Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Still the Bluetooth headphones to beat | Expert Reviews

Bluetooth connectivity now comes courtesy of version 5.2 with codec support extending to SBC, AAC and Sony LDAC. The latter provides access to Hi-Res streaming quality on most Android devices but can’t be used if you’re connected to two devices via Bluetooth Multipoint.

Battery life remains unchanged from the WH-1000XM4 at up to 30 hours of audio playback, a figure that jumps to 40 hours if you switch noise cancellation off. The convenience features that helped make the XM4 such a success have also made their way into the fifth-gen model. Adaptive Sound Control, Speak-to-Chat, wear detection, touch controls, Quick Attention mode and hands-free support for the Google and Alexa voice assistants are all present and correct, as are Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscaling algorithm and Precise Voice Pickup technology.

Like their predecessors, the WH-1000XM5 are compatible with the Sony Headphones Connect app, which provides plenty of ways to customise your experience and can also provide insights into your headphone usage if you’re willing to create an account.

Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Price and competition

Sony has bumped up the RRP of its flagship over-ear headphones by £30, meaning you’ll have to fork out £379 if you want either the black or platinum silver pair. If you’re happy to settle for the last-gen WH-1000XM4, you’ll regularly find them available for around £250, with prices occasionally falling closer to the £200 mark.

Competition is fierce in the over-ear noise-cancelling headphones market and there are plenty of other capable non-Sony alternatives worth considering. The Bose QuietComfort 45 attenuate external sound exceptionally well and cost £320, while the Apple AirPods Max are more expensive but integrate seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, making them a great choice if you own an iPhone, iPad or MacBook.

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 and Technics EAH-A800 both have style in abundance and can be picked up for around £300, while the £350 Nuraphone combine innovative audio personalisation technology with a hybrid in- and over-ear design to deliver impressive noise cancellation and fantastic sound quality.

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Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Design and comfort

The Sony WH-1000XM5 look rather different to their predecessors and I initially thought them a little basic in appearance. In time, however, I’ve come to appreciate their simple elegance to the point where I actually prefer them to the XM4.

They’re engineered in such a way that nothing feels surplus to requirements. The stepless headband slider moves smoothly, making adjusting the size of the headphones extremely easy, while the swivelling sections connected to the narrow headband blend into the earcups in a pleasingly minimalist manner.

Earcup controls are kept to a minimum, with just two buttons (power/pairing and noise cancelling/ambient) located on the left cup along with a 3.5mm jack. The outer surface of the right earcup functions as a touch pad for playback controls and these worked reasonably consistently during testing, although I did occasionally have to repeat a double tap to play or pause as the first action didn’t register.

The minimalist aesthetic serves a practical purpose too – by streamlining the structure, there’s less space for wind to move through and affect noise-cancelling performance. This is one part of the “noiseless” design Sony refers to, with the other being the use of soft fit leather to line the memory foam earcups. The cups don’t look particularly well padded but they do feel extremely comfortable around the ears and create a seal that provides impressive passive noise reduction.

Though only a few grams lighter than their predecessors at 250g, the difference between the two models felt more pronounced than that – these are headphones you can wear for hours on end.

There are a couple of issues with the design, however. Unlike previous entries in the series, the WH-1000XM5’s earcups can’t be folded inwards, so you’re unable to stash them in a coat pocket. This means you’ll have to wear them around your neck when not using them if you don’t have their collapsible carrying case to hand. Personally, I’m fine with that, but it’s something that will likely bother some.

The other issue is their lack of water resistance. There’s an insert in the box explicitly stating the headphones shouldn’t be exposed to rain or worn if you’re sweating, which is a blow if you want a pair of headphones for wearing in the gym. It’s something I highlighted in my review of the WH-1000XM4 but Sony seems unwilling, or perhaps unable, to address the issue without compromising the headphones in other ways.

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