WF-1000XM5 Premium Noise Cancelling Truly Wireless Earbuds, Black

There’s a bit of possible Sony hate going on in some reviews, like others I got burned on a pair of WF-10004XM refurbished and one of the batteries started failing after a year. Wasn’t worth the cost of repair. Have others from QCY and Soundcore that were surprisingly good for less cost. Also had trouble with refurbished headphones WH-1000XM4, luckily had added insurance. Cut to buying a new pair that have been flawless. Got the Sony WF-C700N a couple months ago to scratch my earbud itch. Very good for the price. If you’re not ready to throw down $300 for the XM5 they’re a great alternative. Not quite as musical, but no gripes anyway. You can get picky about the throwback buttons but oh well. One comment before I get more specific on the XM5. I fully agree with another review that calls out Sony for how complicated their Sony Connect app has become. It could be simplified for people who don’t want to get into the tech so much. Now, how do they sound? I’m impressed and I’m not using them to their full potential. Using with iPhone so Bluetooth SBC codec is the most basic and lowest quality solution (after digging into the codec question a bit more it does appear that the iPhone has the AAC codec also). However, with the help of Sony’s equalizer and DSEE function I’m very happy with the sound. I almost don’t want to try them with a better codec and then have to go back. (Still applies with AAC, DSE does improve sound) I need treble boost for my old ears and having played bass no surprise I like a lot of bass. These don’t disappoint. I did an A-B comparison with the XM4 headphones and they didn’t have quite the low end but good and punchy with good definition between bass and drums.both can become nice and “growly” on the low end. Noise cancellation is very good, not as good as the headphones but after only a couple days I have been quite satisfied so far. Comfort level is better than the XM4 buds, but I’m so pissed I wasted the money now I don’t want to dig them out to compare audio! I think Sony really improved the fit and design to be lighter, more comfortable, and have impressive sound. Let’s just hope they found a better battery. Used overnight and had battery left in the morning but playing audiobook on timer so i couldn’t say how long continuous playback. I’ll update after I’ve had them longer. (Update) battery life seems to be very similar to the XM4. Sometimes I have battery left in the morning sometimes it comes up short. Another follow up, comes with 4 sets of tips but apparently I have very large ear canals as I’m unable to get a complete seal with the included buds. The large felt good at first but when I used the connect app to check for airtight seals I could not get them to seal. Fortunately I have many tips I’ve saved over the years and by mixing, matching, and testing I have a couple that seal. I even tried ordering extra large tips from a couple vendors and they didn’t work either. Nice that Sony is including extra small but what about us with extra large needs! I do have a possible solution on the way, find a video on YouTube that shows how to use Sugro glue rolled up and inserted in the mushroom part of the tip. Press in the ear to get a fit and then allow to cure over night. Hoping it works, I have a few tips I’d like to try this on. Was even investigating custom molded tips but for $150 plus I’ll try the Sugro hack… 8/5/23 tried the Sugro hack yesterday. Still have to work to get an airtight fit but it definitely helped. My opinion on the sound has not diminished. Excellent with what I listen too. A lot of classic rock but also new material from Elle King and others. Listening to Lourdes “Royals” a very deep bass which presents low, solid, and clear. You can easily distinguish the bass and drums. The low rumbling bass of Pink Floyd “Welcome to the Machine” couldn’t be much better in any buds. Almost like I could feel it. I’m now using the WF-C700n as my workout and dog walking buds. Sound signature is very similar but the bass is not quite as good. One thing they are lacking is the airtight fit check in the app. I had to use other tips and the Sugro mold hack to get a good consistent fit in both. The included tips are worthless to me and my big ears. I see a lot of criticism of the noise cancellation for the XM5. I have no way to measure so it’s pretty subjective but I’m not disappointed. At least as good as the XM4. But with any ANC earbuds the airtight seal is critical. If you’re not ready to throw down $300 the WF-C700n are a very good alternative, but are not touch controlled, a single button on each side. Not quite as good on the low end but not disappointing either. In direct comparison you can hear the difference. I still think these are 5 star worthy. I’d take off half a star because of the somewhat complex app but if you like to tinker with the sound and features, give it back. People who are not “technical minded” may find it intimidating. I find it useful but jammed with some features I wouldn’t normally use, like automatically changing settings depending on location as an example. Some might find it useful but not me. The equalizer and clear bass functions are excellent. DSEE function makes a noticeable difference in sound quality. Happier with these than I was with the XM4. Just hope the batteries last, I would hope Sony changed from the $70 replacement cost batteries (not including labor) used in the XM4 as apparently so many people had problems with them dying out after a few months. 9/22/23 Used these today instead of the WF-C700n for my indoor cycling and to walk the dog. Usually I do those activities with the cheaper buds as for $300 I want to take every precaution to protect them. So…more feedback on the ANC. Definitely a difference on the bike with 2 pretty loud blower fans on. The WF-C700n does a very good job in the same situation but I could definitely tell a difference. Could hardly hear the fans at all and the WF-1000XM5 does have the superior sound performance. Note these blowers are loud enough that if I have my Apple Watch to close to them I get the over 90db warning. They’re not 90db from the bike but they are loud. These cancelled almost all the noise. With volume on my music I don’t hear the fans at all.

