Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling

[Forsaked]

Something arrived:

Now it's needs some testing!

 

[Light - Man]

^ Sorry Bro but we need some impressions by tomorrow!

 

[G_T_J]

Something arrived:





Now it's needs some testing!

I'm about to pull the trigger so any early impressions will be greatly appreciated!

 

[h-man]

Just got mine today. Love the new design except the much lamented lack of foldability! Feels as light and comfortable as the XM4s, but the ear cushions are even softer and pillow like. Too early to post listening impressions!

 

[buzzlulu]

And some comparisons with AirPod Max please

 

[Maukey]

So mine arrived yesterday afternoon. It's still early but I'll give my initial impressions. As an fyi, I was not a big fan of the 1000XM4's sound although I praised them for their value when it came to the quality of their ANC and features for the price. I no longer own the 1000XM4 to compare these to, I am however a collector of noise cancelling headphones and have quite a few to measure these against. In saying all of that, here are my brief, initial thoughts.

Build: Feels better built than I remember of the XM4. Love the kind of rubbery, plastic feel of the headphones. Just feels sturdier.

Comfort: Top of the class. In my opinion, these are tied with the Bose QuietComfort series as the most comfortable headphones out there. The clamping force is a little stronger than what I remember of the XM4, but there appears to be a little more room in the ear cups that may help those who deal with the hot ear issue with some headphones. These are also very light in weight.

Features: ANC is still top of the class. AirPods Max and the Sony 1000X series are the best I've experienced followed very closely by the Bose QuietComfort and 700 series. One advantage for me that the XM5 has over the rest is that I don't get the cabin pressure feeling I get with those. Although I'm not sensitive to the cabin pressure feeling, it is noticeable and adds to the comfort of the XM5 when not listening to music. Transparency Mode has been improved greatly on the XM5 and is just below the AirPods Max.

Call Quality: This in my opinion is the biggest upgrade when compared to the XM4. The cancelling of background noise when on the phone is breathtaking with these. You can literally be standing in the middle of a construction site and still be able to hold a conversation and those on the other line will think you're in a quiet office. The only other headphone that has accomplished this is the Bose 700. My biggest knock on the XM4 was the below average call quality. The XM5 has completely changed this. It may even be the new standard in wireless ANC call quality but I no longer have the Bose 700 to compare.

Sound: Anyone expecting a groundbreaking change will be disappointed. These still have the XM4 tonality which is a warm, smooth, forgiving sound. What these have done is dial the bass back a db or 2 and slightly cleaned up the treble. These have a little more detail and clarity than what I remember of the XM4. In my opinion, these have put themselves in the same class as the Momentum 3, B&W PX7, and Shure Aonic 50 which I considered better listens than the XM4. No it's still not in the class of the Mark Levinson 5909, PSB M4U 8 MKII, B&O H95, Dali iO6, and Apple AirPods Max when it comes to pure sound quality, those are all clearer, more detailed, and more resolving headphones, but it's still an improvement none the less. I can actually listen to the XM5 and not feel like I'm missing a lot when it comes to musicality and enjoyment. I couldn't say the same for the XM4.

Overall: Really impressed with these so far. Even this early I already consider these the ultimate travel companion and office headphone. It's one of the best values you can get in a headphone when it comes to the total package. Yes there are headphones you can get with better sound quality, but none offer the package these do when you combine the features, ANC quality, call quality, battery life, comfort, and very good sound.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Maukey]

And some comparisons with AirPod Max please

AirPods Max: Better sound, transparency mode, build quality, and integration within the Apple ecosystem if you have all Apple devices.

1000XM5: Better comfort, battery life, call quality (mainly due to the better ability to silence background noise), and has an app with great features like EQ.

If you have all Apple devices, I'd pay more and get the AirPods Max if you can deal with them being a little less comfortable. In any other situation I'd take the 1000XM5. Sound quality is close enough where for me, it wouldn't be an issue.

 

[buzzlulu]

Thank you for the comparison. I already own AirPods max for the very reasons you mentioned above. Just a little bit heavy and tight clamp for me however sound and ANC is the most important as I use these exclusively on an airplane

 

[Maukey]

Thank you for the comparison. I already own AirPods max for the very reasons you mentioned above. Just a little bit heavy and tight clamp for me however sound and ANC is the most important as I use these exclusively on an airplane

Then you are fine. Don't let the hype get in your head LOL. Unless of course you are like me and just like to have multiple wireless ANC headphones for different moods and situations

 

[G_T_J]

So mine arrived yesterday afternoon. It's still early but I'll give my initial impressions. As an fyi, I was not a big fan of the 1000XM4's sound although I praised them for their value when it came to the quality of their ANC and features for the price. I no longer own the 1000XM4 to compare these to, I am however a collector of noise cancelling headphones and have quite a few to measure these against. In saying all of that, here are my brief, initial thoughts.

Build: Feels better built than I remember of the XM4. Love the kind of rubbery, plastic feel of the headphones. Just feels sturdier.

