A year after the current top model in the over-ear headphone range, Sony is equipping its in-ear model range with an update. The WF-1000XM5, which were introduced in July, are supposed to improve active noise cancellation (ANC), sound and battery life. Our Sony WF-1000XM5 review clarifies whether this has been successful and whether we are dealing with the best in-ears per se.
Specifications
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Maximum operating range | 10m (without obstacle) |
| Battery life | Up to 12hrs, 25hrs total with charging case; (varies depending on volume level and audio content) |
| Charge Time | 1.5 hours (for charging case + headphones via USB-C) |
| Size charging case (W x H x D) | 64.6 mm x 40.0 mm x 26.5 mm |
| Weight | 5.5 g per earbud; 48 g charging case & earpiece |
| Most important features | ANC; Transparency mode; Wear detection; Speak-to-chat; Head tracking |
| Price | € 231.99 * |
Sony WF-1000XM5 review: design and workmanship
- New, more compact design
- Very high quality; excellent build quality
- low weight
After the drastic design change between the XM3 and XM4, Sony lays a more gentle hand on the new top model. The design of the Sony WF-1000XM5 has again changed a bit.
In direct comparison to the predecessor, but also to the excellent Sony LinkBuds S (our review), it is noticeable that the new in-ears have become significantly more compact, but also lighter. With the round, curved edges, the new Earbuds look more modern and also a touch classier.
The weight per earbud is reduced from around seven grams to 5.5 grams, while accents in a bronze-colored gold tone look great on the in-ears. The housing of the headphones themselves is now in glossy plastic, while the top of the black model has a matte finish.
This means the Earbuds aren’t quite as grippy as the matte casing of the predecessors, which is why some caution is needed, even due to the stemless design.
The charging case (here at least with a matte, grippy surface) has also shrunk again and fits better in the pants pocket with a length of 65 mm and height of 40 mm. Including the Earbuds, the total weight is now 48 grams, or 37 grams for the case without the headphones – still four grams less than the predecessor.
Personally, I really appreciate the new design, as the slimmer body of the Earbuds feels more comfortable in the hand – and sits better in the ear, but more on that in a moment. The build quality is once again at the highest level.
Just as you would expect from Sony. The LinkBuds S, which cost less than half as much, already offered no cause for criticism here, but the WF1000-XM5 feel even a touch more robust and valuable.
Comfort of the Sony WF-1000XM5
- New shape makes for much more comfortable wearing
- Memory foam ear tips in four sizes
In terms of wearing comfort, the Sony WF-1000XM5s make perhaps the biggest leap in the test. This is of course a very subjective field, but I personally found the somewhat clunky and quite protruding predecessor not really comfortable with my small ears.
That has improved noticeably with the new model, largely due to the adjusted, slightly teardrop-shaped design and lower weight. The XM5s also don’t stick out quite as far from the ear anymore, yet the grip is firm, so nothing slips even when moving quickly.
The memory foam inserts have also been improved in detail. Apart from the fact that four different sizes (SS, S, M and L) are now included, they also feature a slightly thinner foam, which noticeably improves the wearing comfort.
The combination of these improvements makes for a comfortable wear, even for hours on end. At the same time, however, the earbuds sit firmly in the ear and stay in place even during quick movements.
In terms of wearing comfort, the XM5s rank just behind the LinkBuds S, which continue to be the measure of all things in my eyes.
Convincing battery life
- Up to 12 hours of runtime without ANC
- Fully charged in one and a half hours
- Wireless charging
Although the Earbuds and case have shrunk, the Sony WF-1000XM5 make another gain in battery life. For the pure in-ears, the runtime of 8 hours with and 12 hours without ANC remains the same, but in combination with the Ladeeuti this now increases to around 25 hours in our test.
That is an absolutely outstanding value in the premium segment, while competitors from Sennheiser or Apple “only” get six hours with ANC. However, a Creative Outlier Pro (our review) offers significantly more with around 12.5 hours.
Charging is also pleasantly fast and versatile. Just three minutes of charging via USB Type-C are enough for one hour of playback, and the case and earbuds are fully charged in around one and a half hours. Wireless charging is also possible.