I bought these because I had a gift card to spend, and in hopes that I could completely separate from my Airpod Pro’s (1rst gen). I wanted to get rid of my Airpod pro’s because I have become so completely fed up with popping them in my ears and having only one earbud connect. That happens about 25% of the time I use them, and of course it’s always right when I’m in a hurry and need them now. I have to reset them every time it happens and frankly I’m fed up with it – unacceptable reliability. So, it’s only been a little more than a week but I haven’t had this happen once. Nor has it ever happened on any of my other true wireless earbuds (Soundcore Liberty 4 NC’s and some cheap no-name sports hook-style earbuds). The Sony’s have had stellar reviews, but my one reservation was that I’m in a full Apple ecosphere, and I had read that if you’re in the Apple ecosphere, you’ll want the Airpod Pro series II. Using anything else would mean missing out on that typical Apple integration – things work great together. Well, I’ve never tried the Airpod Pro II’s, but I couldn’t get myself to reward Apple by ordering another pair of headphones from them after my dissatisfaction with the AirPod Pro I’s. So, how are the Sony’s? Absolutely fantastic and boy, am I glad I went with them! First of all, in terms of integration/functionality with my Apple world, best I can tell so far its flawless. Transitions between my iPhone 15 and iPad Pro are just as smooth as my AirPods were. I can send/receive calls just as easily, and the Sony has one feature I don’t think AirPods have – you can just nod your head to answer calls! I also find the touch sensor vastly superior to Apple’s squeeze surface (or whatever it’s called). Much more intuitive to me, and it works every time on the first try. Another big advantage the Sony’s have over the Airpod Pro I’s is battery life. One reason I picked the Sony’s was better sleep. My wife makes quite a racket sleeping at night and I had read that these were great for sleeping. My Airpod Pro’s were also quite good at that, but they wouldn’t last through the night – only about 4.5 hours (w/NC on). Not sure how long the Sony can last, but I’ve gone over 8 hours (w/NC on) – and they still had some battery left! As for the noise cancelling, I’d say it’s slightly disappointing. I also own the over-ear WH-1000XM5’s, and they have AWESOME noise cancelling! I’d say the WF-1000XM5’s are nowhere near that level – I’d say they are about the same as my Airpod Pro I’s. Good enough to attenuate my wife’s snoring (at least enough that I can sleep), but not completely block it (so I hear nothing at all) as on the WH-1000XM5’s. But of course, the WH-1000MX5’s are way too big to sleep with (full size over-ear headphones). Another minor disappointment is no “find my earbud” functionality, which makes me a little paranoid about losing them, but hopefully not a big deal. Saving the best for last is the sound quality. I bought the big-brother WH-1000XM5’s a year ago and was quite surprised at their sound quality. Same thing here – these sound fantastic! I’m a fairly serious audiophile and have quite a collection of high-end headphones, including one pair of earbuds that are more than triple the cost of these Sony’s (JH Audio J13 v2’s). And all the electronics to go with it (DAP’s, DAC’s, amps, cables, etc.). They took a while to break in properly (maybe 30-50 hours) but they are really wonderful. They are among the most natural sounding earbuds I’ve heard and I’m a bit stumped how that could be possible since it uses crappy Bluetooth. My high-end headphones are fed almost exclusively high-rez files. Bluetooth AAC (can’t use LDAC on an iPhone) is the best I can run, which of course are only a small fraction the bitrate resolution of true high-rez files. But somehow these sound absolutely wonderful – just a natural “rightness” that’s hard to describe. BY FAR the best bass I’ve ever heard from an earbud. They have a confidence, an “assertiveness” (yes, that’s a new audio metaphor) – not aggressiveness - that I just love. I’m not saying that they are flat-out better than my high-end earbuds (my Shure M535’s are my favorite), but I will say they are at least in the same ballpark. I can pop these in and really enjoy listening for hours – and not feel like I’m missing out in not using my much more expensive earbuds. Very high compliment indeed! So, great job Sony! BTW, I read that Sony bought Audeze (high-end true audiophile headphone brand), which means I can’t wait to see what they come out with in the future – if these are as good as they are, I can’t wait to find out what the XM6’s or XM7’s will sound like! Update 4/16/24: Just wanted to mention one more remarkable thing about these. I am an avid cyclist and I’ve been on a long search to find the best earbuds for cycling - which for me, is mostly about reducing WIND NOISE. That is by far my biggest goal for cycling headphones. These are downright spooky in their ability to hugely reduce wind noise - BY FAR the most effective I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried quite a few (AirPod Pro’s, Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, etc…). So now I face an interesting dilemma - do i dare use a $300 pair of earbuds for cycling? The problem with using them for cycling is that cycling is of course brutal on earbuds (constant sweat). So I’ll have to decide if I dare to do that long term, but I can say that these are by far the best headphones I have ever used in terms of wind blocking. So these really are amazing - fantastic sound, powerful noise cancelling, long battery life and the best wind noise blocking I’ve ever heard…

