Customer Ratings & Reviews

The first thing you’ll note is the minimalist packaging and design of the headphones. They are the lightest I have tried and all soft touch surfaces. Ear pieces are comfortable and the headband is not obtrusive—it doesn’t feel like it’s weighing down. You need the app for these, and it’s a great app. All adjustments to sound are made through the app and there are features like 360 immersive sound accessible through the app. There is a sample of that feature that will blow you away, but content is limited even with a required third party subscription service. I’ll wait for more brands to hop into that even though it does sound phenomenal. Music and movies sound rich and deep, and Bluetooth pairing to a streaming device, phone, or PC is intuitive and simple. Answering calls is seamless in the middle of other activities. Linking these to my desk phone was even simple! I can be on a video conference call without distractions at home. Sony makes outstanding headphones and these are no exception. The sound is amazing, features are actually useful and well thought, and the comfort stands out. One caveat on these—no sweat! Don’t plan to use these while you work out. They will not tolerate sweat or rain.

After switching from AirPods Max (which never quite fit my needs) and a well-worn pair of Bose QuietComfort, the Sony WH-1000XM series has been a game-changer. They excel where the others fell short: comfort, battery life, and sound quality. Why I Made the Switch AirPods Max Disappointments: Felt bulky, clamped too tightly, and lacked the battery stamina I needed on long trips. Aging Bose QC: Outstanding noise cancellation but visibly worn out and past their prime in comfort and battery. What I Love Battery Life Best-in-class endurance: Up to 30 hours on a single charge—perfect for long-haul flights, marathon workdays, or back-to-back meetings without hunting for an outlet. Comfort & Fit Lightweight design: Cushioned earcups and a gently padded headband mean zero pinch or pressure, even after hours of listening. Adjustable clamping force: Snug enough for a secure fit, yet loose enough that you forget you’re wearing them. Sound Quality Rich, balanced profile: Deep but controlled bass, clear mids, and sparkling highs that bring every genre to life. Customizable EQ: Sony’s Headphones Connect app lets you fine-tune the soundstage to your personal taste. Noise Cancellation & Extras Top-tier ANC: Blocks out plane engines, office chatter, or noisy commutes almost completely. Adaptive Sound Control: Automatically adjusts noise cancellation based on your activity and location. Quick Attention Mode: Instantly lowers volume and lets in ambient noise when you need to chat. Minor Considerations Touch Controls Learning Curve: It takes a few days to get used to swipe-and-tap gestures for volume, track changes, and calls. Case Bulk: The protective case is sturdy but a bit large for a slim backpack pocket.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones continue Sony’s tradition of top-tier noise cancellation and premium audio quality. With a sleek, modern redesign from the previous XM4s, these headphones are lighter and more comfortable for long listening sessions, thanks to the new, softer ear cushions and thinner headband. The noise canceling is industry-leading—virtually silencing background noise whether you’re in a crowded cafe, on a plane, or working from home. The adaptive sound control smartly adjusts settings based on your environment, and the eight microphones with advanced processing make a noticeable difference in clarity during phone calls. Audio quality is excellent, with warm, detailed sound and rich bass. The 30-hour battery life with quick charge (3 minutes = 3 hours of playback) is a huge plus for travelers and commuters. Pros: • Best-in-class noise cancellation • Superb sound quality with rich detail • Lightweight, comfortable design for all-day wear • Clear call quality with multiple microphones • Solid battery life with fast charging • Bluetooth multipoint pairing Cons: • No IP rating for water/sweat resistance • More expensive than many competitors • Case is bulkier than ideal for compact travel Verdict: The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are a top choice for anyone looking for premium wireless audio and elite noise-canceling performance. Whether you’re working, traveling, or just relaxing, these are among the best headphones money can buy. ⸻ Would you like a comparison to other models like the Bose 700 or AirPods Max?

