dealers. However, two years is a long time in the tech industry. And Sony, aware of this, has officially introduced the successors to the WH-1000XM4, which, unsurprisingly, are called the WH-1000XM5.

The WH-1000XM5 has one apparent goal: to establish itself as the best active noise-canceling headphones on the market—a not-an-insignificant challenge considering that the competition has only increased in recent years.

To remain at the forefront in this field, the Japanese company could have chosen to refine what the WH-1000XM4 offered. However, these WH-1000XM5 bring with them a lot of changes. And several of them are in critical areas, such as noise cancellation, which is one of the most essential factors in this product.

The question is: are these WH-1000XM5 still the best option for anyone looking for top-notch noise-canceling headphones?

New design, maximum comfort

My first impression of the WH-1000XM5 came from press images that surfaced before Sony publicly confirmed its existence. The design was different from previous generations. More stylized and more modern, but with the undoubted personality of the brand. From that first moment, they had my full attention.

Once they reached my hands, those same impressions were repeated. The shape of the WH-1000XM5 convinces both functionally and aesthetically. They are simple but attractive. And when it comes to comfort, they do a great job. You can wear them for hours without feeling any fatigue. 

Some details are also more refined than before. For example:

• The arms that allow the headband to be adjusted to the size of each skull have a new free-movement mechanism. That is to say: it does not have a series of preset levels. You can insert or remove each bar with millimeter precision. No “clack” every time you open the headphones. Everything flows like silk.
• The covering of the headband, as well as that of the pads, is made of a different material capable of better adopting the shape of our skull –key to isolate you from the outside–but without exerting pressure –which positively affects comfort–. To make a simile that exemplifies the differences: is like going from a latex pillow to a viscoelastic one. With both, you sleep well, but the second adapt a little better to the shape of your skull.
• The new design better “hides” the different microphones, which have an aesthetic and functional benefits. External microphones are essential for noise cancellation. Therefore, hiding them so that they are not affected by possible wind currents is necessary so that the cancellation algorithms can do their job as well as possible.

However, this new design also has two opposing sides. The first is that the arms cannot be folded for easy transport, as the WH-1000XM4 does. It’s not much of a drama, but those extra inches can come in handy when you’re carrying your packed backpack on a trip.

On the other hand, the case that Sony includes with the WH-1000XM5 is, in several ways, improvable. Both aesthetically and in terms of finishes. It doesn’t feel like a case that goes with a $450 headset. It is a lesser evil because, in the end, what really matters are the headphones, but I would have liked to find a better solution.

What is appreciated about the new case is that it has a small compartment with a lid where you can store the charging cable and the 3.5 mm cable that allows you to connect the headphones to equipment that does not have Bluetooth – such as the screens of many airplanes.

And how do the WH-1000XM5 feel while you listen to music with them? I have to say that they are comfortable. More than previous generations of the 1000X series. And even after prolonged use sessions, which is the actual stress test for a product like this.

They don’t feel as free as true wireless. That is to say: you know they are there because they are in contact with your skull. But the new pads, added to the lightness of the chassis, make them comfortable. And this is key since this product type is usually used during relatively long sessions.

It’s not invisible to me that these headphones are almost entirely encased in plastic. Nothing metal like, for example, in the AirPods Max. And while they feel well put together and sturdy, I’d be lying if I said Apple’s headphones don’t convey a more luxurious feeling. However, two observations need to be made here:

• The AirPods Max has a higher RRP (150 dollars / 180 euros more than the XM5). And yes, in places like Amazon, you can buy Apple ones for less money, but these figures fluctuate constantly. The XM5s are likely to be downgraded in no time at all. Therefore, the best way to judge these products by reducing the variables to a minimum is by resorting to the PVP.
• In second place, the AirPods Max weighs 384 grams, while the XM5 stays at about 250. That is to say: the metallic finishes make Apple headphones weigh 50% more. And that, inevitably, affects their comfort when you wear them for hours.

The sound of the WH-1000XM5 is good, but what is brilliant is the noise cancellation.

If I have found an aspect in which the WH-1000XM5 has fascinated me, it is, without a doubt, noise cancellation. Before receiving them, the brand told me that this generation improved its predecessors by up to 50%. This figure surprised me initially, as the XM4s were pretty good headphones in this field. However, the real surprise came when I had the opportunity to test them and verify that the leap in this field was remarkable.

The improvement is appreciable in all frequency ranges but in the field, usually occupied by human voices or everyday sounds. There, I feel the difference the most compared to other headphones.

Originally, noise-canceling headphones were born to make life easier for people who frequently traveled by plane. As? Reducing relatively low and constant sounds coming from the turbines of an airplane. However, over time, its use has expanded beyond aircraft. Many people use them to focus in offices, work in coffee shops, or enjoy whatever they listen to when the world around them is loud.

