I am an autistic adult who requires excellent noise cancelling for comfort. These were a replacement for a dramatically faulty pair of WH-1000XM4s. I mostly use these paired to a desktop PC.
I am not an audiophile, in fact I mostly use these to listen to podcasts, watch videos, and so on rather than listening to music, or I even just turn on noise cancelling so I can enjoy the silence. The sound quality is excellent and so is the noise cancelling, to me it's worth every cent for those reasons. I keep aquariums and these easily block the sound of my air pump. Although there is an obvious improvement in dampening outside sounds, at times the ANC increases in a way that feels a lot like eardrum pressure from changing altitude, which is not exactly uncomfortable but can be somewhat disconcerting.
I dislike that the voice cues from the WH-1000XM4 have been mostly replaced with tones. I preferred the voice. The WH-1000XM4s voice cues announced "Bluetooth disconnected" should your headphones disconnect from your device. I think replacing this with a tone is a distinct downgrade. However, now an audible tone plays when you touch or swipe the touch-sensitive side panel, which is a vast improvement as now you know whether the headphones have registered your touch.
One feature that is vastly improved is the "pause when removing headphones" feature, which never worked at all on my WH-1000XM4s. It works almost perfectly with the WH-100XM5s, with one major and very annoying fault- if I take my headphones off and put them on my headphone stand, the media I'm listening to pauses- but if I wait too long, the headphones will power off (which is fine) and my media will unpause and start playing through my speakers (which is not fine at all, in fact this means I'm still stuck with manually pausing things if I don't want it to continue playing through my speakers whether or not I'm at my PC).
Bluetooth is good but not perfect, my headphones disconnect themselves from my device about once every 2 or 3 days. This is resolved by powering them off and on again.
Comfort: In comparison to the WH-1000XM4s, these headphones are lighter and less hot to wear. However, the entire weight of the headphones rests on one small point on the top of the head, and as someone who often wears my headphones for 12 hours a day, this can lead to a little soreness. I can move the headphones forward a little to ease the soreness, but that means they are no longer centred on my head.
All in all I'm glad I bought these, mainly because of the incredibly good noise cancelling- though I certainly hope they don't fail in two years like my WH-1000XM4s did.
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From the manufacturer
WH-1000XM5 headphones
Industry-leading noise cancellation* and high-res sound
Looking for headphones that do not compromise? The WH-1000XM5 headphones rewrite the rules for distraction-free listening. Made up of two processors, eight microphones and a specially designed driver unit, it's no wonder the 1000X series won the What Hi-Fi Awards two years in a row.
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Distraction-free listening
The WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones keep out all sounds, from airplane noise to peoples' voices.
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Superior sound, engineered to perfection
Our unique technologies and materials ensure clear, consistent, natural sound.
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Industry-leading call quality*
With 4 microphones and AI-based noise reduction algorithms, you’ll always hear and be heard clearly.
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All-day comfort with a noiseless design
These lightweight headphones fit snugly with less pressure while keeping out external sounds.
1 Advanced noise cancelling 2 High-resolution audio 3 Precise Voice Pickup 4 Comfort for hours on end
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Adjusts to your lifestyle
When activated, it learns to recognise locations and tailors sound to suit the situation.
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For everyday convenience, just Speak-to-Chat
Start a conversation. Speak-to-Chat automatically stops your music and lets in ambient sound.
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Connect easily to multiple devices
Pair with two Bluetooth devices at the same time. Switch with the touch of a button.
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Better for the environment
Our commitment: headphones made from plastic-free packaging, recycled or sustainable materials.
1 Adaptive Sound Control 2 Speak-to-Chat 3 Multipoint connection 4 Made to be remade
Control with your voice or your fingertips
Control with a tap
With intuitive touch control settings, just touch to switch the mode (NC or ambient sound), play music, skip tracks, turn up the volume and more.
Control with your voice
Just say “Hey Google” or “Alexa” to activate your preferred voice assistant. Listen to music, connect, get notifications, set reminders and more.
Quick access to your tracks
With Quick Access, you can configure these headphones to resume Spotify music playback with two or three taps—no need to touch your smartphone.
Safe listening
Check how safely you’re listening to music by comparing sound pressure data. Receive OS notifications when audio levels are too high.
More compact, longer lasting, easier pairing
Collapsible case saves space
Carry your headphones effortlessly in the soft matching case. Take them out, and the collapsible case can be made up to 40% thinner for easy storage.
All-day power & quick charging
30 hours of battery life and extremely fast charging: 3 hours' worth of charge after just 3 minutes with an optional USB-PD compatible AC adapter.
Fast Pair feature available
Easily locate your headphones by tone sound, or by checking their last known location on your smartphone or computer.
Easy pairing to your computer
Swift Pair makes it quick and easy to pair your headphones with your Windows 10 or 11 PC or tablet. Just follow the instructions that pop-up.