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing the remarkable audio quality offered by the Sony WH1000XM5 Headphones, and I must say, they exceeded my expectations in almost every aspect. Design and Comfort (4/5): The design of the Sony Headphones is sleek and modern, showcasing a perfect blend of style and functionality. T The cushioned ear cups feel soft against the ears and effectively block out external noise, enhancing the immersive audio experience. The over-ear design provides a good fit but when they a worn for a long time they tend to put pressure on my ear and I find myself adjusting them constantly. Audio Quality (5/5): Sony has truly outdone themselves in delivering an exceptional audio experience. The sound quality is nothing short of extraordinary, with deep, rich bass, clear midrange tones, and crisp high frequencies. Whether I'm listening to music, watching movies, or enjoying a podcast, the headphones consistently deliver a balanced and immersive sound that truly enhances the overall enjoyment of the content. Noise Cancellation (5/5): The active noise cancellation feature on these headphones is outstanding. It effectively eliminates ambient noise, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the audio. Whether I'm on a noisy commute or in a bustling coffee shop, the noise cancellation technology provides a peaceful listening experience, making it easier to appreciate the subtleties of the audio. Battery Life (5/5): The battery life of the Sony Headphones is impressive. I can easily get through a long flight or a day at work without worrying about running out of battery. The quick charge feature is a lifesaver, providing hours of playback with just a short charging time. Connectivity and Controls (4.5/5): Pairing the headphones with my devices was seamless, and the Bluetooth connectivity has been reliable. The touch-sensitive controls on the ear cups are intuitive and easy to use, allowing me to adjust volume, skip tracks, and answer calls effortlessly. It does require some practice and time to get use to the controls. Overall Impressions: In conclusion, the Sony Headphones deliver an outstanding audio experience with top-notch design, unmatched comfort, exceptional audio quality, and effective noise cancellation. Whether you're an audiophile or someone who simply appreciates good sound, these headphones are a must-have. Sony has once again set a high standard in the world of audio technology. I highly recommend the Sony Headphones to anyone seeking a premium audio experience.

Lasted all of 6 months. The left side swivel joint cracked and Sony won't cover "Physical, Cosmetic, or Water" damage even though the damage is from a design defect.

Having used the XM3 and XM4, I went in expecting incremental improvement in the noise canceling feature that has a competitor sweating. So expectations on using the XM5 weren’t as high as before. From an aesthetic point, I like the new design. But after getting it in my hands and getting a feel for it, I find that I also do not like the design decisions put into this. Many headphones that have cans that swivel so that the cups themselves rest on your chest make it easier to hang your headphones around your neck. Not only does it protect the inside of the cans themselves but it also prevents whatever potential dust and particles from flying in. In the XM5, the cans now swivel in the opposite direction, where the open side of the cans are now facing outward when they rest on your chest. This is a major step back in how headphones are designed. And yes, I did double check that the right side can is undoubtedly right. Another odd design decision is that the XM5 is not as compact as before. The XM3 and XM4 were both collapsible so they can be packed and compact for travel. There is no such thing in the XM5 this time around. I find it a bit sad that this is not part of the design any more. And it makes the whole redesign of the XM5 more questionable than praise worthy. Lastly, as I should have expected, included cables are the 3.5mm analog cable that can be connected to a headphone jack and a USB charging. The analog cable can be used with or without active noise canceling turned on. If your headphone has no power left, the headphones can still be used, which is a side bonus. The USB charging cable is still a massive disappointment, being a mere 6 inches in length. When paying full price for these headphones, you kind of expected to have a longer cable. This has been happening ever since I got the XM3. This may have been going on for longer but I do not own any prior to that. Even a 12 inch (1ft) charging cable would have been better than a pitiful 6 inches. The active noise canceling (ANC) ability of the XM5 has improved yet again but only slightly. Like the XM4 before it, the improvement is only minor and blocks out a bit more. Train noise from my commute is reduced to a whisper and makes it easy to doze off. And with music playing at the same time, it becomes easy to miss automated and train operator messages played over the train’s speakers. You can still temporarily turn off ANC by placing your right palm on the right can, a feature that is retained from previous generations. On a similar note, touch controls are still on the right can. And much like the previous generations, there is no texture to make it easier to feel out the touch controls. For new owners, it makes it a bit tricky and difficult to learn the touch controls. There is an audio cue on swipe so it is a minor improvement from the previous generation. Audio quality is just as great as before. I prefer sound that is as neutral as possible. Meaning, it’s not heavy on the low frequency or tinny from high frequency. Such taste can always be adjusted using an equalizer. Codec when using the headphones over Bluetooth is LDAC. Unfortunately this codec is not available for Apple users. There is 360 Reality Audio but that remains untested due to limited streaming services, where I am either not using or not subscribed to. For call audio quality, I believe it’s a bit better in picking up my voice. Even with a face mask on, it picks up my voice without the need for The companion app, Sony Headphones Connect, allows you to adjust some settings for the headphones. Sadly, adjusting the noise canceling level of the headphone is no longer possible, which is a major shame since there are times when I want to fine tune how much noise is reduced. Next to the power button on the left can of the headphone is a button that is now strictly for switching noise canceling mode or custom function set by the app via double-press. Lastly, the headphone is comfortable to wear. It is light and doesn’t weigh down, despite the change in the top headband having less cushion/padding than before. I can potentially wear it for hours without any discomfort. It’s great for long travels and commutes and is worth having for such an occasion. Is this worth the asking price? Unfortunately, I have to say no. The XM4 is still available and can be had for less. So far, the improvements over generations are incremental and nothing revolutionary. The design choices for the XM5 doesn’t seem to make much sense and felt like a step backward. Not being able to fine tune the noise canceling level like before is also a downer. It’s surprising that for the XM5 it is not a clear winner. So I cannot recommend this for old or new users. Verdict: Not recommended The Good: Better ANC than before, great audio, comfortable to wear for long sessions The Bad: cans swivel in opposite direction, not compact, only 3 levels of ANC The Ugly: the thought of having random particles blow into the cans while worn around the neck

