Sony WF-1000XM5 review - Our verdict after 7 months of testing

The Sony WF-1000XM5 are Sony's latest earbuds. ANC, multipoint and other fancy features: they're all here. The only thing missing is our verdict! Time to give them a critical listen. We'll tell you exactly whether these earbuds are right for you, or not. Check out our test.

Pros and cons

Here are the pros and cons of the Sony WF-1000XM5. See at a glance whether these earbuds are right for you.

Sony WF-1000XM5 specifications

• Price: ~250
• Chipsets: V2 and QN2e
• Codec: SBC, ACC, LDAC, LC3
• Bluetooth: 5.3
• Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20000 Hz
• Range: 10m
• Case battery: 500 mAh (16 hours)
• Earbud battery:
• music playback: 8 hours with ANC/12 hours without ANC
• continuous communication: 6 hours
• with ANC/7 hours without ANC
• Cable: Usb C
• Water resistance: IPX4

Aren't they good-looking earbuds? Beautiful design.  

Sony WF-1000XM5 sound quality

I won't string you along in this review. These earbuds are wireless, after all. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds sound very good indeed.

Rich, full and spacious sound. From lows to highs, and let's not forget the mids, everything comes through nicely. If I had to describe them in one word, I'd choose 'heavy'. By that I mean the bass is a little dominant. It all depends on your individual fit and, of course, the app settings, which we'll get to later. 

One thing is certain: you can pick out every note. Exactly what you want from earbuds in this price range. Because that's not true of every pair.

If you 'just want good earbuds', you probably won't notice all of this. In that case, earbuds under €50 are perfectly good options. But if you're more discerning, you'll want to pick out every instrument, little chime, riff and beat. And these Sony earbuds let you do just that.

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In a much lower price range, you'll often hear that the different notes aren't as easy to distinguish. There are exceptions, though. The DunRock Bubble, for example.  

So, to answer your question: "Are they good?" (I can practically hear you asking.) Yes, they're good. Their sound quality holds up against the AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra. And Jabra's high-end range, too. 

Another interesting point: the balance stays consistent when you turn the volume up or down. Even at very low volume, you can still hear every note and pick it out clearly. The same goes for high volume. And that's not something you hear every day (pun intended).

Sound quality score: 9

Now for the Sony Headphones app. That's the app you'll be using with these earbuds. 

If you buy the WF-1000XM5, you can use Sony's app. You can download it from the Google Play Store and the App Store. So what do you get in the app?

• An equalizer
• Control over all features
• ANC
• transparency mode
• in-ear sensor
• Battery status
• Updates

An equalizer lets you adjust the sound manually to your taste. You can tweak the settings yourself with the equalizer, or choose presets. And those always have such delightfully bad translations in Dutch. Choose Voice, Lively or Speech, for example, and you'll hear the sound change.

An app is no longer something reserved for the most expensive earbuds, by the way. These days, even earbuds under €100 let you adjust everything in an app. Take the DunRock Bubble, for example.

You can also take a little test in the Sony app. You hear five sound profiles and keep choosing the one you like best. It's a beginner-friendly way to find your best sound. But we're no beginners, of course. We want to adjust the settings ourselves.

And Sony handles that very well. In fact, while we were frustrated by the lack of customization in our Samsung Buds Pro review , Sony offers so many options that they're not always easy to find. "There's just no pleasing Eardopes, is there?" I get it. It might sound that way. But if you're making us choose: we prefer Sony's approach. Plenty of options in the app, giving you the freedom to set everything exactly how you like it. 

You can adjust a lot in the Sony Headphones app. A whole lot. But the Sony WF-1000XM5 offer so many options that finding the feature you need can take some searching. We think Sony could do with a new UX designer. Keep all the features, but make them easier to find. More intuitive, to use the technical term. Luckily, Sony always follows our reviews, so we're sure they'll sort it out.

That said, Sony's app is better than Samsung's. With Samsung's Buds Pro , you still couldn't fully customize the equalizer. You could use presets, but not adjust the settings yourself. So that's a point in Sony's favor.

Microphone: are Sony WF-1000XM5 good for calls?

Then your phone rings. You're wearing the Sony WF-1000XM5. Will the person on the other end hear you clearly if you answer? Or should you take them out?

