Sony WF-1000XM5 Wf Xm5, The Best Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Made from Recycled Plastic Materials, Clear Bluetooth Signal, Adaptive Sound Control with AI, Xm5 Earbuds, Black Electronics

4.0 out of 5 stars

Good to great

I had a pair of M4 that I loved. And even after a generous warranty battery update from Sony, the pair was end of life. I bought the M5. Met every spec. But I thought it was missing something. Swapped the M5 foam tips for the M4 tips. Now it is the awesome upgrade I expected. I understand the foam ear tip concept. But it doesn’t deliver a consistent experience over the full audio spectrum. The M4 vinyl tip swap made the M5 absolutely great.

4.0 out of 5 stars

A (slightly) flawed replacement

Let’s cut right to the chase. Are they better than the WF-1000XM4?For me … yes, with an asterisk we’ll explore below.They are lighter and smaller than the XM4s, which is very welcome.The sound quality and ANC are … probably better. It’s too close. I couldn’t really tell because…They come with absolutely terrible ear tips!The XM4s shipped with high-quality silicone tips in three sizes, as well as squishy memory foam ones in three sizes. The XM5s only come with a three-size assortment of thick, hard memory foam tips.Not only was I a fan of the silicone ones included with the XM4, but the foamies you get here are rather uncomfortable. They don’t squish much, so they either natively fit your ears or they plain don’t work well. I apparently needed a size in between M and S, as the M’s gave me headaches from the girth, and the S’s didn’t seal, causing them to shift around while walking.Even the too-tight M’s still produced a lot of the ‘bump’, ‘bump’, ‘bump’ noises you get when some part of the earbud/tip isn’t perfectly stationary while walking. Lots of people can ignore this. I’m not one of those people.I tried my old silicone tips from the XM4s, and hooray for comfort! But the new buds sounded tinny with them, and the ANC suffered horribly. Clearly Sony retuned the software specifically for foamies.Eventually, I found a set of high-grade aftermarket foam tips which put everything in line. (I’m now using Airfoams Pro.) I never should have had to try multiple tip manufacturers to get top-grade earbuds to function like their predecessor (which worked perfectly right out of the box). This is a common problem reported by other reviewers, so prepare for the possibility for yourself.Overall, recommended.

8 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Great new size and fit….sound marginally better.

I pre-ordered the WF-XM5s (black version) earlier this week and UPS delivered them this morning. I got them setup and connected to my iPad Pro, iMac, iPhone, Apple Watch and PC laptop. After using them for the better part of the day I personally don’t feel any new great sound breakthrough or anything along those lines. The WF XM4’s had a great balanced sound quality that I loved and they were my ‘go-to’ earphones for everything, over my Apple AirPods Pro, Kilpsch earphones, Bose Sound Comfort, Jabras and Master & Dynamics. This great balanced sound quality only continues in the WF XM5s. The overall sound staging is wonderful. Some people might prefer more bass though or more sparkly highs but for me the WF XM5s strike a perfect balance. Putting aside the marginal audio improvements, the big thing for me though was the new size. They’re much smaller than the large bulbous WF XM4s and that was the big reason I was looking forward to these new ones. And I’m quite happy to report the size is definitely a welcome change. The WF XM4s would always start to wiggle loose in my ears after extended use and after a while, they almost get ‘pushed’ out of my ears unfortunately. Sony also added a new size to the ear tips, a ‘SS’ size (super small?). So it’s L, M, S and….SS. The ear tips are made of new material and is supposed to enhance the sound quality. Meh, I don’t hear much difference personally. The housing of the earphone is different too….more glossy not a matte finish like the WF XM4s. Not sure whether I like this or not but they do look different and I always like the color contrast of the gold Sony branding and gold mic with the black color housing. The ANC and call quality in my opinion still doesn’t match some of my other earphones unfortunately. Still overall I’m quite happy with the new version, mainly because the sound quality hasn’t diminished and they’re much smaller. Looking forward to more software updates from Sony for the WF XM5s in the months to come…

38 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Great sound but?

These are pricey so I wouldn’t recommend them for people that lose items easily or if you’re not going to use them often.They are A LOT more complicated compared to my Apple AirPod Pros which I’m replacing with these Sony ones. I don’t need majority of the functions so I can’t comment on them.I like that I was able to make payments on these and overall I’m happy with them. My only concern is how long will they last? I’ve only had them going on 3 months.

