The Sony WH-1000XM5 is the default recommendation in wireless noise cancelling, and its reviews say so almost unanimously: What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar and Digital Trends all gave it full marks, Tom's Guide 4.5 out of 5 and SoundGuys 8.6 out of 10. Cancelling and sound quality are the reasons. The redesign reads less premium than the XM4, there is no IP rating at all, and the plastic build is not what everyone expects near the top of the market.
Full review
ANC that still sets the bar
Noise cancelling is what the XM5 is bought for and what every review leads with. Low-frequency noise, meaning aircraft cabins, train carriages and office air handling, is what it removes most completely, which is why the recommendations cluster so tightly around commuting and open-plan work. What Hi-Fi? holds that the cancelling stays top tier even where the redesign feels like a step back, and TechRadar's full-mark rating rests on the same combination of quiet and sound.
Sound that improved with the redesign
SoundGuys scored the sound 8.6 out of 10 and What Hi-Fi? heard a clear step up on the XM4, with more clarity and tighter, more agile bass. Digital Trends' reservation is that the bass can dominate in classical material where the midrange should lead, which the app's custom EQ can partly correct. Codec support covers SBC, AAC and LDAC over Bluetooth 5.2, so a high-bitrate stream is available to anyone on Android.
251 grams and a thinner headband
Comfort is where the XM5 wins against its own predecessor. Tom's Guide credits the thinner headband and slimmer profile with making long sessions easier, and the soft-fit leatherette pads are large enough for bigger ears. At 251 g the weight is unremarkable for a flagship. The cost of the redesign is a build several reviewers read as less premium than the XM4's, and an adjustment mechanism that is less obvious to use than the old one.
No IP rating, so keep them dry
There is no ingress rating at all, and SoundGuys is explicit about the consequence: rain and sweat are a risk rather than a rounding error. That rules out the gym, and it rules out a wet commute without a hood. It is the clearest single reason to buy something else, and it is a deliberate omission rather than an oversight, because the XM5 was designed for indoor and travel use and nothing rougher.
Thirty hours a charge, two devices at once
Battery life runs to about 30 hours with cancelling on, charging over USB-C, and multipoint keeps the headphones connected to a laptop and a phone at the same time, which is the feature that makes them work as office headphones rather than only travel ones. A four-microphone array handles calls, and What Hi-Fi? and SoundGuys both rate voice pickup highly, with ambient passthrough letting a short conversation happen without taking them off.
Strengths
- +Outstanding active noise cancellation performance that rivals top competitors
- +Superior sound quality with sensational sonic clarity and punchy delivery
- +Excellent microphone quality for calls with good app features including custom EQ
- +Comfortable design with soft-fit leatherette ear cups that accommodate larger ears
Watch-outs
- −Build quality feels less premium compared to previous generation
- −No IP rating and vulnerable to moisture despite lack of definitive waterproofing
How it compares
The Sony WH-1000XM5 stands out with its superior sound quality and ANC performance that matches the Bose QuietComfort 45, but it's less comfortable than the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and lacks the premium build quality of the Apple AirPods Max. While it offers better battery life than the Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X, it's significantly more expensive and lacks IP rating, unlike the Sennheiser model which provides better value for money.
Rating sources
Our 4.8 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
