Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sony’s flagship noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM series, have been praised since they first appeared. The previous version (Sony WH-1000XM4 from 2020) was hailed as the best in the market. The latest version, the WH1000-XM5 ($398) comes with great expectations. Full disclosure, I purchased these headphones for my personal use; I’ve had them since the week they came out and have spent a lot of time with them, so much so, that my other headphones are jealous. So settle in, and let’s analyze them.

My entry into the audio world was headphones, so even though my mind might wander into other components, I always have an ear (pun intended) to the newest headphones. The teenage me always comes back to these next-to-my-ear drivers. Headphones are everywhere and since they are of low cost we sometimes take them for granted. The market is filled with options at bargain prices and it’s a daunting task to break away from the jungle that is the headphone world. The big companies, Apple, Bose, Sennheiser, Bang & Olufsen, and Bowers & Wilkins to name a few, all have over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones that range from $250 to $500. So which one to choose? Well, I’d say design, feel, quality, price, and sound, are what you should look for. Reviewers have handed out first prize in the past years to Sony’s WH1000-XM series and with good reason, for price and quality, these cans have always been a testament to Sony's engineering. But let’s not forget, when we’re talking headphones, the correct question is: For who and what are these headphones for? 

Headphone enthusiasts are an interesting group. Generalizing here, but let’s say on one side you have the wired headphone group, headphone-amp aficionados, mainly interested in sound dynamics, constantly comparing balanced vs non-balanced inputs, DAC critics, and desktop people. On the other side there are the wireless folks, always on the move, worried about battery life and functionality, to them, sound is important, but being able to listen to music while on the street, in crowded places, quickly shifting their attention and answering phone calls, noise-cancelling and headphone microphone is the panacea. The Sony WH1000-XM5 is clearly for this last group. Just FYI, for the wired folks, Sony does have the MDRZ1R series (an over-the-ear with all-metal housing closed-back headphones) that are quite more expensive.

Aesthetics and Build

First of all, Sony completely changed the aesthetics of this new version. They’re less ‘formal’ or ‘serious’. It’s as if you went from a night at the opera to a cool jazz concert. There’s nothing wrong with the non-formal “outfit”, I may even prefer jazz to opera, but they are very different from the previous model. From elegant to cool is not a miss for me, but it might be for some. Interestingly, the lines of the new design are very similar to the Bose 700s. The WH1000-XM4 were captivating, the new WH1000-XM5 are pretty straightforward and the design appears to help them “slide” in a very aerodynamic form. However, the loss of an elegant look comes with better technology—more on this later. I received the Platinum Silver headphones which I prefer over the Black model; the colour was a no-brainer and they are beautiful.

The XM5s are 250g, slightly lighter (if even noticeable) from the previous version (254g). One of the most commented issues with the WH1000-XM5 is that they don’t fold away completely (only fall flat) and because of this they come in a bigger case. This could annoy people who had the previous version and expected them to have this feature for easy carrying or travelling. The WH1000-XM5 has synthetic (and breathable) faux-leather cups (score for the vegan crowd!) and is made with carbon fibre. They also have smaller drivers (30 mm vs the 40 mm of the WH1000-XM4) with a frequency response of 4 Hz - 40,000 Hz. 

Connectivity 

There are many functions in these headphones, I’d say too many, but they are fun to have and you can play with them through the Sony app. As far as connection, codecs include SBC, AAC, and LDAC with USB-C charging. I had no issues with connecting to my streaming service (Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple Music). Even with LDAC, we are getting close but still are not at CD Red Book sound quality with wireless; these cans did hold their own when I compared them to other wireless and even wired cans. 

Sony says about the new connectivity technology:

Using Edge-AI (Artificial Intelligence), DSEE Extreme upscales compressed digital music files in real-time. Dynamically recognizing the instrumentation, musical genres, and individual elements of each song, it restores high-range sound lost in compression.

Sony went all-in with its circuitry as well: “A premium lead-free solder containing gold for excellent conductivity, Fine Sound Resistor for even power distribution, and optimized circuitry for an improved signal-to-noise ratio to ensure clear consistent sound”. On the new drivers, Sony comments the carbon fibre lightweight and high rigidity dome improves sound clarity, especially in high-frequency ranges. They have two audio processing chips and four microphones that can eliminate environment sounds (but not your voice on calls). Battery life is great (30 hours), I did leave them on for burn-in (they do need it) and they came fairly close to the established time (without noise-cancelling they lasted longer).

One of the best features I found was the clarity with which you can make phone calls. This is one of the best noise-cancelling headphones I’ve tried (coming second only to the Mark Levinson 5909 that are more than double the price of the Sony XM5, review pending). The new microphones do make the difference. I made calls on busy streets and in coffee shops and the other person was able to listen to me with no noise filling up the microphones. Sony describes them:“Our noise reduction algorithm was developed with AI machine learning using more than 500 million voice samples to suppress ambient noise and extract your voice clearly in a wide range of environments”. So you need not worry about phone call clarity with the WH1000-XM5.

Some other features I found less useful, for example, the speak-to-chat function is a miss for me, not because it doesn’t work, but because I like to take off my headphones when talking to someone. In this function, if you are in the noise-cancelling mode, you hear your voice muffled, so a very weird conversation takes place. Though, of course, it can be useful if your hands aren’t free. The WH1000XM5 uses built-in microphones for advanced audio signal processing to recognize and react to your voice. Multi-point connection lets you answer incoming calls instantly and switch to another device. Another nice function is voice-control that enables “Alexa” “Siri” and Google. I find that having this feature lets you interact with these headphones in a very unique way. I don’t use this feature as much as I should I guess, but it’s there if you need it. 

