Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sony WF-1000XM5 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Sony WF-1000XM5 vs AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, Technics AZ100, WF-1000XM4, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 1 and 2, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Sony WF-1000XM5 Review in Short
The Sony WF-1000XM5 is still one of the best all-arounders today on the strength of its effective noise cancelling performance, audiophile-friendly tuning, and daily practicality of its superior mic quality. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Apple AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st Gen.
Pros and Cons
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- One of the best mic quality
- Audiophile-friendly tuning
- Still a bit pricy for its age
- There’s better pure sound quality options
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Comfort + Features
Comfort
The comfort of the Sony WF-1000XM5 is significantly improved over the larger and bulkier previous generation WF-1000XM4.
There are 4 sizes of stock memory foam eartips included with the XM5:
- XS
- S
- M
- L
I find the stock memory foam eartips to be average in comfort, as getting a proper physical seal does take a little bit more work and insertion than earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro or Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, two of the most comfortable earbuds in this class.
Also, I find that the stock eartips can start to slip out over time, leading to not the most secure fit.
I’ve experimented with these aftermarket eartips and they seem to improve the comfort and security a bit more over stock, and I also think they slightly improve the sound quality:
Features
The Sony WF-1000XM5 was originally released in July 2023, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX4 water resistance rating (splashes of water and sweat)
- LDAC support
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Spatial Audio with head-tracking
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- Custom EQ
- Sony app for iOS and Android
It’s really nice to see the support of a high-res codec like LDAC, along with native app support for BOTH iOS and Android users, unlike the Apple, Samsung, and Google earbuds.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 12 hours on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 3 minutes = 1 hour of playback
This battery life is above average for the class that typically sees 6 hours on a single charge with ANC on.
Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Performance
For those who may be new here to RecordingNOW, we have an extensive experience with the full-sized over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphone class.
On average, I’ve found the noise cancelling of most earbuds to be lesser than the average over-ear headphone.
That is thankfully NOT the case with the WF-1000XM5.
Which makes sense, as Sony is known for their world-class noise cancelling on headphones like the newer WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XM5 we’ve tested.
To make matters even more interesting, I actually find the noise cancelling performance of the WF-1000XM5 earbuds to be about on par with both of those full-sized headphones.
Make no mistake, the active noise cancelling performance of the WF-1000XM5 is one of the main selling points of these earbuds, as it’s one of the best for the class.
Now, there are newer entrants like the Apple AirPods Pro 3rd generation that claim better noise cancelling performance, which does make things more competitive.
But I still find the WF-1000XM5 to have very effective practical noise cancelling for the “real-world” frequencies such as humans talking.
The Transparency Mode is also decent enough to get the job done, much better than the XM5 and XM4 headphones.
Noise Cancelling Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sound Quality
Having first tested the headphone equivalents to the WF-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM4, I was pleasantly surprised with how good the stock WF-1000XM5 sounds.
I’m not a fan of the stock sound profile on the XM5 headphones, but the XM5 earbuds are much more tastefully “audiophile” tuned.
Now, I’ve seen some comments online of people claiming that the previous generation WF-1000XM4 earbuds sound equivalent to, if not better, than the XM5.
These people are flat-out wrong.
The XM5 is on a higher level of clarity and resolution than the fairly compressed-sounding XM4 earbuds before it.
Aside from that improvement in technincal sound quality, the stock sound profile of the XM5 is fairly balanced, but with a touch of excitement.
While other popular earbuds are clearly consumer-focused with over-emphasized bass and artificial treble, the XM5 is more balanced in the mid-range, while still providing ample bass.
The result is a warmer, smoother, exciting sound that is inoffensive with its treble while still delivering good detail.
The LDAC support is nice, but realistically is only about a 5% difference in sound quality versus plain Bluetooth.
I would argue the aftermarket eartips I shared above can have more of a positive impact on sound due to a better and more consistent physical seal. But put both together and you’re listening to the best the XM5 can possibly offer.
If I were to critique the XM5’s sound quality, I’d say there is still a level of resolution, separation, layering, and soundstage that is reserved for the elite performers in the wireless earbud class.
One standout example would be the Technics AZ100, which offers a different level of fidelity and audiophile technicalities as a whole, making the XM5 sound less special and a bit pedestrian.
But against its mainstream competition from Apple, Samsung, and Bose?
I’m really enjoying the sound of the WF-1000XM5.
Sound Quality Score: 8.1 out of 10
Value
At a $329.99 retail price, but down to about $248 market price, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is certainly not cheap, especially considering it is now a bit dated as a 2023 release.
The newer and arguably superior Apple AirPods Pro 3 retails at $249 and is frequently down to $229 brand new.
There’s also value standouts like the SoundPEATS H3 that is even cheaper at under $130.
All that being said, I still see the WF-1000XM5 as one of the best all-arounders of the class, especially on the strength of its noise cancelling performance, combined with pleasing sound quality and overall practical usage.
Value Score: 7.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 9.0 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.1 / 10
Value (10% of score): 7.5 / 10
Total: 8.4 out of 10
Is the Sony WF-1000XM5 Worth it?
Despite having tested over 50+ pairs of wireless headphones and earbuds, I still really enjoy using the Sony WF-1000XM5 today.
It has a rare combination of world-class noise cancelling, audiophile-friendly sound quality (or at least tuning), and daily usage practicality.
Being a 2023 release, it is starting to get overshadowed by newer entrants like the AirPods Pro 3, but I still recommend the XM5 as a very safe all-arounder – especially if noise cancelling is one of your top priorities.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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