Sony WH-1000XM5

Excellent comfort ; Musical, rich audio performance ; Impressively clean and natural noise cancellation ; Superb Ambient Mode ; Great call quality

Don’t fold anymore ; Connection can get choppy in busy areas ; No water resistance ; Slight jump in RRP

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 improve over their predecessors in small ways that add up. The new design assists noise-cancelling performance, but it also means the headphones are no longer foldable; the ANC makes all types of environments spookily quiet, while the...

Excellent sound Very good comfort Ultra-clear call quality Best-in-class noise canceling Very good battery life Hi-res compatible (wired/wireless) Hands-free voice assistant access Classy, modern design

Fold-flat, but don’t fold up

“Sony proves once again that it's the brand to beat in noise-canceling headphones.”

Supreme comfort

More expensive than the M4

What’s more, activating DSEE Extreme doesn’t make a huge difference in the sound quality. On other Sony devices, that algorithm’s ability to recover some of the detail lost to compression makes a noticeable impact. On the M5, the results are subtle,...

Sensational sonic clarity ; Punchy delivery ; Precise, agile bass ; Nice to use

Build seems a little less premium than before ; Don’t fold away completely

It can be tricky for a manufacturer to push the sound performance of a product consistently from generation to generation; but that is what Sony has managed to do with the WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones. Not only that, it has been achieved while...

Rich bass response and crisp, detailed highs ; Adjustable in-app EQ ; Excellent noise cancellation ; Top-tier mic clarity ; Case supports wireless charging ; Hands-free Alexa and Google Assistant

Expensive ; Some bloat in companion app

Sony's true wireless WF-1000XM5 earphones offer superb sound quality, excellent noise cancellation, and a dizzying array of high-end features.

Agile, meaty and fun listen ; Very comfortable and secure earpieces ; Battery life maintained from XM4

ANC can be beaten ; Occasional connectivity issues ; On-ear volume control is a tad hit and miss

Sony has thrown everything it can into these much smaller earbuds, and given us an extra set of foam tips so they fit perfectly. LDAC, the firm's top-tier DSEE upscaler, and Bluetooth 5.3 are all here, battery life is competitive, and the sound is 100%...

Balanced, detailed and perky sound ; Thoroughly specified ; Useful, extensive and stable control app ; Small, light and comfortable design

Slightly inhibited dynamics ; Unremarkable noise-cancellation ; Unremarkable-er call quality ; Ordinary battery life

Sony was always on a hiding to nothing with the WF-1000XM5 - get it wrong and it’s a major story, get it right (yet again) and it’s no more than we all expected. But while the company hasn’t got it ‘wrong’ exactly, the WF-1000XM5 aren’t the consummate...

Smaller, more comfortable design ; Upgrades to ANC and sound quality ; Much clearer voice call performance

Glossy texture can make them harder to remove from case ; Sony’s bonus features aren’t as seamless as those of its competitors ; Potential battery longevity concerns

If all you’re after is a great pair of noise-canceling buds that sound rich, immersive, and full-bodied, the $300 1000XM5s won’t leave you wanting for more. But if you’re Sony, the real dilemma is that there might be nowhere left to go from here.

Confident, expansive, balanced sound ; Sony’s best-ever noise-cancelling ; Numerous control options, all of them good

Unblinkingly expensive ; Don't fold like earlier XM4

In the WH-1000XM5, Sony has managed to replace the best all-round wireless active noise-cancelling (ANC) over-ear headphones you can buy with, you guessed it, the best new all-round wireless ANC over-ear headphones you can buy. The XM5s don’t come...

Excellent noise-cancellation ; Wonderful sounding performance ; Smart ambient features ; An app you'll actually want to use

New design is less portable ; Still no water resistance ; More expensive than previous models ; Not a gigantic upgrade over the still-excellent WH-1000XM4

Still the best headphones in the world thanks to their class-leading noise-cancelling features and well-balanced audio, a steeper price point and similar functionality to earlier models make the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones an ever-so-slightly tougher...