5.0 out of 5 stars

COMPLY Ear Tips!!!

I have notes:Comply Ear Tips are an absolute must! If you buy a sports car and complain about the dealer tires, that’s on you. Comply Tips will give you the comfy seal and they really make the buds feel more secure in your ears. Win + Win IMO”Hard to remove from case” = Y’all, sweep them out, from the center of the case to the outside, one at a time. They rock over to one side and pop up! Yes, it might still be hard for sweaty sausage fingers to pull them from your ears, especially with the Comply Tips. BUT! I didn’t have the negative experience that others mentioned. And I have sweaty sausage fingers.ANC = I would call the ANC on these things…. Aggressive. And more aggressive than ANY other earbud I’ve tried. YMMV but get the Comply Tips and enjoy the difference.No, this review was NOT written by a Comply sales person. I’m just a field tech that enjoys music. For all the above things I mentioned, I LOVE these things in a noisy datacenter. I can quiet the server fans and listen to soft music at a very reasonable level.BTW, the earbuds are definitely a NO-GO on the phone calls. But I didn’t pick them up for calls. I’ve got the SHOKZ OpenComm2 for that and I definitely wear both pieces of gear at the same time. The Sonys silence the room and the Shokz carry the calls. Now, the other end still has a bit of a hard time hearing me, but that’s the hazard of a 100db data floor. When I’m in the office, it’s a sweet sweet setup.

2 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Good sound, mediocre design and software.

I’ve been using these for about a week. NOTE- they sound flat and lacking in depth until properly broken in. After approximately 25 hours of listening, and changing out the crappy included ear tips for the boxed ones, the sound really warmed up a lot. I still can’t give the sound better than 4 stars as there are competitors in this price range that do a better job, but if you’re moving up from iPod Pros they you’ll be happy with the much better sound.Downsides- Design sucks. Why they used a curved outer edge can be chalked up to the cool looking factor. Sony wants their products to make you feel rich and powerful, to set you apart, so I get it. Not easy to get out of the case or ears, kinda hard to tell where the button is when in use, but Sony has always been form over function for many of their electronics.The software is crap- Another Sony hallmark. It’s usable but falls far behind literally every other headphone manufacture I’ve ever used. It’s not a big deal, but I’d expect more at this price point.That said, I’m still deciding weather to keep these or trade them in for a pair that I know are superior at the same price point (lost one of those buds in vacation so I thought I’d try the Sony’s).

5.0 out of 5 stars

New Favorates

First, I just received these a day ago, so this is very limited first impressions. I have used many different earbuds, most much cheaper. My first impressions are: Noise cancellation and Ambient Sound are the best I have ever used. I have never been impressed with Ambient Sound. Generally, I find it to be too much and annoying. However, these achieve a balance that is close to perfect. When in ambient sound mode I can hear the birds, cars and all the normal sound my ears would hear without ear buds in. Since I use these to walk the dog, being aware of cars and other sounds is very important. I listened to a Podcast and some music with these in this morning and found the sound quality excellent while in ambient sound mode. Since I have never been happy with the ambient sound mode on other earbuds, I made sure I could use one earbud at at time. In actual use I have found the single bud use to be seamless and a very good experience and can use right or left with no problem. The noise cancellation is excellent, if you have the correct in ear fit. I have only experimented with it a little, but the sound with listening to music while in sound isolation mode to be very full and rich. (Of course my 69 year old ears may not hear all the frequencies and tones younger ears might pick up on. While I have installed the app on my iPhone, I have not used it except for setup. At this point the app does not seem as if it provides much value, similar to all the other earbud apps I have used. Sometimes it seems like earbud manufacturers make an app because other earbuds do, but don’t seem to be able to increase the listening value of the earbuds with the app. I do plan on exploring it and will update my impression if it changes. Having to bounce between the web site and the app to set the app up was more than a little annoying. That process should be much more seamless on a product of this caliber for a company that knows how to do electronics.Update: So far these are working great for me. The only downside is when you tap on the left earbud to go from ambient sound to noise canceling they only make a tone, so the only way to confirm what the status is, is to check the app. For example, when putting the left earbud in I may tap the earbud and unknown number of times, thereby switching mode any number of times. This can be confusing and I get confused which tone is for noise cancelling and which is for ambient sound. That said, these are still the best earbuds that I have used.

