Sony WH-1000XM5 Review

Our Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones Experience

The first thing we noticed about the XM5 is that the ear cups and headband are softly padded and feature softer leatherette materials; however, the padding compresses easily, and we experienced some sweat build-up. They felt better on our head than previous versions, but they don't feel as luxurious as high-end competitors. They were large enough to accommodate even larger ears, and we found them comfortable enough for at least a few hours of wear.

The noise blocking here is fantastic! We couldn't hear our hands typing. They can fully enclose the wearer in a musical bubble with minimal disturbance, but they aren't silent without music. Listening at low volumes, we heard soft, nearby conversations and the whirring of fans, but the garage door was barely audible. Overall, they are some of the best in the group.

The app offers a lot of customization, and we played around with them to see if we liked any over the default mix the Sonys come with. Our favorite equalizer settings were the Bass Boost, which packs a punch and adds extra thump; Vocal pushes vocals and mid-range instruments forward; and Excited is theatrical.

The app can also customize noise cancellation by adjusting the level of ambient sounds. It allows complete transparency in certain places and less in others. With optional Adaptive Sound Control, the headphones track movements and automatically adjust the level of awareness based on activity or location. It allows for pinpointing a location on a map to set specific settings for different areas. While this feature might be intriguing, we suspect most people won't bother with it, or will program it for their work, home, and gym, and never use it again.

The 25-hour battery life feels disappointing because it isn't as long as that of other headphones or even Sony's headphones (which typically last closer to 30 hours). Even when considering those with active noise cancellation, these just didn't last as long in our experience. That said, the battery lasts long enough to make it through the longest day. We didn't mind charging every night after getting home, but we can imagine how it might be a bad choice for those who forget to charge or travel on longer trips.

We loved making phone calls with the XM5. They are better than the prior version and the XM6 that follows. They have the clearest calls in any situation, and even when calling while strolling by the highway or in a crowded airport, they did a good job of bringing voices to the forefront while minimizing or eliminating competing sounds.

Sound Quality

Despite its 30-millimeter driver, the XM5 features a well-balanced sound profile with rich lows, beautifully warm mids, and bright highs that maintain outstanding clarity across all volumes. The XM5 appeals to the average consumer with an artificially enhanced experience with prominent bass.

The lows are dialed up and punch through other frequencies despite genre differences. Some of our favorite listening was R&B and hip-hop artists like Doja Cat, Kendrick Lamar, and H.E.R. The emphasized lows sound excellent in country artist Riley Green's “When She Comes Home Tonight.” The hearty bass and robust kick drum add an earthiness to the sound in bluesy country ballads: Green's rough-hewn vocals and twangy, playful electric guitar dance over the heavier, low-frequency sounds. The clarity is great, and little details are easy to hear, such as the lovely bass that occurs at 1:29. However, to critical ears, the lows can sound muddied, and for bass lovers, they may lack strength. Sony's optional Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) and Clear Bass features clean and crank up the lows, but it's subtle.

The mids, particularly the high-mid frequencies, are most impressive. They sound forward, with significant textural differentiation, sparkling clarity, and great expressiveness for vocals. This held across blues, folk, and country songs, such as “Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, or “Remember Me (When Candlelights are Gleaming)” by John Prine. However, the low mids occasionally become muddy due to the turned-up lows. It isn't debilitating, and some users may not notice. Some acoustics lovers may prefer toning down the lows and boosting the mids with the Vocal equalizer (EQ) setting. It dramatically changed the sound.

The highs have excellent clarity and presence. They sound detailed and bright while listening to jazz and pop tracks from the Charlie Parker Quartet, Whitney Houston, and Sabrina Carpenter. In the acoustic “Roadtripsong,” Abby Cates's high-hitting vocals are pleasantly forward and precise. But, in some dense synth-heavy pop tracks like “Style (Taylor's Version),” vocals sound masked behind the bass and sparkly synths. They don't lack detail, but they sound like you're in the middle of the classroom, not the front row. The treble range is outstanding, but we wish the highs were more reliably forward.

Our frequency response analysis of the XM5 shows the sound profile has a U-shape, pushing the lows and highs forward. The lows trend above our Target Response Curve, while the mids and highs are below. The lows are more dominant, but not overpowering, somewhat spilling over into the mid-range, partially explaining some low-end muddiness. A peak in the middle and at the end of the mid-range pushes vocals and instruments delightfully forward, creating a pleasing experience across genres.

