Featuring An Iterative Design, Sony's Latest Noise-Cancelling Headphones Are A Fresh Take On The Genre
By Rashmi Goel

The WH-1000XM5 is Sony's latest set of noise-canceling headphones. Though there has been plenty of criticism of Sony's terrible product names, at least with the 1000X series people get it: these are among the very best noise-canceling headphones. It's been a long fight between Sony and Bose, and more recently Apple, to win over frequent flyers, commuters, work-from-home, and everyone else who can't live without noise cancellation. Noise-canceling headphones have only become more essential as more jobs shift to a hybrid work model, both at the office and at home. There are several new features in the 1000XM5s, such as improved ANC, a new design, and a cleaner sound. However, they do little to change the overall experience. With a price tag of $399, they're also $50 more expensive than Sony's M4s, which are staying in the lineup. Would they be worth the upgrade? Maybe, but it's not an absolute guarantee.

Sony has completely redesigned its headphones for the first time in several years. This new model is completely different from its predecessors. With this model, the headband is thinner, and there are no arms cradling the ear cups at either end; instead, one stem runs down the middle. There are fewer seams and other obvious elements in this style, which makes it appear more refined. The previous model had mic inlets that looked like USB ports, but they have been moved around the perimeter and set deeper in the headphones to reduce wind noise. It is more comfortable to wear thanks to wider earpads and more memory foam. Despite the revised design, the M5s weighs 250 grams, about the same as the 254-gram M4. There are black or white models available from Sony, and the white model has a textured finish that conceals finger oils and smudges better than the black model.

There is still a pivoting and turning mechanism to the ear cups. Sony's new headphones are no longer foldable. One of my biggest disappointments with the 1000XM5s is this. These headphones do not fold down for easy portability, but instead, lie flat when in their case. The case is also considerably larger than it was before. In comparison with the 1000XM4, the 1000XM5 case is more difficult to store in a bag; therefore, they have to be put in the main portion of the bag. Leaving the case at home is an option, but then you have to consider what else might be nudging up against your headphones in your bag.



Sony could have made this case more compact even though it's collapsible without the headphones inside. Although the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 case cannot fold up either, it is smaller and makes efficient use of space. Sony's oversized case will likely cause frustration for people who travel with these headphones frequently. In any case, it's a functional case - thanks to Apple - with USB-C and aux cable storage. It is no longer included in the box as a dual-prong airline adapter from Sony. Although $400 seems stingy, it is what it is. It sounds like there have been more changes to the 1000XM5s than expected. These new headphones feature 30-millimeter drivers instead of the 40-millimeter ones in the 1000XM4s. It's impossible to guarantee headphones, but the sound of Sony headphones hasn't varied so dramatically from their predecessors in a very long time. With the 1000XM5s, you get tighter, more detail, and cleaner bass.



Naturally, some people will prefer the more energetic sound of the 1000XM4s. Perhaps that's one of the reasons Sony keeps them around; selling two headphones that are otherwise so similar wouldn't make sense. It's possible to adjust the EQ settings in the Sony headphones Connect app on Android and iOS to make the sounds of these headphones sound similar, but it's important to try them both out. The frequency curve charts are all well and good, but this stuff is fundamentally subjective.

The QN1 noise cancellation processor is still within the new headphones, but Sony has added a second processor to improve ANC even more. Consequently, the company warns that the headphones will perform similarly to the M4s on a plane, but may actually be better at cutting out street noises and nearby voices. While it's still not enough to completely block out the world if you're in a busy coffee shop, it does improve upon what was already superb noise cancellation. There was a "optimize" button on Sony headphones previously, which adjusted the ANC to account for things like air pressure and fit - hairstyles, glasses, etc. The button has been removed, and Sony says the same optimization is carried out automatically in the background.

There are eight microphones in the 1000XM5s, and four are voice microphones. With that, along with improvements to the AI algorithm for noise reduction on calls, the M5s provide a significant upgrade over the M4. These over-ear headphones aren't as good as AirPods or the standout LinkBuds, but they're the best you'll find for over-ear headphones. In a loud environment, things get a bit more tricky, but all headphones struggle to keep my voice intelligible on calls and Zoom chats.

Sony's LDAC codec is still supported in the 1000XM5s for higher-quality wireless audio. For listening to high-resolution music on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and others, LDAC is the next best thing to the plugin. However, this only applies to Android users; iPhone users still have to use lower-bitrate AAC codecs. Furthermore, you can connect two devices at the same time using these headphones. The problem with Sony is that you have to pick between one advanced feature or the other. You cannot enable both at the same time. This limitation was also found with the 1000XM4s, which makes me think it might be because of Bluetooth bandwidth.



There are some fundamentals about the 1000XM5s that are unchanged. On the right ear cup, you can tap and swipe to operate them. Holding your hand over the right ear cup allows you to temporarily mute your music in order to hear the outside world. A similar feature is on the 1000XM4s, such as "speak to chat," which automatically stops the music and enters transparency mode when you're speaking. Alternatively, you can lift the left ear cup (or remove the headphones altogether) to pause your music. With noise cancellation, you get the same 30 hours of power as before. Turning off all the extras will enable you to stretch well beyond that.
Let's talk about some missed opportunities now: what Sony could have added during this round but hasn't. It's ridiculous that these expensive headphones can't be used wirelessly with the PlayStation 5. The PS5 controller, though high-quality, still has a cable that plugs into the top-tier Sony products. Two, the USB-C port still only works for charging, whereas other headphones allow you to use it for audio as well. Lastly, the 1000XM5s aren't water-resistant or sweat-proof: there's a little paper in the box that asks you to keep them dry. These headphones don't seem like fitness headphones, but some advancements and resistance to the elements would be nice to see in 2022. There is a chance that some of these issues will be addressed by the time the 1000XM6s are released in two years.


The WH-1000XM5s comes with a comfortable, new design that looks more modern and is a really great headset, but it is not worth the $400 price. The noise-canceling has been improved and is now one of the best in its class. They sound clearer and more natural than previous headphones, but they are also quite different from previous models, which could prove divisive. With a pair of 1000XM4s already, there's no need to upgrade. There are no better products available. The batteries in older Sony headphones - such as the 1000XM2s and M3s - are starting to fail, so these are a far better buy. The best ANC Sony has ever offered is multipoint.
Due to the foregoing, you should do your own side-by-side comparisons with the M4s and potentially save some money. Sony appears confused about what it wanted the 1000XM5s to be: they are a strange half-step between the 1000XM4s and premium headphones like the AirPods Max. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about them. But they're still excellent noise-canceling headphones.