How they compare with other Sony noise-cancelling headphones
 WH-1000XM5 |  WH-1000XM4 |  WH-XB910N |  WH-CH710N | |
|
Noise cancelling
| Industry-leading NC | Digital Noise Cancellation | Digital Noise Cancellation | Digital Noise Cancellation |
|
Battery life (NC ON)
| 30 hours | 30 hours | 30 hours | 35 hours |
|
Quick charging
| 3 mins = 3 hours (with USB PD) | 10 minutes = 5 hours | 10 minutes = 4.5 hours | 10 minutes = 1 hour |
|
Hi-Res Audio
| Yes | Yes | No | No |
|
Touch control
| Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
|
Speak-to-Chat
| Yes | Yes | No | No |
|
Wearing detection
| Yes | Yes | No | No |
|
Built-in voice assistant
| Yes (Wake words available) | Yes | Yes | No |
|
Hands-free calling
| Yes (4 beamforming mics) | Yes (2 beamforming mics) | Yes | Yes |
|
Carrying case
| Yes (Collapsible) | Yes | Yes | No |
Compare with similar items
 | Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 — Over Ear, Wireless Bluetooth with Built-In Microphone for Clear Calls & Alexa Voice Control, Black | Sony WH-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones - White | Bowers & Wilkins PX8 Flagship Noise Cancelling Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Bluetooth 5.0 & Quick Charge, 30 Hours of High-Resolution Playback and Built-In Microphone - Black | NEW Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones with Spatial Audio, Over-the-Ear Headphones with Mic, Up to 24 Hours of Battery Life, Black | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (5010) | (25844) | (2720) | (239) | (0) |
| Price | £279.99 | £349.00 | £403.09 | £599.00 | £449.95 |
| Shipping | FREE Delivery . Delivery Details | FREE Delivery . Delivery Details | FREE Delivery . Delivery Details | FREE Delivery . Delivery Details | FREE Delivery . Delivery Details |
| Sold By | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk |
| Colour | Black | Black | White | Black | Black |
| Headphones Features | Over Ear | Over Ear | On Ear | Over Ear | Over Ear |
| Item Dimensions | 27.62 x 21.67 x 7.59 cm | 5.08 x 16.51 x 20.32 cm | 22.48 x 7.7 x 26.31 cm | 7.7 x 20.45 x 25.4 cm | 5.08 x 13.97 x 19.56 cm |
| Special Features | Noise Cancelling, Over-Ear Headphones, 30 hours battery life, Adaptive Sound Control, Optimised for Alexa and the Google Assistant | Detachable Cable,Lightweight,Microphone Included,Noise Cancellation,Rechargeable Battery,Volume Control | Noise Cancellation | Fast Charging, Microphone Included | Noise Cancellation, Adjustable Headband |
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 October 2023
Colour Name: Midnight BlueStyle Name: SingleVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2023
The fifth generation continues this trend, offering great noise reduction and high sound quality enclosed in a comfortable design.
The design is the first of the noticeable changes, which also changed the case. The rest of the fixes make the latest model perform better than its predecessor. Cost? Higher compared to the XM4, so keep that in mind.
The WH-1000XM5s are different from the previous model in the series and may look down-to-earth at first. Over time, I began to appreciate their minimalist design.
They may not stand out from the crowd, but in my opinion they look very good. Adjusting the size is trivial and everything happens quickly. The whole is perfectly combined with each other and looks like a one-piece construction.
Controlling the headphones is limited to a minimum, on the left side there is a power/pairing button, ANC/contact mode button and a standard headphone jack. The outer surface of the right earcup allows you to use gestures. Their operation is a mish-mash, once they come in from the arrow, and sometimes you have to repeat them, especially double-click to start or pause playback.
The minimalist design is designed to improve the ANC, hence the dramatic change in appearance. The ear cups don't look impressive, but when you put the headphones on, they fit great and have good passive noise reduction.
Sony headphones are not the lightest (they weigh 250g), but they are so comfortable that you can listen to music for hours.
The biggest problem caused by the new appearance is the thought in the back of my mind that the adjustment system will break. It often crossed my mind, even when removing the headphones from the case.
Sony packed all the features known from the previous generation, so when you change to a newer model you will feel at home.
Speak to Chat pauses when it detects user speech. Thanks to this, you can carry on a conversation, and then return to listening to your favorite piece.
There was also a sensor responsible for detecting the headphones, it was placed inside the left earcup. It works very well and pauses the music as soon as you remove the headphones, and resumes it shortly after putting them on.
Spotify Tap can be useful if you use this app to listen to music. When you double or triple tap on the right earcup, the app will launch and start playing.
Sony's active noise cancellation is one of the best. This time there was a slight change, because ANC works automatically based on the location of the headphone user. Most outside sounds are muffled, but you can still hear cars driving past the pavement, people, unless you're listening to music at the moment.
Contact mode is also top shelf, has a 20-point scale and can be changed manually. The maximum level makes you hear everything as if you didn't have headphones. The sound coming from the outside is natural and does not undergo digital corrections.
