Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer, Crystal Clear Hands-Free Calling, and Alexa Voice Control, Silver

The sound quality is considerably better than previous WH-1000XM4, no joke. I purchased XM5 without much expectations but it turns out the sound quality is far, I mean far, better than XM4. For some reasons, it wasnt noticeable difference when its paired with my PC but when its paired with my Galaxy S23+, it produces unbelievably crisp sound with rich low to high fq enhancement, especially when the sound source is high fidelity and high bit rate. Maybe its some sort of codec issue, I dont know but I am unexpectedly surprised. The fit is also more comfortable if you have wide skull or large ears. I havent weighted this one but it feels lighter than XM4. I have Jabra, Arctis Pro and many other top tier headsets but so far this is the best sound headsets by far.

Theyre too bulky. The case is huge, and the headphones dont fold in, so they take up lots of room. I liked these headphones a lot, but within the first month of use the right ear started playing little crackly sounds that were louder than the music. Very annoying. The SONY app and bluetooth do not connect as easily as my airpods, which I also found annoying. Seamless pairing is important for me, and these do not match up. The apps interface is outdated and difficult to navigate as well. Im disappointed, because I wanted to like these because theyre better than AirPod Maxes. Ordering Beats instead.

This probably is my first product that I pre-ordered. I generally wait, do extensive research and try it myself before spending such a huge amount on any product. Sony has built a very strong brand for itself in the wireless headphone space since the launch of XM series. XM 3-4 both are great products, with no major issues. But they both had 1 or 2 drawbacks that didnt push be enough to upgrade and buy one. XM4 Bass is little forward for me. I like to prefer tighter, clear bass. XM5 delivers that. XM5 - the good Stuff 1) ANC - Best ANC in the market. I own several Bose headphones and earbuds. This has far the best ANC. 12 Quick setup- It took me not more than 5 mins to open the box, connect my phone and start listening. Battery was pre-charged to about 65% 3) Comfortable - The earcup are soft padded with a faux leather type material that appears to be of good quality. Will have to see how it performs during sweaty, hot environment. 4) Connectivity- It connect seamless, and quickly. The range is insane. I can literally walk all around in my home or in my backyard away from my phone and it stay connected. I have had no issue of any drop at all. 5) Battery/Charging - Long enough and charges quickly 6) App features/Options - Multiple options to customize EQ setting, noise cancellation, transparency etc. 7) Multiple device connectivity 8) Love the Sand (white) color 9) Sound Quality - Last but not the least sound quality is amazing. The default EQ out of the box is really good. But if you customize the EQ and bump little bit the Clear bass and treble it just sounds amazing. Its been 6 hours non-stop listening for me, I have played all kind of genre and they all sound great. XM5-Not so good 1) Carrying Case - Case is little big, flatter. The headphone doesnt fold. Not a huge deal, but it could be issue for some. 2) It can get hot after couple of hours. To sum it up, for 4hunderd bucks, it is not a cheap headphone. But does it deserve the price tag and delivers on that. YES! With all the features it has, I really do not find anything that I am going to be missing or need for at least several years. It even has a 3.5mm jack :) This will be my new travelling buddy as I prepare to start travelling again!

I cant walk to my nearest coworkers desk without losing signal when these are connected to my computer...seems like a huge miss in the design. I work in a tiny office (the whole place is 1,000 sqft) and with these connected to my PC I can only move maybe 8 ft in any direction before the sound becomes crackly and eventually disconnects entirely. So they work for 5% of my 1,000 sqft space. Im returning them, they otherwise work okay but honestly not any better than my last $200 pair of headphones which actually stays connected. Sad I wasted time on these. Word of warning - if you have coworkers with deeper voices, these will not block ANY of that sound whatsoever.

I love my headphones. They’re lightweight, they look nice, the sound quality is nice, and the noise cancellation is amazing. My only issue is that it’s uncomfortable. After a while of wearing mine, I’d get headaches. I’ve adjusted them so now I don’t think I get headaches anymore, but it does hurt to wear them after an extended period of time. I think it has to do with the thin headband. I’ve never had an issue with the cheaper headphones I used to use. I’ve considered getting the M4s instead because of this. I’m not sure if I have to keep adjusting or if I need more time to get used to the headphones. I’ve had them for about two weeks now. This is just something for you to keep in mind if you decide to buy.

If you have a smaller head I wouldn’t recommend, they kept sliding off during my workout. When I returned it took over a month to get my 400 & something dollars back. Had to keep messaging Amazon to return my money.

So I did tests on several different headphones, Sony, Audio Technica, Bose, Apple, etc. Noice cancelation, sound quality, weight, comfort, you name it the mark V comes out on top. Even being more inclined to buy Apple, I still felt there were more pros for the Sonys than the AP Max.

Coming from the XM3 headphones, I find the XM5 better in every way where it matters. For me, they are far more comfortable, with larger earcups that no longer touch my ears and somehow reduced pressure on my head overall. The headband is improved for me, though this is one area that may differ for people, so ymmv. ANC is far better than in the XM3 and the adaptive nature means that I dont have to do anything to get the benefit in different environments. With the XM3, I never made changes to the ANC settings, so this is a big improvement. Sound is superb, acoustically nuanced with great sound separation, spaciousness, and tight response. You may want to adjust the EQ to your specific preferences, though it is balanced and brighter than the XM3 enough that is makes the former headset sound muddy after listening to the XM5 headset. I know most reviewers have complained about the case and Im bewildered by that response. Its not that much larger than the prior case in height and width, is a bit thinner with a taper from the cup at the bottom to the band at the top and stays more securely in place in my laptop bag as a result. Perhaps this is an issue for smaller bags if there isnt and extra room, though in my case, this was an improvement for my travel needs along with no longer having to bother folding and unfolding the headphones every time I use them. All around, I love all the improvements made and highly recommend the upgrade, especially if coming from the XM3.

This device is absolutely overrated, its not worth even half the money. The one and only good thing about this Sony headset is just the design, its esthetic. Other than that, the sound quality is not even half of what you get with an airpods pro, big sound leakage, noise cancellation is also similar to airpods pro. I just expected something better for a headset worth almost $400! Thats a of money. Definitely reconsider your purchase.

ok not gonna lie i only bought the sony headphones because they were popular on tiktok and way more affordable than the airpods max. but i’m very satisfied with my purchase. while i do think the design of the xm4s are nicer, i think that the xm5s were worth the price difference (which was about $50 at the time im writing this). the sound quality isn’t mindblowing at first but tweaking the equalizer in the app should fix this. i’ve never owned a pair of noise canceling headphones before, but to me the noise canceling is very solid. it makes studying in decently loud places and commuting so much more tolerable. i will say that sometimes the band feels heavy on my head, but if i loosen the headphones a little, it feels better. i would definitely recommend if you don’t have the budget for the airpods pro or if you don’t use an iphone (although they do still pair well with an iphone too!)