Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Headphones Review

Sony has re-tuned this generation of the WF-1000XM lineup, flattening the upper range of their predecessor's sound a bit. The Sony WF-1000XM5's sound profile is warm with the ANC on. They're well-suited for various genres out of the box, but if you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets so you can fine-tune their sound to your liking. You can also see a comparison of all the EQ presets here. There's also a 'Find Your Equalizer' feature, which generates an EQ based on your unique hearing preferences. When using this feature, your personal EQ will replace the 'Custom 2' preset.

Although we expect most people to use these headphones with the ANC on, it's worth noting that there's a minor difference in sound profile when the ANC is off compared to on. With ANC off, you get more thumpy low bass but slightly weaker vocals and instruments, which are nudged to the back of the mix. You won't experience a difference in frequency response if you're using LDAC or SBC codec either.

The Sony WF-1000XM5's frequency response consistency is great. Their foam tips maintain the in-ear seal across the frequency range. While the consistency plots show deviations in the high-treble, they're due to the difference in frequency response between both drivers rather than the seal being compromised, as the normalized value used to calculate consistency for in-ears is the averaged response of both drivers.

These buds do a great job of following our target curve in the bass range. The response is overemphasized and slightly tilted, so mixes have more warmth and boom than thump and rumble. In songs like Feeling Good by Nina Simone, the brass instruments following the refrain are punchy and weighty. If you want a sound signature that leans more into the low-bass out of the box, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 offer a tilted bass response that you can easily tweak to taste.

These buds' target compliance in the mid-range is excellent. While their frequency response follows our target curve overall, minor overemphasis creeps in from the bass range into the low-mid, which can result in a slightly cluttered sound. That said, the mid- and high-mid is quite flat, resulting in adequate detail in lead vocals and instruments.

They also have outstanding treble target compliance. Compared to that of their predecessor, the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless, their response in this range is much more flat and with less roll-off relative to our curve. Although slightly underemphasized, vocals and instruments are detailed, while the sibilants, like cymbals, sound rounded without becoming completely dulled and lispy.

The Sony WF-1000XM5's peaks and dips performance is great. For the most part, these buds' frequency response make few deviations from their warm sound profile. However, the most significant peaks and dips are in the treble range. Minor fluctuations in the treble can cause sibilants to alternate from slightly dull to bright, while larger deviations in the high-treble can cause the upper harmonics of instruments and vocals to sound hissy or closed off depending on their pitch. That said, this can be harder to hear, especially as we lose sensitivity to this range over time.

These headphones' L/R drivers are superbly well-matched. Overall, the frequency, phase, and amplitude mismatch between the drivers are below audible levels, meaning the headphones accurately render sound sources in the stereo image without gaps or leaning in one direction. While there are minor matching issues in the high treble of both phase and frequency response, we lose sensitivity in this range over time, and you're unlikely to notice these deviations during everyday listening. Additionally, driver matching is an indicator of quality control, so performance varies from unit to unit.

These headphones have excellent group delay performance. It remains below audible levels throughout the measured frequency spectrum, resulting in tight bass, defined transients, and transparent treble.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless bypass your outer ear by design, which limits their capability to create an immersive sound through pinna interaction.

These headphones have okay harmonic distortion performance. At regular listening volumes, vocals and instruments are accurately and clearly reproduced. In the bass range, even at high levels shown on our graphs, perceivable harmonic distortion is minimal due to our lack of sensitivity at lower frequencies. While there is more measured harmonic distortion in the treble, you likely won't be listening to anything this loud, as high levels at this range can be harmful to your hearing. If this is still a dealbreaker for you, consider the Technics EAH-AZ100, which have less harmonic distortion across the board.

These earbuds aren't wired, so you won't need an amp to drive them.

These headphones are compatible with Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature. You can only access this feature via the companion app, and it can analyze your ear shape to create a custom sound profile. It also optimizes compatible audio through supported apps like 360 Reality Audio Live and TIDAL to give you a more immersive and 3D audio experience. However, you may also need a subscription to these services to take advantage of this feature.

These are the settings used to test the Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds; our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have a rounded teardrop shape that looks much smoother in design than the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless. The previous generation have copper accents that protrude outward for their mics, but this model uses flat copper grilles that are flush with the touch-sensitive surface instead. They come in two color variants: 'Black' and 'Silver'.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds have a comfortable fit. They have a more ergonomic fit than their predecessor since the bud's shape puts less overall pressure on the lower part of your inner ear. They're also quite lightweight. Even though the buds aren't as bulky, the charging elements and surrounding plastic can still feel sharp and irritating against your inner ear, depending on your ear shape.