The features of the Sony WF-1000XM5
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Convenient speak-to-chat function
- 3D sound with head tracking
The predecessors were already hard to beat in terms of features, but the Sony WF-1000XM5 step it up again here, too. Apart from industry-leading adaptive ANC, which has been improved again in the new edition, the Earbuds leave nothing to be desired here.
They transmit wirelessly in the current Bluetooth 5.3 standard and thus achieve a range of around 10 meters to the audio source – here, we are a bit behind the competition. Multipoint, which was added to the XM4 and LinkBuds S as a free update, is now available directly from the factory – it allows two audio sources to be paired with the headphones at the same time.
The practical Speak-to-Chat function, which can also be deactivated in the app, is also back. The earphones automatically pause the playback and activate the transparency mode as soon as we speak. We also determine ourselves whether the playback is resumed after five, 15 or 30 seconds after speaking.
Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine Extreme (DSEE Extreme) technology is also on board again. This allows adding missing details to compressed music tracks and thus improving the audio quality. This doesn’t reach the level of high-resolution source material, but it improves the sound and detail again significantly.
New this time is 3D sound including dynamic head tracking. This means that the sound adapts to your head movements. So, if you have the smartphone in front of you and turn your head, the sound stays with the audio source. This increases the immersion, but I found it rather annoying when listening to music – for streaming and gaming, however, it significantly increases the feeling of being in the middle of things.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are protected against water and dust according to IPX4. Single use of the Earbuds is also possible.
Operation
- Touch controls on both earbuds
- Volume finally adjustable on the Earbuds
- Unfortunately no swipe gestures
The Earbuds are operated via the touch-sensitive outer sides and, as with the predecessors, works flawlessly. The operating concept can also be individualized in parts with the Headphones Connect app.
Basically, the right earpiece is responsible for playback control, while the left switches between ANC, transparency or normal mode. In addition, it is now finally possible to use volume, ANC and playback simultaneously and without the help of the smartphone – that was not possible in the predecessors.
This is possible because a function can now be assigned to four taps in addition to single, double and triple taps as well as press and hold. The latter controls the volume by default: softer on the left, louder on the right.
Basically, the operation is impeccable and very reliable, but the individualization is only possible to a limited extent and actually only allows mirroring the functions to the other side.
It would also be desirable that Sony introduces swipe gestures for the successor. That makes adjusting the volume, for example, in the Apple AirPods Pro 2 much more intuitive and convenient.
Audio quality, ANC and microphones
- Excellent, balanced sound
- High-resolution LDAC codec
But now let’s get to the most important part: how good do the Sony WF-1000XM5 sound in the test? In a nutshell: Excellent. The new top model not only succeeds in a leap forward from a sound perspective, as far as Sony in-ear headphones are concerned, the XM5s generally secure the top spot in the sound category of all currently available earbuds.
There are several reasons for this. From a technical point of view, this leap is mainly due to the new audio drivers, which are significantly larger than the 6 mm drivers in the direct predecessor with a diameter of 8.4 mm. A new chipset called QN2e is also supposed to improve the sound quality even more.
Away from the Apple cosmos, Sony’s high-resolution Bluetooth codec called LDAC is of course again part of the game, which raises the frequency range of playback from to 20 Hz to 40,000 Hz and allows 96 kHz at 990 kbps. This noticeably increases the level of detail in music.
But even in the standard codecs SBC and AAC, the XM5s simply sound bombastic. The dynamic range in particular is outstanding, which predestines the earbuds for all music genres.
This shows that the Earbuds are even better, especially in the area of mids and highs. Voices and instruments are reproduced clearly and in great detail, and seem lively and full. The Sony earbuds also succeed in revealing even the finest details in complex arrangements.
The bass is a bit more in the background compared to the manufacturer’s previous in-ears, but it is noticeably more differentiated and clearer. Personally, I like the sound image already in the factory configuration extremely well, who likes, however, can still do it yourself with the help of the equalizer in the app.
