With the new WH-1000XM5, Sony delivers nothing less than the best ANC headphones on the market. Many areas have been improved compared to the WH-1000XM4, in addition to the sound and the ANC, especially the transparency mode and telephony. And even when the functions were already good, Sony has continued to improve them.
Table of contents
- 1 The best ANC headphones ignore themselves Wind
- The technology in the Sony WH-1000XM5
- Touch and buttons like the predecessor
- Many options in the Headphones Connect app
- Workmanship and wearing comfort
- 2 Sound, ANC, transparency, telephony, latency and conclusion
- Sound of the Sony WH-1000XM5
- Analysis of the frequency response
< li>Sony currently has the best ANC
- A very good transparency mode
- Understandable telephony without noise
- Latency comparison
- Conclusion
With the new WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones, Sony is not only changing the established design of the predecessor WH-1000XM4 (test), but again promises improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and better sound . With these properties and an unchanged light weight of around 250 g, the WH-1000XM5 once again wants to present itself as the perfect all-rounder and at the same time as the best travel headphones.
While the WH-1000XM4 was still available for a recommended retail price of 379 euros, Sony is now charging 419 euros for the WH-1000XM5. Experience has shown that the retail price is quickly undercut. With the WH-1000XM4 (test) it was still 379 euros, the headphones are currently available for 270 euros. The Sony WH-1000XM5 is currently available online from around 400 euros. It has been available in black and silver since the end of May. The WH-1000XM5 comes with a new case that folds flat for space-saving storage. A 3.5 mm audio cable and a USB-C charging cable are also included, both of which can be stored in a small compartment with a magnetic lid in the case. Sony no longer supplies an airplane adapter.
-
Image 1 of 4
The technology in the Sony WH-1000XM5
Two SoCs and eight microphones for ANC
Sony uses two processors and eight microphones for the active noise reduction of the WH-1000XM5. The manufacturer once again relies on the QN1 SoC already used in the WH-1000XM4 and the V1 processor. The noise suppression is adapted to the environment via an automatic “NC optimizer”. Four of the microphones are used for telephony, which are intended to reduce ambient noise using AI-based noise reduction algorithms. Sony has also redesigned the structure used to reduce wind noise so that it is not transmitted so strongly through the microphones.
Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint and fast pair
Bluetooth 5.2 with Google Fast Pair is used for wireless transmission instead of the predecessor's Bluetooth 5.0. Microsoft Swift Pair is supported for quick pairing with Windows 10 and 11. In addition, multipoint is again offered so that you can be connected to two end devices at the same time and switch playback seamlessly between them or, for example, be able to accept calls from your smartphone at any time, even if the headphones are connected to another end device. However, the function must first be activated in the Headphones Connect app, as using it means that LDAC can no longer be used.
LDAC again as Hi-Res codec
When it comes to the audio codecs, there are no changes with the WH-1000XM5 compared to the WH-1000XM4. In addition to SBC, AAC and LDAC are again offered as Hi-Res audio codecs. The latter supports up to 990 kbps, 24-bit and 96 kHz sampling. In the app, the user can again choose whether to “priority to stable connection” or “priority to sound quality”, which influences the choice of codec. If “priority to stable connection” is selected, SBC is used under iOS, while “priority to sound quality” uses AAC. On Android, LDAC can also be used with the latter, whereby it is possible to choose the LDAC playback quality in the Bluetooth settings. With the maximum quality setting, however, LDAC is very susceptible to interference signals, so that an uninterrupted connection is rarely established.
In addition to the wireless connection, the headphones can again be operated both passively and actively via cable – the 3.5 mm jack connection has been retained. However, it is not possible to play music via USB. There are also no changes in the frequency response compared to the WH-1000XM4 with 4 to 40,000 Hz passive or 20 to 40,000 Hz active. SBC and AAC support 20 to 20,000 Hz, 20 to 40,000 Hz can be used via LDAC. Sensitivity is 102dB in wired active mode and 100dB in wired passive mode. The impedance is 48 ohms (active) and 16 ohms (passive).
Smaller, improved drivers
Technically, Sony has made a few changes despite largely identical specifications. The specially developed dynamic driver in the WH-1000XM5 measures 30 instead of 40 mm in diameter, but is said to offer a better sound than its predecessor. According to Sony, a carbon fiber composite material is used for the driver, which should improve the sensitivity to high frequencies and thus bring a more natural sound. Even when it was announced, this step caused controversy.
