The newly launched Sony WF-1000XM5 offers some interesting upgrades over its predecessor, WF-1000XM4, which is pretty unanimously considered to be the best TWS on the block. The XM4 ushered in some significant changes to the wireless earbuds’ design and form factor. These changes have been perfected on the WF-1000XM5. This TWS also features a new 8.4mm driver dubbed ‘Dynamic Driver X’ as well as the new V2 chip and the HD noise-cancelling QN2e processor. We’ve been using these earbuds for the last week and they may just be the finest ones we have tested yet. Here is our Sony WF-1000XM5 review.

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Sony WF-1000XM5 review: Design

Sony WF-1000XM5’s retail package is crafted out of environmentally conscious paper material made out of bamboo, sugarcane fibres, and post-consumer recycled paper. Sony calls it ‘Original Blended Paper’. Inside the box, you will find the charging case, two wireless earbuds, a USB Type-C charging cable, and three extra ear tips in SS, S, and L sizes.

The WF-1000XM5 refines the design that we saw on the XM4. These earbuds are 25% smaller and 20% lighter. The concentric copper accents on the earbuds have now been replaced by copper grilles for the microphones. The matte finish on the touch panels offers a nice contrast to the glossiness of the rest of the body. We like how these panels blend into the body instead of being bordered by a visible line. If the XM4s were more elaborate in their design, the XM5 would be best defined as polished and minimal.

There are three microphones on either earbud. The rubber ear tips are cushy and provide an ideal fit. Even with ANC turned off, these earbuds can passively nullify a decent level of surrounding noise. Out of the box, the earbuds come with medium-sized ear tips attached to them. The overall fit is very comfortable and we didn’t feel any kind of ear fatigue even after wearing the buds for hours on end.

The XM5’s charging case retains the rectangular design but is more compact than the previous model. The small LED lamp under the lid has been replaced by a notification light. The USB Type-C charging port is positioned at the back of the case, with the pairing button right next to it. The gold Sony branding can be found on top of the lid. This case also supports Qi wireless charging.

Sony WF-1000XM5 is rated IPX4 for dust and water resistance, which means the earbuds can survive minor water splashes. We wore the XM4 while working out and they did not present any issues under sweaty conditions. The fit remained secure despite the inner panels of the earbuds being glossy.

Sony WF-1000XM5 review: Performance

The Sony WF-1000XM5 uses the new 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X on either earbud to deliver the audio output. It also gets a chip upgrade in the form of the Integrated V2 processor. On top of that, it features a dedicated HD Noise Cancelling QN2e processor. There is support for SBC, AAC, and LC3 (low latency) codecs along with Sony’s exclusive LDAC codec.

Let’s get down to the brass tacks. The soundstage offered by Sony WF-1000XM5 solidifies its place in the upper echelon of audio products. The XM5 upholds the reputation of Sony’s flagship 1000X series, which means they are certainly the best-sounding earbuds on the market right now.

The soundstage is close to neutral while carrying that ever-so-subtle Sony signature. The lows, mids, and highs are well represented on the soundstage and do not shroud each other. The overall output is very ripe and detailed. We played a diverse range of genres on the Sony WF-1000XM5 during the review period and the earbuds did justice to every single track. The low end is tuned to perfection. It provides the right level of warmth to the mix without muffling the higher frequencies. If you’re switching from a midrange headset, you will certainly notice new details in the songs that previously went under the radar.

The mids and highs blend very well on the soundstage. We were particularly impressed with how well every hit of the clapper and snare drum was presented on the output without sounding too harsh. Even the guitar riffs sound crispier than usual on the XM5s. Cranking up the volume to the maximum level, we did not notice any significant distortion in the mix. The output remained well-balanced and uniform.

The brilliance of XM5’s soundstage is matched by its spectacular ANC capability. As we mentioned earlier, even without ANC being turned on, the rubber tips on these earbuds do a great job of passively nullifying a good degree of surrounding noise. With ANC turned on, you can completely nullify the ambient noises from the air conditioner, ceiling fan, and distant traffic. If you struggle with taking naps on airplanes and crowded buses, these earbuds can reduce the surrounding noise by a significant factor and bring much-needed calm.

While the state-of-the-art ANC and elite soundstage put the XM5 ahead of the competition, its smartphone app lets it down. For a TWS that’s replete with cutting-edge features, you need an app that makes them easily accessible. The Sony Headphones Connect app feels like it is a few good updates away from doing that. The UI of the app can be quite confusing to navigate. For starters, it doesn’t need a section for the audio player. Instead of drop-down menus for essential functions like ANC and Equaliser, a dedicated tab would have been much more useful. For now, they are bundled together with secondary features like Head Tracking, Reality Audio, and others.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is equipped with a host of features and some beta services. The ‘Adaptive Sound Control’ feature studies how you use your headphones in certain situations. For example, it will turn on Noise Cancellation when you’re sitting down and automatically switch to Transparent Mode when you start walking or running. If you’re inside a vehicle, ANC will be switched back on. Apart from your actions, the WF-1000XM5 can also take your location into account and switch to the appropriate ANC/Transparency level. We like this feature in theory, but it wasn’t as seamless as we had hoped. But we’re certain that it will get better with future updates.

Features like multi-point connection, speak-to-chat, and auto-pause work as intended. You can also press and hold the left earbud to switch to transparency mode. The earbuds revert to ANC mode as soon as you release your finger. You can choose Playback and Sound Control/Quick Access controls for either earbud. These are preset controls that cannot be customised by the user.

The XM5 puts up a great performance on audio and video calls. With the help of ‘bone conduction sensors’ and AI-based noise reduction algorithms, the earbuds are able to extract your voice perfectly from the surrounding noise and relay it to the receiver. Even in outdoor conditions, these earbuds isolated the voice from surrounding traffic noises almost perfectly. A shining performance where most TWS products fail badly.

Talking about the battery life, we were able to get 7-8 hours out of the Sony WF-1000XM5 during the review period. We used Active Noise Cancellation intermittently, depending on the surroundings. With the ANC turned off completely, we were able to get 10-11 hours of playtime on a single charge. The charging case takes 1.5 hours to fully charge using a USB Type-C cable. You can get two full charge cycles out of this case.

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Verdict

The Sony WF-1000XM5 is ahead of the curve in all the important aspects. Once you get used to its stellar soundstage, it will be very hard to go back to a regular pair of headphones. The ANC prowess of the XM5 puts nearly every other TWS to shame. At Rs 29,990, Sony WF-1000XM5 is certainly the best pair of wireless earbuds you can buy. Apart from the superior audio output, features like multi-point connection, adaptive sound, and speak-to-chat give the XM5 an edge over its counterparts.

Sony WF-1000XM5: Pros

• Delightful soundstage
• Great ANC
• Sleek and compact design
• Comfortable fit

Sony WF-1000XM5: Cons

• No customisation for touch controls
• Price

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