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is probably the most well rounded noise canceling headphones on the market. It makes top marks in noise canceling, sound quality, call quality, and comfort. All top marks for me when deciding what to buy. Noise Canceling – The specs will tell you about the 8 microphones and the two noise canceling processors. What it really means is that it works really well. I don’t travel often but I do work almost all day with headphones on. I recently wore them on a 2-hour road trip (legal in my state) and tested the noise canceling for a few miles just to see how well it drowned out the roar of the road and hum of the air conditioning. It was shocking at how quiet things got when I turned on the noise canceling. It really helps you dial in on whatever you’re listening to, whether it’s music or a podcast. I did still hear a slight hum from the road but it was buried in the background of the music and I barely noticed it. I’ve used several different noise canceling headphones and earbuds and these are as good or better than the ones I’ve used. Sound Quality – Sony seems like they continue to refine and improve their sound profile on the WH-1000XM series of headphones. The XM3’s had good bass but sometimes it could sound a bit muddled when there was a lot of highs and lows mixed together. I didn’t get a chance to listen to the XM4’s but everything comes through loud and clear on the XM5’s. I appreciate being given the ability to customize the sound with the EQ in the Sony headphones app and adapt the sound to my personal taste. I like to have clear vocals with prominent bass but the bass isn’t obtrusive to the rest of the instruments and vocals. With the best in class noise canceling coupled with the crisp sound from the headphones it becomes a premium listening experience. It’s also worth noting that call quality comes in clear. I made a call to my mother and she said it sounded like I was standing next to her. Comfort – I can easily go a few hours with these headphones without having to make any adjustments for comfort. The only discomfort I’ve felt is after a few hours it gets a bit uncomfortable on the headband. I think this is mostly due to Sony’s decision to thin the headband, concentrating the weight distribution a bit more on the top of my head. Usually, I just adjust it forward or back a little to alleviate the pressure point without any detrimental effect to the sound or comfort. The ear muff material is a soft leather material and like anything that sits against your skin for a prolonged period of time, it will get warm. Usually after wearing them a few hours non-stop, a 20-30 minute break is enough to alleviate the building sweat forming under the leather. I think a slightly wider headband would have increased the time until discomfort threshold but making a small adjustment after hours of wearing them isn’t such an inconvenience that would deter me from these headphones. As for those with small narrow head shapes, you may want to try these first before buying. My wife found that on the smallest adjustment, it still set low on her ears and she wished they were a bit higher on her head, but just couldn’t get there because of the default smallest size. Design – I’m perfectly content with the design change for this generation of headphones. They’ve opted to abandon the folding design of the previous XM models, which in my opinion, only introduced two additional failure points being the hinges on the headband. Folding did make it, ever so slightly, more portable, but I think the slim case included with the XM5’s fits perfectly in my backpack. The headphones have a straight band design and the ear cups slide up and down for adjustment. I do like how the headphones fit around the neck and can fold out so the speakers face outwards. The Headphones themselves are very light and have a slight rubberized texture to the feel of them. The sliding motion to adjust the headphones feel smooth and easy to adjust. I do wonder if they will stay this smooth in the long haul. I’m curious to see if they’ll get too loose after a year of adjusting them. Time will tell. The right ear muff is all about charging and touch controls while the left is all about physical buttons and headphone jack. The controls are pretty intuitive and doesn’t take too long to get used to. Swipe forward or back to change tracks, up or down for volume. Double tap to pause or answer a call, tap and hold for voice assistant. On the left, you get ambient sound toggle and a power button. I do also like the obvious left and right indicators located on the headband just above the ear cups so you’re not guessing at which is which. I love how the case included with the headphones perfectly fits the outline of the headphones, it feels sturdy and premium and includes a small compartment for a headphone cable and charging cable. I think an industry leading product should come with or at least offer a custom fit case for protection. Features – The XM5’s come with several noise canceling features that you may find useful. First is adaptive noise canceling. This feature will listen and detect your environment and determine the perfect amount of noise canceling. For example, if there’s a lot of traffic noise, it will assume you’re a pedestrian and having your wits about you will likely help you react to any distracted drivers coming up on a red light. It’ll do this by adjusting the ambient sound so that it enhances the sound around you as if you weren’t wearing headphones. On the other hand, if you’re riding home on the bus, it may max out the noise canceling so you can focus on what you’re listening to and drown out the ambient noise. There’s also speech detection which will turn on ambient sound and pause what you’re listening to so you can engage in conversation. After a few moments, noise canceling will re-engage and your music will resume. I did find the ambient sound mode to not work quite as well as other’s I’ve tried. Not that it's bad, but I wouldn’t it’s the best. Hopefully Sony can improve this with a software update. Multi-device connection will allow you to connect to two devices and can switch between the two depending on the audio demand. The most likely scenario for this is being connected to your phone as well as your laptop so you can stream music or video from your laptop while being connected to your phone for calls. I used mine for Teams calls on my work laptop while listening to music on my phone. I was impressed at how as soon as my Teams call started, it paused my music and when the call was over, without doing any switching or pushing buttons, it started playing my music again. Other features include preset EQ settings as well as two custom profiles you can adjust to your choosing. Having the ability to fine tune your sound preferences should come standard with high end headphones and Sony delivers. Sony also has 360 audio which is their answer to Dolby Atmos surround sound. Unfortunately, I’ve not heard of most of the supported apps. Also featured is DSEE Extreme which uses AI to help restore some of the sound quality lost with audio compression. Finally, cupping the right ear muff will turn down the volume and turn on ambient sound so you can hear your surrounds. This is nice if you need to hear an announcement or want to listen to something happening around you. Last, I’ll mention this one tidbit. I found a noticeable bump on the left earpiece and I thought this to be an issue with the manufacturing process. I reached out to Sony to see if my unit was defective or if this was on all their headsets. Come to find out, this is for those visually impaired to easily and quickly identify the correct orientation of the headphones. I love it! Sony has demonstrated the ability to make excellent noise canceling headphones and they continue to be the medium in which everything else is compared to. it’s a no brainer to recommend the WH-1000XM5’s. With industry leading noise canceling, fantastic sound, lightweight design, premium materials, and a highly customizable feature set, these set the bar.