2 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Impressive sound, Subpar ANC

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately. I’ve been running with Bose QC (1st Gen) buds for a couple years now. Aside from running into a few minor hiccups I’ll attribute to age, I’ve been more the satisfied with them. However, they are rather bulky and I do a lot of physical labor for work. It was time for a change. After a couple months of searching, I decided to try out the Sony x5’s.Out of the box I was immediately impressed by the size. Everyone in my house has airpod pros, so smaller earbuds aren’t new, but these were pleasantly small. The case was also a welcome sight. My QC1’s aren’t only bulky, the case is probably 3 times larger. Knowing I won’t have to carry that around in my pocket anymore was already making me happy with the decision. I’m also liking the wireless charging. This was one of the things that kept me away from the Bose QC Ultras(if I’m spending almost $300, I shouldn’t have to spend another $70 for a feature that should be standard in 2024).Like I said, I was kind of rushed during setup, which may have had an effect on this next take. But setup was much more in depth than I was expecting. Having to switch between multiple apps and sign ons was slightly off putting. But there was never a clear explation of why I was doing this. Having google assistant is a cool feature. But I don’t use it. And there was no walk through for Alexa. Also the push to use 360 audio(which is incredible, but more on that in a minute) was also confusing. You would think for how many steps you go through to get these setup, a lot of which are optional features, there would be some sort of “quick start” guide. But you’re left to figure out the touch controls on your own. Speaking of, there doesn’t seem to be any way to alter these, other than the long press option which is really just a short cut and not a real “device control “. By the time I was done I only had about 10 minutes to listen to some music and cycle different sound settings before putting the kids to bed. However, I can honestly tell you that my initial reaction was not love. I wasn’t displeased, but for the price, I’d hoped to be wowed.The next day I had some running around to do so I had more time to play around with them. I will say that while I wasn’t overly impressed at first, day 2 made me feel much better about these in a lot of ways. The sound is incredible. The EQ options let you do so much and really do make you feel like you’re in the music. The bass isn’t quite as strong as I’d hoped, but I could get used to that if I had to.However, and thus probably my biggest issue with these, the Noise Cancelation isn’t anywhere near as good as my old Bose buds. With those, I could pop the two in, fire up my gas powered backpack leaf blower and hardly hear a hum. With the sony’s, I had a hard time telling sometimes if noise cancelation was on or not. Granted, I did have the voice filtering turned on. But the idea is that it let’s voices through but not ambient noise. In reality, it seems like it let’s an awful lot of background noise in. I do like that i can switch ANC on and off with a simple touch of the left bud, but while using the mode that detects your current activity (running, sitting, driving etc) and adjusts automatically, I’ve found that it cuts over ANC mode on its own pretty frequently. These little features are great in theory, but they aren’t refined enough at this point to make them useful on a daily basis and serve more as a fluff feature rather than truly useful ones.I still haven’t tried out phone calls, which I plan to do tomorrow. But overall, when you consider the price and the competition I’m still not sold on these yet. They are no doubt a great product, fit wonderfully and sound superb. They are probably ideal and good enough for a lot of people. Just not quite convinced they are what I’m look for

35 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Good sound, decent fit, tap to pause touchy

I bought these because of the pause on speaking and the tap to pause. These are important features for me as I am constantly listening to something and frequently have others who want to talk to me.The tap to pause is touchy, after two weeks with these ear buds, I have not mastered the correct tap pressure or spot.The pause on speaking is very good, perhaps too sensitive as it will pause when, for example, clearing your throat.Battery life when using noise cancelling is on the short side.Since these are the only ear buds I have bought with the tap to pause (others that I have had used the ‘press a button’ on the device) and pause on speaking, I do not know how they compare to others with similar features.Build quality seems to be good, the charge case is not as easy to place the ear buds in as others I have had.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Clear, quiet, smaller and lighter than the XM4

