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The Sony WH-1000X series of headphones are often considered the best active noise cancelling headphones on the market.
Every few years, Sony updates them, WH-1000XM4 Launched in 2020 for £349, yesterday Sony announced the WH-1000XM5 for £379.
Audio technology is not as fast as computers and mobile phones, so can headphones change that much in two years?
At first glance, the headset doesn’t appear to have changed much, but Sony has made a big change here.
I haven’t used the WH-1000XM5, so I can’t vouch for them personally, nor can I say if they’re £100 more than the WH-1000XM4’s current price.
Specification
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
|---|---|---|
| type | closed, dynamic | closed, dynamic |
| driver | 30mm carbon fiber composite dome | 40mm dome type (CCAW voice coil) |
| magnet | neodymium | neodymium |
| impedance | 48 ohm (1kHz) via cable with headphones on 16 ohm (1kHz) via cable, headphones off/passive |
no description |
| Frequency response | 4 Hz – 40,000 Hz 20Hz-20,000Hz (Bluetooth 44.1kHz sampling) 20Hz-40,000Hz (Bluetooth LDAC 96kHz sampling rate 990kbps) |
4 Hz – 40,000 Hz 20Hz-20,000Hz (Bluetooth 44.1kHz sampling) 20Hz-40,000Hz (Bluetooth LDAC 96kHz sampling rate 990kbps) |
| Sensitivity | 102dB(1kHz) / mW (when connected via headphone cable and this unit is turned on) 100dB / mW(1kHz) (when connected via a headphone cable and the unit is turned |
105dB / mW (1kHz) (when connected via a headphone cable and the unit is turned on) 101dB / mW (1kHz) (when connected via headphone cable with the unit turned off) |
| passive operation | yes | |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Automatic NC Optimizer Ambient Sound Mode Atmospheric pressure optimization |
Personal NC Optimizer Ambient Sound Mode Atmospheric pressure optimization |
| Active Noise Cancelling Microphone | 8 | 5 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5 |
| codec | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Battery | maximum. 30 hours (NC ON) maximum. 40 hours (NC off) |
maximum. 30 hours (normally closed) maximum. 38 hours (normally closed) |
| weight | 250 grams | |
| price | £379 | £279 |
headphone driver
Perhaps the biggest change is a complete overhaul of the drivers inside the headset.
Both the WH-1000XM4 and M3 use 40mm drivers with LCD diaphragms. Sony has now replaced it with a 30mm carbon fiber composite dome.
Preliminary reviews suggest that this significantly improves audio quality. The low end is considered to be more precise, with higher frequencies.
Active Noise Cancellation
Neither Sony nor Bose make grand claims about noise reduction in the form of decibels (unlike Huawei). This is because these numbers are vague and subjective.
However, the WH-1000XM4 is considered one of the best ANC-capable headphones on the market.
Things should be much better here. The WH-1000XM5 retains the same high-definition noise reduction processor QN1 and integrated processor V1, but they increase the number of microphones from five to eight. This allows the headphones to better sample surrounding sounds and apply appropriate noise reduction.
Battery
Sadly, battery life hasn’t improved much, but it’s unlikely you’ll find that to be an issue. The WH-1000XM4 has 30 hours of battery life with ANC on via Bluetooth, and the WH-1000XM5 retains that performance.
If you use one of the less demanding Bluetooth codecs and turn off ANC, the WH-1000XM5 does extend the battery by 2 hours, now 40 hours.
design
Arguably, the design has changed a lot. The new WH-1000XM5 looks more beautiful with clean lines. However, this means that Sony has removed the joints and hinges and the WH-1000XM5 cannot fold on its own. Instead, the headphones lay flat, similar to the Bose 700 Noise Cancelling Headphones, and they even look very similar.
This won’t be a problem if you always use cases. However, if you are sometimes more reckless and pack them loosely in bags, you may want to reconsider these. The included case is foldable so it doesn’t take up much space when not in use.
Other features
Pretty much everything else is the same with a great set of features, including:
- google quick match
- Conversation Chat (Auto Pause + Ambient)
- Quick access to restart music
- Adaptive Sound Control – Now improved and adjusts the sound based on your regular location.
- Headphones still have LDAC, but lack any form of aptX
overall
It looks like the Sony WH-1000XM5 will offer better performance than the older WH-1000XM4 in terms of sound quality and active noise cancellation.
However, the MSRP for the WH-1000XM4 appears to have dropped to £279, and they’re often on sale for less on Amazon. It looks like £240 and £260 are the two most common price cuts.
The SonyWH-1000XM4 are still great headphones, and well worth considering if you can’t enjoy the high price point of the Sony WH-1000XM5.