Comparing these to my AirPods Max… Sony has been Bose's nightmare since the year 2016 when they introduced the MDR-1000x. Until then, Bose had a stranglehold on the ANC headphone market. No other headphone was quite as effective at cancelling noise. Fast forward to now, and Bose has been losing more and more to Sony with every new iteration of the WH or WF series. Apple joined the ANC headphone market in the year 2020 with the AirPods Max and those have been my go-to in this category since... Until these Sony XM5's. The XM5's are bit controversial in terms of storage and travel due to their inability to collapse and fold into a small form factor similar to the previous Sony WH and Bose QC series. Sony likely took this new design route to remove one of the weakest points in a headphone. There were numerous complaints of previous WH iterations cracking at the point where the headband folds so hopefully this new design choice is more durable. The Bose NC 700 and AirPods Max also adopt this design where there is no folding. The feel and build quality of the XM5's is no match for the AirPods Max, but the Sony's are not cheap. However, this much lighter design thanks to the materials chosen results in supreme comfort whereas my AirPods Max shows its weight after an hour or two on my head. I can comfortably wear these Sony XM5's for my entire work shift in the office. The AirPods Max feel like their price tag though it doesn’t translate too well in terms of listening comfort. The case is much better on the Sony’s than the AirPods Max. They complete cover the headphone and have a compartment to hold the 3.5mm analog cable as well as the USB-C cable. The AirPods Max case on the other hand has no compartment to hold extra cables and leaves the headband exposed to scratches and tears if you throw them in a busy bag. The AirPods Max case is literally really only useful to power off the headphones. Battery life is superb on the Sony’s at 30 hours or 40 hours with no ANC/Transparency activated. You can also get 3 hours of charge in 3 minutes if using a USB-C PD equipped power adapter. Insane! The AirPods Max has a 20-hour battery life which is inferior to the Sony’s but still more than enough for me since all I needed was 8-10 hours of run time to get me through the office for the day. The Sony’s charge via the more standard and easily accessible USB-C connection while the AirPods Max uses lightning which might not be an issue if you have an iPhone since that is what is needed to charge that as well. App support is a landslide victory to the Sony’s with the ability to manually update the headphone, adjust EQ, set listening modes based on activity or location, view listening habits, adjust playback and ambient mode controls, etc. It’s an extensive list of customizations that the Sony’s allow. The AirPods Max on the other hand are only really customizable on an iOS device through the Bluetooth settings and even then, there’s far less customization. ANC performance between the two are both excellent and you can’t go wrong with either. It’s like picking hairs trying to find a winner here. Sometimes I feel like the AirPods Max blocks out more noise and sometimes I think it’s the Sony’s that win. It really depends on the environment but I will confidently say these are the best two ANC headphones on the market. Moving over to transparency mode and I find that the AirPods Max slightly edges the Sony’s in the sense of naturalness to the sound. It simply sounds more like I don’t have a headphone on my head with the AirPods Max more so than the Sony’s. I can still however, easily hold conversations on my Sony’s transparency mode with my co-workers at work or hear announcements on the train platforms. Call quality between the two is also excellent but the Sony’s edge out the AirPods Max in the ability to literally make you sound like you’re in a quiet room despite there being wind or noises in the background. It’s amazing, because the previous Sony WH iterations were mediocre in terms of microphone performance but now Sony is the king. Great job. Lastly, the sound. I love em’ both but prefer the Sony’s tuning more. There’s less shrillness in the treble that the AirPods Max tends to have. The midrange also has more texture and fullness to it which makes it sound more natural and vivid. The bass is much, much improved over the XM4 and now sounds very tactile, precise and still full of oomph and power. The AirPods Max bass is more emphasized in the sub bass and also has a precise and tactile sounding bass profile. The XM5’s bass is more mid-bass focused so you get more of that punchy feel. Soundstage between the two is great. AirPods Max sounds a bit airier because of the extra treble energy. Detail and resolution sound a tad better on the Sony’s. They have a wonderful sense of ability to just bring out the subtle nuances in the music over the AirPods Max. Volume is also louder on the Sony’s over the AirPods Max. Both of them do not distort at their max volume. All in all, I can live with either in terms of sound, but if I had to choose, my preference is the Sony’s. The XM4 sounds dull and boomy in comparison these even after endless attempts of trying to EQ them using the app. Sony really improved the sound on the XM5. In conclusion, I will have to give the ANC wireless headphone crown to the Sony XM5 for now over my beloved AirPods Max. Let’s see what the AirPods Max 2 have to offer…

