Sony WF-1000XM5 True Wireless Earbuds

Paving the way for true sonic solitude

Sony established itself among the elite in the true wireless earbuds category with the WF-1000XM4 when they launched, setting the bar high for what was possible in audio quality and active noise cancellation (ANC). The WF-1000XM5 take that even further to produce one of the best all-around pairs you can plug into your ears.

It will be easier to get comfortable wearing these earbuds over longer periods because of how Sony designed them. They are 25% slimmer and 20% lighter than their predecessors were, and partly made from recycled plastics. Sony also includes a new pair of extra-small ear tips to accommodate smaller ears. Foam tips do a great job sealing in the sound you want and snuffing out the background sounds you don’t, which only helps make the ANC perform as masterfully as it does.

With a charging case that’s also 15% smaller than before, taking the WF-1000XM5 earbuds with you won’t be a chore. Plus, the case gives you three extra charges, and can charge itself wirelessly on any Qi-enabled wireless charging pad or surface.

Cancelling noise in all directions

The newer ear tips should do a fine job in passively blocking out unwanted background noise. Once you turn on the ANC features, however, you should hear even less of what’s happening around you. Sony introduced two new processors in the WF-1000XM5: the V2 Integrated Processor and the QN2e Noise Cancelling Processor—both of which work together to take the signals from all three microphones on either side and cancel those ambient sounds with more precision.

This is an ideal combination if you commute a lot, where the sounds of buses, trains, planes and cars may be difficult, or even while trying to stay focused at the office, library, café or at home. Sony expanded on these noise cancellation features to include wind reduction for those times where a breeze or brief gust could impact what you’re listening to, as well as a conversation you’re having through your phone.

It works just as well the other way when you want to be aware of what’s going on around you. That includes a Quick Attention mode where a quick tap via the excellent touch control setup lets you hear more clearly. Speak-to-Chat sees the earbuds automatically pauses music and turns on Transparency mode when it detects that you’re having a conversation with someone. You could also take out either one of the earbuds to automatically pause playback, resuming it again once you put it back on.

Playing all the right sounds

Sony provides one of the most effective sound setups you can enjoy playing through your ears. The WF-1000XM5 offers a number of features and controls that you can customize through the Sony Headphones Connect app, where you can adjust the sound through the equalizer, remap the touch controls and access additional features.

These earbuds will offer some of the best sound you can find of any pair of true wireless earbuds. Lively, and with outstanding detail made for all music genres, the results should be pleasing to your ears, but if you ever need to make a change, the app has the tools to make that happen. You can also experiment with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio to personalize the spatial audio sound to your own ears. It’s great for listening to music with spatial effects through streaming apps that support the feature.

Phone calls will have never been clearer on earbuds like this, thanks to Sony’s improvements with the microphones and the reliability of Bluetooth 5.3 and LE Audio. With multipoint connectivity, you can stay connected to two devices at once, letting you hear music on one, while taking phone calls from another.

No matter how you choose to do it, the Sony WF-1000XM5 come ready to play, and they can keep on playing for up to eight hours per charge with ANC on. If you’re stuck in a pinch on the way out the door for extra juice, plug them in for three minutes and get up to 60 minutes of playback.