Sony WF-1000XM5 review

The gg editorial team loves quality sound, so we couldn't pass up Sony's new flagship wireless headphones. The new model differs significantly from the Sony WF-1000XM4, both in terms of sound and appearance. For more details, see our Sony WF-1000XM5 review.

When it comes to comparison with the previous model, Sony has done a good job in most aspects of the headphones. The new Sony WF-1000XM5 are smaller and much more comfortable. At the same time, the sound quality has become better, more natural and versatile. And the battery life hasn't suffered at all due to the reduced size of both the headphones and the case. And, of course, Sony's excellent active noise cancellation hasn't gone away. In this respect, the headphones are one of the most interesting in their form factor. As before, Sony WF-1000XM5 are protected against dust and moisture according to the IPX4 standard and have a lot of additional useful features, to which the important Multipoint and custom equaliser based on the wearer's hearing have been added. And more experimental ones like head gesture recognition. So it's safe to say that Sony WF-1000XM5 is one of the most interesting TWS models in its price range.

If we talk about competitors, there are several obvious ones, given the price. Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 sound simpler and less natural. The same can be said about Apple iPods Pro 2. The first-generation Devialet Gemini did not impress with their sound, considering their price. Noble Audio FoKus Mystique have a better sound. But they are somewhat more expensive, don't have active noise cancellation at all, and are generally simpler in terms of functionality.

6 reasons to buy Sony WF-1000XM5:

• High-quality sound
• Excellent noise reduction system
• Convenient compact form
• Long battery life and support for wireless charging
• A bunch of additional useful additional features and Multipoint support
• Protection according to the IPX4 standard

2 reasons not to buy Sony WF-1000XM5:

• You are not ready to spend such a sum on headphones
• You are a sophisticated audiophile with higher requirements for sound quality

Let's make a quick transition:

1. What's in the box with Sony WF-1000XM5?
2. What do Sony WF-1000XM5 look like?
3. How convenient is it to use Sony WF-1000XM5?
4. What about the sound quality, microphone and noise cancellation of the Sony WF-1000XM5?
5. How long does Sony WF-1000XM5 last on a single battery charge?
6. In dry balance

What is in the box with Sony WF-1000XM5?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 headphones are packed in a small rectangular box with rounded corners made of pressed recycled paper. On the outside there is a cover with basic information about the headphones. Inside are the Sony WF-1000XM5 in a charging case, a short charging cable, additional earbuds and documentation. The tips are made of polyurethane foam. These are not quite the usual foam tips like Comply: the foam layer in this case is thinner and generally easier to use. But, of course, the passive sound insulation is slightly worse.

What does the Sony WF-1000XM5 look like?

Sony has redesigned the design and construction of the WF-1000XM5 quite significantly. They are 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the previous model. And this has had a good effect on the ease of use. Only the colour scheme remains the same: black or cream with gold accents. The previous model was completely matte. The new Sony WF-1000XM5 has matte faceplates and a glossy body. It looks good, but you can see prints on the black ones. And the glossy finish is quite slippery.

The shape of the headphones is streamlined, without any sharp corners. The outer covers (faceplates) traditionally serve as touch panels for controlling the headphones. There are round microphone grids in the lower part. In total, each headphone has three microphones for noise cancellation and voice.

There are microphone holes on top and Sony logos next to them. Interestingly, there is a small bulge on the left earbud near the top microphone. It looks like this is done so that you don't confuse the headphones by touch.

On the inside, there are contacts for charging, as well as markings for the left and right earpiece.

The sound drivers of Sony WF-1000XM5 are placed at a convenient angle. They are of medium length, but this is quite enough for a deep fit in the ear canal. The diameter is a little narrower than usual. The bundled tips hold perfectly, but there may be issues with third-party tips. The SpinFit fit well, but they don't stay in place as well. Sometimes the tips stay in the ear.

Like the previous model, Sony WF-1000XM5 has IPX4 protection against splashes and sweat, which means it is suitable for sports.

The charging case has also become smaller and now it is quite comfortable to carry in a jeans pocket. The design is standard, with a hinged lid. The surface is matte, reminiscent of Soft Touch. There is a Sony logo on the top of the lid and an LED charging indicator on the front.

The lid has an auto-flip in both positions. It's a little wobbly when open, but when closed, it's perfectly stable thanks to the magnets. Even with sudden movements, the lid does not open. Inside there is a headphone jack with charging contacts.

On the back is a reset button and a Type-C connector for charging. In addition, wireless charging is supported.

How comfortable is the Sony WF-1000XM5 to use?

Thanks to the reduced size and weight, Sony WF-1000XM5 are more comfortable than the previous model. They fit perfectly in your ears, do not weigh you down and do not press anywhere. They can be used for hours without any discomfort. The fit in the ear canal is quite deep and, thanks to the foam tips, the passive sound insulation is very good. Adding to this the active noise cancellation system, you can almost completely get rid of external sounds.

