Sony WF-1000XM5 The Best Truly Wireless Bluetooth Noise Canceling Earbuds Headphones with Alexa Built in, Silver- New Model
$298.00
- The best truly wireless noise canceling headphones on the market.
- Astonishing sound quality with High-Resolution Audio.
- Sony’s best ever call quality with AI based noise reduction algorithm and bone conduction sensor.
- Small, light and beautifully designed.
- Smooth switching and a clear Bluetooth signal with a powerful new Integrated Processor V2.
- Adjusts to the world around you with adaptive sound control, using AI to offer the ideal listening experience.
- Talk and only hear ambient sound using Speak-to-Chat which pauses the music when you start talking.
- Water resistant for everyday use so splashes and sweat won’t stop you.
- Designed with the environment in mind with construction from recycled plastic materials and 100% paper packaging.
- Battery life up to 8 hours (24-hours with case). Quick charging – 3 min. for up to 1 hour of listening.
Whyborg –
There’s a bit of possible Sony hate going on in some reviews, like others I got burned on a pair of WF-10004XM refurbished and one of the batteries started failing after a year. Wasn’t worth the cost of repair. Have others from QCY and Soundcore that were surprisingly good for less cost. Also had trouble with refurbished headphones WH-1000XM4, luckily had added insurance. Cut to buying a new pair that have been flawless.Got the Sony WF-C700N a couple months ago to scratch my earbud itch. Very good for the price. If you’re not ready to throw down $300 for the XM5 they’re a great alternative. Not quite as musical, but no gripes anyway. You can get picky about the throwback buttons but oh well.One comment before I get more specific on the XM5. I fully agree with another review that calls out Sony for how complicated their Sony Connect app has become. It could be simplified for people who don’t want to get into the tech so much.Now, how do they sound? I’m impressed and I’m not using them to their full potential. Using with iPhone so Bluetooth SBC codec is the most basic and lowest quality solution (after digging into the codec question a bit more it does appear that the iPhone has the AAC codec also). However, with the help of Sony’s equalizer and DSEE function I’m very happy with the sound. I almost don’t want to try them with a better codec and then have to go back. (Still applies with AAC, DSE does improve sound)I need treble boost for my old ears and having played bass no surprise I like a lot of bass. These don’t disappoint. I did an A-B comparison with the XM4 headphones and they didn’t have quite the low end but good and punchy with good definition between bass and drums.both can become nice and “growly” on the low end.Noise cancellation is very good, not as good as the headphones but after only a couple days I have been quite satisfied so far.Comfort level is better than the XM4 buds, but I’m so pissed I wasted the money now I don’t want to dig them out to compare audio! I think Sony really improved the fit and design to be lighter, more comfortable, and have impressive sound. Let’s just hope they found a better battery.Used overnight and had battery left in the morning but playing audiobook on timer so i couldn’t say how long continuous playback.I’ll update after I’ve had them longer.(Update) battery life seems to be very similar to the XM4. Sometimes I have battery left in the morning sometimes it comes up short.Another follow up, comes with 4 sets of tips but apparently I have very large ear canals as I’m unable to get a complete seal with the included buds. The large felt good at first but when I used the connect app to check for airtight seals I could not get them to seal. Fortunately I have many tips I’ve saved over the years and by mixing, matching, and testing I have a couple that seal. I even tried ordering extra large tips from a couple vendors and they didn’t work either. Nice that Sony is including extra small but what about us with extra large needs! I do have a possible solution on the way, find a video on YouTube that shows how to use Sugro glue rolled up and inserted in the mushroom part of the tip. Press in the ear to get a fit and then allow to cure over night. Hoping it works, I have a few tips I’d like to try this on. Was even investigating custom molded tips but for $150 plus I’ll try the Sugro hack…8/5/23 tried the Sugro hack yesterday. Still have to work to get an airtight fit but it definitely helped.My opinion on the sound has not diminished. Excellent with what I listen too. A lot of classic rock but also new material from Elle King and others. Listening to Lourdes “Royals” a very deep bass which presents low, solid, and clear. You can easily distinguish the bass and drums. The low rumbling bass of Pink Floyd “Welcome to the Machine” couldn’t be much better in any buds. Almost like I could feel it.I’m now using the WF-C700n as my workout and dog walking buds. Sound signature is very similar but the bass is not quite as good. One thing they are lacking is the airtight fit check in the app. I had to use other tips and the Sugro mold hack to get a good consistent fit in both. The included tips are worthless to me and my big ears.I see a lot of criticism of the noise cancellation for the XM5. I have no way to measure so it’s pretty subjective but I’m not disappointed. At least as good as the XM4. But with any ANC earbuds the airtight seal is critical.If you’re not ready to throw down $300 the WF-C700n are a very good alternative, but are not touch controlled, a single button on each side. Not quite as good on the low end but not disappointing either. In direct comparison you can hear the difference.I still think these are 5 star worthy. I’d take off half a star because of the somewhat complex app but if you like to tinker with the sound and features, give it back. People who are not “technical minded” may find it intimidating. I find it useful but jammed with some features I wouldn’t normally use, like automatically changing settings depending on location as an example. Some might find it useful but not me. The equalizer and clear bass functions are excellent. DSEE function makes a noticeable difference in sound quality. Happier with these than I was with the XM4. Just hope the batteries last, I would hope Sony changed from the $70 replacement cost batteries (not including labor) used in the XM4 as apparently so many people had problems with them dying out after a few months.
