Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones Review

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have a warm sound profile. The bass range is similar to the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless as it has plenty of thump, rumble, and boom; they're well-suited for genres like EDM and hip-hop. Although they don't have a dedicated button for adding extra bass on the fly, like the Sony ULT WEAR, you can customize the XM5's sound using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets.

Sony hasn't advertised anything regarding ALAC support, which is Apple's lossless Hi-Res audio codec available via music services like Apple Music. However, to benefit from this audio codec, you'll need to use these headphones wired as the headphones' implementation of Bluetooth can't transmit lossless. While our iPhone showed that we were able to use ALAC over Bluetooth by going into the phone settings and switching to 'ALAC (ALAC in resolutions ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD Quality) up to 24-bit/192 kHz)', this audio is still compressed (and lossy) due to how Bluetooth functions.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have good frequency response consistency. They deliver audio consistently, but you'll likely experience a drop in bass if you wear glasses, as they disrupt the integrity of the headphones' seal on your head. On the upside, once you take the time to ensure a good fit, you'll experience consistent audio delivery each time you use them.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have good bass target compliance. Their response is overemphasized across the bass range, and they deliver more thump, punch, and boom than the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless. In the song 2020 by SUUNS, the low drone at the beginning of the track is visceral and rumbly, which is enjoyable if you like extra bass. Unfortunately, the added bass seeps into the mid-range, which can muddy the rest of your mix.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have impressive mid-range target compliance. Some overemphasis bleeds from the bass into the low-mids, which can clutter your mixes; in densely orchestrated tracks, you'll notice this more. However, the mid and high-mid are well balanced, so vocals and lead instruments, like Kendrick Lamar's voice in his song Mother I Sober, still sound clear and present throughout the mix.

The Sony WH-1000XM5's treble compliance is outstanding. There are minor differences between the left and right drivers throughout the range. However, vocals and lead instruments sound clear and detailed overall. Sibilants like cymbals are also bright but not piercing. Meanwhile, roll-off in the high-treble cuts airiness and sparkle of hi-hats, leaving the upper harmonics of hi-hats somewhat closed-off.

The Sony WH-1000XM5's peaks and dips performance is great. The headphones' frequency response typically adheres to their warm sound profile. Small peaks and dips in the mid-range likely won't be audible. However, as the amplitude of fluctuations increases in the treble, you may barely notice sibilants alternate from dull to harsh while the upper harmonics of instruments and vocals fluctuate from bright to closed off depending on their pitch.

The headphones' L/R drivers are well-matched. There aren't any consistent amplitude imbalances across wide bands of frequencies. That said, there are some differences in frequency and phase response between the drivers in the mid-mids and treble. In everyday listening, you likely won't notice significant imbalances or less precise positioning in the affected frequencies.

The group delay performance is excellent. The headphones reproduce tight bass, well-defined transients, and transparent treble.

While the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless have some pinna interaction which vaguely resembles our reference curve, the headphones don't facilitate outer ear interaction the same way as an angled reference speaker or headphones well-known for their immersiveness like the Sennheiser HD 800 S.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have low levels of harmonic distortion. Even at high levels, audio is rendered accurately and cleanly.

These headphones don't require an amp to drive them during wired use.

The 360 Reality Audio feature can offer better sound quality by creating an immersive, 360-degree audio experience. It uses the Analyze Ear Shape feature in their companion app to help optimize audio for your unique ear shape. However, you must subscribe to paid services like Amazon Music Unlimited to benefit from the virtual soundstage feature. Sony added some head-tracking capabilities to these headphones with firmware update 2.0.2. However, you'll need a device running Android 13 or above, and it's only compatible with certain apps. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless are worth considering if you're after headphones with more comprehensive head tracking implementation.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have similar design language to the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, but a couple of slight differences make them look more refined and sleek than their predecessor. The largest change in design is that there aren't any exposed hinges. The headband is integrated into the ear cups, so the build is just one piece. They're also made of recycled plastic and have a high-end satin finish. They come in four color variants: 'Smoky Pink,' 'Black,' 'Midnight Blue,' and 'Platinum Silver.'

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have a decently comfortable fit. They're lighter than the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, and it's easy to adjust the headband to fit your head. However, they don't feel as comfortable as the previous generation, as the padding on the ear cups is mushy rather than springy. You may also have a gap between your head and the ear cups if you have long hair or wear glasses. Some users have reported discomfort with their fit, and depending on your head shape, the headband can feel heavy on the top of your head. During prolonged listening sessions, the headband can cause discomfort, especially if you have a small head. Not everyone will experience this issue, though.

