Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones Review: New Design, New Superpower 2022

April 22, 2023



Sony’s fifth-gen flagship noise-canceling headphones have been redesigned on the outside and inside, with new drivers and a new sound profile, plus improved noise canceling. But there’s one upgrade that gives them an important advantage over the WH-1000XM4, as well as some competitors.

Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 https://bit.ly/3lO7sOU

Find the headphones in this video here👇:
Sony WH-1000XM5 – https://cnet.co/3yyD56N
Sony WH-1000XM4 – https://cnet.co/3FG3zVp
Bose 700 – https://cnet.co/3N9fOwh
Bose QC 45 – https://cnet.co/3NabZah
Apple Airpods Max – https://cnet.co/3l4ZvET
*Cnet may receive commission for these offers

Full written review – https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-wh-1000xm5-headphones-review/

Subscribe to CNET: https://www.youtube.com/user/CNETTV
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnet
Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cnet
Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/2icCYYm
Follow us on TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd2h6yac/

Click to rate this post!
[Total: 0 Average: 0]
22 Comments
  1. Got the new m5s free as a replacement with my extended warranty for my m4s from the source in Canada and I still have one more replacement 😀 sound and anc absolutely awesome 👌

  2. Mine xm5 stopped working after 45 days of usage, always used inside!!! The issue is an infinite beep in Bluetooth mode, back to Sony! I had to take the AirPods Max 🙁

  3. Honestly, I think I'll just keep using my Sony WH-1000XM3s

  4. I just looked at the other comments regarding the inability of the new headphones to fold. The mark 5 appears to be less likely to break than the mark 4. Like I said before, my Bose QuietComfort 35ii did not break, and I know I was much rougher with my Bose headphones than the Sony headphones. If you are as rough with your headphones as I am with mine, losing the ability to fold the headphones is a welcome price to pay. I was very disappointed when my first mark 4 broke. I don’t think I did enough to break them. I think the mark 4 broke too easily.

  5. I’m not upgrading from my mark 4 to the mark 5 yet because I have another year on my extended warranty. I do like the upgraded outer design. Bose’s QuietComfort 35ii, and I suspect the new QuietComfort 45, is definitely more rugged than the mark 4. I had to replace the mark 4 before the first year because they broke. I believe the new outer design of the mark 5 solves this problem.

  6. I’d be all over these if they folded into something more portable.

  7. Do xm5s have a physical bass like xm4s? Or is it audible bass we get in mid range headphones because they have smaller 30mm drivers compared to xm4s.

  8. Are you good at chess?

  9. I can't wait for the new momentum 4 and the Bowers and Wilkins PX7 S2 reviews

  10. I don't know why so many people are not a fan of headphones that don't fold. I had a pair of the xm4 headphones a couple years ago. I returned them very quickly. It was because of how the headphones did fold. The swivel action of the earcups was something I didn't like at all. I felt it would be way to easy to accidentally break the headphones. I very much like that the XM5S do not fold. I also like that the call quality is much better. I really like my bose nc700 headphones. They are great. I might pick up a pair of these headphones from Ebay.

  11. I've had my XM4 for at least a year now, and i use them daily or at least several hours a week i've been really pleased with their performance, i love the dual device support feature and auto switching between my phone and computer, sounds quality is great and you can customize the sound to your liking with the app, charing time is good. I have no complaints with the WH-1000XM4 so i don't think i will be upgrading anytime soon but if i was buying new i'd consider the XM5 or the XM4 since they are going for a discount and the tech should still last a few years.

  12. Got these for 160$ lol

  13. Thanks for showing the inside of the ear cups.

  14. David Carnoy, do the XM5s go as deep in the bass as the XM4s? Or does it lose some of the deep bass in order to achieve the audiophile sound you mentioned about in the video?

  15. If Sony put as much effort into being profitable as they do into making killer headphones, they'd be unstoppable.

  16. Guys Been trailing so many headphones except this, I wear glasse is this comfortable?

  17. How is the sound leakage? My XM4’s would leak sound to the point where people across the room could hear what I was listening to at 50% volume or higher

  18. Loved the call demo

  19. What is the breathability of these headphones?

  20. SOUND
    So I testet the xm4 and the xm5 in a local shop, EQd them both to reach a more neutral soundprofile and figured out that they sound VERY similar. The only difference is, that the xm5 have a widespreaded bit warmer tonality and a more overall „matching“ instrument separation and „vibe“. Also the xm4s are a bit „noisier“ in the high highs, probably due to the warmer tone of the xm5s.

    Keep in mind that I tuned them to sound more neutral. Both with -1 clear base and +5 at 1000 and +4 at the next slider (to push the mids and highs a bit).

    But overall both headphones sound very similar, the xm4s have a slightly bit more physicality in the deeper base, but the punch is nearly the same in the higher base (and a SLIGHTLY bit more clearer on the xm5s, not really noticeable).

    ANC
    The ANC is also very similar, Idk if the Auto Mode of the xm5 sucks and they can do better, but in the store with music and chattering and so on it was very similar.

    COMFORT
    Both are very comfortable but in a different way. You really notice that the xm5s are 4g lighter and the cushioning on the earpads is more comfy (what surprised me lol) but you also feel the headband more, I only tested them about 30min. and it wasn’t uncomfortable at all, but more uncomfortable than the headband on the xm5s. Both earcups are comfortable, but in other ways. The xm5s are wider but therefore a bit more shallow, so both headphones reach the spacy feeling in different ways.

    The clamping force is very low (nearly not noticeable on the xm5s, but I also didn’t really notice that on the xm4s as either (But lower on the xm5s in my opinion -> Therefor more pressure on the top of the headband (many reviews said that and it is true, although I had them on for only 20min. and it wasn’t really uncomfortable). The ANC pressure wasn’t there which surprised me (but also I didn’t really felt that on the xm4s). Usually I am reeeeeaaallllyyyy sensitive (I got headaches from the Air Pods Max after 3-5 min. of hearing). And first (a month ago) I found the pressure on the xm4s strong as well, but I think I got used to it, which is weird, cause I don’t have any ANC headphones at home (but I heard 10min. on one with ANC before trying the xm5s and xm4s today -> probably this was enough lol).

    Hope I could help you all. I really paid attention to base and detail and overall tonality of the highs and vibe in the comparison in the shop.

  21. How about this headphone – reviews are all great❗❗❗ Edifier STAX SPIRIT S3

  22. Better call quality, great!! Where is the mute microphone button / functionality, what am I getting for 50$ more ??

Leave a Reply to TWH Cancel reply

Reviews We Trust
Logo
Register New Account
Reset Password