From “Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back!” by Marques Brownlee Marques Brownlee
Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Two steps forward, one step back on the king of noise cancelling.
Key points
- The Mark 5 no longer folds, so its case is much bigger, and the reviewer counts that as a regression for travel at $400. 2:15
- Noise cancellation is noticeably stronger, which the reviewer credits to extra microphones and a new processor, and it now also cancels higher frequencies like voices. 4:05
- Battery life is unchanged at a 30-hour rating, and the only battery gain is faster charging: three minutes gives about three hours of listening. 6:17
- For music the Mark 5 sounds very similar to last year's model, and on Android it is among the best-sounding noise-canceling wireless headphones, while AirPods Max remain better for transparency mode and with iPhone. 4:38
- The Mark 4 is the more sensible pick for most buyers: it costs $350 list (about $300–$329 street), folds down, and sounds roughly 90% as good, while the Mark 5 suits Android users with big bags who travel and take calls. 2:58
Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 for you?
- + Sony WH-1000XM5 — comfort: “I'm just gonna say this is the most comfortable pair of noise canceling headphones I've ever tried.” 1:12
- + Sony WH-1000XM5 — noise cancelling: “they have yet again bumped up the noise cancellation capabilities pretty significantly” 3:43
- − Sony WH-1000XM5 — transparency mode: “Like these just sound like a somewhat muffled version of reality” 4:56
- − Sony WH-1000XM5 — travel size: “So they no longer fold down into a smaller size” 2:20
- ± Sony WH-1000XM5 — battery life: “They are rated for the same 30 hours of battery life as the Mark 4s” 6:17
- + Sony WH-1000XM5 — sound: “these to me are among the absolute best sounding noise canceling wireless headphones available.” 5:29
Prices stated in the review
- : WH-1000XM5 · : $400
- : WH-1000XM4 (Mark 4) · : $350 list; found for about $329 or $300