These headphones have good controls that are responsive and easy to use. Overall, the layout and range of commands are similar to those of the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They have a touch-sensitive surface on the right ear cup and two physical buttons on the left ear cup. It can take a couple of swipes to reach the desired volume if you don't want to use the swipe-and-hold function. There are also beeps and voice prompts for a couple of commands, but there are fewer unique voice prompts compared to older Sony products.

On the left ear cup:

Power button:

• Press and hold: Turns headphones on or off. If you continue to hold this button past turning the headphones on, you'll enter Bluetooth pairing mode.

Custom button:

• One press: Cycles between ANC on, talk-through mode, letting you better hear your surroundings without taking off the headphones, and ANC off. You can remap this control via the companion app to activate Alexa or Google Assistant.

There are touch controls on the right ear cup.

The Sony WH 1000XM5 headphones aren't the most portable, but that's to be expected from over-ear headphones. Unlike their predecessor, they can't fold up to reduce their footprint, which makes them bulky to transport. On the upside, you can swivel the ear cups so they lie flat, and they come with a molded carrying case to protect them when you're on the go.

The Sony WH1000XM5 have a differently-styled carrying case than their predecessor, but it feels great overall. The hard case can protect the headphones from scratches, falls, and water exposure when stored, and the fabric finish prevents easy blemishes on the exterior of the case. While it's also larger, the inside of the case is molded to fit the headphones in only one possible way. There's also a dedicated nook to safely store the cables and other accessories.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 have good overall build quality, but it's a step down from the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless. They also don't feel as premium as the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless or the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless. They're mostly made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a material created from recycled plastic, meaning they have a different texture and feel than their predecessor. This material doesn't feel bad and likely lightens their frame. However, the new hinge design feels cheap and prone to breaking over time—we've seen reports of this happening after varying lengths of ownership. The padding on the ear cups is also much mushier than the previous generation; the padding on the headband feels less plush, too. That said, the headphones still feel sturdy overall and will survive a couple of accidental drops without taking too much damage.

Some users have reported that these headphones pick up faint AM radio frequencies. We could replicate the issue: when powered on, the right ear faintly picks up interference, regardless of whether the headphones are wired or wireless.

The Sony WH1000XM5 are decently stable. They'll stay on your head if you're listening to music at your desk and won't fall off if you want to wear them during a light jog in the park. However, if you're intensely headbobbing while immersed in an energetic tune, the headphones can shift in positioning, so you'll have to constantly manage their fit.

• Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones
• 1/8" TRS cable (4.04 ft / 1.23 m)
• USB-C to USB-A charging cable
• Manuals
• Warranty information
• Carrying case

The Sony 1000XM5 have a remarkable noise isolation performance. They have an automatic adaptive ANC system that optimizes their performance based on the environment around them. Unfortunately, unlike the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, you can't turn the optimization off. They also block out slightly less noise in the bass range than their predecessor, where the rumbles of bus and plane engines are most prominent. However, this performance is still enough to commute peacefully and quietly. In the mid and treble range, these headphones cut down on noise ranging from ambient chatter to screeching breaks without difficulty.

Over time, we've retested noise isolation using firmware 1.1.3. However, we didn't measure any differences or improvements in ANC. That said, some users have reported that the sensitivity of the adaptive ANC has changed, so quick head movements won't trigger the ANC to re-adapt. It's difficult to test this, so we can't say for sure whether the sensitivity has changed. In addition, testing firmware 2.1.0 didn't reveal notable differences in noise isolation performance, with minor differences attributed to seating and placement of the headphones.

Similar to Noise Isolation - Full Range, these over-ears do an outstanding job tackling more dynamic common scenarios. Sounds like the cries of children in aircraft cabins and the hiss of pneumatic brakes on a busy street are significantly reduced. In addition, the typical sounds of an office, like clacky keyboards and squeaking chairs reclining, are also blocked out.

Wind noise is difficult for headphones to tackle as it directly interacts with the ANC's microphones. This causes the ANC to produce anti-noise to cancel it out, even though the sound doesn't really reach your ear. However, it results in a loud, annoying sound. Unfortunately, these headphones also lack a wind reduction feature and don't do a great job handling wind noise.