I use a range of Sony headphones and earbuds, from the MDR-Z1R to the IER-M9 to consumer models like the WH-1000XM and WF-1000XM series. It all depends on where I am (at home, on the go locally, or traveling) and what equipment I’m using (a Sony digital music player with a balanced headphone output jack or Bluetooth LDAC support, or a simple iPhone that only supports the Bluetooth AAC codec).My WF-1000XM5 pair arrived July 28, 2023 (the day before I wrote this review). After testing them and completing the initial update to the 2.0.1 firmware (by the time you read this, there may be a newer version), I found that I just left the earbuds in for the rest of the day, whether I was listening to music, making calls, or enjoying some quiet time. They’re smaller, lighter, and more comfortable than my WF-1000XM4 pair, to the point that I don’t really notice I’m wearing them.Sound-wise, there is a noticeable improvement in bass and in the midrange. I didn’t notice much of a difference in treble, although I like less bass and more treble than the average person (hence my choice of the IER-M9 over the two alternatives in that product line).The noise-canceling has improved across the board. As always, it’s important to try the different tips, including the possibility that you will need a different size in each ear. I was surprised to see that mentioned in the in-app tutorial!I am used to third-party expanding foam tips for my WF-1000XM4 pair, so we’ll see whether third-party vendors offer something similar for the new model. For now, the stock tips work fine. They remind me of the alternate-texture tips that come with the IER-M9.Now, a few flaws, worth mentioning given the price of this product…First, Sony’s model numbering is stupid and not consumer-friendly. Normal people can get excited about “AirPods” but not about “WF-1000XM5s”.Second, the charging case, though now significantly smaller, still lacks any sort of finding feature. It would have been a simple matter for Sony to add the ability, through the clunky Headphones Connect app, to make a pair of earbuds in the case play a loud sound so you could find the case if you’d misplaced it. Apple of course makes precisely locating its products very easy.Third, in their hubris, product designers at Sony have made something small and lovely but forgotten about the environments in which it will be used. There is NO tactile feedback to let us distinguish the left earbud from the right. The L and R marks are tiny (just millimeters tall) and the use of dull grey for L and red for R makes them invisible in the dark. If I’m out walking in the evening without the case, have taken off the earbuds for a moment, and am putting them back on, I should not have to use my iPhone’s flash to tell left from right.Last but not least, the Headphones Connect app is becoming an ever more elaborate trainwreck. There are just too many options and features. With no distinction between what’s essential and what’s not, you have to open three tabs in succession, scroll down, and open endless settings panels (each accessed by a gear icon) to cover everything. Pesty notifications come back every time you start the app, even if you deleted them the last time. Sony tries again and again to make you sign up for various accounts, and is of course gathering information about you, your cell phone, and your listening activity every time you use their app. Since Sony’s 360 spatial audio only works with a handful of paid, proprietary music apps (a big gap, compared to the more-or-less universal, iOS-level support for this feature with Apple wireless headphones and earbuds), I don’t even bother setting it up.Overall, the WF-1000XM5 is an excellent pair of wireless earbuds in terms of sound, noise canceling, and comfort, and Sony could make improvements by renaming them, adding a raised plastic dot to make the right earbud distinguishable by touch, and ditching the Headphones Connect app in favor a lightweight (and ideally, data-privacy-conscious) control panel.

185 people found this helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars

They Really Missed An Important Mark

Coming from owning so many various BT earbud, with the XM4 having been my favorite overall (albeit wound up dropping because of TERRIBLE longevity from short lived battery lifespan), I expected equal or better results from the XM5.While sound quality and overall performance were increased, these fell absolutely FLAT on their face in an area for me that cannot be overlooked. The handling of them is absolutely terrible! The size is so much smaller than the previous gen buds, which is nice, but the finish being slick and glossy around the spots where you grip them is a massive miss. Having big fingers makes them a total PITA to remove from the case first and foremost. The XM4 you simply grab and go, these I fumble with losing grip and the magnets sucking them back in. Just became a real headache to deal with. Not to mention getting them seated in the ears, as that slick surface made them more of a pain to tweak.Onto the sound. They do not fail to impress there. Sound is a tad but better than the previous gen offerings, even being so much smaller. That was nice to see. I did however, have more complaints from people while on calls vs the XM4. I also don’t use the included eq as I have eqfy and that gives me greater overall control no matter what output device is attached, so I’d take that with a grain of salt. I don’t think there are many out there that use standard settings much anyway, so sound is subjective.Pairing was fine, no issues at all with a single or 2 device connection between my computer, tablet or phone. They just bind and go.The other area that wound up forcing my return of them was that the left would drop connection while music was playing arbitrarily when I’d turn my head. Now granted they have the new tweaks that have head position features, which I turned off, but for some reason that left one kept popping in and out of connection. Never in almost 2 years of owning the XM4 had this problem. I simply can’t deal with that and they went back in the 30 days. Very unfortunate as I had high hopes.Ultimately, if you’ve got thin or small fingers and can handle them easier, they’re probably a no-brainer choice for you. If you’ve got fatter or bigger fingers, you’ll fight em every step of the way. Sony absolutely should have flipped the matte finish from the face to the handling areas and made the face the glossy part. Big fumble there. I guess I’ll be looking into Sennheiser or B&W for my next buds.

