Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Industry Leading Headphones with Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer, Crystal Clear Hands-Free Calling, and Alexa Voice Control, Silver

Im not sure if the issues is that my unit is just faulty or if its a common trend of this exact product. After spending about $400 on a headset, you will think it should be good right out the box but its not. I have had better experiences with headset 1/3 of the price. 1. My unit goes in and out of ANC (active noise canceling) without touching the audio source, in this case my phone, laptop or other devices. It also does this on calls without the ANC being on, it turns it self on. 2. I had to turn off all gestures or control because the headphones kept stopping my music or video every few minutes when in use. 3. The sound, mic and ANC when it works are okay but I dont think these are worth all the issues that comes right out the box with the headset. Im not sure if this headphones have an update that will fix these issues but my experience has been absolutely horrible given I spent so much money on the product. I will try to update it and see if that changes anything but I dont think so. Save your money or buy a different brand, because Im fairly certain that other headset manufacturers are making something better.

Continues on a bit of a muddy sound like the previous models, however the noise cancelling is superb and EQ options such as the custom Wavelet profile from soundguys make this an incredible all around headphone. Edit: After owning this for a few days Ive noticed some issues. Clicking on left channel when I move my head, ANC clipping occasionally when in a loud vehicle, and pads seem to wear in more quickly than other headphones. I still am impressed by the otherwise excellent performance, however i am getting an exchange and will update again soon. Edit 2: Replacement unit has no audible issues. However i have noticed that after a very short amount of time the pads deform permanently. This is likely due to the (probably) low density foam used, and could be detrimental to sound quality in the long term. Edit 3: Accidentally put a little too much force when squeezing these into a bag, the bracket held to the band by a single screw and some adhesive kinda just fell apart. Pushed it back together but theres a small gap there now. Maybe this headband isnt so well built. Edit 4: Returned under RMA. ANC clips too easily and the build is not good enough to use long term. Im now back on the old AKG N700ncm2.

Let me just start off by saying these are SO GOOD! The quality, the look, the sound ARE SO GOOD! They are so sleek!! if someone were to blindfold me and put these on my head, I would really think they were a Apple product, from the sound quality and features. All of my personal devices are Apple products, and I decided to go out of the box for these kind of headphones and definitely made the right choice. I tried the Apple ones, but in my opinion, these were lighter and more comfortable with the same quality. And these are definitely at a bit lower price point. 11/10 recommend.

Ever since the MDR-1000xs were released, Sony has been making my favorite noise canceling headphones. These are exceptionally great noise canceling headphones.

Switched to these from the AirPod Pros. For around $100 more the quality difference is uncanny. It’s also nice to have headphones I can plug in to make sure they’re actually charging and not just hoping they did while they’re in their charging case (you could say I’m a bit jaded by apple at the moment). That aside, these are a great set of headphones. I live in the NYC area and things can get a bit loud here. These headphones allow me to tune out the noise while also giving incredible sound quality. I also don’t notice an incredibly large difference between the sound quality in Bluetooth vs wired connection. Finally, while they don’t fold in they do come in a slim carrying case that is of nice cloth quality. It fits perfect in any brief case.

I got these as a gift for myself almost a month ago. I had a coworker who had the XM4s and I was impressed, so I got the XM5s after doing research and finding that the noise cancellation is better than the previous generations. Based on what I remember from years ago it FEELS like the noise cancellation is about the same. What I love about the headphones is that you can FEEL the noise being cancelled. It feels like your head is in a vacuum (not a vacuum cleaner, but a vacuum of space). And thats what I bought these for. Ive had no issues with the controls, app, or connectivity. I do wish there was more bass, but also thats not the selling point for these. The equalizer in the app has a preset bass boost setting which helps.

I like the feel, comfort, and sound coming from the XM5, but bluetooth can be spotty if you have multiple devices paired to this. I have my Mac, MacBook, iPhone, TV, and Windows PC all paired (not connected). Bluetooth works fine if I disable (or forget) 3 of the 5 devices, otherwise itll get interference.

Coming from the XM3 headphones, I find the XM5 better in every way where it matters. For me, they are far more comfortable, with larger earcups that no longer touch my ears and somehow reduced pressure on my head overall. The headband is improved for me, though this is one area that may differ for people, so ymmv. ANC is far better than in the XM3 and the adaptive nature means that I dont have to do anything to get the benefit in different environments. With the XM3, I never made changes to the ANC settings, so this is a big improvement. Sound is superb, acoustically nuanced with great sound separation, spaciousness, and tight response. You may want to adjust the EQ to your specific preferences, though it is balanced and brighter than the XM3 enough that is makes the former headset sound muddy after listening to the XM5 headset. I know most reviewers have complained about the case and Im bewildered by that response. Its not that much larger than the prior case in height and width, is a bit thinner with a taper from the cup at the bottom to the band at the top and stays more securely in place in my laptop bag as a result. Perhaps this is an issue for smaller bags if there isnt and extra room, though in my case, this was an improvement for my travel needs along with no longer having to bother folding and unfolding the headphones every time I use them. All around, I love all the improvements made and highly recommend the upgrade, especially if coming from the XM3.

I bought these headphones for use at work and they are amazing. The ANC is something that I did not realize I needed until using these. They are perfect for keeping noise out when on important phone calls and you are in a noisy environment. For music, these are amazing. I would recommend.

It has some connection issues with my Samsung TV (and Im not sure whose fault that is), and it also randomly disconnects from whatever its connected to from time to time, but as noise-cancelling headphones go, its practically perfect. I live 12 miles from an air base and for some reason, the jets have to fly over MY HOUSE, EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE. I hate it here, but these have restored a portion of my sanity. If you have any hatred for any noise that you cant control, get these! Expensive, but worth the price!