Do not waste your money only had 6 months and the hinge broke. Bought the extra warranty and sony does not cover what they call physical damage. Even tho it is a poor design and many others have the same issue

I absolutely love the WH-1000XM5’s. Having owned Bose and a few other headphones with noise canceling I can say this is the best noise canceling I’ve experienced. The sound quality is excellent, the battery life is long, and after getting used to them I’m really liking the touch controls. I do wish the case wasn’t so bulky and the design is a bit boring, but overall I can’t think of another pair of headphones I’d pick over them right now, especially for traveling and work. The box includes the headphones, a USB-C cable, 3.5mm cable, and a carrying case with a neat little magnet flap to hold the cables. The case has some geometric elements that I like a lot and I feel like it does a good job protecting the headphones, but it’s very bulky and takes up quite a lot of space in my bag due to the headphone’s inability to fold at all. The headphones themselves look really nice, if a little generic. I’m actually more fond of the design on the older XM4’s and I don’t think these have all that much personality, but they don’t look bad by any means. The construction is all plastic, but it feels durable and the headphones are super light on the head. They’re extremely comfortable to wear and I didn’t experience any fatigue in the hours I’ve worn them. Getting the XM5’s setup on my Pixel 6 was a little bit of a hassle but not too bad. I downloaded the Sony Headphones app and proceeded to connect the headphones through the app, but was also dealing with competing notifications from the Android Fast Pair. The Sony app has a few agreements to click through and permissions that need to be enabled to support all of the headphone’s features. I chose not to enable the location permission for switching sound based on location, but did enable the adaptive sound option for changing the sound based on my activity. The app hasn’t changed a whole lot since the last pair of Sony headphones I had, but it is functional and offers easy access to adjust the sound settings and functions. There was one section of the app called Activity that seems to gamify listening to these, but to what end I’m not sure and I left that off. Besides one issue that I believe is specific to my Pixel phone and not the headphones, I haven’t had any problems using these. The sound is full without being overly bassy, has a good amount of detail in the tracks, and gets plenty loud. The touch controls on the right ear cup took some getting used to but now that I’ve got the gestures down it feels very natural. I especially like the hand over ear cup gesture to activate transparency mode; that’s super handy especially when working in the office and I need to quickly answer a question. The quality of the transparency mode is also excellent - it sounds very natural, though not quite up to the level of what I’ve heard on the AirPods Pro. The noise canceling performance is fantastic; I feel completely isolated from the world with it enabled and with content playing at anything but the lowest volume TV noise, buzzing and outside conversation completely fall away. It’s actually a little unnerving. The one issue I am having is the sound with LDAC enabled is extremely choppy. My phone seems to default to the highest quality 900 kbps playback, which the Pixel 6 has been known to have problems with since it launched last year. Switching it to the mid-range 600 kbps playback solves the problem, but unfortunately I have to do it every time I turn the headphones on in the developer settings or else change the Sony app to favor connection over quality, which defaults to AAC instead. I’m not putting this as a point against the headphones because I’m almost positive it’s a Pixel issue. Supposedly Google has a fix in the works for this summer, so hopefully I’ll be able to listen to them at full bandwidth soon. It’s something to be aware of if you own the Pixel 6 though. Microphone quality is very good. My voice comes through quite clear and while I wouldn’t recommend doing any serious recording on it it’s more than fine for calls. Overall I’m extremely happy with these headphones. If you work in a noisy office or travel a lot I don’t think there’s a better option out there right now, though it may be worth considering the older XM4’s as they incorporate a lot of what the XM5 offers and are often on sale.

