60 reviews for Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Noise Canceling Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer, Crystal Clear Hands-Free Calling, Black + Free Shipping – Amazon

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Chicago Dan – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Harmonizing Comfort, Sound, and Technology in a Premium Package 🎧🌟👍

   TLDR: Sony WH-1000XM5 offers exceptional comfort and sound, efficient charging, yet it’s an investment with slight fit issues. 🎧🔊💲I’ve explored various Sony products over the years, and my latest experience with the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones has been quite enlightening. Here’s a distinct perspective on them:Pros:Unbeatable Comfort: They’re surprisingly light and outperform other premium brands in comfort. The use of memory foam in the ear cups adds to the comfort, although it might need special attention over time.Rich Features: The noise-canceling technology is as effective as ever, and the ambient mode is a practical addition for situational awareness. The Speak-to-Pause Music feature is a clever touch for multitasking moments.Sound Quality Excellence: The audio clarity is impressive, especially for bass-heavy tracks, making them great for diverse music tastes and gaming on devices like the PS5. Note: they lack a built-in mic for gaming. Call clarity is significantly better than previous models.Rapid Charge Capability: The fast charging is a standout feature, offering quick readiness and a long battery life of 24-30 hours.Cons:Investment Cost: These headphones are a significant investment. If they fit within your budget, they’re worth the cost for the quality you receive.Fit Quirks: While not a major issue, the fit around the neck can be slightly awkward for some users, especially when taking them off frequently. Unlike previous Sony models, they don’t fold inward, which might be a minor inconvenience for storage and portability.Cushioning Considerations: The ear cushions, although comfortable, may compress differently based on usage, and might require eventual replacement.

   8 people found this helpful

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Waydavis – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Are you Older? READ THIS.

   I am almost 65 years old SO, I DO NOT have the ears of a 18 year old. That said, I consider these to be good for these reasons:A: Exceptional battery life.B: Call quality that was considered good UNTIL I did a direct comparison to my Blueparrott B450-XT’s – NO WHERE NEAR the quality of the Blue 450’s, BUT the Blues are made specifically for calls in noisey environments. . Blues are in my opionion the defacto standard by which all other ANC phone calls should be judged. My “demo” for people is to run my upright vacuum cleaner whilst on a call. People on the other end cannot hear it AT ALL – REALLY!, I hear them, and they hear me perfectly! TRULY amazing! I did the same test with these and alas they failed miserably in comparison. I expected that. I was told they sound like I am in a room away from the microphone, a bit fishtank like, and muddy. SO, they’ll do in a call but not as a primary phone call device in noise. I heard a sample of the BOSE 700’s and they were terrible, which is what prompted me to get the Sony’s.C: One unconventional thing they do great at: A Sleep Aid. Yup, they drown out all the extraneous noises like people talking, Air conditioners, fans, Water coolers, hums, etc. ALL gone with nothing playing through them!I bought them primarily for playing on my PS5, and watching TV late at night. They do both quite well.D: Amazingly, my ears do not sweat much in these even after prolonged use. I’ve ordered those Dekoni Suede Earpads for them as well just for added comfort.(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4T3X62?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)(5/16/23 – Returned The earpads: they claim they are suede when in fact they are 2/3 suede. The inner part inside the cup is something else, not leather so NOT durable. Considering this, $49 seems FAR too expensive.)E: They are long-term comfortable unless you have ears like a B-52 in which case you will probably be stuffing bits.As for music, I find them to be more flat without pronounced highs or bass – which I prefer. The EQ on the app is a nice feature. The ANC works very well listening to music and will be adequate to the task in both quiet and noisey settings. Again, I remind you, I’m not 18. ;-)Pricewise, they ARE a bit expensive but the build quality seems better than most.If you have the time, I would HIGHLY recommend you test several brands and models at a store simply because sound quality is subjective and EVERYONE has their preference.UPDATE: 5/23/23 – Returning (REPLACING) Headphones – Why? They started acting “Funky”. By that, I mean that if you turn them off, they will not turn on unless you do not hit any buttons for about 15 sec. NOT normal. ALSO, they started to exhibit Connection issues that were NOT there initially. I STILL, at this point consider them excelllent. Now, if the NEW pair goes weird, THEN I would have to re-evaluate.UPDATE 6-3-23: New pair are working as they should no connection issues or on/off bttun problems.UPDATE 2-16-24: Still working perfectly and I use them nearly every night to sleep.

   393 people found this helpful

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Fresh and Felicia – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   UNBELIEVABLE carbon fiber sound quality, improved ANC with 2 processors and 8 improved mics

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   I own Sony’s WH-1000 XM4s and the Bose 700s, two of the leading models in the industry. I had AirPods Max for a minute, but I rage-sold them. To me, the Sony and Bose are both awesome headsets. So I was psyched to hear Sony was releasing XM5s. Summer’s here, and these can get a little hot on hot days outdoors. It’s like wearing earmuffs on the beach. But, if you can get past a little sweaty ears, or if you use them indoors or on airplanes, you should be a little excited.The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones feature, what Sony advertises, “industry-leading noise cancellation.” And they ain’t lyin. With Bluetooth 5.2 and Sony’s QN1 and V1 chips, the XM5s have DUAL processors – compared to the lonely single processor of the XM4. These two processors control 8 microphones for crazy accurate noise cancellation. Think – a little computer actually sampling noise from fans, airplane engines, air conditioners, motors, and consistent noise like that – and creates an identical but perfect opposite wave, so they kinda cancel each other out. And this time, the dual processors are capable of filtering higher frequency sounds, including some voices. It’s pretty cool tech. The first time you hear this, it’s like magic! In my video review, you can see my personal reaction.With the XM5s, noise canceling is automatically optimized based on your wearing conditions and environment. You don’t have to do anything. It knows if you’re sitting, walking, in an airplane, et cetera.No, noise reduction probably won’t completely cancel a very loud angry spouse, or a crying baby. But the over the ear closed design may help dull annoying sounds.A very small cadre of people claim they become nauseous using noise cancelling headphones, and especially the old model XM4s. I’ve never experienced this personally, but be aware it could happen. You can disable it if you need to. Some people thought the WH-1000XM4s were too snug. I thought they felt great, but they’ve improved the fit with a new lightweight design with soft-fit leather. This material fits snugly but with less pressure on your ears while still keeping out the external sounds you don’t want to hear.There were a few other design changes – the XM5s aren’t foldable like the XM4s, and there’s a redesigned case that’s collapsible to save room in your bag when you’re wearing your headphones.With up to 30 hours of battery life, you’ll have enough power to travel halfway to the moon in one of Elon Musk’s rockets. But, in case you forgot to charge and you’re in a hurry, you can get 3 hours’ worth of charge after just 3 minutes with an optional AC adapter.And unfortunately, the in-flight plug adapter is not included in the supplied accessories this time. But who uses that anyway? That’s so old school! Fortunately, there still is an aux-in for you old-school holdouts.The touch controls survived, where you can pause/play/skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls. And the speak to chat lives also, where as soon as you start a conversation, Speak-to-Chat automatically stops your music and lets in ambient sound. And wear detection knows when you take them off.But – how do they sound?Sony has popped new, more rigid, 30mm carbon fiber drivers in the XM5s. They have more of an audiophile sound profile with slightly more balanced sound, better clarity, and more accurate bass. That’s important if you listen to real music, you know, with actual instruments, like rock, jazz, r and b, country, classical, and music like that. The XM4s have 40mm drivers, which will probably be better for hip-hop. The XM5s will reproduce hip-hop very accurately, meaning the way the studio producer intended you to hear it, but they probably won’t have the head-vibrating tinnitus-inducing bass many people want. TBH that’s hard to find in any headphone due to physics.The XM5s support LDAC and spatial 3D audio, whatever that is, and they have also upgraded their Sony Music Studios Edge-AI music algorithm, which somehow magically guesses what musical dynamics were lost during compression and tries to replace that, so everything sounds crisp and clean without losing the bass that’s necessary in most of today’s popular music.I have heard some folks claimed the MX4s sounded “muddy” with some music. I didn’t notice that, but I’m a producer and I’m familiar with equalization. There are about 20 presets including several you can create yourself.And even without the Qualcomm APTX Low Latency chip, both my XM4s and XM5s allowed me to watch a complete movie on Netflix on my 2022 Samsung Frame television, wirelessly, from 10-plus feet away, with ZERO loss in mouth synchronization. Plus, like my XM4s, the XM5s still have dual Bluetooth pairing so you can pair them with two devices at the same time and switch back and forth between them. It’s a pretty cool feature if you use them for your phone, but also want to use them to watch YouTube videos at work on your computer. But, you probably shouldn’t tell your boss about that.And the XM5s work with Google Assist, Alexa, and Siri. You can even set up Spotify playback with a few taps. Try that on your Air Pods Max.The big win seems to be a vast improvement in the sound of your voice during phone calls quality. They’re actually impressive when it comes to calling in louder rooms. I’ve made test calls on busy streets and on windy sidewalks, and my call-ee said she couldn’t tell I was actually outdoors. Apparently, the four beam-forming microphones and the dual-processor software can recognize your voice and somehow block a lot of background noise. I mean, you can still probably hear tire screeches, gunshots, and car alarms, things you’ll typically hear in the city. But a lot of the noise is just gone. Like magic!Oh – and there’s Speak to Chat. You start speaking, and the XM5s automatically adjust noise cancellation to pick up the voices of other people. No buttons, no fumbling with your phone. That’s a pretty cool feature.So are they worth the upgrade? If you have XM4s and you think your call quality is shaky, then grab some XM5s and sell your sweaty old XM4s on Craigslist. If you’re moving from Bose’s Noise Canceling 700 or QuietComfort 45s, the new dual processors and 8 microphone array will provide some noticeable improvements, plus the dual Bluetooth sync, so they’re probably worth looking into. If you’re done with your Air Pods Max and prefer better compatibility with non-Apple stuff including android phones, PCs, and Sony or Samsung Smart TVs, it’s a no-brainer.

