Sony WF-1000XM5 Review - Smaller & Lighter But Better?

[@MatthewMoniz]

Better sound and smaller design what do you guys think of the XM5? Also, if you enjoyed the video feel free to hit the like button and subscribe! Thank you for watching

[@ced777]

Thanks for the review ! The ear tips are same material than the xm4 ? (mine were damaged quickly, had to buy alternative silicon ears tip) And did you found the noise cancelling well better than on the xm4 ?

[@kreigerbailey3550]

Portland, JAMAICA in the Building!!!! 👑🇯🇲🔥💥🌟⭐💯💎

[@Enonymouse_]

I unboxed a set today and have been putting them through their paces. Audio is subdued at times but in terms of spectral representation in three categories of LF, MF, HF - the MF and HF are more noticeably present in most songs than the LF (where drum and bass hits are usually at). The LF is OK, but not punchy on most tracks. It's very reminiscent of my reference hifiman in terms of sonic characteristics (although the wired planar magnetic still kicks this things butt in a head to head comparison).

[@joaovguedes]

Don't buy this, Sony WF-1000XM4 has a firmware that killed the battery and they are not taking responsibility, google wf-1000xm4 battery issues or check Louis Rossmann's video. If the same happens here you are also outta luck.

[@YoungHaveNot]

Agreed

[@poputchik4910]

For anyone who doesn't know this, sonys 1.6.2 and 2.0.0 software update made the xm4 buds heat up to an abnormal degree causing permanent battery damage for some users, my left bud barley lasts 15 minutes now and thats without voice assistant and anc

[@barnacleboi2595]

Same here. My XM4s lasted about 2 years before the issues started. They were the PERFECT buds, excellent sound quality and ANC. But now, the battery lasts 10 minutes and when charging, they get so hot it burns my ears. Its a fire hazard now unfortunately. Though, still considering getting the XM5s because I love Sony and im stubborn.

[@myqaveli]

@@barnacleboi2595think they did that on purpose? seems like a perfect timing to get people to buy new ones

[@DreamMaker_23]

The my xm4 left right bud only last 14 minutes too, which made me hesitate to buy these but I like them hopefully they last longer. I still prefer my status between 3 anc!

[@bobbrossify]

@@DreamMaker_23buy refurbs on eBay with a warranty.

[@markhagopian3257]

Mine died too. Thank god I bought the two year warranty and bought the 5’s. If they don’t last I’ll be getting new ones again.

[@JustinSwapp]

Im so shocked to hear the mixed reviews on the noise cancelation.

[@JeffJacquesmd]

Matthew, the ear lobe is the dangling part at the bottom of the ear.The pinna is the inside ear cavity and their canal is what in ear monitor fit into. Other than that, excellent review and comparison to other popular TWS IEMs. Would be nice to compare to the Bose and the Sennheiser TWS ANC.

[@TF2ReplayMaker]

Why you start off your comment like his mum giving him a lecture on ear anatomy tho 💀

[@Legitti]

Loving my WH-1000XM5s

[@solson223]

The XM5 mic sounded really good and clearn but with some distortion in there. The AirPods Pro sounded absolutely perfect (no surprise there).

[@GaryCimsRN]

I begrudgingly agree

[@pilotjs152]

From your microphone quality test, the AirPod pro 2 sounded best in my opinion

[@egorbodrov4283]

They are

[@GAMERCASB]

Just wait till update on these bad boys thell be better dare brand new so get over the sound call quality ones the update start coming threw

[@SadeeIsha93]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@artisticswap]

And xm5 is over priced

[@williamg7138]

​@@artisticswapbetter than airpods though

[@greefire_]

Nice design but the stripe light looks so much cooler :(

[@willy7968]

I have the WH-1000 XM4 and the WF-1000 XM4. I use them on my iPhone and Mac. They work pretty well Just that they sound better on Mac compared to iPhone.

[@anepicotter4595]

I’m happy that these have come out. I have the xm4s but The battery in my left earbud has gone bad out of warranty by close to a year. Getting a replacement earbud is a big hassle so I’ve just been dealing with having a single working earbud for several months now. I’ll probably pick these up in a few months as a christmas present for myself

[@mishmishb]

This is a common issue with the buds, save yourself some money and get an RMA from Sony. They're replacing batteries completely for free for this issue

[@owlmostdead9492]

Earbuds really need a requirement by law for easy battery replacements, such a waste of limited resources, money and unnecessary pollution of the environment

[@anepicotter4595]

@@mishmishb this is good advice. They’re issuing me a free of charge RMA within the next few days

[@anepicotter4595]

@@owlmostdead9492 that would be nice but I also think earbuds are one case where it would be genuinely difficult to implement user serviceable batteries. Not only are they tiny compared to any other battery but their connections to the systems in the earbuds are delicate. They don’t have the space in earbuds to throw even a little button battery in.