Sony WF 1000XM5 Even the name is pretentious, they are earbuds, not an experimental fighter jet. I had Jabra earbuds and loved them. The only reason I bought the Sonys is because I lost one of my Jabra earbuds while cycling and the Sonys had great reviews as their top of the line earbuds. I unboxed, charged them, then went through the pairing process. Cumbersome right off the bat, you have to pair with the earbuds in their case with the lid open and press and hold a small button on the case. The Jabras can pair with them in your ears, and they TELL you when pairing was successful. Every time you put them in your ears, the Jabras then tell you how many devices are connected, the Sonys don’t. The next problem with the Sonys was simply putting them in my ears without touching the touch sensitive pads. Because if you do, you change the setting on the earbuds. The Jabras have a pad that is a button the needs to be pushed. By the time I’ve got them sitting properly in my ears, I’ve touched the pads so many times that I have no idea what settings I’ve changed. Then once they are in your ears, any time you happen to touch them, by accident or if you want to adjust the bud, you inadvertently change a setting. The touch sequences are ridiculously complicated. You have to touch 4 times in rapid succession just to change the volume and if you don’t touch 4 times fast enough, you’ve changed some other function. I use earbuds for two devices: my TV and my phone. Both of which worked well with my Jabras. After pairing the Sonys with both, I take them out of my case and there is no audible confirmation that they are connected. If two devices are paired, the buds should only play the device that is on. But the Sonys immediately wake up the phone and start playing the last music app that I had, even though it was closed and the TV was on and paired. If I want to hear the TV, I have to stop the music on the phone and try to connect to the TV. The most frustrating thing, and the “final straw” for me was that once connected and playing sound from the TV, they would randomly cut out after maybe a minute. OK, so maybe I have some setting in the app wrong, so I go to the phone, open the app, and it says, “Sony Earbuds not connected”. What? They were just blaring music in my ears a second ago. When I go the phones Bluetooth setting, they are connected according to my phone. Go to Sony Troubleshooting (oh yes, the manual is only available on line, you can’t download it, so if you don’t have an internet connection, good luck reading the manual). Are your earbuds fully charged? Are you close enough to the Bluetooth device? Are the devices correctly paired? Yes to all three, I’m not stupid. Finally, these two devices worked perfectly with the Jabras so it is not a problem with the phone or TV. Perhaps there is some setting that is not right in the overly complicated app, but frankly I don’t have the time or inclination to mess with them any more. I’m sending them back and buying Jabras again.

