With every new generation of the 1000XM series true wireless ANC earbuds, Sony is inching towards creating a perfect earbuds for music lovers and noise haters to enjoy. When the first WF-1000X was announced in 2017, it was the most underwhelming model of the 1000X series (headphones, neckband). Then came WF-1000XM3 in 2019 (they skipped M2 to align the number with the headphone series), delivering competitive noise cancelling but the earbud design is arguably a turn-off. Fortunately, when WF-1000XM4 launched in 2021, the design went through a transformation to look more compact and conventional, in line with the competitors. This made the M4 the most desirable and easily the best true-wireless noise-killer earbuds that kills competition. Hats off to Sony who took over the ANC crown from long-time incumbent Bose in a short span of 5 years. It certainly helps when the previous models maintain price points below S$380.
Clearly not willing to sit on the laurels, the WF-1000XM5 is launched in Jul 2023 to further improve the listener experience as the earbuds are used for public commute, meeting calls. Due to global inflation, they are unable to keep the price low and so the launch price is S$419. Trade-in discounts from S$50 to S$80 is available till 1 Oct 2023.
Here are a list of new features available:
- Spatial Sound and Head Tracking
- Support Head Gestures to accept or reject calls
- Able to adjust voice guidance volume
- Enable side-tone during a call
- New foam eartips designed for better passive noise isolation
- Supports LC3 (LE Audio codec) in addition to SBC, AAC and LDAC
And if you are not already aware, the WF-1000XM5 inherits a massive list of features, some of which are unique to Sony and imitated by competitors:
- Adaptive Sound Control
- Speak-to-Chat: earbuds automatically pauses music and turns on Ambient Mode when speaking
- Quick Attention: touch and hold the earbuds to enable Ambient Mode
- Custom EQ with Clear Bass
- “Find Your Equalizer” feature
- Multipoint up to 2 devices
- Wear Detection: music auto-stops when earbuds are removed from the ears
Auto Play is one of the new app features Sony promoted as part of the “Service Link” partner collaboration. The list includes Spotify, Endel, and Niantic. At time of review, only Spotify and Endel are available, so I was not able to test it. But it looks to have good potential where it will identify scenarios to auto play music tracks as it detects what you are doing. This feature is already available on Sony XPERIA smartphones for years which I find rather useful but I’m one who prefers not to rely on technology to accomplish fuzzy logic tasks where AI is less accurate. Same thing for “Adaptive Sound Control”, as it might be able to detect whether I am moving or stationary, but I can be moving for many reasons, so the technology might not interpret it correctly all the time.
The earbuds design is more streamlined and discreet while still achieving an iconic look. The body is glossy except for the touch control area, and makes the buds slippery to handle, but perhaps more resistant to dirt. The earbuds are rated up to 8 hours battery per charge with ANC. The charging case delivers another 16 hours charge. With IPX4 water rating, the earbuds can survive light rain and workout sweat.
If you are looking for the best noise-cancelling true-wireless earbuds, the WF-1000XM5 is easily one of, if not, the best. In a way, Sony is cheating, because they designed the ear tips to provide outstanding passive noise cancellation. Most ANC earbuds are unable to attenuate high frequencies, but Sony’s ear tips already dampened the high frequencies. Even if you turn off ANC, it is already better than most earbuds. The ear tips are so thick that I had to use the “S” size instead of the usual “M”. And you need a good seal to enjoy the full ANC potential, else external noise leak will still be audible. Unlike other brands like Technics AZ60, Sony’s ANC cannot be tweaked nor is there other ANC levels to choose from. You can however, adjust the Ambient Sound level though even the strongest setting is slightly less open.
This latest model has also upgraded the drivers from 6mm to 8.4mm, making the sound more musical. The bass has less fat and boom but delivers a good balance of bass notes and impact. This control extends to the midrange as the drivers add some volume without the bloat. The treble retains the sparkle but not forward. In fact, when I use the “Find Your Equalizer” feature to tune my preferred sound, the last band is increased by a notch. V-shaped EQ lovers will certainly prefer the Sennheiser Momentum TW3 better, but with adjustable EQ, you can simply tune it the way you like, making any sonic comparison pretty redundant. Since EQ can be adjusted, you don’t need to compare too much in that. The sound staging is more spatial, less compact, ensuring instruments are clearly audible and separated.
The mic is also improved to be more articulated in detecting the wearer’s voice, but like most mic technologies, it is very challenging for the earbuds to cut out background noise effectively while keeping the voice clear and bright. The mic technology is at best used at moderate noise level, but if you are forced to take a call at noisy circumstances, you really need to raise your voice to let the mic do the job. I still find the Technics true wireless earbuds mic to be better. The background noise removal is effective while keeping the voice clear.
Conclusion
With the retail price exceeding S$400, Sony’s WF-1000XM5 faces stiff competition with other strong challengers. Undoubtedly the ANC attenuation for the upper frequencies remain its forte, but other premium brands are no slouch, and based on real life usage, ANC is not everything. With music playing, the difference in high-frequency noise cancellation is not that critical. But I quite like the new drivers and its default tuning, which delivers detailed treble and balanced clarity across the frequencies without sounding too aggressive.
You can’t go wrong getting the Sony WF-1000XM5.
