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Sony WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds Review: Meet the New Elite

These new Sonys are the company’s best noise-canceling wireless earbuds yet. But they cost a pretty penny, too.

sony m5 earbuds Tucker Bowe

By Tucker Bowe

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Sony has been leading the way in the high-end wireless earbud space for some time. The Sony WF-1000XM4 were released just over two years ago, in June 2021; since then, they’ve become some of our favorite noise-canceling wireless earbuds. In terms of sound quality, active noise-cancellation and advanced features, even now there are really only a few wireless earbuds — specifically the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and Apple’s AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) — that can match them.

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Well, Sony has officially released the new WF-1000XM5, and they feel like a refinement of the old WF-1000XM4 (which as of now have been discontinued). These next-generation wireless earbuds have most of the same features and abilities, but Sony has basically made them better in every way. They have better noise cancellation, better sound quality and better call clarity. The kicker is that the earbuds are about 25 percent smaller, meaning they’re more likely to comfortably fit in your ears.

The downside? Sony upped the price by $20, so that the WF-1000XM5 cost a clean $300 (or $298 on Amazon). They’re one of the most expensive wireless earbuds out there.

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Sony WF-1000XM5: What We Think

sony wfm5Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

The Sony WF-1000XM5 are fantastic noise-canceling wireless earbuds. They are essentially a newer, better and more refined version of the company’s already excellent WF-1000XM4. The fact that the earbuds themselves are noticeably smaller means that will be a better fit for most people — they definitely are for me — which is probably the best thing about them.

Yes, they are very expensive. Yes, if you don’t like the traditional earbud-style design, they probably won’t be for you. But if you’re looking for the best-sounding wireless earbuds that also have excellent noise cancellation, the Sony WF-1000XM5 would be at the top of my list.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

Pros

  • Excellent sound quality
  • One of the best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds you can buy
  • Earbuds are smaller, fit better
  • Features galore

Cons

  • At $300, they're one of the more expensive wireless earbuds out there
  • Touch controls aren't my favorite

The smaller size means a better fit

sony wfm5
Sony’s newest earbuds (right) are roughly 25-percent smaller than their predecessors (left). They also have a new glossy finish.
Tucker Bowe

For my money, the biggest upgrade with the Sony WF-1000XM5 is their new size. Sony has made each earbud roughly 25 percent smaller — and they really feel it. My biggest complaint with Sony’s high-end wireless earbuds over the years has been they’ve been big and bulbous, and for whatever reason these types of wireless earbuds just don’t fit my ears nearly as well as stem-style (like the AirPods Pro or Nothing Ear 2).

sony true wireless earbuds and case Sony
sony true wireless earbuds and case Sony

The Sony WF-1000XM5 are available in two finishes: silver or black.

There’s still a little bit of that with the Sony WF-1000XM5, of course, as they still have a classic earbud-style design, but the smaller size goes a long way for me. When I put them in earbuds and give them a quick twist (for snugness), they really stay put. I’ve been wearing them for the last week and even took them running —they’re IPX4-rated, so they’re sweat-resistant enough for such exercises — and I haven’t really made any issues thinking they were going to fall out.

The other thing is that Sony has also made the charging case a little bit smaller — by roughly 15 percent compared to the Sony WF-1000XM4’s charging case — while keeping the same battery life as before. It’s a small thing, admittedly, but Sony’s wireless earbuds are some of the most pocketable options out there. The case is basically the same size as the newest AirPods Pro’s case.

The best-sounding wireless earbuds, now even better

sony m5 earbuds
Sony’s flagship wireless earbuds have always sounded just a little better than Apple’s and Bose’s offerings. The new M5s are no different.
Tucker Bowe

Sony has given its newest earbuds quite the audio upgrade, too. Despite each earbud being a little smaller than their predecessor, Sony has actually given WF-1000XM5 bigger drivers (which it’s calling “Dynamic Driver X”). They also pack a new high-quality DAC, support for spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and there’s even a new low-latency mode for gaming. And they can play LDAC files, which is Sony’s high-resolution codec (although these aren’t supported on iPhone) as well as its immersive 360 Reality Audio tracks.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 were already arguably the best-sounding wireless earbuds you could buy, but the Sony WF-1000XM5 are just that little bit better. I’ve been mostly just streaming from my iPhone and listening to Apple Music and they sound awesome. They deliver an even wider soundstage with even more clarity (especially with vocals) and they’re honestly just a joy to listen to.

