All categories/Audio & Home Theater/Over-Ear Headphones/Sony/Sony WH-1000XM5
Sony WH-1000XM5
#9 in Over-Ear Headphones·View all 17

Sony WH-1000XM5

Scored on 359 verified owner verdicts, from 4,211 comments read across 6 communities
TL;DR
Owners rave about the noise cancelling and all-day comfort, and most find the sound and battery life excellent. The big recurring worry is the hinge and build quality: a lot of people report theirs cracking or breaking at the hinge, sometimes within a year, and warranty help is hit-or-miss. A vocal minority also find the headband digs into the top of the head, the ears get hot, and they wish these still folded down like the older models.

60% of 359 verified owners recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 89 owners report →

What 359 owners say
4,211 comments reviewed · scored on the 359 clearest verdicts
60%
Recommend
216 owners
15%
Neutral
54 owners
25%
Don't recommend
89 owners
Last 6 months:54% recommend(37 recent verdicts)→ holding steady vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
60%
342
Other forumsAudio Science Review, Head-Fi
63%
16
Independent blogsino affiliate links
100%
2
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
54%
359
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
—
3

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Class-leading noise cancellation · 42 · 12%
  • Comfortable and lightweight for long wear · 24 · 7%
  • Excellent, well-rounded sound quality · 22 · 6%
  • Clear microphone and call quality · 12 · 3%
  • Long battery life · 11 · 3%
What owners flag
  • Hinges crack or break, often within a year · 24 · 7%
  • Sound underwhelming or muddy for the price · 14 · 4%
  • Headband presses painfully on top of head · 10 · 3%
  • ANC weaker or more inconsistent than expected · 9 · 3%
  • Ears get hot and sweaty · 6 · 2%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Frequent flyers and commuters wanting top-tier noise cancellation
  • Office workers on frequent calls and video meetings
  • Long-session listeners who value all-day comfort
  • Listeners who fine-tune sound with the app's EQ
Look elsewhere if
  • Audiophiles chasing reference-grade sound quality
  • Gym and sweaty workouts (not water resistant)
  • Small heads sensitive to the narrow headband's pressure

Synthesized from what Sony WH-1000XM5 owners say — not a spec sheet.

Common questions

Do the WH-1000XM5 fold up for travel?

No. The XM5 dropped the folding headband of the XM4: Sony's XM4 guide tells owners to fold one cup in toward the headband, while the XM5 guide says only to put the headset in the case and tuck the cables into the divided holder. Owners who travel miss it, and describe the case as bulky next to the XM4's compact one.

Why do owners keep bringing up broken hinges?

Cracks at the joint where the cup arm meets the headband. It is the complaint that comes up most in owner reports here, sometimes after a year or two of careful use, with mixed luck getting Sony to treat it as a warranty matter. Plenty of other owners report a year or more of daily wear with nothing wrong. Sony's guide does warn against leaving weight or pressure on the headset in storage.

How long does the battery last, and how fast does it charge?

Sony rates the XM5 at up to 30 hours of playback with noise cancelling on over AAC, 26 hours over LDAC, and up to 40 hours with cancelling off. A full charge takes about 3.5 hours, and three minutes on the cable buys about an hour of listening, or about three hours with a USB PD adaptor. Battery life is one of the steadier points of praise from owners.

Can the XM5 stay connected to a laptop and a phone at once?

Yes. Multipoint lets the headset hold two Bluetooth connections at the same time, so either phone can ring through and music can switch between devices without re-pairing. It has to be switched on first: the Sony Headphones Connect app must be installed on one of the two devices, and the setting is called Connect to 2 devices simultaneously. Connecting a third device drops whichever of the two played music least recently.

Are they safe for the gym or a rainy commute?

No. Sony states that the headset is not waterproof and warns against using it in rain or snow, or handling it with sweaty hands, because water getting inside can cause burnout or malfunction. If it does get wet, Sony says to drain it and let it dry fully before charging. Owners who have walked in drizzle report water sitting around the top microphone on the earcup.

Is the sound a match for the noise cancelling?

Noise cancelling is what owners praise first, and the sound divides them. Many describe it as rich and balanced for wireless listening, while others find it muffled or short on clarity next to headphones at similar money, and some say the app EQ never got them there. 60% of 359 owners recommend them, with sound the second most common criticism after build.

How buyers rate it elsewhere
Amazon4.219,806Target4.3Walmart4.31,564Newegg4.3

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

4,211 reviewed · 407 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
YouTube— neutral

“the XM5's are small incremental upgrade that definitely already hit mark”

YouTube▲ recommend

“I actually love the fact that they won't fold. Folding make them weaker and they rattle a lot.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Wow the sound quality sounds just like my phone speakers”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Not being able to fold this new design would be a major downgrade for me”

YouTube▲ recommend

“I think not being foldable will eventually be better for durability in the long term”

YouTube— neutral

“I think I'll stay with my XM4 if the improvements are so marginal.”

YouTube— neutral

“XM4's are the best when it comes to portability. XM5's has better noise cancellation.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“the larger footprint from the lack of folding is a dealbreaker for me”

YouTube▲ recommend

“Honestly as someone that only uses them at home, I prefer the new design. They look and feel way more premium and in-place for such a high price range.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“one big bummer is that when performing calls in an open space with a lot noise, their mic captures a lot of the background noise and not only my voice”

Head-Fi▲ recommend

“I do feel the XM5 is the overall better headphone and a MUCH better value.”

YouTube— neutral

“But not being able to fold them as compactly anymore? Not being able to fold the ear cups fully down anymore when you have them around your neck? That's definitely two deal breakers.”

YouTube— neutral

“I like the optical design a lot, the functional design however...”

YouTube▲ recommend

“So that aside, I love them. They're super comfortable, the noise cancellation is top notch, and i'm not a sound engineer but I really enjoy the sound quality.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“Seen many users that actually returned the XM4s for the creaking issue.”

YouTube▲ recommend

“i just bought these 2 days ago and they sound amazing.”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“if I were to choose again today, I would still buy the M4s over the M5s.”

YouTube— neutral

“the fold hinge section broke after one year”

YouTube— neutral

“it was a 50/50 call to choose between these two”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“I would say do not buy the XM5's. They are buggy and the support from Sony is useless.”

YouTube▲ recommend

“I have these and the battery life and comfort is outstanding. I have been seeking comfort in headphones for years and these are the best I've ever used. I wore these for three hours straight and experienced no discomfort at all.”

YouTube▲ recommend

“I hate how my XM4s fold up. It always made them feel weak and flimsy.”

YouTube— neutral

“the larger 40mm drivers on the 4s against the 30mm drivers on the 5s just sounded better”

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

“What I don't like with some of these wireless headphones is that the software for controlling the thing is not available on your PC.”

Showing 1–24 of 407

Compare owner verdicts

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Common problems & things to know

Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.

Redditⓘ good to know

“Koristio Sony 1000xm3 i Sony 1000xm5. To su više za slušanje.”

Redditⓘ good to know

“We're pushing the natural limits of the WH-1000XM5”

r/SonyHeadphonesⓘ good to know

“I'm a much newer owner of the XM5s. From what I've noticed to prevent, or delay at least the hinge decay, you shouldnt grab them from the cups”