Sony
Sony has been at the top of the game for premium active noise cancellation headphones for a little less than four years, when the WH-1000XM3 blew the competition from Bose and Beats out of the water. The XM4 revision made things more efficient without having to reinvent the wheel. Now the XM5 gives this much-loved design a visual makeover. The highly anticipated revision is available for pre-order now for $400, a $50 retail price bump over its predecessors.
The XM5 design combines a larger, more comfortable ear cup with a slimmer, skinnier band. The result is a simpler, but still distinctive visual profile. Despite the larger size, in both its regular and folded-up modes, Sony’s replaced the 40mm driver in the previous two generations with a new 30mm design. The new design is smaller, but has new features such as a TPU edge or carbon fiber materials that improve noise cancellation and audio quality. Eight microphones are used to enable the former, four for ANC and four for capturing your voice, as well as a new noise-canceling processor QN1.
In terms of physical layout and controls, not too much has changed, so those who don’t like touch-sensitive taps and swipes for music controls will still be put off. The XM5 can be used with Alexa and Google Assistant on your phone or computer, and it can connect to both via multi-point Bluetooth. Playback time is unchanged at a reported 30 hours, and the included carrying case is thinner but more voluminous since it holds the headphones in an unfolded position.
As with previous generations, the WH-1000XM5 comes in black or “silver” (which looks more like an eggshell white to me). It’s up for pre-order now, releasing next Friday, May 20th. The XM3 and XM4 cans frequently saw deep discounts of $100 or more, so if you’re experiencing sticker shock at the $400 price tag, you might want to wait for a sale.
Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate link policy for more details.
- Headphones