Fans from all over the world turn their noses up at the implementation of active noise cancellation, because it is automatic and you cannot set it yourself. It works based on the user's location and activity. You can even add additional places where noise reduction will be activated.
The WH-1000XM5 never once had a problem recognizing my location and activity. If I went for a walk, it was visible in the dedicated application.
ANC is the highest shelf, so in the case of listening it should be similar, and it is. All thanks to the new 30 mm drivers capable of creating a wider soundstage and extracting more details from each piece.
The music genre doesn't matter much, because pieces with strong bass "play" great. The low tones are emphasized and each of the instruments used is easy to recognize.
The vocals have also improved, they are cleaner and you can hear them well, even when the background music is louder than them.
The default EQ settings are enough for most, but you can change them at any time after installing the dedicated application.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 aren't reinventing the wheel, but they're great headphones. Improved a lot compared to the previous version, these fit great, they fit well in the ears, the ANC and sound quality have also been improved.
The changes are not dramatic, but you can see that the bar is set high.
I really like the new design and I don't feel like it lags behind because it doesn't fold like the XM4. I didn't have the previous model and I don't see a problem with it, although there will be complainers. The price is not the lowest, but you have to pay the same or more for competing models.
Colour Name: SilverStyle Name: SingleVerified Purchase
Absolute must have but build quality is a bit questionable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2023
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the latest wireless headphones since the debut of the MDR100X in 2017. The flagship product of the Japanese corporation has changed over the years and each generation has been recommended by satisfied users.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2023
The fifth generation continues this trend, offering great noise reduction and high sound quality enclosed in a comfortable design.
The design is the first of the noticeable changes, which also changed the case. The rest of the fixes make the latest model perform better than its predecessor. Cost? Higher compared to the XM4, so keep that in mind.
The WH-1000XM5s are different from the previous model in the series and may look down-to-earth at first. Over time, I began to appreciate their minimalist design.
They may not stand out from the crowd, but in my opinion they look very good. Adjusting the size is trivial and everything happens quickly. The whole is perfectly combined with each other and looks like a one-piece construction.
Controlling the headphones is limited to a minimum, on the left side there is a power/pairing button, ANC/contact mode button and a standard headphone jack. The outer surface of the right earcup allows you to use gestures. Their operation is a mish-mash, once they come in from the arrow, and sometimes you have to repeat them, especially double-click to start or pause playback.
The minimalist design is designed to improve the ANC, hence the dramatic change in appearance. The ear cups don't look impressive, but when you put the headphones on, they fit great and have good passive noise reduction.
Sony headphones are not the lightest (they weigh 250g), but they are so comfortable that you can listen to music for hours.
The biggest problem caused by the new appearance is the thought in the back of my mind that the adjustment system will break. It often crossed my mind, even when removing the headphones from the case.
Sony packed all the features known from the previous generation, so when you change to a newer model you will feel at home.
Speak to Chat pauses when it detects user speech. Thanks to this, you can carry on a conversation, and then return to listening to your favorite piece.
There was also a sensor responsible for detecting the headphones, it was placed inside the left earcup. It works very well and pauses the music as soon as you remove the headphones, and resumes it shortly after putting them on.
Spotify Tap can be useful if you use this app to listen to music. When you double or triple tap on the right earcup, the app will launch and start playing.
Sony's active noise cancellation is one of the best. This time there was a slight change, because ANC works automatically based on the location of the headphone user. Most outside sounds are muffled, but you can still hear cars driving past the pavement, people, unless you're listening to music at the moment.
Contact mode is also top shelf, has a 20-point scale and can be changed manually. The maximum level makes you hear everything as if you didn't have headphones. The sound coming from the outside is natural and does not undergo digital corrections.
Fans from all over the world turn their noses up at the implementation of active noise cancellation, because it is automatic and you cannot set it yourself. It works based on the user's location and activity. You can even add additional places where noise reduction will be activated.
The WH-1000XM5 never once had a problem recognizing my location and activity. If I went for a walk, it was visible in the dedicated application.
ANC is the highest shelf, so in the case of listening it should be similar, and it is. All thanks to the new 30 mm drivers capable of creating a wider soundstage and extracting more details from each piece.
The music genre doesn't matter much, because pieces with strong bass "play" great. The low tones are emphasized and each of the instruments used is easy to recognize.
The vocals have also improved, they are cleaner and you can hear them well, even when the background music is louder than them.
The default EQ settings are enough for most, but you can change them at any time after installing the dedicated application.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 aren't reinventing the wheel, but they're great headphones. Improved a lot compared to the previous version, these fit great, they fit well in the ears, the ANC and sound quality have also been improved.
The changes are not dramatic, but you can see that the bar is set high.
I really like the new design and I don't feel like it lags behind because it doesn't fold like the XM4. I didn't have the previous model and I don't see a problem with it, although there will be complainers. The price is not the lowest, but you have to pay the same or more for competing models.
Images in this review