However, canceling the sounds that generally make us uncomfortable in these environments is more complex than, for example, balancing an airplane’s turbine. Because they are less constant noises, parameterizing a wave that effectively “cancels” them is more complex.

The XM5, however, has surprised me quite a bit in this area, as I said above. The combination of the new pads – which improve isolation –, the new and broader set of microphones, the audio signal processors, and the cancellation algorithms do, without a doubt, a great job throughout the frequency spectrum. And as I said, the improvement is significant compared to the XM4.

This does not mean you listen to absolute silence with them. No headset of this type currently achieves this. But, without a doubt, these are among the headphones closest to achieving it.

Just out of curiosity, I used these headphones at a small concert. And while it was unavoidable to feel what was happening in the room because of the decibel level, I was surprised that I could hear the music I was playing on my phone with reasonably good clarity.

Regarding the sound, it is not a surprise if I affirm that the Sony WH-1000XM5 can deliver a great experience. The improvement is easily palpable compared to the XM4 that precedes it. Its sound is better. More natural, more comprehensive, better balanced, and also sharper.

Compared to the AirPods Max, the WH-1000XM5 are, in my opinion, a small step behind. In certain situations, both deliver a pretty intimate experience. But, in others, the AirPods Max stands out with a slightly cleaner and better-balanced sound and achieves a more excellent range. 

It is necessary to remember, of course, that the AirPods Max has an RRP almost 200 euros higher, so although the WH-1000XM5 lag in this field, it speaks pretty well of them that we venture to compare them with those of Apple and, in some instances, be able to rival them.

As in previous generations, it is possible to modify some of the XM5’s behavior using the equalizer in the Headphones Connect app. I invite you to do it if, as in my case, you prefer a sound that gives the instrumental parts a little more visibility and subtracts a bit of power from the bass, although this is somewhat subjective.

more interesting details

• Multipoint connection. The WH-1000XM5, like its predecessors, can be simultaneously connected to multiple devices. So, if you’re on your computer but receive a call on your phone, you can answer it with your headphones without having to do anything. Managing linked devices is also quite simple from the Headphones Connect app.
• LDAC. How could it be otherwise? The XM5 is compatible with the LDAC codec. This allows you to stream music via Bluetooth with minimal loss. Of course, you must have a compatible device and a high-resolution audio track.
• Automatic shutdown sensor. Like other headphones, the XM5 has a sensor that detects whether we are wearing them. When it is not the case, they stop reproduction. And after a specific time, they turn off automatically.
• The microphone system is better. The XM5s have eight microphones in total, several of which are beamforming. In addition, as I mentioned earlier, they are better protected from the wind, so it affects them less. And overall, call quality is better than previous models, too.
• The transparency mode still has room for improvement. The WH-1000XM5 has an ambient way that allows you to hear what is happening without removing your headphones. As? They capture external sounds with microphones and reproduce them inside. A function complemented by Speak-to-chat, which detects when we start to speak and automatically activates this mode without us having to press any button. The solution works correctly, but other headphones, such as Apple AirPods, achieve more naturalness and realism.
• ANC automatically adapts to changes. Previous Sony headphones had an option that measured pressure and other parameters related to isolation and noise cancellation. This, however, had to be activated manually by the user when he considered it convenient. Now, the XM5s do this automatically in the background, so if one day you wear glasses, get on a plane, or your haircut changes drastically, the headphones will be able to detect it and adapt various parameters related to noise cancellation to these new circumstances.
• An autonomy without equality. With active noise cancellation, they can deliver about 30 hours of use. That’s enough to make two flights between Madrid and Los Angeles. And you would have some battery left over for waiting at the airport or the journeys to it.
• Alexa and Assistant repeat. Just say “Alexa” or “Ok, Google,” and we can throw questions into the headphones without touching any buttons.
• Swift Pair and Google Fast Pair also repeat. Microsoft and Google solutions to facilitate pairing are also present in the XM5s. You will appreciate it if you have a Windows computer, a Chrome OS device, or an Android mobile.

Are the Sony WH-1000XM5 worth it?

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is undoubtedly one of the best headphones you can buy now. Where they shine the most is right where you expect: noise cancellation, which has taken a significant step forward, especially in those environments where ANC systems tend to be less effective. What’s more: they are probably the best in this area.

That brilliance in active noise cancellation is also complemented by a more attractive design than before, a super-comfortable chassis even after long sessions of use, brilliant autonomy, and high-quality sound. Not everything is 100% perfect, as I have indicated on a few occasions throughout the text, but that does not cloud the sensations that the XM5s leave me with. The Japanese brand, once again, has surprised us with a high-quality product that, in many ways, will be the benchmark in the sector.