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Sony WH-1000XM5 Review — Audiophile ON
I have to preface this section of the review because I am a Sony ANC headphone user and have been since I switched from the Bose QC35 to the Sony WH-1000XM2 many years ago. During that time, I upgraded to the XM4 and have happily used them for the past 2 years.
Since the release of the XM4, Bose released the 700 and the QC40 headphones to challenge Sony, which had taken a massive chunk of their market share. I like both those headphones, but comfort and styling are going to play a huge part in which ones you will choose to buy. For me, there is a clear winner. Sony.
I feel like the XM5, when compared directly to the Bose 700 just performs a little better in almost every area. It sounds better, looks better, and, most importantly, cancels noise better. The Bose, however, does have the XM5 beaten on comfort with their generous earpads and lightweight build, making a difference on long flights.
Apple has also entered the market at this time, but I just can’t bring myself to love them despite being thoroughly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem. Yes, the build quality of the Max is better, and, yes, there is something about taking the headphones out of the carry case and having them automatically connect.
However, just like with the Bose, the sound is better, the canceling is better and I really, really don’t like the design of the AirPods Max. Especially when holding them hand in hand next to the Sony WH-1000XM5.
The Airpods Max as I mentioned above, does have an advantage in ambient sound but that is not enough to touch Sony in my opinion. I am especially considering how expensive the Max headphones are.
Conclusion
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are better than the XM4 but it’s not clear cut and there is still a case to be made to still recommend the older model which Sony says they will still be selling. The latter still retains a number of top-selling points that shouldn’t be overlooked and with the release of the XM5, they should now come at a lower price point.
However, there is no doubt in my mind after the extensive testing done for this review that the XM5 is indeed the better headphone, and with its release, Sony has extended its run at the top. It’s probably the best all-around headphone on the market right now and definitely the best noise-canceling headphone.
Sometimes you don’t need to go and reinvent the wheel you just need to keep things rolling. That’s exactly what has been done here. For that reason, it’s an easy recommendation from us at Audiophile On.
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