HJeffK –
I have used pretty much every credible earbud in the last few years. Sony, Apple, Beats, Bose, B&W, Samsung, Klipsch, M&D, and more. I have also used every generation of Sony buds. In terms of overall use and features, these are not a giant change from the last gen XM4 buds. However, there are significant improvements in key areas. Here is the breakdown:Sound: There are moderate sound improvements here, over the last generation Sony’s, which were already close to class leading. Sony put a larger driver in here and it makes a difference. Additionally, Sony added a lot of processing horsepower here. The put in their latest chip for audio, but then added a separate chip to handle all of the ANC duties. Sony argues, that by separating the tasks here, they were able to more finely tune the audio. You can hear the difference. Bass is thumping, highs are even more crisp, and the mid vocals definitely pop more. I am no audiophile but these are really good. To me, these sound better than the latest Bose and Airpod Pro buds. You have to get into the really high-end audio companies to find sound this good. As always, you get Sony’s LDAC here if you can use it for high-end audio options and the DSEE Extreme tech that upscale regular more compressed audio. The DSEE really shines here. Your Spotify or Apple music app has never sounded so good. I think most folks will be very satisfied with what Sony has done here and, at the end of the day, sound quality is a big reason to make such an investment.Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): These are the best ANC buds Sony has ever made which is saying something. They were already 1b to the latest from Bose, but these have improved dramatically to me. The new dedicated chip just gets it done. These buds adjust the ANC to the noise around you. I honestly hear pretty much nothing other than my music when I have these in. The latest Quiet Comfort’s from Bose are still at least as good to me in this arena, but that is pretty much the only area that Bose still is really on equal footing. At least in my opinion. Fit really determines great ANC, so while these are great, there is definitely some subjectivity that comes into play here. I think most will be very happy with the results they get here though.Form Factor: This is an area that Sony has absolutely nailed it and I am going to just say, FINALLY! Every bud Sony has made has always had an asterisk for me. “They sound so good but they just aren’t that comfortable” was what I often told folks. Not anymore. Sony has made these buds significantly smaller and by adding the glossy interior, has created a bud I hardly notice in my ear. They have gone from a “yeah but” to a class leader in the fit and comfort space. I really cannot emphasize enough how good these are. These buds have an IPX4 rating so they should handle the gym with no issues. Sony has included a revised version of their hybrid foam tips from last year and they are great. They just hold the buds in snug and really help block ambient sound. Just so so good Sony. Thank you for the thoughtful redesign. I also want to give Sony a nod for the case redesign. Same battery (3 charges) but much smaller. I love it.Battery and Connectivity: The battery life is the same from last year. About 7 to 8 hours of real use. It is fine. Not class leading but not bad either. Connection here is BT 5.3 so the latest. Same as last gen. However, Sony said that these buds will be LE compatible when they finally start rolling this out over the coming year so you can expect even better sound and perhaps even battery life someday soon. This essentially future proofs these buds.Call Quality: Not much to say here other than these are about as good as it gets. Sony added bone conductive tech here and you can tell. Your calls sound great.Intangibles: There are too many features to unpack here. You really need to read all that Sony has packed into these. From the upscaling audio, to one touch audio play, to speak to pause tech to gestures and so so so much more. You can literally get lost in the app. Almost too much is going on here. Regardless, there is almost nothing that these buds can’t do. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Sony has multipoint connection option here as well. It is only two devices, so there are more robust options out there, but this should be fine for most in real life application. Very good stuff.So, should you buy these? If you are an Android user, the answer is 100% yes. Apple users have to consider that Airpods are more tightly integrated into their space. Further, Apple is getting ready to launch their high end sound codec as well, which these will not support. They are still worth considering though as Sony has just made a better sounding product. To me, these might be the best all around buds I have ever tried. From sound to calls to comfort, Sony has just nailed all of it. There are companies that offer buds that do one thing better perhaps, but none are as complete as these in my opinion. So, yes, buy these. You will not regret it. I will update as I go here.
