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Tech · Sony · 2022

Sony WH-1000XM5

The all-round reference: strongest cancellation on the list with app control nobody else matches.

Cancellation bunches up; comfort and hinges separate — #1

Overall

8.2

out of 10

Axis scores

Tech is scored on these 5 axes. The total is their plain average — nothing is weighted.

Sony WH-1000XM5 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Sony WH-1000XM5: Performance 9.2, Value 7.4, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.8, Design 8.2.PerformanceSony WH-1000XM5 — Performance 9.2 out of 109.2ValueSony WH-1000XM5 — Value 7.4 out of 107.4DurabilitySony WH-1000XM5 — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Ease of useSony WH-1000XM5 — Ease of use 8.8 out of 108.8DesignSony WH-1000XM5 — Design 8.2 out of 108.2Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Type
Over-ear, closed
Codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC
Battery
About 30 hrs with ANC on
Folding
Cups swivel, no fold

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • Long-haul flights and open-plan offices in the same week
  • An Android phone, where LDAC actually opens
  • You want the EQ and ambient blend under your own control

Skip it if

  • You need them to fold flat into a small bag
  • A hinge-free plastic frame worries you for a daily commuter

The XM5 redesign removed the folding hinge the XM4 had, and owners of the older model bring it up constantly. It is a legitimate complaint: a pair that folds inward packs a third smaller. Sony bought a lighter, quieter frame with one fewer mechanical failure point and one fewer acoustic leak. Which trade is right depends on whether these live on a desk or in a carry-on.

On cancellation alone this sits close enough to its main rival that picking a winner is splitting hairs. The app pulls it clearly ahead. There is a proper EQ, ambient levels you dial in by degree instead of switching on and off, and behaviors like speak-to-chat that pauses playback when you start talking. Whether you want that last one is a matter of taste, and it can be disabled.

Comfort over long sessions is good, not best-in-class. The clamp is lighter than the Bose alternative. That suits people who wear glasses and disadvantages anyone who needs a firmer seal to get full isolation.

Multipoint works with two devices and holds up in practice. Reliable multipoint is not universal in this category.

The case is large and rigid, and with cups that do not fold the packed size ends up the biggest of the group. The touch panel on the right cup is sensitive enough that adjusting the headphones can trigger it — momentarily annoying, not a real fault.

On an iPhone you lose LDAC and a real part of the reason to choose these over the alternatives.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.