--- SETUP --- To set up these headphones, you must download the Sony Headphones app. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to connect them via bluetooth to your mobile device. --- FEATURES --- 8 microphones for active noise canceling (ANC) exceptionality, bluetooth and auxiliary options, USB-C charge, 3 minute charge gives 3 hours of use, 4 microphones for voice precision, capacitive touch controls, auto-ambience features, and 30 hours of continuous use. --- PERFORMANCE AND EXPECTATIONS --- Visually, these headphones didn’t stand out much compared to other headphones I’ve owned. In fact, they are prone to getting oily quickly and don’t scream quality at first glance. However, what it lacks visually more than makes up with its superb features. The over-the-ear cup design makes these one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn to date. It helps that they are light to wear and its minimalistic design makes it intuitive to use the controls available. The headband has a memory foam that lies comfortably on your head for extended periods of time. The true value of these headphones comes with the customization provided for you in the free Sony app. Within the Sony app, you can turn on several features that are unique to scenarios you may encounter. For example, these headphones come with superb ANC technology. What this means is that the embedded 8 microphones on the headphones turn on to block ambient sound around you and make your listening experience sound as if you are listening to your audio in a vacuum, allowing you to truly focus on what you’re listening to. In the app, you can turn on a feature that will automatically turn off the ANC if you start talking with someone so that you can clearly hear them. At that point, the microphones will capture the voice of the person talking to you, and you will hear them through the headphones. This is great if all you plan to do is listen to your audio. However, if you like singing along to your tunes, it doesn’t work so well. Since it’s a feature you can turn on or off, you can decide what you prefer. Similarly, if you have the auto-ambient feature off, you can still turn off ANC temporarily and quickly with the intuitive touch-capacitive controls. Place the palm of your hand on the right ear cup and your music will automatically fade and ANC will turn off, allowing you to listen to what you need to listen to. Imagine being on a subway and you need to hear the stop. This would be an ideal use of the quick ANC turn-off feature. The headphones also detect when you remove them. Doing so, it pauses what you are listening to, including watching shows from a streaming service. This is a feature that I enjoyed more and more because it’s just practical. The headphones feature 360 Reality Audio. For it to work, you need to take pictures of your ears within the app, the pictures are sent to a Sony server to be analyzed, and in return, you get a personalized 360 audio experience with specific apps. Some require a subscription. However, you can try the feature with the free 360 Reality Audio. I followed instructions and set up my personalized audio experience with the 360 Reality Audio app. I listened to the audio before and after the analysis of my ears. I personally didn’t find a difference, but the sound of the headphones is enjoyable nonetheless. --- VALUE --- These headphones have the right amount of well thought out bells and whistles that are useful, practical, and easy to understand to justify their price. --- APPROVAL --- I highly recommend the headphones for the person who considers themselves an audiophile, the student who wants no outside disturbance while studying, or for the person who simply wants the best audio combined with the best comfort for extended periods of time!

Shortly after a year the plastic breaks where it connects to the headband plastic piece.

These headphones are awesome, exceptional noise cancellation and high-end sound to create an unparalleled listening experience. As an avid audio enthusiast, I was blown away by the performance of these headphones. Let's start with the noise cancellation, apart from its competitors. Sony has further perfected their already impressive noise cancellation technology, allowing you to immerse yourself in a world of pure audio bliss. When it comes to sound quality, they take it to a whole new level. The bass is deep and punchy, providing a solid foundation for any genre of music. The midrange is warm and well-balanced, ensuring that vocals and instruments shine through with remarkable clarity. And the treble is crisp and detailed, adding sparkle and life to the overall soundstage.?Sony has also implemented advanced features to enhance your listening experience. The Adaptive Sound Control intelligently adjusts the noise cancellation and ambient sound settings based on your environment, ensuring optimal performance in any situation. The touch-sensitive controls on the earcups are intuitive and responsive, allowing for easy navigation and customization. The battery life is impressive as well, providing extended playtime for those long flights or marathon listening sessions. Comfort is another area where the WH-1000XM5 excels. The plush ear cushions and adjustable headband make for a cozy fit, even during extended use. The headphones are lightweight, and the earcups swivel to lay flat, making them convenient to carry in the included travel case. Traveling, I typically keep the over my my neck or head until I need them. They are so lightweight I sometimes forget they are there,

