Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Meet the new boss

In addition to the design changes mentioned above, the XM5 are also the teensiest bit lighter than the XM4, clocking in at 8.81 ounces vs. the XM4’s 8.95 ounces. That doesn’t sound like much — and it isn’t — but, amazingly enough, you can feel it. I’ll be darned if Sony hasn’t managed to make the XM5 even more comfortable than the already excellent XM4, despite the narrower headband. Part of the reason is balance — the XM5 feel like they distribute their weight better. Another factor is the new ear cushion design, which is at once lower profile (which helps to keep the mass of the earcups closer to your head) and yet just as cushy.

These are all good things. But you may find — especially if your noggin is as small as mine — that the XM5’s clamping force isn’t as strong as the XM4. It’s not a problem for casual use, but if you like to be active in your headphones (something Sony specifically discourages on the attached warning label that features a big “no” sign over an image of a man sweating), you’ll notice that the XM5 move around a bit more.

The bottom line is that where once I would have picked the Bose 700 as the best wireless cans for long-term comfort, it’s now a dead heat between them and the WH-1000XM5.

For the XM5’s controls, Sony’s mantra is “If it ain’t broke …” They’re identical to the XM4, with two dedicated power/Bluetooth and ANC/multifunction buttons on the left earcup, and a touch-sensitive panel on the outer surface of the right earcup. As before, they’re easy, accurate, and intuitive to use, and Sony has kept the awesome quick-attention feature which instantly replaces ANC with transparency mode when you cover the right earcup with your hand. The built-in wear sensor gives you fast and responsive auto-pause and resume for music, and it can be disabled in the app if you don’t need it.

I would have preferred if Sony had found a way to power up/down the headphones without needing a long-press of the power button, but there is some bittersweet news on that front. Sony heard from customers that the XM4’s spoken voice prompts were making actions like powering up and ANC mode switching too time consuming, so it has replaced some of them with just short audible tones. Unfortunately, if you liked the voice feedback, there’s no option to add them back in. That’s a pity because even after one week of use, I still find the tones harder to decipher. Voice feedback remains for low-power warnings and Bluetooth pairing.

It’s unusual for a premium set of headphones to boast smaller drivers than its predecessor, but that’s what Sony decided to do. The XM5 are equipped with carbon-fiber-based 30mm dynamic transducers which are 25% smaller than the ones used in the XM4. The change allows for the lower weight of the XM5, but Sony claims they sound even better, too. And I agree. Mostly.

It all depends on how you define “better.” There’s no question in my mind that the XM5 exhibit greater subtlety and finer details, and the frequencies are beautifully balanced. At the same time, bass response is expertly managed, with a low end that does what low ends should do: Provide the thump, groove, and resonance that completes the musical picture, without dominating the other frequencies. The soundstage is open and airy and has the kind of precision that lets you build a map of the players and their instruments in your mind’s eye.

No beating around the bush: The WH-1000XM5 are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy right now. Thanks to the new eight-mic arrangement and dual-chip processing which enables real-time adaptive changes, the XM5 doesn’t just reduce some external noises — it erases them. It does this more effectively than the XM4, the Bose 900, and even the AirPods Max, which is really saying something, considering how good those other models are. You’ll hear the difference in a variety of situations, but the biggest improvement from the XM4 is the management of higher frequencies.

Sony says it’s especially helpful for dealing with voices, like the din in a coffee shop or restaurant, but I found it worked in almost every scenario I tried. The roar of a turboprop airplane engine was reduced to a whisper; Manhattan’s signature mix of traffic, construction, loud voices, and perpetual car horns were diminished to the point where my nerves weren’t frayed (my hometown of Toronto isn’t exactly quiet, but c’mon, nothing else is NYC). And these were the benefits when I wasn’t playing any music at all. Add some tunes — even at moderate volumes — and you might just convince yourself those external sounds aren’t there at all.

Sony has automated the process of optimizing ANC on the XM5 — on the XM4 it was done manually — so if you change the way you wear the headphones (adding or removing eyeglasses; changing hairstyles) or there’s an alteration in atmospheric pressure, there’s nothing you need to do. And you still have the option of using the Sony Headphones app to track your activity and locations to make changes to ANC and transparency as you switch up your day from sitting to walking to running, etc.

Transparency mode is also excellent, though if there’s one area where Apple maintains a slight edge, this is it. You’ll have an easy time hearing everything that matters, and the optional voice-enhancement mode does exactly what it purports to do. But somehow, the AirPod Max manage to convince you you’re not wearing headphones — something the XM5 fall just shy of achieving.

Switching between the two modes is fast and easy, whether you use the dedicated button for longer periods or the quick-attention gesture for short interactions.

This is the other area where the XM5 handily outshines its predecessor and arguably the other competitors I’ve mentioned throughout this review. The degree to which the on-board processors are able to separate your voice from background noise — even when it’s very loud — is remarkable. They pull this off without the compression and muddiness that often accompanies this kind of algorithmic magic, and there’s only the slightest hint of harshness when the system is pushed to its limits.

Sony claims almost the same numbers for both the XM4 and XM5 — 30 hours of continuous playback with ANC on, and 38 (XM4) or 40 (XM5) when it’s off. From what I can tell, those numbers seem bang-on accurate. Sony doesn’t indicate how much of a hit these numbers will take when using LDAC, but based on my experience, you can expect it to eat up to 40%.

Sony’s latest noise-canceling flagship headphones come at a $50 premium over their predecessors, but the WH-1000XM5 justify that extra cost with a lot of extra performance and a slick new design. Do you need them? Probably not. Will you love them? Absolutely.

Is there a better alternative?

No. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 cost the same amount, but can’t keep up with the XM5’s incredible sound, ANC, call quality and battery life, despite being very comfortable and a generally decent set of wireless cans. Apple’s pricey AirPods Max can go toe-to-toe on things like call quality, ANC, and transparency, but they’re heavy, have much lower battery life, and lack the amazing levels of detail and nuance you’ll get from the XM5, especially when LDAC is used.

That leaves the older WH-1000XM4. At $50 less, they’re still a good set of cans, but if you can find them cheaper — as I suspect you will over the coming months — they could prove to be a fantastic value. With a bigger, bolder sound signature, you might even prefer them to the XM5.

How long will they last?