They come with four pairs of memory foam ear tips, ranging from extra small to large. This material is comfortable since they're more malleable and form-fitting and less stiff than those included with the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless. This material choice also helps improve the seal of the buds in your ears as it can mold to the shape of your ear canal for a more flush fit. That said, the memory foam will degrade over time and eventually needs to be replaced to maintain similar noise isolation levels. Some users have also reported that the ear tips aren't very comfortable and put pressure on the ear canal. A few users have also suggested using completely different ear tips to get a better fit. If you have small ear canals, you may also have difficulty achieving a snug and stable fit, even with the smallest included tip size. However, even with these negatives, the XM5's updated design is more comfortable than their predecessor's.

These buds have good controls. Each bud has a touch-sensitive surface that provides beeps to let you know when you've registered a command. You can turn on voice prompts if you prefer, though, and you can also remap controls via the companion app to add features like 'Spotify Tap', which allows you to access Spotify, as well as head gesture recognition, so that moving your head allows you to answer and reject calls. When receiving a call, the buds will enter 'Capture Voice' mode, which allows you to monitor your voice while you talk. Unfortunately, it's easy to accidentally tap the controls if you need to adjust the buds' fit in your ear.

On the left earbud:

• Single tap: Cycles between ANC mode and Ambient Sound mode, which allows you to hear your surroundings without taking off the buds.
• Double tap: This is a quick access control, so you can remap particular commands to this control via the companion app.
• Triple tap: This is also a quick access control, which you can remap controls to this command via the companion app.
• Continuous tap: Lowers the volume.
• Tap and hold: Activates 'Quick Attention' as long as you have your finger on the earbud. Turns down your audio and allows you to hear ambient sound.

On the right earbud:

• Single tap: Plays and pauses audio.
• Double tap: Skips the track forward.
• Triple tap: Skips the track backward.
• Continuous tap: Raises the volume.
• Tap and hold: Uses or cancels voice assistant.

These buds are pretty small, lightweight, and portable, so you won't have trouble putting them into most pockets or bags. Their carrying case also helps protect the buds when not in use.

The carrying case is great. It feels less flimsy than the one with the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless, as the material feels sturdier and more premium. There are magnets to hold the buds in place, too, and there's a pairing button on the back of the case. However, the plastic hinge feels like a weak point as it can degrade over time. We'll continue monitoring the case's durability as time passes, though.

These buds have a good build quality. They're mostly made of recycled plastic and come with memory foam ear tips. Overall, the buds feel dense and sturdy. That said, the ear tips will likely need replacing over time due to wear and tear as well as foam degradation, which can affect the sound quality and effectiveness of the ANC. There's no guarantee that they'll be available for purchase down the line, either. The buds are certified IPX4 for resistance, which protects against splashes of water. If you're looking for high-end earbuds with more protection from the elements, the Jabra Elite 10 are rated IP57 for dust and water resistance.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have a stable fit, provided you get a good fit with the provided ear tips. Although they lack the stability fins that come with earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Truly Wireless, they won't move around or fall out with moderate or intense head movements, so you can wear them during workouts without sweating.

• Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds
• 4x foam tip sizes
• Charging case
• USB-C to USB-A charging cable
• Manuals

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have memory foam ear tips, which form a tight seal within your ear canal and help them passively block out a lot of background noise. They also have noise cancelling (ANC). We enabled Sony's 'Adaptive Sound Control' (ASC) feature, which allows the buds to automatically shift between ANC on and ambient sound mode depending on your environment and use. All four of its modes have the same ANC strength.

Using the ASC mode, 'Staying,' these buds block out bass range noise like the rumbly plane engines well, so you can enjoy your commute in peace. These buds stand out from other ANC headphones, including the Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless, due to how well they isolate in the mid to treble range. However, a lot of the noise reduction is due to their form-fitting seal, and even when the ANC is on, the passive performance still does a slightly better job of reducing noise, particularly in the treble range. You may also prefer this if you work in a noisy office.

There's an adjustable transparency mode called 'Ambient Mode' in their companion app. With the Ambient Sound mode set to its strongest setting, it sounds less clear and natural-sounding than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation). The Apple headphones' transparency mode makes background sounds crisp and clear. In contrast, the XM5 can muffle more background noise than the Apple. You'll hear sounds around you quite well, though.

After user feedback, we've looked into possible ANC changes after firmware 3.0.1. You can see the results comparing ANC on and off between 2.0.1 and 3.0.1, and that the overall isolation performance is very similar. The slight deviations in passes are largely due to the fit of the foam ear tips as they expand and contract in our test rig's ears and aren't because of a change in ANC performance.

When it comes to common scenarios, these buds can block out a great amount of sound. They can tackle rumbly plane cabins and busy streets so that you can travel in peace. They're also well-suited for reducing office noise like coworkers chatting. If you find the isolating memory foam ear tips uncomfortable, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 can accomplish similar amounts of noise reduction with silicone ear tips instead.

Wind noise is a bit different than other sounds as it directly interacts with the ANC microphones. This leads to loud and annoying noise as the ANC system is countering a sound that isn't reaching your ear. Unfortunately, the Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless struggle with wind noise. They also lack a wind reduction feature to help make this noise more manageable, so you'll want to avoid windy environments if it's too bothersome for you.