6 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Amazing

I have had 3 different brand /model of wireless, noise cancelation earbuds in the last 4 weeks. The first pair were Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds 2. By far they had the best @ noise cancelation (I could hear nothing outside of the sweet music that they were creating. The sound quality was as expected from Bose. The set up was easy and quick. However, at the end of the week I was ready to trash them (I sent them back) – they would not stay connected to either my iPhone 12 Pro Max or my MSI WS-75 Workstation. They were good for about 10 minutes, and then would have to reconnect.I then decided to try something different – Beyer Dynamics is a big name in studio monitor quality speakers, headphones and mics. They have a solution – the “FreeByrds”.” Three drivers in each ear – unsurpassed sound and clarity…” They did have good sound, they stayed connected, but the noise cancelation was non-existant (The reason that I wanted new NOIsE CANCELING earbuds for). I have a pair of 12 yr old Bose wired earbuds that block more sound than those were, and they aren’t (weren’t) catigorized as being noise blocking or canceling. The set up was long and complicated. Those should be back at the music store today.So I sprung for about $100 more and ordered a pair of Sony WF-1000XM5’s. They stay connected. They sound really good (as good as the Bose? It’s been a few weeks, too long to honestly compair…but these sound really good), they stay connected (actually you can connect to 2 sources at the same time if you want), and the noise cancellation is amazing, but I think not quite as good as the Bose (why I gave them 4 starts instead of 5). The set up was a bit more compilicated than the Bose were, and these fit inside your ear canal, where the Bose where more of an external fit. I wish I would have gotten these first…oh, and battery life is great. With the Auto Abmient setting off, I am easily going to get 10 hours out of a single charge today – and that is sitting at my desk enjoying great music all day with no other sound to degrade what I am hearing…and the case is good for two full charges.Based on what I know after 4 or 5 days – I would buy these again.

41 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

Almost There…

This is the second time I had purchased these. The first time I bought these, I also purchased the Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 2 for comparison. For me personally, the Sennheiser beat the Sonys for sound quality, so I kept the Sennheiser and returned the Sonys. After a few years, I decided to give them another try against the Sennheiser True Wireless Momentum 4’s. I thought maybe they would surpass the Sennheisers on sound quality. To me, it was obvious that the better sound was from the Sennheisers. Many of you may disagree, but that’s fine. I think everyone has a certain sound they like, more bass, less bass, brighter highs etc., To my ears, they were a very close second.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Good overall earbuds but with limitations

Great sound and noise cancelling and app features. Although I really wish they had wing tips to help them stay in my ears and keep a good seal which is why I will be selling mine. I also prefer silicone eartips for easier use and wish they had a universal spatial audio like Bose uses that is actually useful for most people. Sony’s is super restricted for a very small user base using only certain apps with limited audio.

5.0 out of 5 stars

The BEST earbuds ever!

First off- they connect immediately to my Android within seconds. All others I had to search for the right ones. Second, I wore these out shopping yesterday and when I took one bud out to talk to someone, everything paused. THAT is AMAZING!!! Especially since I was listening to a book! The sound quality is crisp, clear and better than any other besides my daughter’s Airpods on her Apple. I cannot recommend these enough!!Quick charging, they give you multiple sizes to fit your ears and long wear time.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Great headphones

Good ear buds. Lighter then the previous generation. The only complaint I have is that I ordered new but was sent a used product.