   1,318 people found this helpful

4. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Kyle Zdunski – March 10, 2024

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   Great ANC, Passthrough, and Audio Quality, but less comfortable and missing previous features

   I’m no audiophile, just a bit more picky than most people, but you can find resources online with exact specifications about the audio quality. They’re certainly the best sounding headphones I’ve ever gotten.I own both the previous models, the WH-1000XM3 & XM4, and the quality of the sound, noise cancelling, and passthrough mode has gotten better with each iteration. The passthrough on these compared to the XM4’s now feels lile night and day, as these allow me to hear my surroundings far better.However, I have had a few small issues with these. The redesign of the headphone strap looks and feels more modern with a higher build quality than the previous versions, and they’re slightly lighter, but they’re a bit more uncomfortable to wear for long periods. The strap is thinner, so the pressure on the top of my head is spread out over a smaller area, which begins to hurt after a couple hours if I don’t wear a hat or hood to spread out the weight a bit. This is also somewhat avoidable by simply adjusting their position on my head every once in a while.One advantage these have over previous models is the ability to seamlessly switch between two connected devices, but this has it’s issues. I use a Samsung phone and a Windows PC, so results may vary, but often the computer will just take control of the headphones despite not playing anything. For example, I double tap the right ear cup to pause something playing on my phone, then a few seconds later, do the same to resume it. For some reason, the headphones often decide to switch control to the computer during that brief pause window, resuming whatever was playing on it, or just doing nothing at all if nothing was playing. This happens even if all the audio on the PC is muted, no programs are open, and no media is or was playing.The XM4’s had a handy solution for switching devices: NFC. I could hold my phone up to the headphones to quickly connect & disconnect it, making switching between devices quick even though only one could be connected at a time. I always knew which device the headphones were currently controlling. However, much to my surprise, the XM5’s completely lack any NFC functionality. This would be fine, if connecting to two devices at once didn’t have this issue. It’s not a dealbreaker, though, as I just have to remember to disconnect them from my PC when I get up, or spend a few extra seconds getting my phone out of my pocket every time I want to resume something I was listening to.If you get these, here’s a tip: don’t clip your nails in passthrough mode. Something about the sound of clipping nails causes the passthrough mode to make a loud, high-frequency noise and shut off for about a second. This also happens for some other loud sounds, but clipping nails consistently causes it.In conclusion, I do believe that the XM5’s were a worthy upgrade for me from the 4’s. The improvements in noise cancellation are a godsend when there’s constant noise around the house, which is all the time. I do wish there were an option to turn off the weird adjustments the ANC makes sometimes to try to adapt to the environment, as occasionally it will try to adjust each ear individually, resulting in a weird pressure sensation in my head due to the uneven audio cancelling.

   9 people found this helpful

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Richard HuynhRichard Huynh – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Sony never disappoints!

   I thoroughly enjoy what Sony has to offer in their product line. I have the PlayStation 5, a Sony Bravia 4K TV and several other Sony products. Yes although I have owned a few of their product line I will not try to be biased here with the review. What got me into Sony products was really their earphones dating back to 2011! They have the best earphones you could get for $20 back at the time in 2011 and now the quality they still continue to put out never disappoints! Here’s the pros and cons of the Sony WH-1000XM5.Update: I also picked up the XM4 Earbuds from Sony and take note that those are on a different level for listening to music compared to the XM5 Over the Ear headphones. Shares the same features like the XM5, not the same sound like over the ear obviously but also more marketed to those who goes to the gym and likes something more compact.Pros:Comfortable and lightweight!I don’t ever have a complaint with what they have to offer when it comes to comfort. These are better than BOSE in regards as to comfort. I think the one thing that makes them comfortable also is that they are light. They weigh only about 0.56 pounds! People tend to have problems with headphones if they are heavy in my opinion! I also assume they use a low density memory foam for cushioning which is great but will eventually need to be replaced or tended to if left compressed or squished for too long.Unique featuresNoise Cancelling is top notch but not much different than their previous lines in my opinion! It is a standard these days to get noise cancelling and the headphones are great for drowning out noise if need be. They also tend to those who need to be aware of their surroundings by implementing a ambient mode like previous models. Works great and works like a charm by either taking the headphones off or covering the touch control panel. Also the Speak to Pause Music feature is insanely nice to have! Helps when your hands are busy and or you just don’t want to adjust your headphones having to speak.Superb sound!The sound quality out of these are amazing! Does really well in all areas of music genres. Particularly really in low frequencies for bass! I get to enjoy these at a great volume and it pairs amazingly with my PS5 as a gaming headset! (Will mention the headphones does not come with a microphone for gaming when using a headphone jack.) As a pair of noise cancelling headphones, you can expect to hear a positively good detail in music, movies, gaming or even a phone call! They are clear and surprisingly really balanced. The microphone on these headphones for phone calls are great. Better than the previous versions.Fast charging!The charging rate of these headphones is incredible! I never knew how fast charging can be with this! There’s times I have left this powered on overnight as I’m at work for my 10 hour job and it was drained by the time I wanted to use it again. In those times I left it charging and goodness greatness these were ready to go in a about 10-15 minutes! I enjoy these so much that I’m actually glad they have a 24-30 hour battery life.Cons:Cost.Its expensive! If you can get these on sale, it’s worthwhile! If it’s in your budget go for it! You pay for what you get in my opinion and these are worth their weight in gold!Fitment.They don’t exactly fit around my short wide neck whenever I need to take it off and be present in a conversation or in my surroundings. Not exactly a big matter or deal breaker. More so it’s a personal perspective. My neck size is 15 ¾ inches in circumference and that’s pretty average I believe. I have to extend these in order to keep them around my neck without compromise. They also do not fold inward like the previous Sony headphone models but again never a issue.Cushion. Yes the ear cup cushions are comfortable but again when I place them around my neck it compresses the cushion to a point where it feels awkward after putting it back on. I’m looking at other options to replace their soft fit leather design.Update: There is different earcups that you can replace the OEM cups with but it comes at a cost of I believe $60 which is worth noting.Conclusion.Worthiness of $350+ (price as of 12/07/2022) during the holidays? Yes!Personal opinionated review:Sony WH-1000XM5 or other leading competition? Sony, easily Sony. I’ve never been unhappy about this purchase and I tell people that Sony is industrial leading company that continues to impress people when it comes to their headphones. Beats by Dre(Apple), Apple and Bose has always been great by popularity but Sony gets appraised by quality!I will update this review as I go until they put a new model out.

   186 people found this helpful

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   top quality, top performance.

   long battery life, very good noice cancellation (better than Bose 700 that we also have in the house) , sound quality is excellent for most media. may not have as much low-end bass as other options, so if most of your music is heavy bass you might consider an alternative. controls were a bit less intuitive than Bose at first, but once you have the hang of it they work great. good for large and small heads. not has heavy as some wireless competitors. recharges quickly. well made.

   9 people found this helpful

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Oscar Berrios – March 10, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Great upgrade from previous version!

   The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are the latest flagship noise-canceling headphones from Sony. They feature a new design, improved noise cancellation, and better sound quality than their predecessors.**Design**The WH-1000XM5 have a new sleeker design than the WH-1000XM4. The earcups are slightly smaller and the headband is more comfortable. The headphones also have a new touch-sensitive panel on the right earcup for controlling music playback and volume.**Noise cancellation**The WH-1000XM5 have the best noise cancellation of any headphones on the market. They use eight microphones and two processors to cancel out a wider range of noise than ever before. I was able to wear the headphones on a flight and barely hear the engine noise.**Sound quality**The WH-1000XM5 also have excellent sound quality. They support Hi-Res Audio and have a new driver that delivers deeper bass and clearer highs. I found the sound to be very well-balanced and enjoyable.**Other features**The WH-1000XM5 also have a number of other features, including:* Adaptive Sound Control: Automatically adjusts the noise cancellation and ambient sound settings based on your environment.* Speak-to-Chat: Pauses music playback and enables ambient sound when you start speaking.* Fast Pair: Quickly pairs the headphones with your Android devices.* Multipoint pairing: Connects the headphones to two devices at the same time.**Overall**The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are the best noise-canceling headphones on the market. They offer excellent sound quality, adaptive noise cancellation, and a comfortable design. If you’re looking for the best possible noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM5 are the best choice.**Pros:*** Best-in-class noise cancellation* Excellent sound quality* Comfortable design* Adaptive Sound Control* Speak-to-Chat* Fast Pair* Multipoint pairing**Cons:*** Expensive* Touch controls can be finicky*doesn’t fold in**Recommendation:**If you’re looking for the best possible noise-canceling headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best choice. They offer excellent sound quality, adaptive noise cancellation, and a comfortable design. However, they are expensive and the touch controls can be finicky. If you’re on a budget or don’t need the best possible noise cancellation, there are other good options available.

   18 people found this helpful

8. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   Jacob A. – March 10, 2024

   4.0 out of 5 stars

   Decent pair of headphones, but stay away if you need good sound quality.

   For reference, used these for a couple of weeks before ultimately selling them. I found the ANC to be exemplary, and honestly the XM5’s look amazing (in my opinion). Can’t comment on the mic quality since I never used it, but I imagine it’s quite good. Comfort was a bit of a mixed bag, it was in theory very good, but the narrow headband caused some discomfort after a while of listening! Now, onto the reasons I sold them: the sound quality is mediocre and said discomfort was annoying. Now, don’t get me wrong: they would probably sound decent to most people. But upon unboxing them, setting them up, and spinning up Spotify, I felt my heart sink. The bass is very boomy and overemphasized, with little sense of control, and the vocals were garbled into oblivion. Overall the sound just felt incredibly unbalanced and unsophisticated, kind of like it was playing underwater. Now, obviously take it with a grain of salt: the sound is probably fine – it’s not like it’s unlistenable. I instead bought the Sennheiser’s HD 560S and couldn’t be happier. So TL;DR: Probably fine for most people. ANC is good, design is futuristic, comfort is decent. But if you really enjoy listening to music and appreciate it’s beaty, you should definitely look somewhere else since the sound clearly wasn’t tuned for and doesn’t even come close to HiFi or audiophile level.

   11 people found this helpful

9. 

