Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones review: New design and improved sound quality

Sony stuck to tradition with its latest flagship headphones in that they have amazing sound quality and noise cancellation, but an absolute mouthful of a name. The WH-1000XM5 over-ear noise-canceling headphones hit the market in May 2022 with an MSRP of $399.99, which is $50 more than their predecessor, Sony’s WH-1000XM4s.

The new headphones have an updated design, as well as upgraded sound and noise cancellation, but there’s nothing all that new about them that would have me dying to purchase them if I already had the WH-1000XM4s. However, they are definitely stand-out headphones for someone looking to buy a new pair.

A sleek design update

The most notable difference between the Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 headphones is the design. The new model is sleek and bears some resemblance to Apple’s AirPods Max. The ear cups don’t have any caging around them, but are instead connected to the headpiece by an adjustable stem that grants them some range of motion to adjust to your head.

They look really nice, but this sleek design doesn’t allow the headphones to fold up for storage. The carrying case is comically tall, but skinny enough to slide into the side of a bag. I opted to travel with the headphones loose in my purse rather than have the carrying case take up the bulk of my bag. Even having the headphones out of the case, I would prefer they fold up to take up less room.

The headphones don't fold up, so their carrying case is bigger than I'd like. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

As for comfort, the headphones’ ear cups and band are nice and cushiony. I didn’t feel any uncomfortable head squeezing or ear pressure.

As nice as the headphones look and feel, they are not waterproof or water-resistant, which feels like it should be standard at this point. So, if you sweat a lot when you work out, these probably won’t be the best pair of gym headphones.

Unbeatable sound quality

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have a comfortable fit and up to 30-hour battery life. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

I’m someone who likes to blast my music, and the max volume on headphones never feels loud enough for me. That was surprisingly not the case with 1000XM5s (I have to shorten that name for everyone's sake). The volume is plenty loud even before you hit the maximum level.

The sound itself is also impressive — it’s full and clear, and feels like surround sound. I’m a big fan of power ballads (I’m not allowed to pick the music at parties), and Brandi Carlile’s “Right on Time” sounded like it was meant to be listened to on these headphones. The vocals and instruments all got to shine, and the headphones made it feel like I was there in the studio. These are probably the best-sounding headphones I’ve ever tried.

Sony added more microphones to this model, which means voice calls are clearer. That’s a gripe I’ve had with other headphones I’ve tested in the past — having less-than-stellar call quality both indoors and outdoors. I called my mom using the Sony WH-1000XM5s on my walk home from the gym and I was able to hear her perfectly, and she could hear me without issue. She put me on speakerphone so I could talk to her and my brother, and again I could hear clearly. When I reached my apartment, there was a super seamless transition going from outside to inside.

Noise cancellation that truly blocks sound

The comfortable ear cushions create a nice seal for noise cancellation. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

I usually work from home, but I went into the office while I tested the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, and discovered that they held up against office noise in addition to New York City apartment noise. They completely blocked out all the normal office sounds like the AC and other people talking, but they also rendered silent the construction happening on the building next door. In my apartment, I was able to work without the distractions of my loud next-door neighbor and the forklift from the business below. With other noise-canceling headphones I’ve tried, I’ve still been able to hear the faint sounds of construction or power tools, so I was impressed by the 1000XM5s.

Granted, I did have to play music in order to block out the noise. Just wearing the headphones without anything playing muffles outside sounds, but does not completely block them. But that’s pretty standard for noise-canceling headphones, so no real complaints there.

I did try the noise cancellation in an exceptionally loud environment just to see how it’d hold up. My friends and I went to happy hour and the restaurant was absolutely blasting music to the point where we had to yell just to talk to one another. So, we put the headphones to the test, and I was still very much able to hear the restaurant’s music while my music was at a normal volume. That’s not a typical environment and I didn’t expect the headphones to be able to block loud restaurant noises, so I’m not going to knock them for that — I just wanted to experiment.

Customizable controls

One thing I really appreciated about these headphones is that they came in plastic-free packaging, and Sony cut down on the amount of paper inside the packaging. However, this means I did not receive a manual or any sort of guide on how to use the headphones. That’s not a big deal, as I’ve used headphones before and they don't really stray too far from standard, but I was a little confused by the controls at first.

If you have the WH-1000XM4s, the M5s (shortening that name even more) use the same touch controls. I do not own the M4s, so I did a single tap on the right ear cup thinking it would play/pause my music. But, it turns out that a double-tap controls this function. It wasn't much of an adjustment, I just had to play around with the headphones to see which actions controlled what.

The headphones features a power/Bluetooth button, ANC/ambient sound button, charging port, and headphone jack. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

I love that I can swipe up to increase the volume, and Sony headphones have a cool feature where you can place your palm over the right ear cup to switch over to ambient mode. This is awesome if you need to hear a quick train announcement or just need to hear your surroundings for a second.

I am a certified ambient mode hater because I think it magnifies white noise way too much, but I don’t mind Sony’s ambient sound because I’m able to customize it within the headphones' companion app. I can turn down the sound level so it doesn’t blast white noise into my ears, and I can choose to have it focus on voices while tuning out other background noise.

The app is also cool because you’re able to customize “services,” which are quick access features controlled by the noise cancellation/ambient sound button on the headphones. I set mine to open Spotify if I double tap the button. There are also plenty of other customization options in the app if you want to mess with the equalizer or set up 360 audio.

How do the WH-1000XM5s compare to the WH-1000XM4s?

There’s not a huge difference in sound quality, but it is noticeable when you switch back and forth between the two headphones. The sound on the WH-1000XM5 headphones is fuller and louder (yes, I tested them at the same volume level). The noise cancellation in the new headphones is also slightly better, though not extraordinarily different.

The M5s have a sleeker design, but the M4s win in terms of portability. You’re able to fold them up, and their carrying case is smaller than the new model’s. However, the M5s are more comfortable and don’t squeeze the ears and head as much, and have more of a cushion on the headband piece.

Should you upgrade to the WH-1000XM5s?

I was truly impressed by the sound quality and noise cancellation in the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. As someone who primarily listens to music through AirPods Pro, the noise cancellation on the Sony headphones is a game-changer. I found myself reaching for these headphones over my AirPods and Sennheiser PXC 550-IIs.

If you have an older model of headphones and are looking to upgrade, it should be to the Sony WH-1000XM5s. But if you already have the WH-1000XM4s, you can probably wait until Sony’s next release.