Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones review: sound beyond time

 

The main feature of the flagship devices – they need a lot of time to gets old. In smartphones, it is due to the development of technology: Is the processor not more efficient for new HI-algorithms? That’s it, we change the smartphone. Although in recent years, productivity growth has slowed down so much that there is no shame in using a 5-year-old flagship.

 

In acoustics, changing models is more likely due to obsolescence. The hi-fi system does not have Bluetooth to connect a smartphone with a Deezer or Tidal Hi-Res subscription? It’s time to buy a new model, technically the same, but blessed with sound than a wireless radio.

 

By the way, audiophiles already fully recognize Bluetooth, although at one time they called it objectionable. Progress can be compelling. Despite the fact that the analog audio jack from 1964 is still installed in smartphones and laptops. Although the prevalence of TWS models also hints at its optionality.

 

Let’s immediately make a reservation that we did not have enough experience with headphone lines from other manufacturers. Yes, we listened and heard the big Koss (who remembers Sporta Pro and UR20?), AKG, Senheiser, Marshall, JBL. But it was the Sony WH-1000XM line that we were able to get to know for three generations in a row, starting with the 1000XM3. Yes, the pause between the 4th and 5th was long. Sony WH-1000XM5 was presented in May 2022, but only towards the end of the year they were brought to Ukraine.

 

What’s new in the Sony WH-1000XM5?

 

 

The most difficult and at the same time simple question. Technically, even from the specifications table you can see that the difference is minimal. Moreover, the increase in speaker size has long stopped for many manufacturers. Now in portable acoustics the rules are dictated by algorithms and software settings. Sounds familiar from smartphone cameras, right?

 

To operate the noise reduction system and its intelligent activation scenarios, the WH-1000XM5 has 8 microphones installed – 4 in each half instead of 5 in the WH-1000XM4. At the same time, a separate HD noise-absorbing processor QN1 is also responsible for the calculations. Let’s assume that in the new model it received software updates.

 

The Sony WH-1000XM5 model talks about DSEE Extreme technology, which uses artificial intelligence to improve the quality of compressed music files in real time. As an analogy to explain, we can name the upscaling technology in TVs, which on the fly increases the resolution of a video by adding the missing pixels.

 

 

Of course, the model still has proximity sensors, thanks to which the music is paused when they are removed and continues to play when the headphones are put on again.

 

If someone speaks to you on the street or in a cafe, you can put your palm on the right earphone and the volume will automatically drop to zero. Also, swipes on the right panel of the case adjust the volume and switch tracks.

 

 

The headphones come with a hard storage case, a 1.2m 3.5mm Mini Jack cable and a very short USB-C cable for charging.

 

Design and ergonomics

 

In terms of design and ergonomics, they correspond to modern trends. When massiveness needs to be decorated elegantly, interesting, sometimes successful, transitions and shapes begin to be used. If in the previous generation the speaker cups were a continuation of the headband, now only the continuity of shapes remains.

 

 

A round headband, a round frame in it, which is attached to the cups by jumpers. The jumpers are also movable, so the flexibility of the design is preserved. The speakers can be rotated 90 degrees and placed on your shoulders. They are also adjustable for tilt in the vertical plane.

 

The headband, in the part that does not touch the head, has a hard filling. And the volumetric part of the middle zone, located directly on the head, is soft. Moreover, the entire arc is covered with soft leatherette. The headband appears aesthetically pleasing at first and is surprisingly small, making the overall design look elegant. However, the headphones weigh quite a lot and the narrow headband creates discomfort when worn for long periods of time. The wide headband in previous models better distributed the weight that “presses” on the head, but here the area is half as large.

 

 

The frame and housing of the speakers have a soft-touch coating. It is curious that the left speaker has a tactile point on the back end. And so the signatures L and R are placed inside the headband.

 

There are few buttons – only two, on the left half. Power button, which also activates Bluetooth and activates the noise reduction system. Near the bottom there is a 3.5mm audio jack. Of the LEDs, there is only one – near the power supply, which rarely blinks when the headphones are turned on and often when searching for devices.

 

Impressions

 

When you first put on the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, you feel like you’re wearing slippers. There is no need to get used to the ear pads, rigidity and geometry of the headband. All you have to do is select the desired length of the frame and that’s it. You synchronize your headphones with your smartphone or laptop and enjoy… silence. Because the noise reduction system starts working immediately, even while the music is not playing. At the same time, there are ANC modes when the headphones let voices through or “leave” your voice when it sounds (Speak-to-Chat function), but filter out noise in automatic mode.

 

If you do not compare the sound directly with previous models, and unfortunately we did not have such an opportunity, then it is quite satisfactory for the average user with the rudiments of an ear for music. However, in a number of compositions we were faced with a lack of volume and depth of the scene. The track “Valhalla calling” turned out to be very revealing, where the special echo effect seemed to be deliberately muffled. It was not possible to imitate the performance of a song in the Fjords with these headphones. If you listen to common genres like hip-hop and rock, you can often use an equalizer to get an almost perfect balance of frequencies and enjoy all the details of the compositions. Of course, they can handle electronics even more so. What the headphones don’t have problems with is bass. If the task is to turn them to the maximum and not lose other ranges, the WH-1000XM5 can do it.

 

 

The headphones generally retain their high flagship status. They are still convenient, high-quality and have many settings in the application. What is it worth to be able to start auto-configuring drivers by photographing your ears? We admit that there is a placebo effect, but after additional tuning the music gained a little volume, although we did not feel the chill of the stage hall during the listening process.

 

The autonomy of the entire series is a feature and it has not changed in the fifth generation. With an active noise reduction system, the headphones can last up to 30 hours. And 3 minutes of charging gives 3 hours of work.

 

Can we definitely recommend them before purchasing, since it is necessary to update existing models? There is a nuance here that takes into account the developments in the acoustics market itself. When we tested the WH-1000XM3, most of the budget models were sold on the market, as they were completely weak. The stench is neither subtle nor offensive. All that could be cut off was the tightening of the bass. Then, Sony’s flagship headphones were felt like an oasis in the desert, like sun after a dungeon, like a car after a e-scooter… They had an ideal balance of sound and a miraculously working noise reduction system. Over the years, the Chinese have learned how to adjust their headphones so that the sound is suitable for most speakers. For a fraction of the price you can now buy headphones that sound really good. So, on the Sony side, the flexibility of the design, algorithms, additional adjustments and adaptive noise reduction are still lost. But it’s cost is no longer felt as justified.

 

Rating:

+ operation of noise reduction system algorithms

+ general ergonomics

+ battery life

+ audio characteristics

-narrow headband, puts pressure on the head

-price

 

Read also:

• Headphones Sony WH-1000XM2 at IFA 2017
• A look at the headphones Sony WH-1000XM3: sound at vacuum
• Review of headphones Sony WH-1000XM4: the fourth king
• Headphone test SMS Audio Street by 50 Cent : music is fashionable