3.0 out of 5 stars

XM5 vs XM4 vs AIRPODS PRO 2 — WHY THE XM5s ARE GOING BACK

Ever since they were released, and until recently, the Sony XM4 earbuds have been my favorite, ahead of my AirPods Pro 2 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2. I say “until recently,” because the most recent firmware updates to the AirPods Pro 2 dethroned the XM4 at the top. In fact, if you haven’t heard the Pro 2 running the latest firmware, you haven’t really heard them at all. I’ve had the Pro 2 since release date, too, and while I felt they were an excellent update to the first gen Pro, the XM4s still bettered them in ANC and sound quality. Not any longer. The degree to which Apple improved both ANC and sound quality through firmware updates is not something I would have believed was possible. In fact, for a recent trip that involved a 9 hour nonstop flight each way, I left my Airpods Max headphones at home, only took my Pro 2 earbuds and didn’t miss the Max one bit.SO… I was very anxious to hear what Sony accomplished with the XM5s, 2 years after the superb XM4s. And after spending the past week listening to them, I’ll be sending them back. My issues:Fit: The only way I could get a “good seal” per the Sony app was by using the largest ear tips, which I found grew quickly uncomfortable in my ear. Even then, I had to twist the earbuds in deeply “just so” or the app would tell me to adjust them again. WAY too finicky to achieve what was ultimately an uncomfortable fit anyway. I don’t have this issue with the XM4s or my Pro 2s. Plus, the Sony XM5 tips include an ear wax filter which I’m assuming is there for a reason, so I’d be hesitant to replace them with more comfortable tips that lack a filter.The Thud: As others have noted, the XM5s very audibly “thud” each time your foot hits the ground when jogging, running or even briskly walking.ANC & Sound Quality: Sony has definitely bettered the XM4 somewhat in both areas. Not dramatically, but still there. Measured testing I’ve seen shows that the XM5 better the Pro 2 a bit in cancelling lower frequency noise while the Pro 2 does better in the mid and upper frequency sound. I’d call it a draw. Similarly, while I prefer the sound signature of the Pro 2 running the latest firmware–it’s a more open, natural and less processed sounding to my ear–others might prefer Sony’s bassier sound. Since neither is objectively “better” than the other, I’d call this a draw, too. BUT… you’ve got the fit and thud issues with the Sony. If you can’t get the fit of the XM5s to “seal,” and stay that way, both sound quality and ANC take a big hit. Plus the thuds are a constant annoyance that can overwhelm the sound quality.Bottom line: the AirPods Pro 2 remain at the top of the pack for me. And while the XM5s definitely improve on the ANC and sound quality of the XM4s, they introduce new issues which, for me, negate these improvements and leave the XM4s my preference in actual day-to-day use. For these reasons the XM5s are going back. BUT… if you like the XM5 sound signature, can live with the thudding and can manage to get a sealed fit easily whenever you put them in, you’ll be happy with the XM5s.

10 people found this helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars

Great sound, delicate ear bud tips, app missing important feature.

These buds sound great, they have good noise canceling, and the battery life is close to 12 hours if you disable all the bloat features and noise canceling.I’d give this a five but the tips that it comes with are fragile and I’ve already started to tear a couple weeks into use. I’ve had to order Replacements from a different brand that have a silicon shell with foam liner.The app is missing an important feature most other headphone apps have, which allows you to set custom button functions for various taps.Sony’s app gives you 2 preset options that can be set to each earbud, and none of the options allow you to control play start/pause and ambient sound/noisecanceling on the same bud.This is a problem for people that want to use one earbud at a time for work.I’ve had to just give up on ambient sound/ noise canceling all together and just run them as normal buds with long batter life so I can at least pause and start music with 1 bud.Also, when you remove 1 bud from wearing 2, it changes your sound to ambient from noise canceling with no option to change that.Great sound, lousy app and control functions.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Wow, impressive upgrade