We tested the microphone thoroughly, both in online meetings and on regular calls. My conclusion: the microphone is excellent.

Multipoint is a great match for calls, too. Connect your earbuds to your laptop and your phone, and they automatically prioritize which device to use. Handy. Check out our full explanation if you'd like to know more. 

Connecting the earbuds to your phone and laptop is quick and easy. The Sony WF-1000XM5 support multipoint connection, so you can connect them to multiple devices.

Microphone score: 8

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds have 6 microphones. That's 3 per earbud, one more than their predecessor. Are they all for calls? No.

• 2 microphones for ANC, transparency mode, etc.
• 2 microphones for ENC
• 2 microphones for calls

Six microphones, then. I still remember when the third microphone made its debut in earbuds. "Completely unnecessary," people said. And now we're at 6 microphones. That's how quickly things move. 

Always have something important to say? Then do the people you call a favor by choosing these Sony WF1000XM5. However you move your mouth, they'll hear you clearly. In online meetings, too.

So the earbuds are full of openings for microphones. Are they still waterproof? Yes and no. They're less water-resistant than some other earbuds. These Sony earbuds can handle splashes from above and from the side.

Should you panic if you're walking Puck in the woods and a rain cloud rolls over? No, they can handle that. Just dry them before putting them in the charging case. That goes for all earbuds.

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Fit: how do the Sony WF-1000XM5 feel?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 come with foam ear tips, not the silicone ear tips you're probably used to. 

And we know all about foam ear tips. In fact, we sell foam ear tips from foamigo made specifically for the Sony1000XM5.  

So Sony chooses foam over silicone ear tips. An interesting choice. No other manufacturer is doing that right now.

How does foam affect the fit? Well, memory foam is softer and adapts more easily to the shape of your ear canal. Better for you if earbuds often fall out or feel uncomfortable. But that's only part of the fit. The biggest part, literally and figuratively, comes down to the housing. What's interesting is that it has to fit in two ways: technically and ergonomically.

What do I mean? Technically, all the components need to fit inside the earbud housing, especially in high-end earbuds. Ergonomically, that earbud needs to fit your outer ear. The technical requirements stay exactly the same, while every ear canal is different. See why it's a real feat of engineering?

In short: foam feels softer and more comfortable, while silicone creates a better seal. Foam is a little more porous. In general, that makes silicone better for ANC. You can imagine how a porous foam ear tip makes ANC work harder without getting very far. But Sony has found a solution: they've burned the surface to let less sound through the foam. That means the ANC works well with it. Hats off to Sony!

Time to replace your foam ear tips?

Here's another handy feature in the Sony app. It measures whether your foam ear tips still provide a good enough airtight seal, so you know when to buy new ones. You can also compare sizes to find the best fit for you.

With foam, it's important to go a size larger rather than smaller. The foam needs to fit snugly in your ear.

Fit score: 8.5

Did you know there's one best way to insert earbuds with this type of foam? In fact, it can make or break the experience. Here's what to do:

1. gently squeeze the foam ear tips;
2. put the earbuds in your ears;
3. hold the earbuds in place briefly until the foam has expanded again
4. then let go

Now they're properly seated.

We take reviewing earbuds very seriously. You can tell from my face, right?

Now for my final verdict on the fit. Are they comfortable? Yes, they're comfortable. I've used and worn them a lot, and in my experience the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds stay securely in place and feel good. Exactly what you want from earbuds. 

Are they really suitable for small ears? No, I don't think so. In that case, you're better off choosing different earbuds.

ANC: how good is the noise canceling?

Sony says the Sony WF-1000XM5 have the best noise canceling. But that's a bit like a brand recommending its own product. We've heard that one before. So we put it to a proper test.

Need a quick refresher on noise canceling first? Check out our guide to ANC.

The app's term 'noise reduction' is an interesting choice, since noise is produced to suppress ambient sound.

ANC filters out ambient sound by producing an opposing sound, or noise. The Sony WF-1000XM5 filter out external sound across a wide frequency range, from low to high. They do this with Sony's own processors, dual feedback microphones and sound-isolating ear tips.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have 3 modes: ANC, Ambient Sound and Off. The Off setting can save quite a bit of battery power.

So we put in the earbuds and turn on ANC. What do we hear? A hiss. That's the opposing sound being produced. We can still hear some ambient noise. Once we start playing music, we hear almost none of it.