The headphones have an updated electronic part. The new Sony Integrated Processor V2 chip with QN2e processor for intelligent noise cancellation. Bluetooth 5.3 is used for connection, there is support for SBC, AAC, LC3 and LDAC codecs, the latter allows for transmission of up to 990 Kbps. This will be useful for users who listen to music in FLAC format or use online music services with Lossless Audio support. These are Deezer Hi-Fi, which offers quality up to 1411 Kbps, or Tidal. There is support for Google Fast Pair for pairing with Android devices. When you switch on the headphones for the first time, they automatically switch to pairing mode. One of the important and useful improvements over the previous generation is that the headphones finally support Multipoint. You can connect to two devices at the same time, and it is possible to automatically switch between them depending on the user's actions. Connection stability is high, even when using LDAC with quality priority. Minimal hiccups may occur only in the most congested wireless network locations.

The headphones are controlled by touch panels, and their size is sufficient for comfortable use. The gesture scheme can be slightly reconfigured in the proprietary application. In the standard form, a single touch on the right earbud is responsible for pause/playback. Double and triple taps are for the next and previous track, respectively. A long press launches the voice assistant. Touch the left earphone to switch between noise cancellation modes: active, transparency, off (the latter can be disabled). A long touch activates the "quick attention" function: pause and maximum transparency are activated. It is worth mentioning that a slightly unusual head gesture control function has appeared: you can accept a call by nodding, or reject it by shaking your head.

To configure Sony WF-1000XM5, the proprietary Headphones Connect application is used. In addition to the aforementioned touch control and head gesture settings, there are many more functions. At the top of the app, you can see the current charge of the headphones and charging case, as well as the codec used. There is adaptive sound control: the headphones automatically change settings depending on the current task and location. There are settings for noise reduction and transparency mode, virtual surround sound, DSEE Extreme compressed sound enhancer, equaliser (including the Find your Equaliser function, which allows for individual adjustment based on the owner's hearing), and Multipoint. There is also an ear shape analyser, an assistant in choosing the best earbuds, and an auto-pause when the earbud is removed from the ear. The Speak-to-chat function was already available before: the headphones recognise that the owner has started a conversation, automatically pause and turn on transparency mode. After the conversation is over, playback resumes and noise cancellation is turned on, and it is possible to set the duration of the function.

What about the sound quality, microphone and noise cancellation of the Sony WF-1000XM5?

Instead of the 6 mm dynamic drivers of the previous model, the new Sony WF-1000XM5 has new so-called Dynamic Driver X drivers with a diameter of 8.4 mm. They have a multi-layer diaphragm made of different materials, which (according to Sony) should reduce sound distortion. The sound is indeed significantly different from the previous model. Subjectively, for the better. Sony WF-1000XM4 sounded more mainstream, with a more pronounced V-shaped frequency response, a more significant emphasis on the bass and a general character that is more suitable for electronic or pop music. The Sony WF-1000XM5s sound more neutral and detailed overall, with the entire frequency range better developed. The low frequencies are dense, resilient and massive. Given the headphone format, we can say that they are well controlled, have good speed, good timbre reproduction and do not interfere with the middle frequencies. Middle frequencies are quite natural, with sufficient amount and believability. Live instruments sound naturally, with the characteristic required colouration and good detail, they do not mix into a mess. The upper part of the range, of course, is a little softened, as it should be in headphones aimed at the mass audience. But quantitatively and qualitatively high frequencies are enough and they are very pleasant. The imaginary scene and separation of instruments are at a good level. In general, Sony WF-1000XM5 are versatile in terms of music genres, everything sounds good.

Sony's top-of-the-line headphones have always offered very effective noise cancellation. WF-1000XM5 continue this tradition. The implementation of active noise cancellation may not be the best of all existing headphones. But it is definitely one of the best. On the street or even in the subway, nothing will distract you from your favourite songs. Monotonous noise is perfectly removed, with harsh sounds, of course, the system does not cope so well, but this applies to absolutely all models with ANC. When using noise cancellation, there is no vacuum effect and no discomfort for the ears.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 microphones transmit voice quite well, given the TWS format. Yes, of course, the range is somewhat cut, there is a minimal plastic effect, but these are microphones for talking, not for recording. And they are better than most competitors in terms of quality.

What about the battery life?

Despite the reduction in size, the battery life remained at the level of the previous Sony WF-1000XM4, so we have up to 8 hours with noise cancellation and up to 12 hours without it. The charging case is enough for two full charges. Of course, the battery life depends on the usage scenario. We in the gg editorial office used the following: volume 80%, active noise cancellation is always active, LDAC codec was used when connecting, quality priority mode. In this mode, the headphones work for a little less than 6 hours, so everything is fine with the battery life. The case is fully charged in about an hour and a half using a cable. There is also support for wireless charging via the Qi standard.

To summarise: four things you need to know about the Sony WF-1000XM5:

• Sony WF-1000XM5 is a TWS headphone with very high quality sound.
• They have one of the most effective active noise cancellation systems.
• Compact and easy to use.
• They are protected against dust and moisture according to the IPX4 standard.

For those who want to know more:

• Noble Audio FoKus Mystique TWS headphones review: time to ditch the wires?
• Sony WF-1000XM4 review: the flagship TWS headphones with the best noise cancellation
• Hello, Hi-Res Audio without wires! Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro flagship TWS headphones review
• Huawei FreeBuds 5i review: in-ear TWS headphones with active noise cancellation