New design with the same weight and same battery life
With the new design, Sony relies on stepless headband adjustment and a newly developed, synthetic soft-fit leather. The transition from the headband to the ear cups has also been completely redesigned. Unlike the WH-1000XM4, the WH-1000XM5 can therefore no longer be folded up. Only the ear cups can be rotated 90 degrees to lay the headphones flat in the travel case or – with the open side of the ear cups out – to wear around the neck. They can only be turned inwards by around 45 degrees. Despite the new design of the WH-1000XM5, the weight has remained practically unchanged compared to its predecessor at around 250 g.
The headphones are still not protected against water and Sony specifically points out in a leaflet that they should not be worn in the rain or if you sweat excessively. You can't wash it either.
Sony still puts the battery life at up to 30 hours with activated noise cancellation. Without ANC, up to 40 hours of music playback should be possible. In the test, a battery life of 32.5 hours was achieved with activated ANC in environments of varying volume at medium volume. The battery with a capacity of 1,200 mAh (3.8 V, 4.56 Wh) takes around 3.5 hours to charge. However, a quick charge mode ensures that after only 3 minutes of charging, you can listen to music for 1 hour and after 10 minutes up to 5 hours. Charging is unchanged via USB-C on the right ear cup. If the on/off switch is briefly pressed during playback, the current charge level is announced in increments of 10.
DSEE Extreme and 360 Reality Audio
Sony's already well-known DSEE Extreme, which adjusts music in real time to recover frequencies lost through compression, and 360 Reality Audio are again supported by the WH-1000XM5. The Extreme variant of DSEE uses deep neural network-supported AI technology and is intended to enable real-time recognition of instrumentation and music style, for example. The WH-1000XM5 does not change the impression that DSEE Extreme would also pass as an equalizer profile. The special cases in which it produces an audible improvement and not just a change cannot be identified in everyday life. Whether the change represents an improvement, however, is primarily subjective. The feature can be turned on and off in Sony's Headphones Connect app, but not through the headphones.
Touch and buttons like at the predecessor
As with the predecessor, Sony relies on a combination of touch and button for control. Playback and volume are controlled via touch on the right ear cup, while ANC and transparency mode are controlled via a dedicated button, as is switching on and off.
-
Image 1 of 2
The 3.5 mm jack connection leads downwards on the left earcup, the USB-C connection on the right. As with the predecessor, the on/off switch is installed on the left auricle, which also starts the Bluetooth pairing process if it is pressed for a long time. The button for controlling the ANC and the transparency mode, which was called “NC” on the WH-1000XM3 and “Custom” on the WH-1000XM4, is now called “ANC/AMB”. The two buttons are of different sizes and are not directly adjacent to each other, so that they can be clearly distinguished and felt blindly.
The NFC tag in the left earcup for quick connection of Unlike its predecessor, the WH-1000XM5 no longer has Android smartphones.
Touch controls playback and volume
The touch field on the outside of the right earcup controls music playback and volume. However, it is still not possible to adjust the assignment of the sensor in the app. Double tapping starts and pauses playback, horizontal and vertical swiping skips a track forward or backward and increases or decreases the volume. Fast forward and rewind is possible by swiping forward or backward and holding. The operation works quickly and reliably after a short period of getting used to it, but is not completely immune to incorrect entries. To rule out incorrect entries, touch input can be deactivated again in the app. It is also not possible to use the touch controls with normal winter gloves. If the headphones are operated in active mode with the jack cable, the functions of the touch field are not available. The player must then be controlled.
The ANC/AMB button, on the other hand, toggles between active noise cancellation, transparency mode and disabling both modes. With the predecessor, the button could still be held down to adapt the ANC to the shape of the head and the air pressure, with test tones being emitted. With the WH-1000XM5, this adjustment is made automatically every time it is put on.
The app can be used to set how much ambient noise should be amplified. This is still possible in steps from 1 to 20. The “Focus on voice” option again explicitly emphasizes speech from the environment. A quick access function can also be assigned to the button via the app if it is pressed two or three times. The only possible function for quick access in Germany so far is Spotify Tap, to be able to start Spotify directly via the headphones.