   Rated 2 out of 5

   GarthVader – March 10, 2024

   2.0 out of 5 stars

   These had so much potential…

   There’s A LOT to love about the Sony WH-1000XM5. I really wanted to write a rave review on them. Unfortunately I’ve also had a series of horrible problems that make them impossible to recommend.I’ll start with the good. 1) These have the best ANC (active noise cancellation) on the consumer market right now. I also have Airpods Max and have compared with a freind’s top of the line Bose QC Ultra. These put both to shame when it comes to ANC. It’s incredible. Like so good it’s almost dangerous…. I kinda worry I wouldn’t hear a fire alarm going off while listening to music with these lol. I should note though, that to get this ANC performance you have to make sure there’s nothing between the earpads and your head, like a hat or bunched up hair. My metal framed glasses don’t make a difference, but my chunkier plastic frames let a bit more noise through 2) The battery life is amazing. I’ve been getting 24-28 hours of use with ANC on for each charge. They also charge fast – for me it’s typically 45 minutes to go from zero to fully charged. For fast charging you do need a quality USB-C cable (I use Anker cables – they’re excellent and very affordable). When I used a cheap crappy cable it took over 2 hours. 3) They’re incredibly light-weight and very comfortable. I almost forget I’m wearing them. The ergonomics make them feel like they’re custom made for my head and the ear pads and head band are the softest I’ve ever felt on headphones. The build is pretty plasticky, but they still feel well made / durable… and I think it’s worth it for the weight reduction it allows. 4) Like any Bluetooth noise canceling headphones you’re not getting hi-fi audio quality, but its better than most other bluetooth headphones. It’s not as good as Airpods Max, but better than Bose and any of the cheaper bluetooth headphones I’ve tried. The most notable weakness is some muddiness in the lower frequencies, in my experience. 5) The case it comes with is awesome. It’s a bit bulky, but it keeps the headphones very well protected and has a small compartment that you can keep a charging cable or 3.5mm audio cable in (which you can use for a wired connection if the battery dies, if the device you’re using has a headphone jack). It’s also very nice aesthetically. Overall the case puts Apple’s Airpods Max case to absolute shame – that one barely covers half of the headphones, so it’s worthless for protection. I’d honestly throw it away, but Apple is a dick and decided to make it so the headphones are always on and using battery unless you put them in their crappy case. 6) If you download the mobile app, there are tons of options to customize your experience. You can change the EQ, turn speak-to-chat on/off (disables ANC when it detects you’re speaking to someone), choose your priority between sound quality vs. stable bluetooth connection, allow to connect to 2 devices simultaneously, integrate Siri or Amazon Alexa, customize controls, and a bunch of other things.Okay, now the problems. 1) A week after I bought them the speaker in the right ear started randomly making a loud buzzing/popping noise periodically. It’s not all the time, but pretty frequent and very annoying. It happens for about 30 seconds a few times every hour of use. Sony claims it happens in places where ultrasonic waves are used to eliminate rodents and suggests you turn off ANC to prevent it… which is aggravating. ANC is the only thing that makes these worth such a high price tag and Sony is the only brand with that problem. Also, I’m 90% sure their explanation doesn’t even apply to my environment. 2) Just two weeks after I bought them the touch controls started FREAKING OUT, detecting gestures when I wasn’t even touching them. It rapidly flips between playing and pausing my music, skip songs, flip between enabling/disabling voice-to-chat, etc. all on its own, making them entirely unusable when that happens. It happens every hour or two, and once it starts it continues until I turn them off and back on. When I contacted Sony about this, they advised me to just disable gesture controls in the app. That prevents it from pausing or skipping my music, but it does not turn off the pinging sound the headphones make when a a tap/gesture id detected, so you still hear rapid random pinging whenever it decides to bug out. SUPER annoying. 3) 4 weeks after I bought them they just turned off on their own suddenly 10 minutes after I finished charging them to 100% and would not turn back on. I tried a factory reset and they still wouldn’t turn on. after repeatedly trying to turn them on, they finally did… for a second, but shut down right after connecting them to my device. I figured they were completely busted, but when I tried again a few hours later they started working again and were fine for a few day… then it happened again. No idea what the deal is, but it’s happened 4 times now, so I need to send to Sony to see if they’ll fix them. Based on past experience trying to use Sony’s warranty for repairs on other products though, they’re probably going to send them right back and claim nothing is wrong because it didn’t happen during their 30-second inspection.To summarize, these are SO CLOSE to being the best wireless ANC headphones to buy right now IMO. I really love them when they work… whenever I have to use my much more expensive Airpods Max, they make me wish I were using the XM5s minus all the issues. When they work, I prefer almost everything about the XM5 over the airpods. Unfortunately they’re ruined by a few really bad problems. I would recommend getting the WH-1000XM4 instead. They have the same noise cancelling performance and most of the other great qualities and haven’t been plagued with bugs. They’re slightly less comfortable, but the tighter fit makes them more secure, which can be a benefit for people who want to wear them while working out.

   22 people found this helpful

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    RyanRyan – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing Quality Headphones

    I’ve had these headphones (which I bought refurbished off Amazon) for almost a year now and they’re nothing short of phenomenal! Sony is really good at maintaining the application tied to the headphone user and the fact that I’ve recieved a number of helpful updates since buying these headphones has been great. I use these everyday for casual gaming, studying, and going to the gym. I recommend being cautious when using these when you’re sweating a lot at the gym due to the sensors having an affect on sweat. I’ve noticed that the detection system build into the headphones doesn’t necessarily work anymore due to how often I’ve sweated while wearing these headphones. One annoyance that I have is the “Speak to Chat Feature” which keeps turning on whenever I talk at the gym. It might just be my headphones in particular but even if I go into the app and manually select to turn this feature off, it some how keeps coming back and turns itself on again. This is frustrating when you’re in the middle of a set while exercising and then all of asudden the headphones pause the music and ambient mode is turned on. Regardless, amazing headphones and I’d recommend them for anyone. I was hesitant to buy these initially due to everyone stating they do not hold up well in the gym but they still function well enough for my liking!In the second photo I posted, you can see the slight stain marks caused by usage in the gym. If you want to avoid this, getting the black colored headphones might be recommended. However, I have been able to clean these stains out with a cleaning wipe. Plus, these headphones don’t leave finger prints on the headphones which I know first hand that the black ones do (which was annoying hence why I got the white ones).

11. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    b – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Headphones are Mediocre

    *Disclaimer: I bought mine used “like new” or “very good”I bought these because they’re rated one of the best headphones on the market, I HIGHLY disagree. Are they bad headphones? No. Are they worth the money? No, not even on sale lol. I returned mine and bought the Sony WH-1000XM4, and here’s why:**Noise Cancellation (6/10): This feature was ok at best. The Apple AirPods Max are still top of the line for noise cancellation – I hear nothing when I wear them. With the Sony WH-1000XM5, I can still hear a lot of sounds around me. I’d say it cuts out maybe 60-70% of noise. My biggest issue here was that the noise cancellation would turn off randomly – so I would have to manually turn on/off the noise cancellation and ambient noise, which was just irritating.**Sound Quality (7/10): Sound quality was fine, it was nothing exceptional. The first day I received them, something really weird happened and the sound went completely muffled – like I was underwater. I looked up the issue and there have been similar issues for other customers who bought these headphones. The sounds went back to normal the next day, but I was already skeptical about their performance.**Comfort (9/10): I think they were really comfortable. I wear plastic framed glasses, so headphones that work with them can be a mission. The Apple AirPods Max do not work with my glasses at all, they pinch my frames and move them around – I need to wear contacts with them. With the Sony WH-1000XM5, this really isn’t an issue. I needed to adjust my glasses every once in a while, but maybe once in like 3 hours. I think they’re one of the best fitting headphones for people with glasses. Also, when I went to adjust the headband portion to make them shorter/tighter, they would slip – they just would not stay adjusted to where I needed them (this could be because I bought them slightly used, so it could have just been from previous wear – but still an issue if they become loose over time).**Product Quality (6/10): The headphones themselves are cheap plastic and just feel flimsy. For almost $400, you would expect them to feel a little better or more sturdy. I was constantly worried I was going to break them. The case is nice and hard, and I personally think they store nicely and are easy to travel around with. I bought the beige ones (again, I bought them slightly used), but the case was dirty and it stains easily since it’s made of cloth material. The foam on the ear part is very soft, so it’s kind of just your preference there. I think they felt a little cheap, but I also think that they added to the comfort.**Battery Life (9/10): The battery life is fine, they last pretty long. I’m studying for the Bar right now, so I used them for about 10 hours a day. They would last like a little over 10 hours for me before needing to be charged, and charging only took max 3 hours.**Connectivity (5/10): I had huge problems with connecting them to my Mac, I have no clue why. But, just so everyone knows, you need to download the app (Sony Connect) to connect it to your phone and your other devices. They just weren’t discoverable on my Mac. I restarted my laptop and the the headphones, downloaded the app, connected them to my iPhone, updated my Mac, etc. It took me like 2 hours to get them connected to my laptop. I’m not sure if I am just technologically challenged or if they just aren’t compatible with Apple products, but this process alone made me feel rage that I never thought I would feel.**Aesthetic (7/10): The headphones looked ok on. The ear part was kinda too clunky for my liking. They stick out a little more than other headphones, so I kind of felt like a bear when I wore them.**Overall (7.5/10): I think the headphones are meh. I just wasn’t impressed for headphones that are rated sooooo highly in every article online. I did a lot of research and was torn between Sony WH-1000XM5, Sony WH-1000XM4, and the Bose QuietComfort 45. I decided against the Bose only because you cannot turn on/off the noise cancellation with buttons. So between the XM4 and XM5, I picked the XM5 because they were rated so well in online articles, I liked the look of them more (from pictures), and I figured I would just get the most up-to-date model. I returned them mainly because of the connectivity problems, noise cancellation, and sound quality. I just don’t think they’re worth the money, especially retail price. I just got the Sony WH-1000XM4 and they are SO MUCH BETTER. The sound/product quality, noise cancellation, connectivity, etc.Final Thoughts: If you want top of the line headphones and have the money to spend, get the Apple Airpods Max. If you want great headphones for a better price, Sony WH-1000XM4. The Bose are apparently SUPER comparable to the Sony WH-1000XM4 and are cheaper in price too. So, if having buttons to turn on/off noise cancellation is irrelevant to you, then get the Bose QuietComfort 45.The end.

    71 people found this helpful

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Elias Sayegh – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Best handphones I ever had

    I am a big fan of Sony headphones. I previously had the first generation of Sony noise cancellation headphones (Sony WH-1000XM1) and it still works great. I upgraded to this one (Sony WH-1000XM5) and it was a worthy decision. While others might negatively comment on Sony’s design change (not foldable) I am perfectly fine with it. I heavily use these headphones at work for meetings and calls and in other places such as coffee shops or during travels in airplanes. I heavily recommend these headphones.

13. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    kcdkcd – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Not bad, but I expected a little better if I’m honest.