ANC and transparency mode
- herauragant active noise cancellation
- very good passive attenuation
- Transparent mode at maximum level with audible noise
When it comes to active noise cancellation, Sony was already considered the measure of all things for years. The advertising promise to realize an even better ANC performance is actually lived up to by the Sony WF-1000XM5. Even if one could hardly believe that this is possible at all after the convincing performance of the XM4 and LinkBuds S.
The earphones themselves already offer an excellent seal, provided the right attachments are used. However, the active noise cancellation then tops it off once again.
While most earbuds mainly block out low and monotonous frequencies, even higher frequencies like typing on the keyboard, music from the surroundings or street noise disappear completely here.
Only conversations in the direct vicinity or TV sound are still perceptible, albeit clearly muffled. In-ear models cannot quite compete with large over-ear headphones due to their construction. However, this should not diminish the result of the 1000XM5: No other manufacturer currently offers a better ANC.
The counterpart in the form of the transparency mode, which amplifies ambient noise and voices, is also very good, but not quite on the reference level. We noticed slight weaknesses in wind noise in particular, although a lot has changed compared to the predecessor.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are ahead in transparency mode, even if only just. We very much like the fact that Sony can adjust the intensity in 20 hours, although a constant background noise becomes perceptible at the maximum level.
Microphone quality
- Good microphone quality
- somewhat tinny, resounding sound
Especially in this day and age, the microphone quality of a headphone should also not be disregarded, because phone calls and video calls are part of life. Sony promises the best call quality to date in an in-ear headphones from their own house.
This is supposed to be made possible by an AI-based noise reduction algorithm via a Deep Neural Network (DNN), among other things. Bone conduction sensors are also said to pick up voice vibrations directly from the bones of the skull, ensuring clearer intelligibility.
Sounds exciting and lives up to the advertising promise, but the microphone quality cannot keep up with the best ANC headphones. We can always be understood clearly, but the voice lacks some dynamics and the sound is slightly tinny. However, the AirPods Pro 2 or Google Pixel Buds Pro sound much better once again, but a clear progress compared to the XM4 and LinkBuds S is clearly audible.
Sony WF-1000XM5:
Sony Linkbuds S:
App connectivity: Sony Headphones Connect
Sony Headphones Connect is used as a companion app, which scores with a tidy interface and huge range of functions. Those who already own headphones from the manufacturer should be familiar with the range of functions, because with the exception of head tracking and customization of the operation, no nine functions are added to the XM5.
For example, the app informs about the battery status and offers the possibility to influence the sound with the help of a 5-band equalizer. The Clear Bass function, which can be adjusted between -10 and +10, is also on board again, but does not need any adjustment this time in my eyes.
Also in beta is the “Find Your Equalizer” equalizer test, where the headphones switch between different sound profiles and ask which one you liked better. Quite handy if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Taking pictures of the ears for analysis in 360 Reality Audio is also back, something we already know from other Sony headphones. The “Service” tab, which we already know from the LinkBuds S (and which was not yet available in the predecessors), can be used to add services from external providers to the in-ears. However, that still only includes Spotify Tap or Endel Quick Access.
Sony WF-1000XM5 review: conclusion
Soberly, the Sony WF-1000XM5 test can be summarized in just one sentence: The new Sony earbuds are the best in-ear headphones with ANC that money can currently buy.
The sound is excellent, the active noise cancellation unrivaled and almost on par with over-ear headphones. The battery lasts for a long time, the build quality is absolutely flawless, and the XM5s don’t lack anything in terms of features either.
However, what I personally like the most is the big leap in wearing comfort. I didn’t like that at all in the predecessor. That looks completely different this time, although I still like the compact LinkBuds S a bit better.
On the other hand, Sony also pays a lot for the innovations, because the WF-1000XM5 are not only the best, but also by far the most expensive in-ear headphones. Comparable rivals are already available for considerably less money. If you want the (currently) best of the best, there is no way around the Sony WF-1000XM5.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
95/100
Excellent build quality, superb comfort, top-notch sound and the best ANC make the Sony WF-1000XM5 the current best in-ear headphones in 2023.
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