Comfort: Top of the class. In my opinion, these are tied with the Bose QuietComfort series as the most comfortable headphones out there. The clamping force is a little stronger than what I remember of the XM4, but there appears to be a little more room in the ear cups that may help those who deal with the hot ear issue with some headphones. These are also very light in weight.

Features: ANC is still top of the class. AirPods Max and the Sony 1000X series are the best I've experienced followed very closely by the Bose QuietComfort and 700 series. One advantage for me that the XM5 has over the rest is that I don't get the cabin pressure feeling I get with those. Although I'm not sensitive to the cabin pressure feeling, it is noticeable and adds to the comfort of the XM5 when not listening to music. Transparency Mode has been improved greatly on the XM5 and is just below the AirPods Max.

Call Quality: This in my opinion is the biggest upgrade when compared to the XM4. The cancelling of background noise when on the phone is breathtaking with these. You can literally be standing in the middle of a construction site and still be able to hold a conversation and those on the other line will think you're in a quiet office. The only other headphone that has accomplished this is the Bose 700. My biggest knock on the XM4 was the below average call quality. The XM5 has completely changed this. It may even be the new standard in wireless ANC call quality but I no longer have the Bose 700 to compare.

Sound: Anyone expecting a groundbreaking change will be disappointed. These still have the XM4 tonality which is a warm, smooth, forgiving sound. What these have done is dial the bass back a db or 2 and slightly cleaned up the treble. These have a little more detail and clarity than what I remember of the XM4. In my opinion, these have put themselves in the same class as the Momentum 3, B&W PX7, and Shure Aonic 50 which I considered better listens than the XM4. No it's still not in the class of the Mark Levinson 5909, PSB M4U 8 MKII, B&O H95, Dali iO6, and Apple AirPods Max when it comes to pure sound quality, those are all clearer, more detailed, and more resolving headphones, but it's still an improvement none the less. I can actually listen to the XM5 and not feel like I'm missing a lot when it comes to musicality and enjoyment. I couldn't say the same for the XM4.

Overall: Really impressed with these so far. Even this early I already consider these the ultimate travel companion and office headphone. It's one of the best values you can get in a headphone when it comes to the total package. Yes there are headphones you can get with better sound quality, but none offer the package these do when you combine the features, ANC quality, call quality, battery life, comfort, and very good sound.

Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the initial impressions.
Really, you found the H95 superior in pure music performance?
I just sold them as I thought they were quite dark sounding for my liking while seriously heavy and uncomfortable for any session more than 30 minutes.

 

[Maukey]

Thanks for the initial impressions.
Really, you found the H95 superior in pure music performance?
I just sold them as I thought they were quite dark sounding for my liking while seriously heavy and uncomfortable for any session more than 30 minutes.

Wow really? You're the first person I've heard to categorize the H95 as dark. Dark to me is the V-Moda Crossfade II Wireless, B&W PX7, etc. Maybe you're a fan of bright headphones which the XM5 is not. I wouldn't say it's dark, but it's definitely Warm in nature. Yes, in my opinion, what I remember of the H95 is a better sounding, more resolving and detailed headphone. I no longer own the H95 as my Mark Levinson 5909 replaced them. So yes, the H95 to me is better in music performance than the XM5, however, I do feel the XM5 is the overall better headphone and a MUCH better value.

 

[G_T_J]

It might be the overall experience which in my case was rather painful with the H95.

I'm not a fan of bright headphones but when I a-b-ed them with my HD600 or DT150 they were not on the same level from a pure sq perspective.
My preferred signature is neutral with a slight tilt of warmth. The H95 as far as I can remember had a quite prominent v-shaped response and the timbre was metallic-ky, especially in the lower high frequencies.

 

[Maukey]

It might be the overall experience which in my case was rather painful with the H95.

I'm not a fan of bright headphones but when I a-b-ed them with my HD600 or DT150 they were not on the same level from a pure sq perspective.
My preferred signature is neutral with a slight tilt of warmth. The H95 as far as I can remember had a quite prominent v-shaped response and the timbre was metallic-ky, especially in the lower high frequencies.

Now I 100% agree with this. That was my biggest issue with the H95, the metallic sounding treble. Otherwise, I thought it was a nicely tuned headphone with an emphasis in the mid bass and a natural sounding midrange. I never got the big V-shaped vibe from it.

 

[G_T_J]

Now I 100% agree with this. That was my biggest issue with the H95, the metallic sounding treble. Otherwise, I though it was a nicely tuned headphone with an emphasis in the mid bass and a natural sounding midrange. I never got the big V-shaped vibe from it.

That's why I'm thinking to jump on the xm5 wagon. Sony usually offers consumer-friendly sound signature but at the same time they excell when it comes to natural tonality and musicality. I'm seriously impressed with the WF1000XM4 earbuds and I'm hoping to get more of the same with the xm5

 

[Maukey]

That's why I'm thinking to jump on the xm5 wagon. Sony usually offers consumer-friendly sound signature but at the same time they excell when it comes to natural tonality and musicality. I'm seriously impressed with the WF1000XM4 earbuds and I'm hoping to get more of the same with the xm5

If you like the WF1000XM4, which I also own, you'll LOVE the XM5. Same signature, just a little more mature for a lack of better words.