Something that I did try often was the Spotify Tap, a function that lets you sync up with the streaming service easily. Unfortunately, it only works with Spotify, so playlists from Tidal and Qobuz are left out. You do get the swipe up and down left and right functions on the right side for quicker use (like the Sennheiser PXC 550-II headphones). I much prefer buttons on my headphones, but the feature was fun to use. The noise-cancelling and ambient sound buttons (no swipe function here) are on the left side. Something I enjoyed is that through the Sony app, you have control of how much ambient noise you want. This is very helpful because the level of noise you want from the outside can be modified for your taste so you don’t have to worry that you’ll miss something because of noise-cancelling. 

I also tried them with other components but with no good results. With a smart TV, the WH1000-XM5 continually lagged when changing episodes on TV streaming platforms. Apps like Netflix or HBO Max were an issue; I’d have to constantly pause the program so the headphones would “restart” and then work typically.

Another miss for me was the voice recognition connection. It can be faulty at times. While talking to someone in the room, the headphones dialled automatically at least four times to random people in my address book. The voice command was too sensitive to my voice at times, so I had to eliminate this feature to be sure these phone calls would not be an issue and avoid embarrassing calls. 

One more interesting feature to mention is the Adaptive Sound Control, a function that when activated learns your behaviour and locations you visit frequently, so it adjusts ambient sound “for an ideal listening experience”. I tried it and the headphones managed to identify my daily routine, where I was at certain times (my office or coffee shop for example) and did modify its settings without having to go into the app, this is a very smart function indeed.

Sound

Sony has several equalizations for the XM-5 (you get ten different options for your listening pleasure). I spent some time comparing them and they are a tool you’ll find useful with different music genres. But a neutral sound was better for me to compare them to other cans. And what is the neutral sound on these? A subtle bass response that doesn’t drown or overwhelm characterizes these headphones. If you are interested mainly in a bass frequency then look elsewhere. I don’t need extensive bass to enjoy my music, so no issues for me. The mid frequencies are where the Sony XM-5s shine. Vocals deliver a soft musicality without having to modify equalization. I didn’t feel any fatigue factor when listening, they’re comfortable and the lack of a too-bright sound does invite long hours of listening. 

While listening to the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 with Claudio Abbado, Maurizio Pollini, and the Berlin Philharmonic (1997) (through Qobuz), I found myself expecting the mids of the WH1000-XM5 to cover over the bass frequency, that the strings would drown the winds, but to my surprise, it wasn’t the case. By minute seven Pollini was in full bloom and a clear soundstage filled the headphones. The bass held its own, and the brass section appeared. They aren’t Mark Levinson, Beats or even the Sennheiser PXC 550-II but these headphones didn’t disappoint. Abbado carries the Berlin Philharmonic with grace, as he usually did when he conducted.

Next up, now on Tidal, Sonny Rollins’ 1957 The Sound of Sonny portrayed another version of these cans, the upper mids did all the heavy lifting, and Sonny’s sax had no distortion on the top end, something you see in bright headphones like the Bowers & Wilkins PX7. And while Sonny Clark’s piano might at times sound distant, the tenor sax and Paul Chambers’ bass rode the tide. 

Some issues did occur with higher frequencies. On “Isfahan” from Joe Henderson, the upper-mids failed, and there was noticeable distortion, but I believe this is in part the recording and that the high-note-sound retrieval of these cans is tuned for clarity, and when there is too much acute sonics, they will acquiesce and the high-pitch will be louder. But I did like the sound of the XM5, they’re sometimes a subtleness, perhaps even warmness to them that makes the music feel more comfortable to your ears. This was the case with Regina Spektor’s “Up the Mountain” where vocals and dynamic rhythms flow. There were many moments like this one. As such, these headphones can be engaging.

I would not say that the imaging and soundstage will blow your socks off. The WH1000-XM5 does deliver the goods in many areas—you won’t find many faults in sound. You might wish for a little more bass here or there, but the good thing is that these headphones will not bother you with brightness, they aren’t colourless either, and the sound is dynamic. The only issue I had sonically is the separation of instruments. Since the mids flow beautifully and faithfully with the XM-5, where there needs to be more separation, it’s not there. Granted these aren’t Focal Clear or Hifiman Arya’s (a high-end wired headphone with distinct soundstage and separation), but I did need more with larger ensembles. However, from a $398 wireless headphone, there's not much more you can ask for. 

I compared the Sony WH1000-XM5 with other noise-cancelling wireless headphones, and in some moments it rivals for example the noise-cancelling of my Mark Levinson 5909 headphones, the comfort and sound of the Bang and Olufsen HX, and the features of the Sennheiser PXC 550-II. The XM5 is a very complete headphone. They are very clear in their performance, comfortable, and practical but most of all they’re fun. That’s what I will remember with these cans. 

Conclusion

For noise-cancelling, comfort, good sound, and practical purposes, you can buy these headphones with confidence. Yes, there are nicer designs and sound; I’ll give this prize to the Mark Levinson 5909s or the Bang & Olufsen HX which I love, and are my go-to wireless headphones. Both of these headphones have better soundstage, imaging, and instrument separation, more complex in dynamic sound overall, but they’re also more expensive. Sony set out the WH1000-XM5 to be the best wireless headphones, and even though they might lose in comparison with other headphones, overall I can say that they are the clear winner in this price range.

Further information: Sony