There’s a bit of possible Sony hate going on in some reviews, like others I got burned on a pair of WF-10004XM refurbished and one of the batteries started failing after a year. Wasn’t worth the cost of repair. Have others from QCY and Soundcore that were surprisingly good for less cost. Also had trouble with refurbished headphones WH-1000XM4, luckily had added insurance. Cut to buying a new pair that have been flawless.Got the Sony WF-C700N a couple months ago to scratch my earbud itch. Very good for the price. If you’re not ready to throw down $300 for the XM5 they’re a great alternative. Not quite as musical, but no gripes anyway. You can get picky about the throwback buttons but oh well.One comment before I get more specific on the XM5. I fully agree with another review that calls out Sony for how complicated their Sony Connect app has become. It could be simplified for people who don’t want to get into the tech so much.Now, how do they sound? I’m impressed and I’m not using them to their full potential. Using with iPhone so Bluetooth SBC codec is the most basic and lowest quality solution (after digging into the codec question a bit more it does appear that the iPhone has the AAC codec also). However, with the help of Sony’s equalizer and DSEE function I’m very happy with the sound. I almost don’t want to try them with a better codec and then have to go back. (Still applies with AAC, DSE does improve sound)I need treble boost for my old ears and having played bass no surprise I like a lot of bass. These don’t disappoint. I did an A-B comparison with the XM4 headphones and they didn’t have quite the low end but good and punchy with good definition between bass and drums.both can become nice and “growly” on the low end.Noise cancellation is very good, not as good as the headphones but after only a couple days I have been quite satisfied so far.Comfort level is better than the XM4 buds, but I’m so pissed I wasted the money now I don’t want to dig them out to compare audio! I think Sony really improved the fit and design to be lighter, more comfortable, and have impressive sound. Let’s just hope they found a better battery.Used overnight and had battery left in the morning but playing audiobook on timer so i couldn’t say how long continuous playback.I’ll update after I’ve had them longer.(Update) battery life seems to be very similar to the XM4. Sometimes I have battery left in the morning sometimes it comes up short.Another follow up, comes with 4 sets of tips but apparently I have very large ear canals as I’m unable to get a complete seal with the included buds. The large felt good at first but when I used the connect app to check for airtight seals I could not get them to seal. Fortunately I have many tips I’ve saved over the years and by mixing, matching, and testing I have a couple that seal. I even tried ordering extra large tips from a couple vendors and they didn’t work either. Nice that Sony is including extra small but what about us with extra large needs! I do have a possible solution on the way, find a video on YouTube that shows how to use Sugro glue rolled up and inserted in the mushroom part of the tip. Press in the ear to get a fit and then allow to cure over night. Hoping it works, I have a few tips I’d like to try this on. Was even investigating custom molded tips but for $150 plus I’ll try the Sugro hack…8/5/23 tried the Sugro hack yesterday. Still have to work to get an airtight fit but it definitely helped.My opinion on the sound has not diminished. Excellent with what I listen too. A lot of classic rock but also new material from Elle King and others. Listening to Lourdes “Royals” a very deep bass which presents low, solid, and clear. You can easily distinguish the bass and drums. The low rumbling bass of Pink Floyd “Welcome to the Machine” couldn’t be much better in any buds. Almost like I could feel it.I’m now using the WF-C700n as my workout and dog walking buds. Sound signature is very similar but the bass is not quite as good. One thing they are lacking is the airtight fit check in the app. I had to use other tips and the Sugro mold hack to get a good consistent fit in both. The included tips are worthless to me and my big ears.I see a lot of criticism of the noise cancellation for the XM5. I have no way to measure so it’s pretty subjective but I’m not disappointed. At least as good as the XM4. But with any ANC earbuds the airtight seal is critical.If you’re not ready to throw down $300 the WF-C700n are a very good alternative, but are not touch controlled, a single button on each side. Not quite as good on the low end but not disappointing either. In direct comparison you can hear the difference.I still think these are 5 star worthy. I’d take off half a star because of the somewhat complex app but if you like to tinker with the sound and features, give it back. People who are not “technical minded” may find it intimidating. I find it useful but jammed with some features I wouldn’t normally use, like automatically changing settings depending on location as an example. Some might find it useful but not me. The equalizer and clear bass functions are excellent. DSEE function makes a noticeable difference in sound quality. Happier with these than I was with the XM4. Just hope the batteries last, I would hope Sony changed from the $70 replacement cost batteries (not including labor) used in the XM4 as apparently so many people had problems with them dying out after a few months.9/22/23Used these today instead of the WF-C700n for my indoor cycling and to walk the dog. Usually I do those activities with the cheaper buds as for $300 I want to take every precaution to protect them. So…more feedback on the ANC. Definitely a difference on the bike with 2 pretty loud blower fans on. The WF-C700n does a very good job in the same situation but I could definitely tell a difference. Could hardly hear the fans at all and the WF-1000XM5 does have the superior sound performance. Note these blowers are loud enough that if I have my Apple Watch to close to them I get the over 90db warning. They’re not 90db from the bike but they are loud. These cancelled almost all the noise. With volume on my music I don’t hear the fans at all.