Image 1 of 8
< figure> 
< /figure>
Auto-play/auto-pause and speak-to-chat
Also featured again are features like Auto-Play/Auto-Pause – that is, automatically pausing music playback when the headphones are removed and automatically resuming playback when the headphones are put back on – as well as Speak-to-Chat, which the Pauses playback and switches to transparency mode when the wearer starts talking. Playback then resumes 15 seconds after the last word spoken by the wearer, whereby the period of time can be adjusted in the app (5, 15 or 30 seconds – the predecessor, on the other hand, was 15, 30 and 60 seconds) or switched off completely that playback does not start again by itself. In practice, this function works excellently and, above all, very quickly, as it did with its predecessor. In general, however, it also applies to the WH-1000XM5 that you can unintentionally pause the music if you clear your throat or hum along. Unintentional activation can be stopped quickly by covering the touch sensor in the right ear cup with your whole hand. Speak-to-Chat can also be switched on and off via the touch sensor by pressing and holding the touch field with two fingers.
-
Image 1 of 4
Faster wearing detection
As with the predecessor, wearer recognition is implemented via a sensor in the left earcup. However, Sony no longer relies on the obvious IR sensor, but uses a hidden sensor. If only the right earcup is pushed away from the ear, the playback will not be interrupted, but the left one will quickly – and also faster than the WH-1000XM4. If you take off the headphones or bend them slightly on the left ear, the playback reliably pauses and just as reliably starts again when you put it on.
Lay on hands transparency
Also known from the predecessor is the option of placing your hand on the sensor surface of the right ear cup to activate transparency mode and reduce the volume of music playback. This is practical if, for example, you only have to listen to an announcement for a short time, as the headphones then do not have to be taken off.
Voice assistants also on demand< /h3>
The Sony WH-1000XM5 again supports the voice assistants of the connected device. In addition to calling up the Google Assistant and Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa can also be selected in the app. In contrast to the predecessor, the WH-1000XM5 can now also be activated by voice using the respective wake-up word, i.e. without having to press and hold the touch sensor. On Android, this works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. On iOS, only Alexa can be activated by a wake word, but not Siri.
Many options in the Headphones Connect app
< p class="p text-width">The Headphones Connect app does not differ fundamentally in its functions with the WH-1000XM5 from the WH-1000XM4, only individual aspects are optically implemented differently and adapted to the status of wireless in-ear headphones. The features already mentioned for the controls, such as auto-play/auto-pause, speak-to-chat and multi-connect, can be switched on and off in the app, as can the touch surface. The use of the app is not tied to a user account or an internet connection.
-
Figure 1 of 21
< figure> 
< figure> 
In addition, the App like the predecessor and the wireless in-ear headphones like the LinkBuds S from Sony (test) the function of adaptive noise control. With it, for example, sound and ANC can be automatically adjusted to the previously learned location and movement at which the headphones are used.
An adjustment of the operation is not possible apart from the assignment of Quick Access and the selection of a language assistant. The sound can be changed using the five-band equalizer from 400 Hz to 16 kHz known from the predecessor, or using predefined profiles. In addition to the battery charge level, the app also shows the currently used audio codec and enables firmware updates for the headphones.
Workmanship and wearing comfort
As already mentioned, Sony has said goodbye to the foldable design of the predecessors with the WH-1000XM5, only the ear cups can still be rotated and the headband can be adjusted in length set to. The headphones and their case take up more space in luggage than their predecessors.
The workmanship is again very good, the non-slip, velvety plastic surface dominates from the outside. The renunciation of an excessive use of aluminum still ensures a pleasantly light weight of around 250 g, with which Sony is sometimes more than 100 g below the competition. The wearing comfort in everyday life is again high, but the contact pressure is slightly higher than with the direct predecessor. The free interior of the ear pads also offers a little too little space for large ears.
The imitation leather of the ear pads also ensures that you sweat a little on the contact surfaces, even if Sony would like to have achieved an improvement in this area with a new artificial leather. The Apple AirPods Max (test) are not more comfortable to wear per se due to the significantly higher weight of 385 g, but you sweat less under them.
Page 1/2 Next page
Sound, ANC, transparency, telephony, latency and conclusion