Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones (Silver) Expired

I have the xm4 and xm5 and i prefer the xm4
The sound isnt any different and the xm4 can fold while the xm5 take up so much damn space in my backpack

The xm4 is what 99% of people would need. In fact on my most recent internation trip i chose to take the xm4 over the xm5

also on a 4 hour flight thr xm5 got uncomfortable while on my 15 hour flight the xm4 didnt

id wait for the xm4 to go on their usual sale to $229 at bestbuy

I was a long time XM2 user who bought the XM4s a while back for my wife. I found myself using the XM4s quite a bit, so I decided to keep an eye out for a deal on a pair for myself, but then a deal popped up for the XM5s. I pulled the trigger about 4 months ago. A few personal observations:


The overall comfort of the XM5s is a noticeable step above the already amazing XM4s. A big part of that is how light they are. It's pretty crazy how light they are actually. Comfort will be a personal preference, but I give the win pretty easily to the XM5s. My wife agrees as well.

Speaking of how light they are, the XM5s feel like they're more fragile. So far I've had zero problems with them, but I do find myself handling them a little more carefully.

Noise cancellation is slightly better on the XM5s. It's enough to notice, but probably not enough to warrant purchasing them over the XM4s if that's your main criteria. The XM5s do have auto ANC versus selectable ANC on the XM4s. I talk a little bit more about my personal experience with that here. The short version - if you're typically stationary while using these in an environment where the sound doesn't swing wildly - office, plane/train, etc - the XM5s are better. If you're moving around a lot or have big changes in environmental sound - like walking around a city - the XM4s will offer a more consistent ANC experience.

Mic quality is a good bit better on the XM5s. People can definitely hear me more clearly and background noise is cut out more. Still not anywhere close to top of the line though and probably not something worth being the deciding factor.

Folding - No, the XM5s don't fold up, but the ear cups do turn for them to go flat. While the case does has a larger overall footprint, it's not as thick as the case for the XM4s. So depending on how you're carrying them, the XM5s could be a better travel fit. For years I've had to cram my XM2 case into my main travel tech bag, and it was always a pain due to it being just a little too thick. I often found myself clipping them to the outside of the bag. But the XM5 case slides in perfectly. Pros and cons to each, but the XM5 case works even better for my travel setup.

There's a little less storage space with the XM5 case versus the XM4. Less room for cables and adaptors you might want to carry with.

I have the black XM5s. They're a fingerprint magnet. Smudges everywhere. I'd imagine that's less of an issue with these, but it's definitely less of an issue with the XM4s.

The XM5s do not come with the old dual plug airline adapter for plugging the headphones in. Less of an issue as most modern planes don't use this plug, but something to keep in mind.

Charging - The XM5s charge faster, but I don't find this to be a huge plus given the tremendous battery life they both have.



I'm extremely happy with the XM5s, and if I had to make the choice all over again, they're still the ones I'd pick up. But you can't go wrong with the XM4s if the features fit your needs better or if the price is right. Either one would be a great pickup.

A great question. Depends on how you're using them.

A little background: The XM5s have auto noise cancellation where the headphones adjust the ANC level based on the environment. Previous versions allow you to select the ANC level you want. Overall, XM5s are capable of better ANC than previous versions, but depending on the scenario, you may not end up with better ANC in the moment.

I'd look at it from two basic perspectives. The first is my use case: if you're fairly stationary while using them and not constantly walking around or in places where the noise level swings wildly - at a desk, in an office, sitting on a plane/train, etc - the XM5s are fantastic. I prefer them over the XM4s in these types of situations. The second use case is if you're moving a lot in places where the environment changes - such as walking around a city - the XM5s have a tough time keeping up. The headphones may also move slightly as you move, causing the seal around your ears to change slightly, and that impacts the auto ANC as well. If this is your main use case, you'll appreciate the static nature of the ANC on the previous versions.

Sony has improved the auto ANC with firmware updates. That said, I would like to have the choice to set the ANC myself alongside using the auto ANC. Sony has been inconsistent on whether they'll add this in the future or not.

So in summary, I like the ANC on the XM5s better than on previous versions. I haven't had any problems with the auto nature of it for how I use them. But there's certainly a case to be made for the XM4s depending on the situations you'll regularly be using them in.