Update 5/2/25 Honestly, I'm happy with the sound and features. Two things to update on 1)Battery life is so so. Not the best not the worst. I can see somebody who uses these at least 10-12 hrs would get two days, maybe out of a fully charged case and buds. 2) They're very very very slippery. I seriously cannot count the times they have slipped from between my fingers. If you sweat or get your hands slightly moist or wet, forget it, these buds will turn into projectiles. I'm. Sure one of these days I'm going to damage them. Even the case itself is slick. For this reason, I cannot recommend them anymore and will not be purchasing a new pair. I seriously doubt that in QC and testing they didn't notice this. This actually sad because the sound and features and really great. The best for this price segment. Here's the short version : Sound is as good as it's gonna get without you shelling out $500+ for studio quality IEMs. Keep in mind the sound is 50% hardware and 50% Track quality, meaning if you're interested in getting the most out of the earbuds you have to play tracks at 16-24 bit of between 1121 kbps and 9923 kbps playing at 44.1 khz to 192 khz Flac files. Otherwise you're wasting your money. Call quality : Mid, sometimes people tell me I sound a bit far or tinny. This happens with both an iPhone and my Pixel, the Pixel is TMo and the iPhone on Verizon. So network or phone model aren't the issue. Features :Great you can control volumes with the master volume on the app. Change tap presets set up active and passive cancelation (using active microphones to listen when someone or you start speaking) and 360 sound. Battery life: Mid, if you use the earbuds all day with noise or active cancelation on you will definitely need to use the case to charge the earbuds at least twice during a 10 hr period or three times after 15 hours. After which you will need to charge the case. You'll get roughly three charges from 20% battery life on earbuds to 100%. Charging takes some time, at least 2-3, hours as it seems to not fast charge. Compatibility : They have no issues pairing with my iPhone 12Pro or my Pixel 7 Pro. But you can notice a n audio performance difference from the iPhone and the Pixel. As one only uses AAC (iPhone) and one can use any format (Pixel). You also have more control over audio quality vs connectivity quality on Android. They also have no issue pairing with my tablet (Samsung) or my PC (Asus). Would not recommend using these for gaming as the microphones are really sensitive. Personal dislikes : Both the case and earbuds are incredibly slippery. Especially the earbuds. Theyre like wet ice cubes. I don't know who thought that would be a great idea, but they should be given a few roundhouse kicks to the noggin. This is a serious gripe with these. The amount of times they have slipped from between my fingers...... Not good. Although they are able to be added to find my device on Android, it's no where near as usable as airpods finding feature. Would definitely recommend using a BT tracker. These have a knack for slipping around and getting lost. The foam tips are great for passive noise cancelation. But they wear out quick and tend to get dirty easily. They should at least send one replacement pair of each for the price. So I would recommend getting silicone tips on here. They can function as great IEMs to use when outdoors like at most a brisk walk or the office. Just not for active outdoor tasks, Gym or anything that requires a lot of physical movement. I think if you're using for just noise cancelation, there are better ones out there. I would recommend these for Audiophiles that need a daily driver when out and about. The price is bit high, they're more expensive than airpods Pro. So I would the value for the money depends on who and what they're using it for. For the audiophile it's a good value, for the regular Doe and Joe they're not.