These headphones have a good leakage performance. Leakage is spread fairly evenly across the range and falls below the noise floor of an average office. If you like to crank up the volume to your favorite tunes in a moderately noisy environment like a cafe, neighboring tables likely won't hear it.

The Sony WH-1000XM5's integrated mic has an okay recording quality. Your voice sounds somewhat clear but lacks fullness, missing much of the bass. When we used the headphones to make a call, we noticed white noise and static. Additionally, some users have also reported an echo present when making calls: the person on the other line hears an echo of themselves, and it can happen at all volumes, whether the ANC is on or off. We were able to replicate this issue, but it occurred randomly and was not a consistent experience. Please let us know if you've encountered this issue.

Note: Our original THD measurement skewed this test's scoring and significantly reduced the recording quality score below where the mic was performing. As a result, we've removed the weighting to bring the score closer to our view of its performance. Although the 'Recorded Speech' file sounds close to that of the Bose 700 Headphones Wireless, white noise and static are still present, affecting its overall quality. On a Samsung phone, the recording also sounds worse than those made on a PC. You can listen to our phone recording for comparison.

If you're using a PC, the integrated mic has a great noise handling performance that significantly outperforms their predecessor. The mic can easily separate speech from moderate background noise, so if you're taking a call from a noisy office, your voice sits above the sound, ensuring that speech stands out. However, unlike the Bose 700 headphones Wireless, if there's a very loud background noise, like a train pulling into the station in front of you, your voice can be cut out along with this noise, making speech hard to follow. You can also hear the mic's noise handling performance on a Samsung phone with pink noise and subway noise. There's more static and white noise present in the phone recordings than in our PC recordings.

These headphones have excellent battery performance. Like their predecessor, the manufacturer advertises that they'll last 30 hours continuously with their ANC on. That said, we measured lower than their listed battery life; it's important to note that battery life varies depending on other factors like Bluetooth codecs used and volume. On the upside, you can set their auto-off timer in the app, as well as use 'Smart-Pause,' which automatically pauses your audio when you take the headphones off your head. You can even use them passively with their 1/8" TRS cable.

The Sony Sound Connect app is great. This app offers many customization features to help you adjust the headphones' performance to your liking. You can tweak their sound using their graphic EQ and presets, adjust their auto-off timer, and toggle the 'Smart-Pause' feature, which pauses your audio when you take the headphones off your head. If you lose track of the headphones, they also support Google's 'Find My Device.'

You can remap their custom button, access multi-device pairing, turn on and off the speak-to-chat feature, and see which device you've connected to the headphones. You can even access 360 Reality Audio for better sound quality, but you must subscribe to services supporting this feature. They also have an 'Auto Play' feature, which activates shortcuts based on your actions and location: you can set up unique tracks to play when you put the headphones on or start moving.

Unlike the Dyson Zone Wireless, these headphones support an analog connection and come with a 1/8" TRS cable (4.04 ft / 1.23 m) for receiving audio; however, you won't be able to use their mic. They don't come with an airline adapter, which is a little disappointing since their predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless, included one. That said, most modern planes are compatible with standard 1/8" TRS connectors.

The Sony 1000XM5 have excellent Bluetooth connectivity. They support multi-device pairing, meaning you can stay connected to your smartphone and PC simultaneously. They also support Google Fast Pair and Swift Pair for Windows, which is great if you have compatible devices you want to pair with these headphones. That said, unlike the Focal Bathys Wireless, they don't support aptX Adaptive. Instead, they feature LDAC, Sony's proprietary codec for Hi-Res audio.

Since firmware update version 2.0.2, it's possible to stream LDAC audio while using multi-device pairing, but be aware that using both features will likely drain your battery life more quickly. They also have high latency via LDAC, but this isn't an issue if you only stream audio. Furthermore, these headphones have high latency on PCs using the default SBC codec. You may encounter audio-video desync, though it's worth mentioning that apps and devices compensate for latency differently.

The Sony WH1000XM5 have full audio and mic compatibility when connected wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled PCs. You can also use their 1/8" TRS cable, but you can't use their mic when wired.

These headphones can only output audio when you plug them into your PlayStation controller's AUX port.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 only output audio via their 1/8" TRS cable plugged into your Xbox controller's AUX port. Unfortunately, you can't use their mic when wired.