If you're looking for the best active noise canceling, over-ear headphones... look no further! The quality of noise canceling is second to none, somehow, Sony has taken the best ANC headphones and improved the ANC! Okay, on to the review. The Sony WH-1000XM5s have amazing sound quality, a nice finish (the black does attract fingerprints, at least at first), very comfortable for extended wear, and easily adjustable. The only thing I wish would have been kept around is the ability to fold the headphones like the previous versions, the case for the XM5s is a bit bulky, but you can clip it to a backpack or slide it into a bag pretty easily. The case also holds an included USB-C charging cable and 3.5mm cable in a magnetically sealed compartment and covers the entirety of your high-end headphones, unlike some of Sony's competitors. The thinner headband is nice, I can't really speak to how it may affect one's hair, but it leaves a smaller headband imprint on my bald head and has a barely there feel to it. The earcups are very comfortable and have ample room, even for those with bigger ears! They retain some of the best features of Sony's other ANC headphones, such as: touch controls on the ear cup, cover-to-speak/hear ambient mode, ANC/Ambient/"normal" mode button, 3.5mm ability, highly adjustability in the Sony Headphones app, auto-mode switching based on activities. The ambient mode has the ability to focus on voices, instead of just the general ambient noise and the ability to adjust the level of the ambient noise let in is a very nice feature to have. Pairing that with the auto-mode switching and "speak-to-chat," which switches the headphones to voice-focused ambient mode when you begin to speak and turns off after a predetermined (and adjustable) amount of time, make for an amazing set of headphones for working in the office, taking on flights, trains, busses, and walking around. Now, they are not claimed to be water or sweat-resistant or IP rated in any way, kind of a bummer on for headphones that seem as though they'd be a perfect pairing for running or working out, but most of the nicer headphones lack an IP rating. In my testing of them, they've held up to some pretty sweaty runs. I do dry them off immediately and leave them off and out of their case for about an hour afterwards and they look, sound, and function perfectly. Something that each individual will have to decide if they're willing to take that risk with such a nice set of headphones. Overall, I would definitely recommend the Sony WH-100XM5s to those looking for great audio quality for music, videos, and calls with amazing active noise cancelation for the times you wish to be isolated from outside noise. I could see these being a perfect fit for a frequent traveler, a music loving office worker looking to focus, and anyone who likes to head the world around them in excellent clarity while wearing their over-ear headphones! I am absolutely loving these and think they're worth the bump in price from the previous generation (XM4) by improving on the previous generation in all ways except for the ability to fold.

Terrible product. Headband broke after only 9 months of use. They wont cover it under the warranty so I'm out almost 400 bucks.

I am simply blown away by how great. These headphones are and I have literally no comparison with the words in my vocabulary To describe these headphones and how perfect they are they are unmatched and I have had every single pair of headphones existing with noise cancelation these headphones are super clear and I'm not just talking about hearing music. I'm talking about hearing instruments in perfect clarity you can hear everything in a song and nothing gets left behind and paired together with the amazing bass that comes out super clean and very well produced with a very deep rumbling sound it's phenomenal The Sony application brings these headphones on a throne with all of the different profiles you can configure And you can definitely find your favorite sound profile by messing around with those settings and it's very easy to understand these headphones have the best noise cancellation I have ever heard in my life not. Only did these headphones cancel the sound from a Subway rumbling a couple feet from me in New York City these headphones blocked out the sound for the person I was on the phone with they literally said "it sounds like ur in a quiet room" With a train screeching its brakes and hundreds of people Just to help you understand how these headphones are beyond words. The noise cancelation shocked me because I could be heard perfectly clear to the person I was speaking to but every sound around me was completely blocked out and I went a whole day using these headphones my battery is currently at 90 percent using active noise cancelation I would highly recommend these headphones and I have nothing bad to say about them I will definitely keep buying from Sony and I am definitely a very happy customer