I was hesitant to buy these earbuds because of the high price, but since I listen to so much music, podcasts and audiobooks, I figured might as well invest a bit extra on a product that I will use every day. Wireless earbuds have always been hit or miss for me. I once bought a pair of expensive Beats earbuds, but even after hours of trying I could only get one of them to connect at a time, so they were a total waste of money. Other wireless earbuds randomly stay turned on when you put them in the charging case, which is annoying. Or they might cut off the audio as soon as I put my phone in my pocket. Fortunately I haven't had any of those problems with these Sony earbuds so far. The sound quality is good and the earbuds connect immediately when you take them out of the case (after the initial setup, of course). The associated app has some neat settings that you can use to control the audio or customize the user experience. The noise cancelling is easy to toggle and works well. These also sound and fit much better than the $200 Sony Pulse earbuds, which I also own and exclusively use with my PS Portal. As a nice bonus, these were delivered overnight, so I got to use them right after my previous pair of cheap Skullcandy earbuds bit the dust.

if you are upgrading from the XM4 earbuds, don't even bother with these. It amazes me how backwards Sony has gone with these "updated" earbuds. First off, the ANC is decent, not as good as the XM4s, but simply because it seems almost impossible to get a solid fit in the ear. Even when you do, unless you are sitting still, that solid fit isn't going to stay. Where the XM4s filled the outer ear, there was support to mitigate jarring of the earbud. The XM5, however, doesn't have this. Movement translates to the earbud jarring in your ear and ultimately losing its seal. With it, the ANC drastically loses it effectiveness. Even the Beats Studio Buds (the original ones) do a better job of maintaining a seal and ANC in high dB situations. I tested them while mowing and the Beats surpassed the XM5s ten fold. I never had to adjust them a single time either. The microphone on the XM5s are horrible. You are free to search for other people stating the same. Im don't make many calls on my earbuds, but when I tested it the person on the other end of the line said it sounded like I was either in a deep hole or that they could barely hear me. Battery life is decent for the options it brings to the table, but the more trinkets you turn on the lower the battery life gets. Getting these things out of the case is a pain. Theyre too rounded and slick to get a good hold on to pull them out. I dropped them several times. Im sure this slickness also attributed to the aforementioned loss of seal as the plastic slips around on the ear due to lack of friction. The charging case is the perfect size IMO, but that's not really a part of the product features that is going to matter much. They're super easy to use day-to-day and have a whole host of additional features that you can turn on. But the highly limited EQ, the complexity of the features with regard to interacting with other apps, and little things that you have to look up to find out just makes these overly cumbersome to set up. Now, for the sound. I compared the XM5s to Bose QC Ultra, Studio Buds+ and to my cherished XM4s. The XM5 handedly beat the Bose Ultras. The bass was better on the Ultras, but everything else goes to the XM5s. The Buds+ was about equal, which is saying a lot given their mutual price points. The XM4 just knocks the XM5 out of the park. The XM4 has better bass, better mids, and better highs. Combined with the better ear seal on the XM4s, and this just makes them sound even better in all situations. At this point, I kept the XM5s for 2 days before returning them. I also returned the Bose Quietcomfort Ultra earbuds as well after only a week of use. After further research, I decided to just go with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pros since I am in the Samsung ecosystem, but if those fail me as well, I might just find another pair of XM4s. Yes, they do have battery issues, but I have already replaced the batteries in my original pair once. I plan on doing it again now that they are failing once again. But I am losing my faith that the battery won't randomly explode in my ear one day or might vent and burn down my house or car. Maybe Sony can find some middle ground with the XM6 earbuds that I am sure are about to be released. If so, I might give them a shot as a replacement for the XM4s. But the XM5s are a complete miss and it's my opinion that they should be avoided. Of course, your mileage may vary, but when I drop this kind of cash for a set of headphones/earbuds, they're gonna tick all much boxes or Im going to send them back.