    I’m a hobbyist musician and sound engineer of 20 years and also mild audiophile that builds my own speakers. I like to think I know a little bit about sound and what it takes to reproduce sound, but the tricky thing with headphones is that everybody’s’ ears are different. Like, they’re physically slightly different which makes every single person hear the exact same sound slightly different, but there’s also our individual listening preferences too, so keep that in mind as you read this review. Personally, I prefer smooth, balanced, and LOW bass (down to 20Hz), but NOT boomy bass. I also like some sparkle in the highs (8k+).Initial impressions upon arrival and setup:- The packaging looks like it’s a cheap recycled cardboard of some sort. Obviously doesn’t affect the headphone’s performance.- The zipable case the headphones live in also seem kinda cheap and flimsy. Again, it doesn’t affect the headphone’s performance.- Accessories are fairly light as it only comes with a stubby little 8″ long (seriously) USB charging cable (not even a wall adapter, just USB A to USB C) and a generic 1/8″ stereo headphone cable if you want to physically plug them into a headphone jack.- The app was easy to download, install, and update. It did require making a Sony account though, so points off for that.- Pairing the headphones to my phone and also my computer was quick and seamless. I did have to restart my computer to get Windows to send audio over the bluetooth connection, but that was an issue with Windows and not the headphones.- The headphones themselves feel of good quality and are super comfy for my average sized head.- The EQ you set in the app does persist when you connect to a different sound source. For example, the EQ curve I set on my phone was not active when I then paired the headphones to my laptop and listened to the same track.- Really needs more than 6 EQ points. Sony, you can do better than just 5 predefined sliders and a bass slider (basically 6 sliders, so IDK why the bass is separate from the rest).Listening impressions:- Best sounding headset I’ve purchased to date and sound MILES better than my Sennheiser HD 596 (but to be fair, those sounded ridiculously unnatural and just all-around terrible).- Plenty of “thump” by default, but definitely dropping off significantly below 50Hz or so, which is exactly what I like to have present in my mix. You can see I’ve put a HUGE boost in the low lows on my EQ curve to make things like low synths, bass drops, and sub-harmonics sound even with the rest of the sound stage. Even still, the sub-bass that is there still sounds a bit thin and artificial like they’re using some processing trickery to make it sound like it’s playing lower than it is (there are a few ways to do this, but they’re never as authentic as just reproducing the frequency properly).- Little bit “dark” sounding, so a slight bump in the high mids as well as a 10k+ shelf bump really helped brighten up the sound stage.- Imaging is ok but definitely not spectacular. It’s only got a single 30mm driver per ear, so that one driver is covering EVERYTHING from 20Hz to 40kHz. As such, it’s expected that imaging won’t be super detailed, so no surprise there. I was really hoping to see at least 2 drivers per ear. By contrast, my CCA C12 in-ear-monitors (IEM’s) that I use when playing on stage are about $50 and have 6 drivers PER EAR each playing a different frequency range. Needless to say, the imaging, and extension on those IEM’s is a LOT better than these headphones that cost 7x the price. Due to their small form factor, IEM’s can use armature drivers where ‘can’ style headphones like this can’t use armature drivers (not loud enough), but I would still like to see 2 dynamic drivers in these just to allow one driver to focus on the highs and the other to focus on the lows rather than having the one driver trying to play the whole shebang.- Minimal, but still present, “pressure” sensation when noise cancelling is on, but it’s not intrusive like a lot of other ANC headphones I’ve tried and effectively disappears when music is playing. Having a set of ANC headphones with “pressure” that grabs my attention is an absolute deal-breaker for me regardless of price point.Overall, these are going to be my go-to headphone for the office. They sound good enough (especially with some EQ), and are comfy enough, to have some background music playing for hours at a time while also cancelling out loud office talkers.

    231 people found this helpful

14. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Bast – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Smaller heads, folks with hair, and sensitive temples..read this

    First off, I havent had a chance to test all functionality yet. I am coming here in hopes of helping someone else out with their frustration.If you’re nervous about dropping the money, do it. The app (if you let it) will track your usage. Get them, set an alert for a day or two before the return period is up. Try them out and then check your usage when the alarm goes off. If you need/use headphones I almost guarantee youre going to find these worth it.RE: Small headsYour head might not be too small. I realized after two days of use I was fitting them more like traditional headphones and they were siting on one or two lobes very slightly.When you fit, and while you get used to putting them on, I suggest:- lengthening the headand (as app suggests)- ‘scooping’ your ears lobes up and inside the pads rather than under them at all- then gently fitting headbandOnce I started doing this my fit issues nearly dissappeared(hair..). Biggest issue now is the band material is not grippy at all and I have very smooth/slick hair, so it wiggles a bit. If I troubleshoot around this I will update.Of note and Re:Sensitive TemplesThese do not need to be as secure over all (other than having the suction over the ears) as you will not want these to get wet, period. These are not designed for exercise or heavy movement. They are sufficiently set for walking around or hanging out, this protects you from losing suction without significant pressure on your temples and keeps these super light headphones EXTREMELY comfortable. Which for someone like me that gets migraines with nearly ANY temple pressure has been… life changing.The suction aspect for proper noise cancelation is fairly fundamental. It’s an even bigger deal with these as they’ll adjust sound and I could see if suction was lost at an inopportune moment it could be…uncomfortable.RE: HairY’all, your hair is going to need to be out of the way. I have already noticed that one or two small strands will absolutely affect the seal. I won’t notice it immediately but when I move around or talk I’ll notice a sound change (almost like a varying level of wubba womp like entering a tunnel or in elevation changes) and at the corresponding ear I’ll find hair between my ear and headphones. If you experience this in one or both ears…check for anything preventing a seal! It’s annoying to navigate but as with adjusting the fit as above the more I do it, the easier it is to do upfront/as second nature.The app is fairly easy to navigate but has a small learning curve, nothing atronimical. The only other app ive used for headphones was Jabra about 2 years ago. Theyve likely updated since but compared to the 2020 Jabra app..this app is night and day better in terms of navigation and ease of use.So far my only con has been switching between my TV and my phone. This could be me, I think this may just be a learning curve I havent yet had time to solve. What it was doing: Paired to both. Switched to phone to do some Duolingo. For some reason any adjustment i made unpaused my TV and swapped where the sound was coming from. When I re-paused my TV I’d have to reselect my phone..and then it would do this again. So for now Im just leaving the TV unpaired. I mostly dont need this anyway but thought it might be nice for my neighbors late at night.Summation without even talking about its sound quality, noise cancelation and other functions (which are amazing):These headphones are worth the price tag for the lack of weight on my temples ALONE. Everything else is icing on the cake.If something changes I will absolutely return here to update.

    89 people found this helpful

15. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Abby – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Went back to my Bose 700s

    TL;DR: The sound is decent but not mind-blowing after you get the EQ dialed in. Before dialing in the EQ, they’re very average and even a little muddy; definitely not worth $400 imho. They also creak ENDLESSLY while wearing glasses (not necessarily the fault of Sony but it did happen, it did annoy me, and I did return it for that reason). They sound very compatible to Bose 700s. If you choose to buy these, absolutely wait until they’re $250 or less.About me: I am an amateur audiophile. I have 20 years experience being fussy about the sound that comes out of audio devices. It has to be at least good. I can’t stand it when you’re listening to something and it’s muddy or obfuscated or doesn’t give you the full sound because of inadequacies of the device. That being said, I don’t know all the audio-related terms or specs and I am not an audio engineer.I read a ton of reviews and watched a ton of YouTube videos (especially from This is Tech Today) about these headphones. I am a longtime Bose fan, starting with the QC 15s, then the 35s, 35iis, and now the 700s. I used the 700s for almost 2 years before I started itching to know what else was out there. I came across This is Tech Today’s multiple videos showcasing the sound of industry leading headphones, and I was horrified by how flat and awful the Bose sounded. Clearly I was missing out on a LOT.Price and feel—-I bought these Sony XM5s at full price (long story, don’t recommend it). My first impression after receiving them is that they certainly didn’t feel like $400 headphones. MAYBE $200, but that’s a tough maybe. The material is very light and eco-plasticky. They feel like that plastic that’s designed to be biodegradable (I don’t know if they are; that’s just what it feels like). I was prepared for that based on others’ reviews, so I didn’t hold that against them initially.Comfort—-When I first put them on, they were comfortable enough. After long wear sessions with my Bose 700s, I found the band to be a little uncomfortable on the very top of my head and I was worried these would be similar with the same form factor, but they’re light enough that they are comfortable for long periods.Sound—-At first, the sound was disappointing. Like all of you, I have certain songs I use to test sound from various devices and this was not giving me the full effect of these songs. I went to the internet for some EQ recommendations specific to the XM5s and this made a HUGE difference. They sounded pretty good.I no longer had my Bose 700s at this point (sold them to purchase these because I’m not made of money), but I used my partner’s Bose QC35ii to test against. I didn’t realize this until I went to test, but the Bose 35ii don’t have an EQ setting in the Bose app. You get what you get. And what I got sounded VERY comparable to the EQ-adjusted XM5s. I spent a solid hour listening to the same test songs over and over with both, and while the Sonys come out just a little bit ahead, it’s not a difference you’re going to notice if you aren’t directly comparing the two side by side. I wouldn’t even miss it knowing about the difference if I had to use the QC35ii.Sony app—-This app looks like it’s from 2005. It’s a little painful to use. I could learn to live with it, and it does what you need it to do, but it certainly isn’t an easy or enjoyable app to use as of June 2023.The creaking—-This is what did it for me. I wear glasses. I also wear headphones/a headset for 8 hours a day for work, and then another few hours for gaming in the evening. Without glasses, these creaked ever so slightly once in a great while. They’re made of plastic so it’s going to happen, and I could live with that. However, once I put on my glasses, the cushions against my frames creaked when I breathed. Or blinked. And if I turned my head, good lord the creaking. It was all I could hear, even while listening to music at inadvisably loud volumes.The verdict—-I returned these and re-purchased the Bose 700s and I couldn’t be happier.Again, I’m no audio engineer. I’m not claiming to be. But for me and my use cases, and my personal opinion on the value for money, I’m giving my money to Bose. I get more for less.

    41 people found this helpful

16. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Mike – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Surpassed expectations! Excellent for noisy apartments

    These headphones are a life saver! I live in a noisy apartment. My neighbors below me feel the need to blast their home theater stereos at all times of the day and night, and I wasn’t expecting much from noise cancelling headphones considering how obnoxious the noise is, but on a whim I gave these a try.It’s been a few days and I can confidently say that these Sony headphones work wonders! They are fairly lightweight, and they sit comfortably on my head for hours on end. The cups are soft enough so your ears don’t feel squashed, and at the same time they do allow for decent breathability. This means my ears don’t get hot after extended use, which was a common issue I had with headphones in the past. The headband is relatively comfortable as well; it doesn’t dig into your skull once you figure out a good position for the headphones, though it might take a few tries to find that sweet spot.Sound-wise, again these headphones are top-notch. I’m no audiophile by any means, but they sound fantastic when listening to music or taking calls. The noise cancellation features work practically flawlessly. Even when my neighbors are making noise, the headphones cancel all of that out and reduce it at best to total silence, or (rarely) at worst, a very faint mumble. I noticed this tends to work even better when you have music playing, even at a low volume, in which case outside noise is completely negated. I also wear glasses so there is a small gap in the fabric of the cup which tends to let a tiny bit of noise in, but again it’s barely noticeable especially when I’m listening to music.The volume controls on the cups are convenient especially when you’re not by your computer or phone. Double tap on the cup to pause or resume audio, and swipe up/down to adjust volume. The microphone is fine; I haven’t heard any complaints from others when I’m speaking during a call. Overall the connection quality to my computer is stable even with the unusual amount of Bluetooth interference in my apartment building.In short I highly recommend these headphones. They are a bit on the pricey side, however in my opinion it’s money well spent if you’re looking for some peace and quiet with a solid audio quality.

    35 people found this helpful

17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jeremy C – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great all-around headphones

    These headphones to everything I want them to do. They sound great, have great battery life, and easy to use touch controls.The noise cancellation could be slightly better, but nothing is perfect. Down the road, I also worry a bit about the matte rubberized coating coming off like it tends to do on plastic products over time, but for now, these are great.The included case is a bonus. Makes them far less prone to damage when travelling.

18. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Corey – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great headphones let down by poor touchpad

    Sound quality and noise cancelling are exceptional. Only problem is the touch pad starts registering ghost inputs, and has to be disabled. I have had this happen on 2 different units. It worked great before it went wrong. It’s still usable with external controls but a real bummer to lose headset controls.

19. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Perfect for noise cancellation, problems connecting with Teams chat

    I bought this headset to replace a pair of Bose QC 35 ii I had previously used at work, as the bluetooth kept failing and the sound was starting to have issues.I’ve owned the Sony headphones now since the end of Nov 2023, which feels like a decent enough time to give a well informed review of the product.Pros: Excellent noise cancellation. The location based customization is fun, but ultimately when I’m wearing these I’m at work and pretty much just need as much noise cancelled out as possible to avoid distractions. The music quality is also nice, though my main concern for headphones was to be able to focus in a noisy office setting.Cons: This headphone has issues working with teams video calls and zoom. I’ve looked through tutorials and troubleshooting to fix the settings, but I’m having to fix the settings before EACH call to make it work. I would suggest either getting a separate headset for those video calls, or consider another option for headphones. This was never an issue I experienced with the Bose.The headphone case it came in is nice, but I had problems with the zipper immediately. It’s been incredibly frustrating having to struggle with a faulty zipper just to get my headphones out so I can start my day. I’ve already had to undo part of the seam to reset the zipper twice, and will likely just replace the case or attach some velcro to keep the case closed. I have a hybrid work schedule, so having a semi hard case to protect the headphones matters to me.In sum, if your main concern is noise cancellation and you have infrequent video calls, I would strongly recommend this product. Otherwise, there are likely better options on the market.

    One person found this helpful

20. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Alex – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    The MX5s are not perfect but I am still happy with my purchase.

    The MX5s are not perfect but I am still happy with my purchase.I originally owned a pair of Bose 700 so my comparison is against them.BuildThe build of the MX5 is on par with the 700s. They have a matte finish which feels nice and grippy to the touch. The buttons have a nice feed back when pushing them. Compared to the 700s the feedback is night and day. For the 700s I would often think that I was hitting the button because it had such lite feedback with a squishy feel.The weight of the MX5 seems to be just a bit lighter than the 700s which I count as a positive because 700s relied more on the headband to carry the weight of the headphones versus clamping force against the ear cups. The MX5s have slightly lighter clamping force on the ear cups but not too little that they feel like they will fall off. They are a great balance of clamping force and weight that neither the headband nor the clamp force feel like they are carrying the full load. The lighter weight and balanced clamping force make them very nice to wear for long stretches while working. Compared to the 700s I would often start feeling fatigue on my head where the headband would sit because all the weight was supported across it.The ear cups are also a bit wider on the MX5 but a bit shallower when compared to the 700s. I have ears that stick out a bit more so with the 700s the extra room is welcome. The shallower MX5 do fatigue my ears after a while of wearing them but this was after a full day of wearing them.The headband adjustment is a bit sticky for my taste. It’s a bit difficult to adjust the MX5s because the fulcrum point get the leverage to adjust them sits much higher along the headband compared to the 700s which I can easily adjust with one hand if needed. However, its the 700s would also lose the adjustment very easily compared to the MX5s when moving around because they rubbed against a headrest.Noise CancellingI won’t focus on the sound quality because I am not an audiophile. However, the noise cancelling is fantastic. I would consider them to be a step above the 700s.Extra SettingsThe app gives you a ton of settings to play around with. The main things I find to be better than the 700s is that the MX5s bluetooth is much better. I live near a rather large radio antenna so interference with wireless signals is extremely high. Walking in the other room my 700s would start breaking and stuttering teh signal before disconnecting. The antenna for the MX5s must be better because I can go a bit give or take an additional 5-10 feet. Also when using connecting to 2 sources the switching is seemless. Once sounds stops on one device the second device starts playing right away. My 700s sometimes would refuse to switch and be stuck on one source until I would restart the device or manually disconnect one source.The app also lets you assign the noise cancellation double a triple tap actions to start a directly interact with a service like spotify. Actually only spotify. I wish the button customization would be opened up to other actions since I don’t use spotify its a dead feature for me. The same button can also turn off/on noise cancelling but rather the headphones given a verbal sentence like “Noise Cancelling 5” to let me that I am in ambient sound mode. I need to learn the sound of 3 different tones. The 700s would do and I miss that feature and they would also let you customize the noise cancelling levels that you could cycle through. I’d like to be optimistic and say that sony can adjust these features later but they don’t appear to be in the habit of adding features to the app. I also own a pair of the XM4s which are the in noise canceling headphones and I haven’t notice anything new in the app since I got them.

    29 people found this helpful

21. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    FD – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Over valued headset – great, but not cheap – Extremely bad volume/pairing control

    This is another great product from Sony. However is over priced.It has great sound, good noise cancellation and amazing battery life.The downsides:Extremely expensive (the performance does not justify the price).Noise cancellation: if you take the headset off for a seconds, the noise cancellation functions goes away… crazy setting! you need to switch off and on again. Very annoying.Volume control: Sony decided to play Star Wars and removed the volume at all! same with any other switch that previous headset had… so now you only have a power-on switch, that it is! and to pair and control the volume I have the following word for you: GOOD LUCK!The volume works with sliding you finger up or down. If you want to pause to tap twice. But hold on there, that you need to tap in the right spot, otherwise does not work (you might find yourself tapping your headset while walking, and it is hard to aim for the same spot!). The same with volume up and down. For some design reasons, the volume works in phases, so if you want to lower fully, you cannot, you are only able to lower bit by bit, repeating the action several times to get to the right volume. It is ridiculous. Takes a hell of a time and keep you busy with the device instead of enjoying your music/sound.The issue is very similar than the smart watches that has digital (virtual) control over functions, instead of having a wheel that you can operate with your fingers any time, including while wearing gloves. If you have your hand wet or you are on the move, it is basically impossible to operate the device. The mechanical wheel is the answer. The same with this headset: why the hell Sony removed the volume and pairing buttons? I wont buy the next generation of headset if they carry on this way.The device (headset) has been thought in a engineering environment, by engineers, not users. So it works precisely as the engineers defined, under the perfect conditions BUT life of the user is different. Try to volume up while entering a plane and having to carry your hand suitcase: impossible. Try to pair quickly with your rental car while on the go: impossible. The Sony headsets are a good piece of engineering but has huge challenges. My advise is to buy something alternative and not to spent so huge amount of money for a product that aim to re-invent the headset. Previous Sony headset did the job, was so hard to just improve on the comfort, the battery life and noise cancellation without the need of removing all switches in this new model? Avoid this model or learn to spend more time to try to control it than enjoying your music !

    One person found this helpful

22. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The Veteran – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Undoubtedly the Best Noise Canceling Headphones on the Planet

    These headphones are a bit expensive, but they incorporate the latest technology—and they work! I wanted to be able to screen out all the screaming babies on my next flight, and I can see that they will do that with aplomb. Not just babies—but those chatterboxes who talk the entire night flight! Plus you can plug these into the inflight entertainment system. You can easily shut off the noise-canceling feature if you want to hear conversations and the “ambient noise”. You can “swipe” the volume up or down, and “cup” the right ear phone in order to temporarily shut off the noise canceling feature–as in someone coming up to you and speaking to you. No need to take off the headphones to temporarily revert to hearing things. But their ability to cancel extraneous noises is absolutely great–and the sound quality when paired with your computer or phone is absolutely stunning. These headphones come in a nice zippered “denim” case along with a charging cable and a 3.5mm audio cable. If you’re going to buy headphones, you ought to get these—because you will definitely not regret the purchase!

23. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Rob – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Nice headphones

    I purchased these along with the Bose quiet comfort ultra over the ear headphones. After using each for two weeks I ended up choosing the Bose over the Sonys.These Sony headphones are good and you won’t be disappointed if you buy them as they perform almost as good as the Bose in my opinion.Things that influenced my decision were appearance, comfort, sound quality, and build quality. Again Sony was good in all categories but just not as good as the Bose.Overall I was not disappointed by these and I would recommend them as quality headphones but I ultimately returned them and kept the Bose quiet comfort ultras.

24. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Scott Duckworth – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Good, but I expected better

    I upgraded to the XM5 after owning the XM2 for many years. I used the XM2 for 6 to 8 hours per day most workdays over the last 4-5 years, and I’ve done the same with the XM5 over the past 2 months. I also occasionally wear them while traveling by plane.The XM5 is good, but it let me down in four notable areas:* Noise cancelation for the wearer: Sometimes these things can’t make up their mind about which noise cancelation profile to use. This results in a noticeable and distracting changes in the background noise that I hear. The issue has occurred when I’m sitting in an airplane seat in very mild to negligible turbulence, and also occurs when I’m sitting in a slightly bouncy chair. This happens whether or not Adaptive Sound Control is enabled. I don’t mind if the noise cancelation profile occasionally changes and I can hear it, but this sometimes happens maybe 2-3 times per minute. Noise cancelation of the XM5 is maybe a bit better than the XM2, but at least the XM2 was consistent.* Noise cancelation of the microphone: This was the main selling point that convinced me to upgrade from the XM2, but since switching to the XM5 I’ve had more occasions where the person on the other end of a call couldn’t hear me well and I had to revert to my phone or laptop microphone. I can’t tell if this is just correlation or causation.* Battery life: It’s good, but surprisingly no better than what I was getting with my XM2 with its 4+ year old well used LiPo battery. I typically go 2-3 full workdays without charging them, and will get low battery warnings around 4 days.* The material used on the earmuffs is squeaky when rubbing against my glasses. This is not a problem if I’m perfectly still, but just the slightest motion of my head causes the squeak. This didn’t happen with the XM2.On the plus side, USB-C charging is nice (though that existed since the XM3), they are a bit more comfortable than the XM2, and being able to simultaneously pair to two devices is nice. To my ears, the music sound quality is about the same between the XM2 and the XM5.Overall, I wouldn’t say that either the XM2 or the XM5 is better than the other, but I’m giving it 3 out of 5 because I expected that the XM5 would be better than the XM2. None of the issues are deal breakers for me, but all together they make the XM5 border between underwhelming and disappointing.

    One person found this helpful

25. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    H8182 – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    AMAZING!! Worth the splurge

    I LOVE LOVE these headphones!!! I’m coming from Beats Solo 3’s which I really liked and they lasted forever. I was on the fence with spending the extra money. It was worth it!! These are very lightweight and the sound quality is awesome! I really like the sleek headband thats not chunky like most. The ear part fits comfortably over my ear and isn’t too tight. I also like the flexible ear pieces that rotate for an extra comfortable fit, not stiff. I bought the navy color and really like it.

26. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Stuck – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I hear nothing but what I want while on the airplane!

    I bought these primarily because I fly a lot. I had a pair of Active Noise Cancelling earbuds that plugged in that were really old Sony headphones. When I fly a lot, I like to have the ability to plug them in so I don’t easily run out of battery.These headphones allow me the flexibility to use my AirFly (bluetooth transmitter) or use a cord when I want. They sound fantastic and cut out all the plane noise. They work great in the office too. I highly recommend these headphones!

    One person found this helpful

27. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Zen – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Comfortable to wear, but noise cancellation could be better. Battery life is great.