The Sony WH-1000Xm5 is the latest version of the best noise cancelling headphones available today. I also have the Sony WH-1000Xm3 and the Bose QC 45, which I will compare in this review. There is a lot of great technology, however Sony made some design choices which may make this not suitable for everyone. Out of the box the first thing you notice is the size of the case. It is approximately 30% larger than the Xm3 and about 40% larger than the QC45. This is due to the new design of the Xm5 which do not fold. This is an unfortunate trend, as Bose, Apple and Microsoft headphones don’t fold either. I use noise cancelling headphones predominantly for travel. My backpack or carryon has limited space. Carrying 2 of these headphones (for myself and my wife) now takes up the space of 3 foldable headphones. Also included in the case is the headphone cable and a ridiculously small charging cable. So small that it is basically unusable. The double prong airline adapter is no longer included, which is fine since I have never used one and I don’t know if any airline uses that anymore. The headband is now rounder and slimmer. I found the new design to be less comfortable than the flatter design of the other headphones as the contact with your head is now concentrated in a smaller area. If you have a thick head of hair, you may not notice this. However, if you have thinning hair or you are bald I think you will notice this. The ear cups now have a wider opening which will be more comfortable for most people. However, the ear cup padding is only half as thick and softer than the Xm3 and this causes a couple of issues. (See attached picture). The padding compresses too easily and goes into the ear cup. This is not only less comfortable, it also affects the seal around your ears which results in noise leakage. The first time I used the noise cancelling I was shocked at how poor it was. After several uses I realized that the ear cup foam was not sealing properly. When I pushed the ear cups closer to my ears by holding both sides of the headband the noise cancelling was incredible. The foam is too soft and too thin. Sony should definitely offer a replacement which is thicker. This would be an easy and inexpensive fix. I weighed the Xm5 at 249 grams, the Xm3 at 254 grams and the QC 45 at 235 grams. You can feel a sight difference compared to the Xm3, however the Bose is still noticeably lighter. The Xm5 in black is also a fingerprint magnet. This is especially bad because the headphone controls require your finger to swipe the earcups. Finally, there is no voice announcement when you turn the power on. I am used to hearing that the power is on and which device I am connected to. Instead all you get is a couple of guitar sounding notes when you turn it on and when it connects. Now on to the great technology. Initial pairing with my Pixel phone was instantaneous. Connection is fast and stable. Noise cancellation, when ear cups are sealed properly, is incredible. Far better than the QC 45 and noticeably better than the Xm3, especially with higher frequencies. The Xm5 can connect to 2 different devices. Phone calls are much better than any other headphone I have used. The conversation is loud and clear on both ends while the Xm5 completely block out the noise from your surroundings. The other party will think that you are in a quiet room no matter your surroundings. Ambient sound quality is also improved and can now be adjusted automatically depending on your surroundings. The Xm3 required you to go to the app and do it manually. Sound quality for music and voice is also excellent, and is adjustable with EQ settings in the app. Battery charge lasts up to 30 hours, which is excellent. However, fast charging is improved with a 3 minute charge giving you up to 3 hours of use, when charged with a PD adapter. Other features like Speak to Pause and Remove Headphones to Pause work great and are very useful. In summary, the tech is top notch , the design is not (at least for me). I realize that we are all built differently and some of the negatives I mentioned may not affect you. And Sony could easily fix the sound leakage with thicker foam pads. Therefore, I would recommend the Sony WH-1000Xm5 only if you can try them on first.

I recently purchased the Sony headphones, and I have to say, they definitely lived up to the hype. The sound quality is excellent—rich, clear, and immersive, making it a joy to listen to music or take calls. I was also really impressed with the connectivity features. Pairing with my devices was seamless, and using the companion app was straightforward, making it easy to customize settings. In terms of battery life, these headphones did not disappoint. I was able to use them for several hours without needing to recharge, which is a huge plus for long listening sessions or travel. One thing that is often mentioned in reviews is the build quality, and I can see where the concern comes from. While they feel a bit flimsy for the price point, they are still comfortable to wear for extended periods, and the overall design is sleek. I’d say this is a minor downside, but it didn’t detract from the overall experience too much. Overall, if you’re looking for an upgrade in sound and features, these are a great option from Sony. Despite a few small concerns with build quality, the performance and user experience are top-notch. Highly recommended!

The Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones in blue are a standout choice for anyone seeking top-tier audio and noise isolation. The sound quality is superb, with rich, clear highs and deep lows, making them great for all types of music. The noise cancellation is excellent, blocking out ambient sounds even in busy environments. Comfort-wise, they are lightweight and plush, perfect for extended listening sessions. The sleek design, especially in the unique blue color, gives them a modern and stylish edge. Battery life is impressive, offering up to 30 hours of playtime on a full charge. With touch controls, a built-in mic for calls, and seamless connectivity, the WH-1000XM5s are an all-around premium wireless headphone experience.

some of the best headphones I’ve ever bought. Noise cancellation is amazing especially on flights. The battery life is insane. I use my headphones a lot and only have to charge them. Maybe once a week the ear cuffs are very comfortable, and even when the sliders are broken in from regular use a cup your head very well. Personally use mine while working out or running and they do a fantastic job of staying on my head, never having to adjust them. I never leave the house without them anymore love them so much.