The Sony WF1000XM5 have an outstanding leakage performance. Audio bleed is concentrated mostly in the bass and treble ranges but very low overall. As a result, you can crank up your favorite tunes to max volume without disturbing others around you.

The integrated mic's recording quality is poor. Your voice is understandable and crisp but lacks a lot of depth. It doesn't sound as dull as the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless.

The mic's noise handling performance is decent. Background noise is still present if you're talking, but it's hard to hear it clearly. Your voice will still be understandable if you're taking a call from a moderately noisy environment like a busy office or street.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 also have a windshield feature. However, wind noise can still be heard when using this feature during calls and even when you've turned the ANC on. Compared to the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), the XM5 have a slight edge in reducing wind noise, but it's negligible. The XM5 can block wind noise when the mic isn't picking up your voice, but if you're talking, the wind noise is audible and can distract from speech.

The Sony WF-1000XM5's battery performance is good. Sony advertises eight hours of continuous playback time with the ANC on, and we measured just over that. This is great if you want to use the buds throughout your day without having to recharge them, and it even beats out the battery life of premium buds like the Devialet Gemini II True Wireless, which last under five hours continuously. If you're worried about battery life, turning ANC off will give you up to 12 hours of playback time. Keep in mind that battery life varies depending on use, though. Additionally, some Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless owners have reported that the batteries in their buds drained rapidly and unevenly, resulting in one bud dying significantly faster. Unfortunately, we can't confirm whether this problem extends to the XM5 model. However, we'll monitor the issue, and if you've encountered it with your XM5 model, please let us know in the forums.

The carrying case supplies a couple of extra charges if needed, and the buds have an auto-off mode that you can turn on and off in their companion app. This feature helps conserve battery life if you forget to put them back in their case. If you take the buds out of your ear, they'll also automatically pause your audio and turn off the ANC.

These buds are compatible with the Sony | Headphones Connect app; you can see a video of how it works here. Some features aren't available on the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless, like Ambient Sound Control, which allows the buds to automatically shift between ANC on and ambient sound mode depending on your environment and use. There are four actions: 'Walking,' 'Staying,' 'Running,' and 'Riding a Vehicle.' You can also adjust Ambient Sound between levels 1-20, with 1 being full transparency and 20 being full noise cancelling. Head gesture commands allow you to answer and reject calls by moving your head.

In addition to the features above, there are a few tried and true features like a graphic EQ and presets for tweaking the buds' sound to your liking and 360 Reality Audio, their virtual soundstage feature. You can also remap controls, adjust audio playback, update the firmware, adjust the mic's sidetone, and adjust the automatic power-off feature. If you're looking to adjust your Bluetooth performance, you can adjust the Bluetooth's connection quality and toggle DSEE Extreme on and off, which is an AI low-bitrate upscaling feature for audio.

With Firmware 4.0.2, Sony renamed the Sony | Headphones Connect app to Sony Sound Connect. This update also brought a few new features. First, a Find My Device feature for the earbuds. As long as one of the buds is connected to the case, activating this feature will help you locate your buds by playing a chime that gradually increases in volume. Second, an Auto Switch feature that lets you quickly change your audio output device between your headphones and Sony's LinkBud Speakers. When using this feature, if you're listening to audio via your compatible LinkBuds speaker and then remove your headphones from their case, the audio should automatically switch to playing back via your headphones. Finally, the buds now support Google Fast Pair, allowing for a streamlined pairing process with Android devices.

You can't use these headphones wired. However, they come with a USB-A to USB-C cable to recharge the case. You can always check out the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 if you need to connect devices via a wired connection, as their 'smart case' acts as a transmitter between the buds and wired input sources.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have great Bluetooth connectivity. Unlike the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless, they support multi-device pairing, so you can stay connected to your smartphone and PC simultaneously. If you need to connect to more devices than this at the same time, it's worth considering the Technics EAH-AZ80 for their 3-way multipoint instead. Like the Sony buds, the Technics also support Google Fast Pair for quick pairing with your Android device. If you're an Android user, check out our article on the best wireless earbuds for Android.

In terms of codecs, they support LDAC, a hi-res audio codec that allows you to stream your favorite tunes over Bluetooth with better sound quality, AAC, the default codec used by Apple, which has better sound quality than SBC, and LE Audio, for low-power audio transmission. However, they don't support the aptX Lossless codec, unlike the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless. That said, these buds have high latency on PC, whether you're prioritizing latency or audio quality via their companion app, causing lip sync issues. That said, latency won't be an issue if you're only using the buds for streaming audio. Some apps and devices also compensate for latency.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds have full audio and mic compatibility when connected via Bluetooth to supported PCs. However, this is the only connection you can use.

These buds come with a hard carrying case that supplies three additional charges. It has a USB-C port for charging the case and supports Qi wireless charging.