    I purchased these headphones as I was going to be on flights for about 50+ hours round trip. Two of the flights were 16 hours long each and I had hoped that these headphones will provide the noise cancellation so I can sleep. After reading so many reviews, I was hopeful that they will cancel out almost all of the noise on a plane. However, I found that this was not the case. I was able to hear almost everything like crying babies and people talking loudly, it muffled the sound, but it was still loud enough for me not to be able to sleep. They did drown out most of the plane ambient sound like engine noise. When I used them with earplugs in my ears, they helped cut out most of the sound. So that’s what I did for the plane journey where there were three crying babies around me. If I listen to music with these headphones on, then they definitely cut out more sound than when I just run the noise cancellation. I had downloaded the app and tried to adjust the settings on that for better performance, but did not notice a big change. I don’t like using earbuds like AirPods, but I find that these are barely any better than my AirPods 2. They are very comfortable though, and I prefer them over the bulky AirPods Max. The sound is also pretty decent, but my main purpose was noise cancellation and it was a bit of letdown.The battery life is truly phenomenal and lasted my journey of 25+ hours, with just one charge. They get sweaty only after multiple hours of usage, but better than anything else I have owned, these are the only headphones I was able to wear for 6 to 7 hours straight. I will carry them on any longer plane journey because they are better than anything else I own currently, but for this price I had hoped for even better noise cancellation.

28. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Average Human Who Buys Stuff – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Don’t Get AirPods Max

    I was on the Apple high when they released the AirPods Max. I bought them, used it for a year, then sold it. It was too heavy, it was too expensive, and the lighting port fiasco Apple is on should be illegal.I truly regret not buying this. It’s lighter, has more sound controls, it’s less expensive (~$200) oh and it has USB C charging. Also the “Headphones” app has a built in equalizer; meaning you can have more bass or making things sound more chill.Apple’s marketing team is from Capitalism Hell. They will suck you in. Make you think you really need it but it lacks at the things you aren’t able to write down when you are in the moment. The bottom line is you don’t really need all of Apple’s “magic”, “seamless” tech. There is beauty in connecting the Sony headphones to your devices.Take it from me with less money in my pocket.Go with this. The Noise Cancellation is on Mute. You won’t hear 💩.Stop wasting your time and money and buy it now. Also the fact that it comes in a protected case is a no brainer. Excellent Job Sony! I can’t imagine how to make these better. If they do make a new one, I probably won’t buy another one in 5 years. I’ll probably just replace the headphone cups so they feel like new again.I strongly recommend this to all my family and friends. 19/10 rating for me

    3 people found this helpful

29. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jamie – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I love these headphones!

    I had high expectations for these headphones when i ordered them since people were saying they were the best. Keep in mind that i have never called somebody with these on so i can’t tell you about phone call performance. I have had these headphones for 3 or almost 3 months. they have preformed EXCELLENT, 10/10 ANC, sound quality is very great. These are terrible if you wanna use them for gaming too so don’t use them as a gaming headset. These are EXCELLENT if your only going to listen to music with these headphones on!. Overall 10/10 for music.

30. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Best bang for the buck!

    These headphones really live up to their hype. Very lightweight and full of rich,deep sounds. The noise cancelling is as close to perfect as any headphones I have ever tried, including the Airpods Max from Apple. However, the Sony XM5s give you more control in shaping your sound and you can wear them a lot longer due to their lighter weight.I just got them for 50% off of the original price which made even easier to purchase. Thank you Amazon.

31. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Vinny9151 – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Wonderful Sound – but – Feels Cheap

    Bought these to replace my aging Vmoda Crossfade II. Read a ton of reviews and decided to go for it. Out of the box, they sounded ok, but really came alive after messing around with EQ – using the Sony Connect app and/or a 3rd party EQ I’ve had for years. Very comfortable phones. Good sound imaging , great separation. Bass is punchy and tight after EQ changes; mids are fine and top end is pretty crisp and clear. There is a world of difference in sound between using my S22 Ultra and MacBook. Mac sound is pretty muddy and lacks presence. Using LiveOne on the S22 is 500% better; very clean and clear sonic attack. The Sony app is fine; lots (maybe too many) things to look at and think about. The thing I really don’t like is how they feel when I handle them – very plastically – and honestly – kind of cheap feeling. Ear cup cover material seems low grade and a bit thin. And those ear cups – yucky feeling plastic. I would expect a better build quality (more solid feeling materials). Maybe the decision to go with plastic was a cost of design issue, in order tokeepp the price down and remain competitive. However, a product which sounds as good as these deserve better materials. Not sure if I’ll keep them – need a few more days to make that decision. Bottom line: you gotta be your own judge, decide what trade offs you are willing to make to get the features you want and the that matter most. Also bought Boweres and Wilkins PX7 2Se. Will review them after trials.Update: I will be returning the Sony headphones. Although my comment about the plastic earcups still applies, I believe they would hold up as long as one was careful with them. Maybe the feel of the product is not important to you, but design and appearance count for me. Again the sound and features of the Sony is great.

32. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Thomas Volk – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Escape to silence and high quality sound

    I searched for the best of the best in noise cancellation, and these were consistently at the top of the lists. Short of putting some kind of physical sphere around your head lined with the foam they put into sound booths, I’d say this is it. It doesn’t cut out everything, but I can’t imagine a further reduction than these in the form of headphones.When you switch the noise cancellation on and off, you can hear the world again and see the difference. Someone can be standing right next to me talking, and it just doesn’t get through. But a loud speaker nearby might still get a little through.Music sounds amazing through these headphones. These are the nicest headphones I have ever purchased, and listening to Spotify through these is like listening to the songs for the first times. I’m hearing delicate layers of sounds I didn’t know were part of the song. The bass is rich but not forceful. I feel like I can hear everything in the song as it was meant to be heard while they created it in the studio.The only I miss from my prior cheapie headset was the physical volume adjustment knob right on the exterior of the headset. However, I’m usually listening to these on my cell phone or my Galaxy Tab A (like an iPad but Droid), and those DO have an external volume button themselves. So, it’s only an inconvenience when hooking up Bluetooth to my Windows PC. In this case, I must have a little internal sound setting up on the screen to make it louder or softer, if the source content doesn’t have a volume toggle like YouTube or a Streaming platform. Example is a game where the volume is set. Then I need the setting open.All in all, I’m extremely satisfied. They delivered on the best possible noise cancellation under normal circumstances. If you live next to someone using a jackhammer 8 feet outside your wall, perhaps you have bigger problems than these can solve! But the normal in-house noise, these should do the trick.

33. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    BeanDaddy – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Best Sound on the Market – Overly Sensitive Touch Panel Issue Common

    I LOVED my XM4s. I upgraded to the new XM5s to let a friend buy my XM4s. Sound quality seems about the same – still the best on the market that I’ve heard personally. However, I think the headphones themselves feel a little more fragile. The case also seems less sturdy, though it may just be a more efficient design. The only real complaint I have is the touch panel. It’s very sensitive to hair, etc., and actually is triggered by simply moving my head or often nothing at all. It was really frustrated if it started clicking next and skipping through a queue of songs, so I turned off the touch controls entirely. I don’t use them too much anyway and haven’t missed them. BUT! Even though the touch control does not do anything now, it will still make the noise as if you are skipping a song. If only there were an update to stop that noise when the touch controls are off, I would be content with this workaround. PLEASE Sony, if you read this, just turn the touch noise off! I’m upset that $400 headphones have such a simple but significant design flaw which you can scour the internet to find discussions of, but as long as these headphones continue to offer superior sound quality, I would absolutely forgive and forget so long as I can turn the touch panel click off someday soon!

34. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    RachelRachel – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    A very worthy investment!

    These headphones may honestly be the best purchase I’ve ever made. I recently started a new job in a busy office building. I have very sensitive hearing, which means that I get distracted SO easily. I can’t focus at all whenever there is noise around me. So, I decided it was time to invest in some high quality comfortable headphones.I wear these headphones for about 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Believe me when I say that I have never once felt uncomfortable while wearing these. The material is soft and lightweight—perfect for all day use. The controls are intuitive, too. My favorite feature of the headphones is that they turn into a microphone whenever I’m talking to someone, which means that I don’t have to take off my headphones every time I want to have a conversation. I can also quickly let noise in (like an announcement from my manager) by placing my palm over my right ear. This has come in handy many times!The battery life is incredible, as is the sound quality. The noise cancellation technology is insanely good. I am seriously impressed by all of the amazing technology that is featured within these headphones. Thank you to Sony for saving my sanity at work!!!

35. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    dubs – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Unrivaled Noise-Canceling Excellence with Smart Features

    As an audiophile constantly on the lookout for the perfect blend of sound quality and cutting-edge technology, I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the Sony WH-1000XM5, and it’s safe to say that these headphones have set a new standard for wireless noise-canceling excellence.The standout feature of the WH-1000XM5 is undoubtedly its unparalleled noise-canceling capabilities. The industry-leading technology employed by Sony creates a serene listening environment, effectively silencing the hustle and bustle of the outside world. The addition of the Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer takes this to the next level, adjusting the noise-canceling settings based on your individual wearing characteristics and atmospheric pressure.In the era of remote work and constant connectivity, the WH-1000XM5 shines with its crystal clear hands-free calling feature. The dual noise sensor technology isolates your voice from ambient noise, ensuring that your calls are not only interruption-free but also delivered with impressive clarity. Whether you’re in a bustling airport or a quiet home office, your voice comes through loud and clear.Sony’s commitment to audio excellence is evident in the WH-1000XM5’s sound quality. The headphones deliver a rich and immersive audio experience with deep, well-defined bass, clear mids, and crisp highs. The LDAC support ensures high-quality wireless audio streaming, allowing you to enjoy your favorite music in all its glory without compromising on fidelity.Navigating through your music and adjusting settings is a breeze thanks to the intuitive touch controls on the ear cups. Whether you want to skip tracks, adjust volume, or take calls, the responsive touch-sensitive surface provides a seamless and enjoyable user experience.The integration of Alexa voice control adds a new dimension to the WH-1000XM5’s smart features. With a simple voice command, you can control your music, check the weather, and even receive notifications without reaching for your phone. The hands-free convenience adds to the overall functionality of these headphones.Comfort is a crucial factor in prolonged headphone use, and Sony has nailed it with the WH-1000XM5. The plush ear cushions and lightweight design make these headphones a joy to wear for extended periods. The pressure-relieving ear pads ensure a snug fit without causing discomfort, making them ideal for long flights or work sessions.The WH-1000XM5’s impressive battery life is the icing on the cake. With up to 30 hours of playback on a single charge, you can enjoy your favorite music and podcasts throughout the day without worrying about running out of battery.In conclusion, the Sony WH-1000XM5 stands as a testament to Sony’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of audio technology. With its world-class noise-canceling, exceptional sound quality, and smart features like hands-free calling and Alexa integration, these headphones are a top-tier choice for audiophiles and commuters alike. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or simply someone who appreciates premium audio experiences, the WH-1000XM5 is a worthy investment that delivers on its promise of an immersive and uninterrupted listening journey.