This is my third pair of Sony WF earbuds. I bought these WF-1000MX5 to replace a pair of WF-1000MX4 that were lost/stolen. After using the MX5's for 6 months I can notice the sound quality and battery drainage has improved slightly over the previous generation. However, the noise cancelling technology seems to be getting worse. It seems to only work well with constant noise sources such as noisy fans or motors. They do not work well with sudden loud noises such cars, impacts, dog barks, talking, etc.. I find that my older WF-1000MX3 had better noise cancelling than the MX4 or MX5. Also, the MX5's always reset to ambient mode when you use them which a major source of frustration. So you always need to open the Sony connect app or enable NC mode via a earbud button if assigned. It never did that with the older generation products. I've heard of similar complaints online about the MX5 noise cancelling mode. The MX3 earbuds suffered from battery issues and I am on my 2nd battery but the noise cancelling is much better than the MX5 earbuds in my opinion. Perhaps subjective, but to me it seems Sony has dropped the ball on noise cancelling with it's newer products. The new design and shape of the earbuds also makes them fiddely to get a good seal in your ear which also affects noise cancelling. I am not impressed because I bought them thinking they would be improving this technology. I have similar opinions about the newer Sony TVs. Sony quality is definitely declining. In summary this product is okay, but definitely not as great as the reviews hype them to be. If you don't care about noise cancelling then they will suit you fine. Not sure I'll be wasting my money on Sony in the future though.

Let's start with the basics. If you think AirPods are the premium for sound and noise canceling, move along child. You're not here for the adult section. If you're here for actual sound, noise, canceling, audiophile level feeling, and solid improvements each update? Read on. I've had the last three editions, of the XM3, XM4, and XM5. I love the XM4 so much, I bought each color, one for work and one for everything else. First, the size of the case. This was one of my biggest gripes with the XM4. Obviously it was a huge difference from the XM3, but that's the first thing that you notice as soon as you see this with the XM5. The earbud pieces are quite similar, the essentially the ones fit the XM4s and the XM5, but they are much more hollow, and because of this you can wear them much longer compared to the XM4s, without having an earache The sound is superb. The additional codecs are quite impressive, and multi-point are even more impressive than they were when they came on to the XM4s. Somehow the already best in class (and yes I say that in comparison to all of the other headphones, because I have them all, AirPod pro 2s included) has somehow gotten even better. The other thing that I use constantly is transparency mode with one earbud in, so that I can walk around at work in a hospital and still hear everything around me while enjoying my music, which makes it a much more relaxing atmosphere. I've charged it once and since I've received them, and have used them pretty constantly all week. A few hours on and off, and I still have about 50% of battery life on transparency mode. I've used both earbuds with noise canceling for about 2 or 3 hours a day, while I do my notes, and just as comfortable. It's great for phone calls, and I love actually using the controls to control both the sound and the phone calls. All in all, this is the best headphones that I have both for work, play, and while steep in price, I don't think you will be disappointed. I know a lot of people feel that the app itself is overwhelming, but quite honestly, once you get the hang of it, all of your headphones sync the settings with only mild changes with each headphone. So all of my settings from the XM4 are past forward, and then the new settings that apply to these headphones, I can add in. Not all settings are required to be used, and I turned several of them off, including Google Assistant, additional notifications, etc. If you want a real world, real user, multi headphone enthusiasts review, this is it. I love them. They're the best

Fones de ouvido excepcionais. Atender telefonemas com esse aparelho é muito confortável, nem se compara com as versões anteriores.

Item arrived in perfect condition, brand new for a discounted price. The earbuds have great noise cancelling features and come with multiple sizes of buds making them fully adaptable. The case of the earbuds does run out of charge faster than my previous pair (which are gen 1 airpods), but with the addition of noise cancelling I knew this may be likely.

Sound quality is phenomenal, but you have ensure they sit securely inside your ear, and gap will severely affect the noise cancelling and sound quality. THey have worked well on runs, rides, and in the gym. So overall great product.

Fone maravilhoso. Prático e com excelente sonoridade. O cancelamento de ruído funciona muito bem, mas degrada um pouco a qualidade sonora. Tem belos graves e uma boa separação de instrumentos, projeção de palco em U. O aplicativo também é muito bom. Recomendo.

The best buds I have ever owned, and I have owned many, incuding the top brands.They have all the features I've always wanted but never managed to find. Comfortable to wear, excellent noise cancelling or if you prefer, excellent pass through if you need to hear around you. Deep satisfying base tones as well as excellent response in the higher ranges. Long battery life and a charging case that can extend usage and itself can be wirelessly charged. And many more features.