- This video is sponsored by Casetify.
Sony has discovered a winning strategy
in recent years with some of the best
noise-canceling headphones on the market.
Each release has looked fairly similar to the previous,
but it's been the gradual improvements
in sound quality, noise cancellation,
and call quality that have kept the WH-1000 line
one step ahead of the competition.
When I saw the official pictures of the Sony WH-1000XM5
I was a little taken aback
wondering whether it was a wise move for Sony
to redesign what's been working for them so well.
It's a brave decision, but has Sony broken
something that didn't really need fixing?
In this video, I bring you my thoughts
on the new Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling headphones.
(bright music)
If at any point you wanna check out
Sony's new wireless headphones for yourself,
I will have a link down in the description below.
Let's get started by talking about that new design.
The changes made to the Sony WH-1000XM5 are significant.
Sony refers to the new look as a noiseless design
which sees them create
a slimmer more seamless pair of headphones
by reworking those areas that can contribute to wind noise.
This leads to smoother lines and less aggressive edges.
Importantly, a number of the joints and hinges
that allow the XM4 ear cups to be folded away
have also been yeeted out of existence.
The result, the Sony XM5 headphones simply fold flat,
similar to the AirPods Max
and the Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700,
they no longer fold up like the previous versions.
That's bad news for anyone
who likes to fold their headphones into a ball
and throw them in a backpack.
I don't personally mind this
since I carry the AirPods Max around
and they do the same thing,
but I know some will see this as a major downgrade,
and a few will even see it as a deal breaker
when it comes to the XM5.
The headband section now employs these ABS sliders
instead of metal bands to adjust the fit
which gives you a more precise fit.
The section of memory foam in the middle
of the headband helps with support and comfort,
and the band itself is completely
covered in a new synthetic leather
that also covers the memory foam ear pads.
It's soft and smooth to the touch,
and comfort levels are right up there
with the best on the market.
The Sony XM5 provide just the right amount
of clamping force making them feel secure
without threatening to obliterate your ears.
Next, let's talk about sound quality.
A lot of the features of the WH-1000XM5
have carried over from the XM4.
Sony's DSEE Extreme engine is here to upscale
compressed music to near high-res quality
at least according to Sony.
The headphones are also compatible
with Sony's LDAC technology which allows streaming
of high-quality audio from compatible devices
at bit rates higher than conventional Bluetooth.
However, there's no aptX or aptX HD support.
The 40-millimeter driver used
in the WH-1000XM4 has been replaced
with a new 30-millimeter carbon fiber composite dome
that's been specifically designed
to be both lightweight and super rigid.
Next, I wanna talk about the noise-cancellation upgrades,
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And once again, big thank you to Casetify
for sponsoring this video.
All right, up next, let's talk noise cancellation,
potentially, the most important feature
of the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Sony's noise-canceling headphone technology
has been consistently excellent.
After focusing on low-frequency noise in previous models,
this time Sony has attempted to improve noise cancellation
further up the frequency range in the XM5.
To do this, Sony has included the integrated processor V1
that first appeared on its WF-1000XM4,
those are the wireless earbuds.
It has also increased the number
of microphones used on the XM5 to eight,
that's up from the four on the XM4.
And they claim to have improved the tech
inside the headphones responsible for identifying noise.
On prior generations of the WH headphones,
you'd have to run Sony's NC optimizer
before changing locations to make sure
you were getting the best noise canceling possible.
Now, the XM5 headphones automatically
optimize the noise canceling as you move around.
It's done in conjunction with Sony's headphones app
and the Adaptive Sound Control feature
which track where you're wearing the headphones.
Alternatively, you can switch between noise canceling
and the headphones' Ambient mode by tapping
the corresponding button on the edge of the left ear cup.
The result, Sony did it again
making their mark on the noise canceling fronts.
These are among the best when it comes
to isolating you from the constant noise.
But surprisingly, these headphones
aren't quite as consistent as the previous generation
when dealing with variable sounds
like general traffic noise or background human noise
which I was surprised to see.
I'm hoping that's just something
that'll get fixed in a software update though.
And it certainly isn't a big enough deal
to avoid these, otherwise, fantastic headphones.
Next, let's talk about some
of the smart features that are built in here.
First, Quick Attention allows you to lower the volume
and have a conversation by covering
the right ear cup with your hand.
While the Speak-to-Chat feature lets the headphones sense
when you start talking and they'll pause playback
and automatically enable the ambient sound mode.
And even better, the delay between when you start to talk
and the headphones switching into Ambient mode
seems to have been shorten slightly here on the XM5.
There's also Sony's Wearing Detection feature
which has also been improved.
The headphones detect when you take them off,
and automatically pause your music or video
and then restart it as you put them back on.
This is enabled by a proximity sensor in the left ear cup,
this used to be visible on the older XM4 model
but now it's completely hidden.
Sony says the updates reduce the chances
of playbacks starting accidentally.
When testing, I was genuinely surprised
by how quickly the XM5 stop and start,
and how much this feature can add to the user experience.
Okay, now let's talk about a major feature, battery life.
When it comes to wireless headphones
battery life is essential,
I'm happy to say that Sony definitely
didn't disappoint in this area.
Battery life is a substantial 30 hours
with Bluetooth and noise canceling turned on.
If you turn off noise canceling,
then the XM5s will give you 40 hours of playback.
That's two hours more than what you'd get
on the previous gen XM4s.
When it comes to charging, a 10-minute charge
will give you five hours of battery life.
And if you use a faster USB power delivery charger instead,
you get three hours of battery life
in just three minutes of charging.
All in all, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones
feel a little less premium in the hand in my opinion,
but the jump and sound quality can't be understated.
And the noise canceling remains up there
with the best headphones out there.
Once again, link down in the description
if you wanna check them out for yourself.
If you're looking for a new pair
of wireless noise-canceling headphones,
you should start here.
Thanks for watching as always guys,
I appreciate your support, I'm Andru Edwards,
and I will catch you in the next video.