Sony has a good reputation when it comes to headphones. The Sony WH1000-XM5 has the challenge of upholding this reputation, staying ahead of the competition and justifying its high price. You can read whether that works in this Sony WH1000-XM5 review.
Sony WH-1000XM5
Price € 420,-
battery life 30 hours (noise reduction on), 40 hours (without)
Link Bluetooth 5.2 (SBC, AAC and LDAC) and 3.5mm jack
Frequency range 4-40,000 Hz
Included Travel case, audio cable, USB-C cable
Weight 250 grams
Website www.sony.nl
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Sound quality
- noise reduction
- Weight
- Negatives
- Design not high quality
- Price
Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Bol.com
Although the series name of Sony’s popular headphones seems inexplicable, Sony is fortunately consistent with the designation of the headphones. The Sony WH1000-XM5 succeeds the WH1000-XM4. In short, the fifth generation of Sony headphones. It is striking that the newly introduced headphones are always very expensive and the previous generation is sharply discounted. For example, Sony invariably has a strong position in the market with top model headphones and headphones that score excellent with their price-quality ratio.
The Sony WH1000-XM5 is high in the market: 420 euros. That is a bit more expensive than the starting price of the Sony WH1000-XM4 two years ago. The latter had a price tag of 379 euros and now costs about 240 euros (although it has already been cheaper on offer). And the XM4 is not a wrong choice at all, in our headphone test it recently emerged as the winner.
The luxurious look is a bit lacking.
New style
Nevertheless, Sony is setting a new course with these fifth generation headphones. First of all with the design, which is moving away from the equivalent designs of previous generations. The WH-1000XM5 seems more like Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose’s Noise Canceling 700. Without copying.
Contrary to what the price suggests and unlike the Apple headphones, Sony has not used high-quality materials for the housing for these headphones. It is made of matte plastic. Although this makes the headphones very light, which is very comfortable, I kind of miss the luxurious look of a high-quality, pricey headphone. The headphones are also not splash-proof. The wearing comfort is okay: thanks to the weight, the band rests with leather cushions on the ears and head and the headphones close well over the ears without pressing.
The light weight also has its advantages if you take the headphones with you. The travel case of the headphones is a bit bigger. That’s because, unlike previous generations, these headphones are not collapsible.
The Sony headphones next to the Bose Noise Canceling 700 (right) and the WH1000-XM4.
listening pleasure
If you look at the specifications, you will notice that the driver size is smaller than with the previous generation of headphones: 30 mm. Typically, a large driver implies better audio quality. Sony explains: “The specially designed 30mm soft edge driver unit improves noise cancellation, especially in low frequency ranges, so you can enjoy music without ambient noise. The carbon composite provides a light solid dome and improves the clarity of the sound, especially in the high frequency range.”
Other specifications are as you would expect from top headphones: an impedance of 48 ohms and a frequency response of 20 to 40,000 hertz (20,000 when you listen via bluetooth). In terms of bluetooth codecs, both AAC and LDAC (up to max 990kbps supported); the highest possible sound experience.
Note, however, that if you enable the option to connect the headphones to multiple devices, LDAC will not be available and will be switched back to the inferior SBC. The listening experience therefore differs considerably, depending on your settings and depending on the device you connect to. If you connect to your laptop, you will also notice that the sound quality is much lower because Windows does not support LDAC or AAC.
When you listen with LDAC or AAC, you notice that the headphones offer a particularly good sound quality. The sound is refined, especially in the high and mid tones, all details are clearly audible because the bass sound is not drowned out in any way. Without the bass sounding slack. Compared to the XM4 (with its larger driver), you notice that this WH1000-XM5 sounds slightly less powerful, but much more balanced and natural.
noise reduction
The headphones are equipped with no less than eight microphones. Half of which are used for voice, including phone calls or video calls via your favorite apps. The four remaining microphones ensure that the noise is recognized and filtered out, making these headphones one of the best for (video) calling: you remain perfectly audible. Even in busy environments.
The noise reduction also applies to the sound, of course. This one works just a bit better than the WH1000-XM4 and the AirPods Max. However, in busy environments you will still get something. If you really want to get as little of your environment as possible, Bose still reigns supreme with the QuietComfort 45 and Noise Canceling 700 headphones.
The ambient mode, which allows ambient noise to pass through, has also been greatly improved. It is even possible to have conversations with the headphones on. But these headphones are just not as impressive as the Apple AirPods Max. The speak-to-chat function is handy: when the microphones pick up that you are talking, the ambient mode automatically switches on and the music (or audiobook and podcast) is automatically paused.
These listening modes do have an effect on battery life, which is slightly shorter than the previous generation of headphones. With noise reduction for up to 30 hours. About ten hours longer if you listen without ambient mode or noise reduction.
Smart Features
Especially if you have the Headphones app When you look at it, you will notice that many smart functions are built in. I already mentioned the Speak-to-Chat feature. You can also personalize the sound adjustment, manage audio quality and, if desired, configure the speech assistant. The 360 audio function, which offers a more spatial experience, is not yet really convincing. Although there is certainly potential for movies and games.
You can also configure the handy controls in the app. This one works with taps and swipes on the ear cup, and while this isn’t new, I wouldn’t want to use headphones without them.
Still, there are a few quirks. For example, that you have to choose between multiple connected devices or high sound quality. The handy NFC chip is also missing, with which you can connect your phone to the headphones by tapping them against each other.
Alternatives to the Sony WH1000-XM5
This Sony WH1000-XM5 takes over from its predecessor as the best all-round headphones. The sound is more refined, call quality higher and the noise reduction is better. However, the WH1000-XM4 is a much smarter deal due to its lower price. Those headphones also have a somewhat more powerful sound, which may appeal to heavy music listeners a bit more.
Other alternatives are the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Noise Canceling 700 headphones, if you want to take the noise cancellation a notch. Although these headphones don’t match the Sony headphones in all other areas.
The Apple AirPods Max are an alternative that, for a comparable price, does give that high-quality feeling that you can expect. The ambient mode of the Apple headphones is also very impressive. The AirPods also have a slightly higher sound quality if you listen to music on Apple equipment. That is where the shoe pinches, because in terms of sound quality and functionality on other connected equipment, this is significantly less.
Conclusion: Buy Sony WH1000-XM5?
The Sony WH1000-XM5 are the best all-round headphones you can buy. You can only expect a little more luxury for the price than this non-waterproof plastic design. Especially in the areas of noise reduction, call quality, ambient sound mode and more refined sound, the headphones have audibly improved compared to the Sony WH1000-XM4, which in turn is becoming increasingly interesting as an affordable alternative. †