    15 people found this helpful

36. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    David Barker – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty dang good.

    Qualifications: These are my first regularly-worn headphones, but I’m somewhat an audiophile with a decent home system and a preference for KEF sound (LS50’s on the computer and R3’s on the “stereo.”) That’ll establish my viewpoint. I wear the Sonys for my work commute, a ride on the subway (loud) followed by a 2-1/2 mile walk next to city traffic. I listen mostly to Rock befitting my age (60’s) and am more interested in raising my metabolic rate with them than critical evaluation of a recording, unlike at home.Sound: These are as good as the source. They are merciless with poor source, and reward quality in that sense. “Audiophile?” I don’t think so, but I’m inexperienced at listening to headphones, and so are my ears. They may be that_good; really excellent recordings sound really excellent on them. Bass is better IMO than reviews indicate, if such bass is present on the source, but remember I like KEF sound. Overall, they’re very much as good as I could hope for given the use case and my listening experience.Noise cancellation: I put them on, turn them on, and a second later have to concentrate just to hear the subway announcements at all with no music playing. Play a track, and there’s nothing but music. These are supposed to be very good at this, I’ve no competitive frame of reference, but they seem very good at this.Would spend $400 on these again.

    One person found this helpful

37. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Product review after one year of purchase

    I purchased these headphones exactly one year ago. They are my first ever headphones. Here is my review in points:1. They’re very light to have on your head. I am a visibly Muslim female, meaning I wear a hijab. So I was weary of the pressure of having the headphones on top of my hijab, but it’s all good! Obviously if I have the headphones on with or without the hijab, for over an hour I’d say, my ears get heated and I have to take a break.2. They look really nice, very well made. I got the grey-beige color. They’re not bulky at all, which is something I like.3. The headphones length is easily adjusted.4. The noise cancellation option is great. Let’s say you’re in a room filled with people and a loud TV is on. Which is the case in every lunch break I have. When I put the headphones on with the noise cancellation option, the voices don’t “disappear” but they become super distant that they don’t bother you anymore.5. I use mine an average of 1-1.5 hours daily and the headphone power lasts about 3 days. I think 30-40 minutes of charging is sufficient for a full battery.6. You do need an app installed in order to do anything with the headphones.7. One downfall I’d say is that I can only control the volume via my phone, not directly through the headphones.Overall, I love these headphones and would recommend them to anyone.

    2 people found this helpful

38. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Khang – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Exceeded Expectations!

    I bought the Midnight Blue XM5 and I love it! For reference, I use this headphone to listen to music and watch videos/movies.I’m not an audiophile by any means, but from my perspective the sound is superb. There is an app you could download to adjust the sound to match your preference or genre of music too. So overall, no complains about the sound quality.Build and comfortability also exceeded my expectations. I used other brands of headphone in the past and always had issues of it being uncomfortable for my ears or the top of my head after around 15-20 minutes. But this XM5 is surprisingly comfortable and lightweight. It cups my ears perfectly and the pad on top make its comfortable for my head. I can use it for hours without noticing any discomfort. Battery is also top tiered. I have not run into situations where it dies out on me mid-use or “forgetting” to charge because the battery lasts so long with each charging session. The midnight blue color is gorgeous too!Noise cancellation is there, but it is not the shining quality of this headphone. I saw some other reviews saying that previous iteration like the XM4 has superior noise cancellation. But I never had the XM4 nor do I have other noise cancelling headset to provide any fair comparison. From my experience, listening to audio and have the noise cancellation on at the same time provides the best noise cancellation experience.Happy with my purchase and looking forward to use this headphone for a long time!

    5 people found this helpful

39. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Andrew – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Review After 2 Months

    Quick take aways:Without an EQ, the headphones have a very very dark sound signature (I was not a fan)Sound very good for Bluetooth headphones with EQ, sound okay when wiredANC seems to be decent, lot of customisability in the appANC works well in standalone mode (without pairing)Battery life is goodNo form of sweat/water resistance is a minus but can be worked aroundHigh noise floor (if you care about that sort of thing)Optional pause with take off and resume with put on feature is amazing!As a preface, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are my first set of ANC headphones. I would consider myself a mild audiophile (I have a DAC, AMP, and too many headphones). With that said, everyone’s ears are different so take this with an extra pinch of salt.Out of the box experience: The packaging was quite nice. It included a hard-shell carrying case, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, 1.2m long 3.5mm cable, and the headphones. The connection process for new devices is wonky and leaves a bit to be desired. The initial pairing did not work until I installed the Sony Headphones Connect app from the appstore. After this, you have to power off the device then power on and hold the power button for 5 seconds to enter pairing mode (confirmed by a vocal “pairing” from the headphones). The sound signature left a lot to be desired. For a bit of background, my favourite type of headphone is flat/neutral with a balanced sound signature. I enjoy heavy bass in electronic music and am sensitive to loud highs/mids (I get listener fatigue quite fast from it). I enjoy a lot of variety when listening to music an will try most things out. In particular I regularly listen to Classical, Avant-garde, Experimental, Easy listening, Electronic, Contemporary folk, Latin, Jazz, Rock, and some Traditional folk. I don’t tend to listen to much Blues, Rap, or Hip Hop. I occasionally listen to mainstream-Pop and Country.Without EQ, the sound signature is very very dark. The bass is very punchy and present, the mids are recessed, and the highs have their edge taken off. I was not a fan of it for anything but electronic tracks with no vocals and heavy bass. Even then, it wasn’t particularly amazing. Anything with vocals will sound horrendous (again, with no EQ) as the bass frequencies in voices will be very pronounced. The ANC worked well for me out of the box. For the open mode, I set it to let near voices through and ambient noise out. I use them with eyeglasses but the ANC still seems to work well. They do a particularly good job of filtering out A/C noises, the electronic whine that appliances generate (not all people can hear this), and running water. The ANC tends to struggle with erratic high pitched noises (as I understand it, most ANC systems do). However, it will dull the noise a tad through both the closed back headphone and ANC component.Adaptations Since I was not a fan of the sound profile out of the box, I set up an EQ profile with these headphones. The Sony Headphones Connect app includes an EQ but I found it to be extremely limited in terms of customisability (I did not like any of the presets that were offered) and not very user friendly. Due to this, I set up my own external EQ using AutoEq (on github) as a starting point. After fine tuning it to my preferences, using the headphones became a much much better experience. They sound very good for Bluetooth headphones. For genres where I like more bass, I strongly prefer the Sony headphones over my Sennheiser and prefer the Sony to my Bose. In wired mode, the headphones definitely sound better but no where near as good as my other wired headphones. If I’m attached to a wire, I would rather just switch to another pair of headphones. With that said, they do sound better if you leave the headphones on while connected with a cable. The ANC works well for me. If I use them for noise canceling without music, it can get unsettlingly quiet in the mornings (which is a great thing). Around others, particularly in the kitchen, the headphones do a very good job of dulling and eliminating noises. The pass through function works well in the event of conversation. I am a very quiet eater but these headphones did a great job canceling out all noises while I ate. I don’t use these headphones outside, so I do not know how well they perform with nature’s noises. The gesture controls included are useful but a bit too involved to be my go to. If I have physical access to my device, I prefer to use that to control the music. However, the pause on take off feature is amazing! It consistently pauses my media any time I have to take my headphones off and resumes right where it left off and soon as I put it on. Simply magic is the only way I have to explain it (the function can be turned off if you don’t like/want it).

    129 people found this helpful

40. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Anthony S. – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty Impressive! But Just a bit overpriced!

    For what it is there’s a reason they’re the best headphones you can buy in the market at this very moment!Durability: I will say the Durability doesn’t feel good to the hand but I do believe these will be fine as long if you take care of them. But be very aware there is NO IP rating!!! If you plan to use these for workouts and are worried about your sweat or rain ruining these be cautious due to there not being an IP rating.Included Case: The included case is nice. Glad one came with it due to the of course wild price. Be aware though these headphones do NOT fold like the previous version. So yes the case is a little more bulk.Sound quality and Noise cancelling: The Sound quality is decent to pretty good. I will say I wish the equalizer was better with added channels to change. Despite sound quality being decent/pretty good the Noise cancelling is king on these! Sony has been Kong when it comes to noise cancelling and you WILL notice this with these.Features/Gimmicks: Now depending how you see these you may consider them to be Gimmicks or features. The Auto Adaptive sound control is pretty good. It will automatically adjust ambient noise depending what you’re doing and it helps a bunch! Another feature or gimmick is speak to chat which can work but also not work. I’ve had times where I’m talking and it won’t activate till after 5 seconds and sometimes 7 seconds. A point where time is crucial when speaking to someone you might as well take off the headphones or put your hand on the outer part of the headphones to instantly activate the ambient sound. So in terms of the speak to chat feature it can be seen more of a gimmick.Value for Money: This is the part where your wallet will cry and hurt. These are super expensive for headphones I must say! But In terms of Value for Money. It’s at a crossroads of yes is it a good value but also not. But I will say this. You’re better off getting these on a good discount. I got these on an early black Friday deal here on Amazon. But I found out on November 9th it was at a price of $255 using a price history extension for Google Chrome. So technically this deal they had on these for Black Friday was a really bad deal. So my compulsive buyer syndrome got the best of me. Overall all for price. Wait till these are $270 or less I would consider that a better deal!

    6 people found this helpful

41. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great product.

    Amazing noise canceling. I like the options it gives you to bounce between ANC and ambient without hitting the small button. (Just cup both ear pieces)Only wish they were louder. Tried all different equalizers and add ons… but for the general usage great product and battery lasts a long time.

42. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Usman AslamUsman Aslam – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Poor build quality and ultra poor manufacturer support

    The sound quality is awesome, I cannot fault a thing. Noise cancellation is very effective. Flying with these headphones is the best experience ever. You can enjoy a movie as if watching in your living room without any noise.I paid around $430 for these headphones 5 months ago. One day they just fell apart. One of the earpads detached from the headband during normal use. It looks it it was attached with glue and glue did not hold anymore. A picture of the damage is attached.I contacted Sony and they refused to accept it as a quality issue. They term it as accidental damage and maintain that it is not cover under warranty. They just gave me the phone number of their contractor in Salt Lake City (I live in LA). Other than providing the phone number they could not help at all. They did not want to even listen to my argument that it was not an accidental damage but one of the joints (held with glue) just came off, so it was a manufacturing issue.The contractor told me to ship the headphones to them at my own expense and they would charge me $90.00 just to tell me how much it would cost to repair, and then they would ship it back to me at my own expense.I have decided to write off the loss and buy Apple Air Pods Pro. Top-notch customer service is guaranteed with Apple products, and you have Apple Stores to go to if you have an issue.

    One person found this helpful

43. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    M. Swan – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Thanks to YouTuber Flossy Carter I was able to see …

    … that I should NOT listen to the negative reviews on such an amazing product. He does a full 1/2 hour review and comparison to other headsets. His rating is ANC is God Tier level which = Scary Good Tier or wearing these in inner city USA is “Git’n Robbed Tier” as they’d be snatched off yo head LOL.The guy is hilarious, an excellent reviewer, insightful, super communicative, and thorough.These will amaze you.

44. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Winston Smith – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Sound, Crap Build Quality

    Theses honestly feel like a $150 headphone that’s been taking advantage of the corporate price gouging and price hikes that we keep seeing.They sound GREAT. So, if headphone sound is all you care about, these are great. I would argue you can probably find a set that sound just as a good for half the money.They feel good: I demo’d Airpod Maxes and Bose QC Ultras, and both got really uncomfortable after a couple hours of continuous use. These are light and the cups are huge, so they don’t feel like they’re digging into my ears after a while.Noise cancelling/Software: 3 out of 5 stars. ANC is mediocre; nothing special. Software for controller EQ is also so-so. Don’t buy these if you’re hoping to block out crazy people on the metro.Build quality: trash. These cups honestly feel like they’re connected with the same cheapo metal band Sony used to build their original headphones with in 1989. They’re flimsy and I feel like if I tried not-very-hard, I could easily twist the ear cup 360 degrees off of the connecting bar. This isnt a huge deal other than the fact that they’re $300+… they should feel commensurate of a $300 set of headphones. I get these aren’t studio grade, but still.The only other gripe I have with these is the soft controls are really easy to trigger just by touching the ear cup. I ended up turning them off.

    2 people found this helpful

45. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The Traveler – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great headphones

    They block out quite a bit of noise and the sound is excellent. Very comfortable over the ears. As past reviews have said they wish they could have been a little more easier to store in a better case. The case is designed wrong.

46. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    juanda – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Excellent

    I had the airpods max before these and they broke 1 year and 8 months in. Compared to the airpods these are insanely comfy and the quality is most likely the same if not better, plus having an off button is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. These are perfect and worth the price!

47. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    nick – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Could of been great!

    The ear cups are too shallow and ears get really hot and sweaty. This would have been a 10/10 product if only the earcups had a little more space between them and the ear. Unfortunately they don’t. Had to return them. Shame really, because sound and noise cancellation is amazing.Oh and 1 more bad thing, audio 360 is a complete mess because they don’t implement it to anything unless you pay for it. You have to pay for the service which is absolutely ridiculous.

48. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    T.J. Turgeon – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Excellent noise reduction.

    I bought a pair of noise reduction headphones years ago to reduce noise while I worked in a noisy environment. These headphones are much much better. When the noise reduction is active I hear almost nothing. I only hear the audio that is streaming via Bluetooth. The audio is clear with good bass.

49. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Kristoffer – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing sound

    These headphones are beautiful and the sound quality is amazing. After I received these headphones, I switched from Spotify to Amazon Music Unlimited, with ultra HD quality, and it’s like I am hearing all my favorite music for the first time. The noise cancelling is mind-blowing. Definitely exceeded my expectations.

50. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    RO – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Beware Skin Irritation from ear cups

    Everything about these headphones was excellent – outstanding sound, noise cancellation and battery life. However, after using them on an overseas flight, I developed a skin irritation that was initially mild. On my return trip, the irritation was extreme. Since then, I have not been able to use the headphones. I have not had this issue with other headsets in similar situations.

51. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great but expensive

    Great headphones but a but pricey. Also wish I could tap to change songs or control volume.

52. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Z – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Like listening to old songs for first time.

    Hearing parts of songs that listen to hundreds of times that I never heard before. Just small little details I’ve never heard, honestly It feels like I’m listening to music for the first time.Noise cancellation is amazing. 🤩Now the bad: The app is pretty plain and cumbersome, it’s functional so not much to complain about but It clearly is an afterthought.Now the construction of it I have a few problems with. Considering the price you would think it would be mostly metal but in fact there really no metal on it at all. It feels pretty cheap. Now don’t get me wrong The plastic is not creakily and crappy. I don’t feel like it’s going to break easily It just looks like it… The headband is even made of plastic which I thought was weird. I figured it would be like metal or something but I guess not. Otherwise it’s very comfortable. Buttons feel pretty cheap though too The ones that aren’t touch anyway.Overall I think for the price it could be mostly metal. But it does give the impression it’s mostly durable at least there’s no obvious looking weak points besides maybe the buttons being super crappy.

    2 people found this helpful

53. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amanda Kamal – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Best Overall Headphones

    Amazing headphones for the gym and at home. Don’t skip, noise cancellation is incredible, and they’re beyond comfortable. Was debating between these and AirPods Max but I’m incredibly I went with these. The option on the right side to swipe to change music, tap to pause is revolutionary. Don’t hesitate!

54. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Tyler WilliamsTyler Williams – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Condition and Quality

    I’ve been researching these headphones along with other brands and models, and I decided on the Sony XM5’s. But the thing is, I didn’t want to spend $300+ on a pair of headphones. I was looking for the used headphones and I was able to save about $100 from its sale price. I was expecting maybe just the headphones and nothing else, but when it arrived it came with everything! It didn’t come in its original packaging but the case, wires, and headphones were all included.The condition I bought it as said “Used”, but these headphones were practically brand new. As soon as I powered them on, it prompted a connection to my OnePlus phone immediately. The sound is beautiful and the bass is incredible. There is practically 0 latency and no compromise to sound. There were no scratches or damage to the headphones and I couldn’t have been happier with this purchase. If you are able to find a deal as good as mine, I would highly recommend you take it. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, you are always able to return them. These headphones will definitely last me years of use.

55. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Andrea – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Obsessed

    Absolutely in love with these headphones. Got them specifically for when I want to wear headphones for a long period of time because wearing AirPods for more than two hours is wildly uncomfortable. These are light, comfortable, don’t put too much pressure on your head, and aren’t super hot. They look great, the sound quality and noise cancellation is excellent, and the battery life is INSANE. Love the touch controls on the right side–makes it super easy to control your music quickly. Don’t regret a single penny I spent on these.

56. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jim – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Major improvements!

    I had an older noise cancelling device and this one is heads and tails better. I’m super pleased with that end of it and the music quality is excellent for a non audio file like me

57. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    M. Joy – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Not worth the cost

    I read the reviews from those claiming professional audio experience with considerable respect and anticipation. I enjoy high quality music components – my taste has always been heavily rooted in 70’s Rock.As a drummer, and a serious music collector, I still enjoy the drive, spectrum, and talent that produces each part of the music – even though it is now rarely evident in today’s world of “noise”.I used a set of Bose QC35 headphones as my means of listening to music while mowing grass on my ZTR. These worked sufficiently while also giving an impressive rendering of music fidelity – all things being considered.After a few years I wanted to see if an upgraded setup was available – so the research, shopping, and review reading led me to buy these Sonys – despite that brand name not being one commonly associated with HQ headsets in the audiophile realm.Honestly – “overall” – It has been a disappointing decision made thus far. I get the feeling that the ANC is where the tech was implemented, not necessarily in the fidelity, styling, or sound drive.Other reviews adequately describe the somewhat cheap materials used. The lack of any manual buttons or controls on the set, coupled with the total lack of any printed manual is cheap IMO. Its case and packaging appear to be recycled – as a demonstration of Sony’s participation in the myth of climate change – so the tech stuff like “duo CPU and 8 mics” thing – gets a little drowned out.The folks at Bose use to piss everyone off in refusing to publish specs. They would reply “just give our speakers a listen”. And to a large extent – I think that applies here.These headphones do have a very good frequency spectrum , SNR, and although I have not thoroughly tested it yet – I’d bet the ANC works very well.The minimalist will love the flat black (or silver) shaved exterior. The one little paper included in the box (besides ads and the warranty) is a safety sheet that only lists ALL the MANY THINGS you should NOT do with them. Nothing is written inside to say how they can be used or enjoyed.You must download the “CONNECT” app, create an account, and use the phone app to set up and control the headphones. NOTHING is possible without doing that. (One more tether to tie you to your phone).Of course you read the terms and agreement when you open your account too – (and they wouldn’t dare use any of your PI, nor would your privacy ever be invaded).So I listened to the sound – and it is as good – perhaps a tiny bit better – than my Bose.But at a much higher cost – AND not until signing up & using the app to adjust the Sound. They are very lifeless without setting up the equalizer AND pushing the volume to FULL. This is a must.I’m not sure they even have the volume output of the Bose. That is a major concern to me due to my particular use – AND that I do like music to be fairly loud (and clear).Lastly, iPhone users – if you don’t play the game of getting the latest iOs revisions, certain functionality may not be provided. So iPhone users be sure to check on that.With such a price tag – and so many ties to endure – to gain and maintain full functionality with these, it may keep “fence sitters” like myself from returning them (after going through so much just to test them out).“Others” – who seem so thrilled – throwing 5 star reviews on everything they try, (and probably listening to compressed MP3 formats) will give Sony the goAhead on these. But I am not so thrilled. I like quality to be in all aspects of the equipment. And I like the USER to be in full control.There may be more to what Sony is getting here – than their customers.

    42 people found this helpful

58. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Filip – March 10, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    This is next level…

    This is the 3rd pair of expensive over-the-ear headphones I ever owned and you can just feel the generational difference between those. This is next level in every possible sense. Pairs seamlessly, plays well, and blocks out noise fantastically! Also, dark blue looks phenomenal in daylight!

59. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Stacey Cole – March 10, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Sound quality and noise cancellation is great!!

    The portability, the ear muffs don’t fold like the previous model. The head band is not comfortable on bald heads.

60. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Brad Barnburner – March 10, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Loving for 13mos Now…..But a Little Problem..!!

    Having been in search for a way to block out screaming babies on my flights…omg….like for 15 hours. These have saved and changed my life. Loved these from my upgrade from the XM4 and before that Bose QC30…and I have to say these are amazing for their comfort, up to 95% give or take ANR, and Sound Quality, and INCREDIBLE BATTERY LIFE that just makes it My Favorite Ever ANR Headset. This, after all these years of the Battle of Noise Cancelling Headsets. The pretend ANR, is not in Full Focus with this Full Headphone, as the ANC Wars between Sony and Bose still move forward. Don’t get me wrong, not bashing Bose, as their New EarPods Ultra, are VERY IMPRESSIVE<, but on a Jet/Airplane flight, those are gone to the great beyond after a hap chance ear dislodgment. Bye Bye.Anyway, loving to Love these Awesome WM5, but now, a whittle problem...;/ As I have read on Reddit and elsewhere. Seems, the onboard batteries, or whatever emit a foul odor, similar reeks of despair, similar to battery burnoff, have had from battery backups boxes. This after being properly stored in a cool dry area, and two months ago, was on a flight. But just noticed after using them for a online jam, picked up and quite the reeks-ville, strong sulphur odor out of case. This is Quite alarming, so, anyone noting similar, please lets hear as this is sad, as they are not cheap, and really is a foul odor of hydrogen sulphide is NOT a Good Sign. Just a Heads up for Y'all....!! 3 people found this helpful