All categories/Audio & Home Theater/Wireless Earbuds/Sony/Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony WF-1000XM5

Based on 209 comments across 3 communities
TL;DR
Owners consistently call the WF-1000XM5 among the best earbuds they've used, praising standout noise cancellation, rich detailed sound, and a comfortable, lightweight fit for long wear. The most common gripes center on the foam tips, which can be hard to seal and quick to wear out, plus oversensitive touch controls and occasional Bluetooth or LDAC quirks. A minority found the ANC underwhelming, and many agree the price runs high, so they're best bought on sale.

38% of 209 verified owners recommend the Sony WF-1000XM5.

What 209 owners say
3,460 comments reviewed · scored on the 209 clearest verdicts
38%
Recommend
79 owners
20%
Neutral
42 owners
42%
Don't recommend
88 owners
Last 6 months:14% recommend(14 recent verdicts)↓ trending down 25pts vs older reviews
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
38%
204
Other forums
40%
5
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
100%
3

Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 38%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.

The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, and blogs with no affiliate links. YouTube and affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out — hover the i for why.

What owners like
  • Class-leading noise cancellation, especially on low-frequency rumble like trains and planes · 27 · 13%
  • Rich, detailed sound with punchy bass and crisp highs · 21 · 10%
  • Comfortable, small and light for long listening sessions · 11 · 5%
  • Solid all-day battery life that holds up over time · 8 · 4%
  • Handy app, EQ, transparency mode and multipoint · 6 · 3%
What owners flag
  • Foam tips and fit can be finicky, with seal and comfort issues for some ears · 10 · 5%
  • ANC underwhelms a vocal minority despite the reputation · 8 · 4%
  • Bluetooth, LDAC and connection hiccups, sometimes after updates · 5 · 2%
  • Touch controls trigger accidentally and feel oversensitive · 5 · 2%
  • Premium price feels steep at full retail · 5 · 2%

Top quotes, sourced

3,460 reviewed · 212 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I owned the Sony WF-1000XM5's and the Buds 3 pro at the same time and I sold the Sony's and kept the Buds 3 pro.

Reddit▲ recommend

Хожу и дома и на улице и вообще везде в wf-1000xm5 великолепные наушники очень практичные и со звуком лучше чем DT 770 Pro + Fiio K11 в связке. Автономности спокойно хватает чтобы все время в них сидеть а заряжаются очень быстро.

Reddit— neutral

Over the Sony WF-1000XM5s, over the Jabra elite 10s, over the AZ-60M2s, over the Pixel Buds Pro 2s. The sony's do have better noise cancellation, but the difference is not significant enough for me to put the AZ-100s down.

Reddit▲ recommend

I use Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, but specifically because the pass-through mode is so good when I'm cycling.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

WF-1000XM5 worked goo for many months, then suddenly, my right earbud started discharging in a few hours, when in the case and without any kind of usage by me

Reddit— neutral

I'm not on the Sony WF-1000XM5. The ANC on the Sony's isn't as good as the bose, but it is far less buggy. My 7+ year old Sony MDR-1000X's have better ANC than these new Sony earbuds.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

What ever you do, don’t buy the Sony WF-1000XM5s. I bought them in the same mindset. The noice cancellation is barely present at all. The base is almost non existent. They don’t even get that loud really.

Reddit— neutral

I have the Sony WF-1000XM5 buds, and I sleep with them quite often, but I don't like the "low battery" warning that comes at the 5–6 hour mark—I always wake up to it.

Reddit▲ recommend

I have no LDAC issues with my Sony WF-1000xm5 buds with the watch app installed on my Pixel 8 Pro.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

Les Sony WF-1000XM5 sont populaires car très bons niveau qualité du son et ANC, mais ils font un peu gros dans les oreilles et la qualité du micro est naze

Reddit▲ recommend

I have both, for me the WF-1000XM5 is better out of the box, the soft foam tips (althought I assume they eventually will break) fits way better than the silicone tips on the Airpods2

Reddit— neutral

J'ai des Sony WF-1000XM5 et ça marche bien dans l'avion. Par contre, ça reste de la "réduction", ce n'est pas une véritable isolation totale (même avec les embouts à ma taille et la configuration via l'app).

Reddit▲ recommend

found the Sony WF-1000XM5 to be a solid performer. The noise cancellation really shuts out distractions even in busy settings, and the sound quality is detailed and balanced.

Reddit— neutral

Both are good, but if I'm locking in and listening to music I will always grab the Noble over the Sony. I only ever pick the Sony's if I need to found out the sound around me or use the microphone when listening.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I have WF-1000XM5 earbuds and I tried to use them with my PS5 with no luck. It is so stupid that Sony products aren't compatible with each other.

Reddit▲ recommend

Earbuds. Bit more expensive than Samsung ANC buds but miles better. Long battery, amazing ANC, multi-device connection (phone & laptop at same time). Microphone is great.

Reddit— neutral

The earbuds that I've liked most for how they handle heavier genres are in order, Nothing Ear 2024, Jabra Elite 10 Active, and Sony WF-1000XM5 with the caveat that the XM5s had a very aggressive EQ to reduce bass.

Reddit— neutral

I use a WF-1000xm5 earbud. Back in the Assistant days, I could hold the right sensor and GA would beep and automatically read out my notifications.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

when the case is empty, I couldn't connect the buds to my phone. And because it drains so quickly (1 1/2 - 2 days), this happened often.

Reddit▲ recommend

it’s the best noise canceling I’ve come across so far, as far as earbuds go anyway. The tip is like memory foam and conforms to your ear, to create an almost airtight seal.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

It happens only on the WF-1000XM5. My headphones are unaffected but it's not the WF-1000XM5's fault. It always works fine on my other device but every Bluetooth update, they seem to mess something up specifically for the WF-1000XM5

Reddit▲ recommend

I have the WF-1000XM5 from Sony and they're a solid pair of earbuds, and a solid experience on any device as they're not primarily being sold as an extension of another device's experience.

Reddit— neutral

Currently I have the WF-1000XM5 which are my first earbuds, They are not replacing my XB950N1 however, There is a difference in sound quality between the two, Since over the ear headphones are superior in terms of sound quality.

Showing 124 of 212