Soundstage

The soundstage on the XM5 is incredibly wide, allowing listeners to hear fine details.

They create a spacious enough area, giving instruments room to breathe, even in dense tracks like “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys. Optional 360 Reality Audio adds even more dimensionality.

Comfort and Fit

For some, the XM5s are pretty comfortable. The mild clamping is comfy with glasses and feels stable, but they aren't a good fit for everyone. Even those who thought they were comfortable enough only made it six hours of comfortable wear time.

They withstand moderate headbanging and sneezes. However, those with narrower faces felt their ears ached and were squished after an hour. Even on the smallest setting, the XM5 is a bit large, creating a downward force that causes the earcups to shift. The whole headphone can sometimes slide off a narrow or small head.

Noise Cancellation

The active noise cancellation (ANC) is pretty outstanding, blocking a whopping 31 decibels, making it one of the best for ANC. The XM5 has eight microphones and two processors for noise cancellation, so this result isn't surprising.

We heard more high-pitched sounds than low-pitched because ANC typically works in the low to mid-frequency range. Past the 500-Hertz mark, passive noise blocking does the heavy lifting. Sony claims the WH-1000XM5 was engineered to have more active ANC in the mid to high ranges, but our results show differently, aside from a small bump in the 2,000-4,000 Hertz range. However, the noise blocking is outstanding across the frequency spectrum, and voices are removed even without ANC.

In Ambient mode, the XM5 relays external sounds naturally and at a pleasant volume. We could hear keys, desks squeaking, and phones being set down. It's highly customizable, letting listeners choose the desired transparency. In noise-canceling mode, they provide quick temporary access to external sounds by placing a palm over the earcup to activate Quick Attention mode.

App and Controls

Incredible customization and reliable Bluetooth connectivity help make the Sony easy to use, even if the touch controls are finicky.

Controls

Most of the controls on the XM5 utilize touch gestures, with buttons for noise cancellation and power/Bluetooth. The NC/AMB button switches between Noise Cancellation and Ambient modes, while the Power/Bluetooth button pairs, powers on, and provides the battery status. The touch controls are easy to use, but the large variety of tap and swipe options are hard to remember and tricky if you haven't mastered them.

Tapping the center touchpad with two fingers activates Speak-to-Chat, automatically pausing the music if you talk. While some users may love it, we thought it was too sensitive. Clearing your throat or mumbling to yourself can pause the music. It also responded to people not talking to us. Another unique feature is Quick Attention mode, which temporarily puts the headphones in a transparency-like mode when a palm is placed over the touchpad, so you can hear what is going on around you more clearly.

The XM5 supports head detection when removing the headphones and automatically pauses the music, so you'll never miss a key point in a podcast or the chorus of a favorite song.

Customization

The XM5 shines in customization, offering useful and effective sound-tailoring. The equalizer settings are amazing. Many competitors' presets don't do much, but Sony's eight presets do. Plus, you can make your own.

Sony's 360 Reality Audio adds extra depth and dimensionality. It analyzes ear shape and tracks head movements to simulate a concert-like experience. However, it only works with compatible paid streaming services like Amazon Music Unlimited, nugs.net, PeerTracks, and 360 Reality Audio Love.

For more detail and clarity, the XM5 has a Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) and supports Hi-Res Wireless Audio. The DSEE is good; it uses AI to enhance low-resolution, compressed files. While we can hear the difference, it isn't a game-changer. Hi-Res Audio is only accessible when connected to a device that supports the LDAC Bluetooth codec.

Connectivity

The XM5 had a strong and reliable Bluetooth 5.2 connection with multiple users, devices, and environments. We even had no issues using Multipoint, which allows swapping between two simultaneously connected devices (even between Apple and Android). Additionally, Google Fast Pair simplifies the connection process to Android devices.

Battery

The Sony falls short of the average battery life, with a 25-hour limit, compared to the average of 39 hours.

According to Sony, 10 minutes of charging provides five hours of use, while 3.5 hours gives a full recharge. If the battery runs out, the headphones can connect to a device even when they are powered off.

Call Quality

Sony delivers world-class call quality in the rowdiest environments. In calls from a subway or office space, the XM5 minimizes background sounds while keeping callers' voices loud and clear. Similarly, in quiet real-life settings, the XM5 relayed voices with a natural, pleasant quality.

In our busy office, the low-frequency fan hums were eliminated, and background voices were reduced to mumbles or quieter. Some clicky keyboard sounds came through, especially with higher-pitched voices, but they didn't overpower the caller.