Customer Ratings & Reviews

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.

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,

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

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.

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

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

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?

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 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

These headphones have impressed me. After a flight where I ended up with an earache, i needed a new audio solution. After a bit of research, I settled on the XM5 version. There was a newer version available but I opted for a little bit of cost savings. I am not disappointed at all. The sound is great. The are comfortable, and the battery life has been impressive. The only negative I can come up with is they are not water resistant. That means I can't workout in them or do other outdoor activities while using them in the very hot and humid south Louisiana weather.

I’ve been extremely impressed with these headphones. The sound quality is rich, clear, and detailed, and the noise cancellation is some of the best I’ve experienced. They are very comfortable to wear for long periods, whether I’m studying, working, or just listening to music. The battery life is excellent, and the companion app offers a lot of useful customization options. The controls are intuitive, and the overall build quality feels premium. I would definitely recommend these headphones to anyone looking for outstanding sound quality and top-tier noise cancellation.

Outstanding headphones love Sony. Highly recommended them.

So cool. Best product ever. Great for travel. Great.

Sony - WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones (Black) There should be no doubt that there is a battle for the top ranking in the category of noise-cancelling, audiophile level headphones. And, Sony puts serious effort into achieving that top spot. Sony’s best, this WH-1000XM5, is a work of technical excellence as well as sublime comfort and isolation from the world around you. Sound accuracy excels, and is infinitely modifiable via the constantly evolving SONY CONNECT APP. I’m going to describe the more special features from an end-user perspective and comment on my impressions regarding sound. The quick take: Wow. This is an exaltation of music against a backdrop of silence. These may well be the best noise-cancelling headphones this year and for a few years more. Before I begin, however, I’d like to acknowledge another role my Sony headphones have played in the life of my music-loving family. My family is delighted when I get my newest Sony headphones. You see, I hand my previous versions down to my adult children or their children. In fact, I see my oldest (decades old) Sony headphones being used by my talented piano playing granddaughter, as she practices her lessons. It’s her favorite way to practice, plugged into her electric piano. Like this current iteration, every Sony headphone becomes an instant classic and a desirable gift that keeps delivering beautiful music for generations. There are few of my indulgences that have had such a wonderful impact on my family. STAND-OUT FEATURES; WHY DO I CARE? and HOW DO THEY PERFORM? • Bluetooth 5.0, provides simultaneous connection to two devices. With minimal effort, I can switch between my iPhones and my Mac laptop.. The Sony supports SBC, AAC and LDAC codecs; reception range extending up to 30 feet. • SPECIAL NOTE: It’s very easy to use the Bluetooth “2nd device” feature to connect to a Sony Bravia XR series TV. I can now find these headphones listed as an audio selection on my TV after connecting via Bluetooth. Selecting the 1000XM5 results in a personal, high quality sound system that is simply wonderful. Volume is controlled via TV volume or at the headphones (or App). • Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling utilizes 8 microphones to broaden the range of environmental sounds which are reduced (or enhanced if desired). Control for noise reduction is centered in the App but includes automated features that optimize sound cancellation depending on where I am. Noise reduction is as good as anything I’ve ever witnessed. I had practically a rock concert playing in the background of this same room where I was testing this feature. In fact, I was forced to pull away from my ear at least one ear cup to determine exactly how loud the background system was playing, or if it was even still on. The Sony’s were successfully blocking EVERYTHING in the environment. It was an amazing noise cancellation performance. Droning, noisey equipment sounds (air conditioner, lawnmowers) never had a chance to break through. • During calls, 4 beam-forming microphones are calibrated to only pick up your voice even if there’s significant background noise. As you start your conversation, “Speak-to-Chat” automatically stops your music and mixes in ambient sound so the conversation is more natural even with the headphones remaining in place. All my calls are easily understood. • Edge-AI (Artificial Intelligence), DSEE Extreme™ upscales compressed digital music files in real time. Dynamically recognizing instrumentation, musical genres and individual elements of each song, it restores high range sound lost in compression. I leave this on, but to be frank, everything just sounds greatly anyway. • Battery life is said to extend to 30 hours (I’m testing). Keep in mind that these headphones are wireless …. but only until you use that double ended headphone jack to plug into your computer or AV equipment. Listening doesn’t have to end because this wired use does not require battery power. • The case is an all new design, super compact, rugged, and contains the wire accessories safely and securely. THEY’RE HEADPHONES, so How do they sound?!? ANY WAY YOU WANT. Seriously. The Sony WH-1000XM5 defy any effort you make to dislike them. Out of the box, I concluded that Sony was slightly emphasizing the low base. Everything else sounded balanced and natural to me. I flipped to the EQUALIZER page in the App, tapped the CLEAR BASS icon, and used the SLIDER just below the equalizer controls to dial back the base until it sounded more normal to my ears. I had another 5 bands of equalization to modify (MANUAL MODE) or I could select from some already customized sound contours. I chose not to change anything else. Your ability to modify, correct, distort and emphasize music or other programming is virtually unlimited. The simple fact is, the SONYs provide an underlying accuracy, delicacy, and expanded frequency range that gives us end users an unhindered platform to build on or subtract from. We’re in charge. These are special sounding headphones, as detailed and natural as anything I’ve ever owned. I sampled Apple Music’s acoustic collection, modern and classics. I was especially interested in re-mastered Lossless versions of Beatles, Doors, Love and other artists from the 60s. I jumped forward in time to recent Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish, and Charli XCX. Everything was a joyful presentation of detail, rhythm and dynamics. Every minute playing music, or listening to high quality TV programming, with the Sony WH-1000XM5 feels like the first time I’m hearing this music or programming. I have too much music and programming to explore, so I’m cutting off this review here. I can easily recommend these headphone. They’ll eventually, inevitably filter down to a family member who will love them as much as I do today.

To start off I wasn’t a fan of headphones before I purchased these but that has definitely changed. I bought these a little bit over 5 weeks ago and I told myself if I didn’t like them I’d return them I did multiple testing with them studying, casual walking, going on runs, and at the gym and they passed all the test. Besides having amazing noise cancellation the ambiance noice setting is great for when I need to hear the environment around me. Also downloading the app is great to control the music quality PS.Bass is amazing with these. The only downside I’d say for me personally is that they don’t fold all the way so they’re not the easiest to carry around without its case. Overall a solid 9.7/10 on these from a formal airpod pro user Pros- Amazing noise cancellation, great sleek look, long battery life Cons- Hard to carry, Price (Wish it was a little bit cheaper but overall a great Sony product)

[Employee of bestbuy] 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 wired ANC seems to be decent, lot of customisability in the app ANC works well in standalone mode (without pairing) Battery life is good No form of sweat/water resistance is a minus but can be worked around High 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).

Best headphones ever. I love these so much! Never disappointed with them. The battery life is amazing, super fast charging, love the travel case, super comfortable and fit tons of different sizes, noise cancellation on this is incredible miles beyond anything else at cutting noise (they are insane on an airplane, previous headphones just didn’t do the trick with the constant droning of flying but these cut it down so quit i fall asleep every flight.) the sound quality is incredible, and for those who love base the tune-ability with these is amazing. EQ custom or preset, tons of helpful features like speak to chat or the touch features. Love them!!!

Sitting in a busy café, the WH-1000XM5’s noise cancellation made all the chatter and clinking cups disappear. Every note of my playlist was crisp and immersive, with deep bass and clear highs, while the adaptive sound control adjusted perfectly to the environment. They’re incredibly comfortable for hours, and the battery lasts all day. Slightly bulky to carry, but the premium build and immersive sound make every café session feel like a private concert

This product is extremely poorly made! Go to YT !!

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!