Sony has announced its latest flagship noise-canceling wireless headphones, the WH-1000XM5. This comes after almost two years since Sony delivered the last entry in its premium over-ear headphone series, the WH-1000XM4. The new ones cost about UGX 1.5m ($400) before taxes, an increase from the prior 1000XM4s.
The new wireless headphones depart from the last gen with a very distinct design, making some key changes. For one, they have a new stem-style slider that makes them look sleeker with improved Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). This brings them closer in appearance to Apple’s AirPods Max. On the downside, they compromise on portability as they get rid of the swiveling ear cups. They also don’t deliver any big new features compared to their predecessor — instead, they focus on refining the existing experience.
SONY WIRELESS HEADPHONES WH-1000XM5 SPECS
- Bluetooth version: 5.2
- Active noise cancellation: yes
- Ambient mode: yes
- Multipoint: yes
- Battery life: 30 hours (ANC on), 40 hours (ANC off)
- Recharge time: approx. 3.5 hours over USB-C
- Bluetooth codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
- Extra features: Speak to Chat, 360 Reality Audio, DSEE Extreme, Spotify Tap, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
- App: Sony Headphones Connect for Android and iOS
One minor hardware thing to note: Sony previously had an “optimize” button on the headphones that would adjust the ANC for factors like air pressure and fit — hairstyle, whether you wear glasses, etc. But now the button is gone, and Sony says the same optimization is all happening automatically in the background.
Speaking of which, the XM5s wireless headphones introduce an extra processor to help improve noise cancellation (not that it wasn’t already great), with Sony saying that the difference is most noticeable with things like human voices or bustling urban noise. The eight microphones are now located around the perimeter of the earcups, and Sony has replaced the XM4’s 40mm drivers with supposedly more natural-sounding 30mm ones that also promise to help enhance noise cancellation.
Sony is also highlighting improved voice call quality made possible by four beamforming mics and AI noise reduction algorithms. All the signature Sony features — LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling, 360 Reality Audio, Speak to Chat, and so on — have made their way to the 1000XM5s.
LDAC is Sony’s codec for higher-quality wireless audio. And if you can’t plug in, LDAC is the next best thing for listening to hi-res music on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and others. This only applies to Android, mind you; iPhone owners are still limited to the lower-bitrate AAC codec due to Apple’s restrictions. These headphones also support multipoint, meaning you can connect to two devices at once. But unfortunately, Sony still makes you pick one advanced feature or the other: you can enable either LDAC or multipoint but not both at the same time. The 1000XM4s had the same restriction, which makes me think it might come down to Bluetooth bandwidth.
Missed opportunities
These expensive UGX 1.5 m wireless headphones can’t work wirelessly with the PlayStation 5. They’re both top-tier, headline Sony products, but you’ve still got to plug into the PS5 controller with a cable. Second, the USB-C port is still just for charging, while a number of other headphones let you use it for audio as well. And finally, the 1000XM5s aren’t remotely water or sweat-resistant, we understand that these are not fitness headphones, but some progress and resistance to the elements would be great to see in the year 2022.