In Ambient Sound mode, the microphones pick up sounds around you and feed them through slightly amplified, making them easier to hear. This helps you stay alert when using the earbuds in traffic. You can adjust the level manually and choose whether to let voices through.

So what do we think of the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds' ANC? Excellent! The earbuds filter out ambient noise so you can focus fully on your music or phone call.

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AI enters the picture

AI is all we hear about these days. AI this, AI that. Hello??!!! Has nobody heard of Skynet? Sarah Connor? Judgment Day??? Oh, never mind…

Anyway, AI has now found its way into earbuds, too. On the Sony WF-1000XM5, it comes in the form of Adaptive Sound Control.

This feature detects where you are and what you're doing. Are you walking or sitting? Out in nature or on a busy shopping street? At home or at work? Using AI, Adaptive Sound Control learns your behavior and the places you visit regularly. It then adjusts ambient sound to give you the best listening experience for your situation. You can also choose which activities use ANC or Ambient Sound. The feature remembers which mode you want in each environment.

The Sony WF-1000XM5's ANC is comparable to that of other high-end earbuds on the market, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

We also really like that you can adjust the Sony WF-1000XM5's ANC. You choose how much ambient sound you want to hear. Handy if you're in traffic and want to hear some of your surroundings for safety.

ANC score: 9.5

In short, we're very happy with what the Sony WF-1000XM5 offer in terms of ANC. But I wouldn't have expected less, given this earbud range's reputation and the price you pay.

Earbud controls

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds use touch controls, and they work well. You can turn the volume up or down, pause music, change tracks, and answer or end calls.

All you need to do is tap the earbuds. You can adjust various settings in the Sony Headphones app. Several functions can be customized for each earbud. For example, tap the right earbud to turn active noise canceling on or off, or tap the left to raise the volume. You can set up the touch controls to suit your preferences.

Controls score: 8.5

The only drawback we found is that the earbuds are very sensitive. When putting them in or taking them out, we accidentally touch the controls, which can pause a track or turn on ANC. Luckily, the controls are simple, so it's easy to fix.

How do the Sony WF-1000XM5 touch controls work?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds also have in-ear detection. When you're playing music and remove one earbud, the music pauses. You can turn this off if you'd rather keep the music playing.

Charging case (or charging box?)

The Sony WF-1000XM5 charging case is slightly smaller than its predecessor's (the XM4). That's no surprise, since the new earbuds are 25% smaller and 20% lighter. Luckily, the smaller size has barely affected the case's battery capacity.

With a 500mAh battery, the Sony WF-1000XM5 charging case gives you 16 hours of listening. And yes, you can charge it wirelessly with any Qi-compatible charger. Very handy!

The Sony WF-1000XM5 charging case on the wireless charger.

The case is rectangular with nicely rounded corners. A subtle LED on the front, below the lid, shows the battery status. New is the button next to the USB port on the back, which puts the earbuds straight into pairing mode. Handy!

The case has a soft-touch finish that feels good in your hand. The gold-colored logo on the lid adds the finishing touch, giving the case the premium look you'd expect from these earbuds.

In short, the Sony WF-1000XM5 charging case doesn't just look good. It's practical, too. Its compact size means it slides easily in and out of your pocket. A good little case. 

Battery: how long do they last?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds have excellent battery life. With ANC on, they last around 8 hours. Without ANC, that's 12 hours. This is comparable to other high-end earbuds on the market, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

The charging case can fully recharge the earbuds 2 times before it needs charging itself. That gives you around 24 hours of total listening with ANC, or 36 hours without it. More than enough for a long flight or a busy workday.

Battery score: 9

Fast charging is another welcome feature. Just 5 minutes of charging gives you 1 hour of listening. Handy when you want to quickly charge your earbuds before heading out.

Conclusion: our final verdict

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are an excellent choice if you're looking for high-end earbuds with excellent sound quality, comfort and ANC. They're comparable to other high-end earbuds on the market, such as the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

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The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds' strengths include their very good sound quality, comfort, ANC and long battery life. Drawbacks include the price and IPX4 rating.

Alternatives

• Apple AirPods Pro 2
• OneMelon Sky
• Samsung Buds 3 Pro