withawye –
I had high hopes for these.
I had high hopes for these and was very excited to get them. I have an older pair of XM3 over the ear headphones and had hope the noise cancelling on these was as advanced as advertised. The hope was that I wouldn’t have to pack my over the ear headphones on trips.The XM3 over the ear are fantastic on airplanes. I can’t imagine flying without them. These earbuds have left a lot to be desired, especially with noise cancelling. For the life of me, I can’t hear the difference. I have Samsung ear bud pro’s I got six months ago for 1/4 of the price and they have a more noticeable noise cancelling capability, and they are not even know of the NC capabilities.The Sony headphone app is great. The added beta equalizer is great. I don’t have good hearing so clarity is important to me than sound/music quality. The new equalizer let me fine tune great.The Bluetooth connection allows two devices to be connected this is good but something my three year old Jabra headphones do.Charging is quick and and they hold a charge very well.Another pet peeve is that the touch controls are not customizable. For some weird reason volume control is fourth on the list (four taps to go up or down)Assistant setup is easy and straight forward.They do stick out quite a bit. However my usual do to buds are Jabra Elite’s that I use with my laptop at work for Teams/Zoom calls, and Samsung Pro’s which I use on my phone. Both of these sit nice and tight into my ear, the Sony’s stick out quite a bit.If I could get the NC to work better my opinion would change. The only reason for wanting these was to get Sony’s class leading NC capabilities. The other features and app features are very good.
David Israel –
Sonido impresionante 😋
Soy corredor y no se aflojan para nada… utilizo la goma mas pequeña…Sencillos de emparejar utilizo android..solo manten unos segundos el boton hasta que aparezca la luz azul 🫶
Richard II –
Great Earbuds and definite upgrade from my Jabra Elit Pro 7’s
I owned a pair of Jabra 75t’s as well as Jabra Elite Pro 7’s. I liked both very much; but the latter’s battery / case charging issues (meaning the case didn’t charge the earbuds unless connected to USB power) had me search for better options. The Sony’s are expensive, so I don’t recommend them for everyone. But as someone who really enjoys music, I have to say these XM5’s can’t be beat. Yes, the noise cancellation and transparency are not as good as Apple or Bose; but do you buy headphones and earbuds because you want to negate white noise or have conversations? I buy them to listen to music and for that, these have been awesome! I have to recommend you look for EQ settings (there are many online) that make these even better as the default EQ isn’t as good.
A. Wilson –
Hard to fit
I was considering these vs the Bose Quiet Comfort 2. I went with the Sonys because professional reviews were consistently higher. My only issue with these earbuds is with fitting them. They have a slightly deformed round shape (ie they’re almost symmetrical) so i found it difficult to determine how i should position them in my ears; i could actually fit them having them rotated in a variety of positions, none of which were particularly comfortable and none of which generated that “aha” moment of finding the right position. I also did not find the instructions very helpful.So i returned them and ordered the Bose. For me it was night and day. The fit was much better and determining how to position them was easier because the shape of the buds makes it obvious how they should be positioned. Plus the Bose instructions on fitting are far superior. Plus Bose not only has interchangeable tips but also another interchangeable part to optimize the fit for your outer ear. And finally, they have a built in test you can take to determine if the earbud is properly fitted for your ear.If the Sonys fit you then they could be a 4-5 star product, but my experience was very poor based on the fit alone.
Julián –
Better than the xm4s
I come from a burnt pair of wf-1000xm4 and these do better in everything I’d say, sound quality, size, weight, feeling, I’ve tried them for a day on my bus commute and don’t hear a thing from outside while playing music (usually >50%)It is just weird how one of the earbuds has a relief or idk if it’s just mineOther than that so far no complaints