The active noise-cancellation is elite

sony wfm5
Like before, the Sony WF-1000XM5 have some of the best noise-cancellation of any wireless earbuds.
Tucker Bowe

Sony have upped the active noise-cancellation abilities of the Sony WF-1000XM5, as well. If you’re familiar with the company’s latest over-ear headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5 (notice the “H” instead of “F”), Sony basically gave its new wireless earbuds the same treatment; it integrated them with a second processor, meaning there are two processors (instead of one) that are dedicated to blocking out noise. The result is that Sony WF-1000XM5 are able to do more real-time processing and block out a wider array of ambient sounds.

Considering that Sony’s previous WF-1000XM4 were already some of the best noise-canceling wireless earbuds out there, it’s a little difficult to judge exactly how much better the Sony F-1000XM5 are. In my testing, the Sony WF-1000XM5 have done a superb job of blocking out the sound of the TV when working from home as well as the radio (and the wind) when driving in my car. They’re still not quite as elite in the noise-cancellation department as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (which are the créme de la créme), but are definitely one of the best options out there.

The price bump is a bit of bummer

sony wfm5
The evolution of Sony’s wireless earbuds over the years, from oldest (left) to the new hotness (right).
Tucker Bowe

As previously mentioned, Sony bumped the price of its flagship wireless earbuds from $280 to $300. It’s not a game-changer in that it’s not likely to dissuade anybody from buying the Sony WF-1000XM5. If you’re looking for top-end wireless earbuds, you’re going to have to pay in the ballpark of $250 to $300 (or more). So I’m not sure the extra $20 makes that much of a difference. But still, it’s a bit of a bummer.

Like before, these are feature-packed wireless earbuds

sony m5 earbuds Tucker Bowe
sony wfm5 Tucker Bowe

The Sony WF-1000XM5 have a compact charging case that supports wireless charging.

Sony’s wireless earbuds have been on the cutting edge of tech when it comes to features and capabilities. And the Sony WF-1000XM5 pretty much have all the same features as their predecessors. They support wireless charging like before, but can charge even faster than before over a wired connection (a three-minute charge now gets you an hour of play). They also support Bluetooth multi-point, so you can connect them simultaneously to your laptop and smartphone and the audio will intelligently switch between them. No need to constantly jump in and out of Bluetooth settings.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 are compatible with Sony’s companion app, Headphone Connect, and the experience of using that is exactly the same as with Sony’s other headphones and earbuds: robust. You adjust audio settings with its built-in equalizer. You can adjust noise-canceling and transparency mode settings. You can fiddle your various tap and swipe controls. It’s honestly probably overkill for most people — and you definitely don’t have to use the app often if you don’t want to — but it does provide one of the most customizable experiences for any wireless earbuds or headphones that I’ve tested.

I’m still not a fan of the touch controls

sony m5 earbuds
Tapping the right earbud switches between noise-canceling and transparency modes. Tapping the left earbud controls playback.
Tucker Bowe

Like a lot of wireless earbuds these days (and exactly like their predecessors), the Sony WF-1000XM5 support tap controls. You need to single tap, double tap, triple tap, quadruple tap or long-press on the earbuds to perform various actions for play/pause, volume control, summoning your voice assistant or quickly toggling between noise-canceling and transparency modes.

This isn’t a new thing for wireless earbuds, but I’m really not a fan of it. It puts you in this perilous position when every time you want to adjust something you are potentially disrupting the fit of your earbuds. It’s not such a problem with wireless earbuds that have a stem-style design (like AirPods Pro or Amazon’s newest Echo Buds), but with these earbud-style earbuds — it is. At least it is for me.

Sony WF-1000XM5 Alternatives

sony m5 earbuds
In terms of flagship level wireless earbuds with the best active noise-cancellation, the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are the best out there.
Tucker Bowe

It’s 2023 — there are a lot of great wireless earbuds with fantastic active noise-cancellation. As direct alternatives to the Sony WF-1000XM5, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II still edge them out in terms of active noise-cancellation power (although the Sony’s sound a bit better in my option). And then there’s Apple’s newest AirPods Pro, which are a little bit cheaper and have a lot of exclusive features for iPhone owners. If you’re looking for more luxurious or maybe “less mainstream” options, I’d recommend the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 or Master & Dynamic MW08.

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