367 people found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

I’m not an expert on buds but Im glad I bought them

This is the most I ever thought I’d spend on earbuds. The only complaints I have is they’re freakin expensive and I wish they would Bluetooth to multiple devices at once and they’re not good for running with. They cut out a lot when/with bumps and jerks. Switching between my phone and laptop is annoying. Had only 3 months but they hold a charge awhile, charge quickly just in the case and also when plugged in. Has decent bass, my ears did hurt from wearing them after a couple days just like other people says it bothers them but I just realized writing this I haven’t even noticed it since I first got them. I guess they took about 2 weeks of everyday use to “break in”. Everyone seems to have a problem with the app and the ‘tap’ feature on the buds -I do not. I haven’t used the speak assist so I can’t speak for it. The mic works well on calls though. I make calls while riding a bicycle. I now use these for gaming too. I wear them to the gym- no problem with sweat. After buying them id be lost without them. Id say the sound quality is good idk if id say the best but for earbuds on this price range they’re good. Not great for meditation music but great for hip hop and Rock. For the price it should come with it’s own charge block. Can’t compare to a different brand but happy with purchase. I’ll update if have any problems.- I spent about a week deciding between these and the Bose so I know what it’s like shelling $300 for freakin rare buds. Hope this helps.

8 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great headphones IF you know how to read

My review is going to upset some, but unfortunately after reading a few of the negative ones I felt the need to write my own.Background: after going through THREE pairs of Apple AirPod Pro 2 I decided to pick these up, and I have used them heavily over the last 24 hours (~3 hours of yard work in 90F+ heat, ~1 hour in the gym doing weights, ~20 minutes cardio running outdoors).TL;DR: Overall these headphones do what they claim, provide awesome sound quality (note: not an audiophile, audio geek or whatever) compared to my previous Apple headphones, and the ANC is spot on. YOU MUST USE AND CONFIGURE THE HEADPHONE APP to get the full functionality and experience with these headphones. Furthermore, you need to actually CONFIGURE these headphones. If you don’t, you are missing 80% of the features (ANC, transparent mode, geofencing), at which point I just order a cheaper pair.Pros:- Sound quality is spot on for the price range.- Personally, compared to the Airpods the fit is a lot better. I do wear foam earbuds a bit with my actual noise cancelling headphones, so I am used to them and prefer them over the silicone ones.- WHEN CONFIGURED CORRECTLY, the ANC and transparent mode blow away the Apple Airpods. Hands down.- The app has some pretty sweet functionality, such as an EQ tutorial which allows you to finetune the sound to what you prefer without understanding frequencies, adaptive mode (basically detects what you are doing, walking or standing still, and either turns on ANC or transparent mode OR however you configure it), and there the gesture thing, although I think is a bit gimmicky, can be cool for some.- The actual controls are configurable on the headphones as well within the app, and they work sell with Mechanix gloves on.- Unlike others, I had no connectivity issues. Phone was in my left pocket, and earbuds were in. I am 6 foot tall, ~225lb for an example of distance between headphones and device.Cons:- You require the app. You have multiple people on here claiming things like “oh there is no ANC” or “oh boy I can’t get transparent mode to work”. Yea, because if you read the damn insert that came with the package you would realize the app is required. I will say that there is a TON of functionality that is baked in, but it is somewhat cumbersome to figure out. I am fairly technical, and I even had to Google a thing or two to find the appropriate settings.- The case feels cheap. The Apple Airpods, love them or hate them, has a premium feel to the case, whereas these headphones are not exactly the best.- The adaptive mode is bit of a PITA to configure, especially if you are using these for the ANC to ensure you aren’t blowing your ears out. For example, if I whistle it thought I was talking and then would shut the music off. It finally learned that it wasn’t me actually talking but whistling, but still an annoyance. Furthermore, the adaptive mode will turn on transparent mode IF you are running/walking, and this occurred when I was using my mower. Not the most pleasant feeling.

174 people found this helpful