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Sony WF-1000XM5 · Photo source

Sony WF-1000XM5
Photo 1 of 106

Sony WF-1000XM5 · Photo source

Sony · WF earbuds

WF-1000XM5

Released July 2023

The WF-1000XM5 are Sony's previous-generation flagship noise-cancelling earbuds, suited to commuters who want strong noise cancelling, LDAC and a wireless charging case in a smaller body than the WF-1000XM4.

Model history · 3 models, 2019–2023
  1. 2019WF-1000XM3Compare
  2. 2021WF-1000XM4Compare
  3. 2023WF-1000XM5
Type
In-ear
Noise cancelling
Yes
Battery
8 h
With case
24 h
Best codec
LC3
Weight
5.9 g

What reviewers say

Reviewers agree the sound is excellent and detailed and the smaller, lighter buds more comfortable than before. Noise cancelling divides them: SoundGuys and Tom's Guide rate it among the best, while TechRadar found it average and had connection drop-outs. Views on bass differ too, with What Hi-Fi? finding rivals bassier and SoundGuys the default tuning too bassy.

From whathifi.com, techradar.com, soundguys.com and tomsguide.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Sound

Type
In-ear
Noise cancelling
Yes
Transparency mode
Yes
Spatial audio with head tracking
Yes
Driver size
8.4 mm
Bluetooth codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3
Chip
QN2e
Drivers
8.4 mm Dynamic Driver X
Chip
HD Noise Canceling Processor QN2e and Integrated Processor V2
Noise cancelling detail
Three noise-cancelling microphones per earbud (dual feedback and feedforward, six in total); Noise Isolation Earbud Tips for passive isolation; Ambient Sound Mode with adjustable level; Quick Attention Mode; Speak-to-Chat
Audio features
LDAC up to 990 kbps (Hi-Res Audio Wireless); DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio, with head tracking on supported Android 13 phones; LE Audio (LC3)

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim)
Up to 8 hours
With the case
Up to 24 hours
Wireless charging
Yes
Battery life detail
Up to 12 hours with noise cancelling off (AAC or SBC), 36 hours with the case; with LDAC, 5 hours with noise cancelling on or 8 hours off; with LC3, 7 hours on or 11 hours off; talk time up to 6 hours (7 hours with noise cancelling off)
Charging case
USB-C and Qi wireless charging; Xperia phones with battery sharing can charge it; about 2 hours to fully charge the case and earbuds, 1.5 hours for the earbuds alone
Fast charging
3 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback

Design

Weight (each earbud)
5.9 g
Water and sweat resistance
IPX4
Bluetooth
5.3
Two devices at once
Yes
Controls
Touch sensor on each earbud, reassignable in the app (by default the left switches noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode and holds for Quick Attention Mode; the right plays and pauses, skips tracks and holds for the voice assistant; tap four or more times for volume); nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls; IR sensors pause music when an earbud is taken out and switch the earbuds off after about 15 minutes
Microphones
Three microphones per earbud for noise cancelling; bone-conduction sensor and AI-based noise reduction for calls; wind noise reduction structure
Fit and ear tips
Noise Isolation Earbud Tips (polyurethane foam) in four sizes (SS, S, M, L); Sony says the earbuds are about 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the WF-1000XM4; either earbud can be used on its own
Case weight
About 39 g
Water resistance detail
IPX4 (IEC 60529) for the earbuds; the charging case is not water resistant
Works with
Sony | Sound Connect app (formerly Headphones Connect) for iOS and Android; multipoint connection to two devices; LE Audio with compatible devices; Google Fast Pair; Microsoft Swift Pair
Colours
Black, Platinum Silver, Smoky Pink
In the box
Earbuds, charging case, USB-C cable (USB-A to USB-C, about 20 cm), Noise Isolation Earbud Tips in SS, S, M and L (M fitted), documents

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Up to 8 hours per charge with noise cancelling on, 24 hours with the case
  • LDAC and LE Audio (LC3), plus multipoint
  • Qi wireless charging, and 3 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback

Cons

  • IPX4 covers the earbuds only; the charging case isn't water resistant
  • Battery life falls to 5 hours per charge with noise cancelling on when using LDAC

Closest rivals

Model
TypeNoise cancellingBatteryWith caseBest codecWeightReleased
Anker soundcoreLiberty 4 NC
In-earYes8 h40 hLDAC–Jun 2023
AppleAirPods Pro 2
In-earYes6 h30 hAAC5.3 gSept 2023
BeatsStudio Buds +
In-earYes6 h24 hAAC5 gMay 2023

Previous model: WF-1000XM4. Newer model: WF-1000XM6.

Sources

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  2. sony.jp/headphone/products/WF-1000XM5/spec.html
  3. sony.com.au/headphones/products/wf-1000xm5
  4. helpguide.sony.net/mdr/2963/v1/en/contents/TP1000781965.html
  5. helpguide.sony.net/mdr/2963/v1/en/contents/TP1000781963.html
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  39. sony.co.uk/headphones/products/wf-1000xm5/features8

Photo: sony.scene7.com

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