[@BosemanSonnheiser]

Good call! I too, love spending another $300 on a product that I know at least 50% of it will dump the bed within a year or two!! Call me a Sony fanboy I guess!! hehehe

[@Target135]

Seriously, why no “find my” feature added? That’s the #1 feature I was hoping to see over my current xm4s :(

[@Kopcio01]

For volume control it will be nice to have 4 taps and last long hold to constant decrease/increase of volume

[@MatthewMoniz]

I hate how you increase or decrease volume on them

[@DJSH98989]

I just bought two pairs of the XM 4s prepackaged basically brand-new for $100 each they are amazing

[@MatthewMoniz]

Now that's a sweet deal

[@DJSH98989]

@@MatthewMoniz honestly wanted to wait until the new ones but at that price I have a set for the gym and then a backup pair lol

[@MatthewMoniz]

You absolutely made the right move!

[@Finite8614]

where did you buy them for that price?

[@DJSH98989]

@@Finite8614 Target instore. The one near me always has great deals. I almost bought the link buds s for 50bucks new.

[@EyesOfByes]

Your video doesn't show when I search for xm5, even though I'm subbed to your channel...

[@KL-xv5gj]

Excellent review, thank you! Very detailed, objective and fair on the design and both pros and cons! Should have included LinkBuds S in the comparison. The form factor of LinkBuds S is far more lighter and comfortable than XM5. The ANC is impressive and sound quality is reasonably great, although it should not be as great sound as XM5, which is fair for the good price I paid for LinkBuds S. It surely fits into the ears better than XM5, by which I think the design is still a bit Odd and the earbuds still stuck out from the ears. All in all, for my own experience, AirPods Pro 2 and LinkBuds S are very good overall. Sound wise LinkBuds beats AirPods Pro 2, and the ANC both impressive. A bit surprised the ANC of XM5 is not impressive at this highest price point! Will not get it until further priced down on Amazon’s Black Friday Promotion!

[@MatthewMoniz]

Thanks!! Unfortunately I don't have the linkbud s at the studio or I would of included them too.

[@KL-xv5gj]

I already subscribed! Your reviews are very solid and high quality 👍

[@leotravel85]

LinkBuds S have a notorious issue: an annoying "wind" noise in one earbud during active modes (Ambient or Noise Cancelling) or even during calls. It's like a gust of wind hitting a mic. Attempts to reset or disconnect Bluetooth haven't fixed it. No idea about the percentage of affected units, but the problem is common. The defect could start with a screech, then fluctuate post-full charge, reoccurring after some use. Boosted bass might be a side effect. I had two units affected by this, all failed to get fixed through RMA. I've tried to get a refund but unfortunately was no longer possible because my warranty had expired. The problem's onset varies: immediate or taking months. There are even reports of the defect right out of the box. Sony acknowledges the issue but hasn't provided a timeline for a fix via firmware update. Two updates have passed, with the issue persisting. It's unclear if a firmware update could even solve it. And this problem isn't isolated, as evident by numerous posts on Reddit

[@rcpst]

My Linkbuds S are also affected by this, and I dont know what to do@@leotravel85

[@corey7219]

I'm still using the wf-1000xm3s as a backup pair that i got 3 years ago for $100 refurbished from eBay. Recently replaced the earbud batteries with zenipower z55's and they just cannot die.

[@evolution5052]

Battery backup after 4 years ?

[@PabloSalgado]

Hi. Is it worth the change from xm4s?

[@NightMotorcyclist]

Hmm... the mic on the Airpods Pro sounds the clearest and more natural while the XM5 is still very good but has a bit of crackle to it. I agree with the pricing. IMO, it's a $250 earbud and not worth the $300 asking price. It'll drop in price after a few months to a year like the XM4 have done. The Sony Linkbuds S are also constantly on sale with the lowest I've seen them for are $130 which is pretty sizeable drop from $200 and offers good sound and decent mic quality.

[@leotravel85]

LinkBuds S have a notorious issue: an annoying "wind" noise in one earbud during active modes (Ambient or Noise Cancelling) or even during calls. It's like a gust of wind hitting a mic. Attempts to reset or disconnect Bluetooth haven't fixed it. No idea about the percentage of affected units, but the problem is common. The defect could start with a screech, then fluctuate post-full charge, reoccurring after some use. Boosted bass might be a side effect. I had two units affected by this, all failed to get fixed through RMA. I've tried to get a refund but unfortunately was no longer possible because my warranty had expired. The problem's onset varies: immediate or taking months. There are even reports of the defect right out of the box. Sony acknowledges the issue but hasn't provided a timeline for a fix via firmware update. Two updates have passed, with the issue persisting. It's unclear if a firmware update could even solve it. And this problem isn't isolated, as evident by numerous posts on Reddit

[@HobbylosDigga]

Why didn't you try the Sonys with LDAC on Android? thats where they really shine

[@MatthewMoniz]

I did! I used it on both android and iOS. Sound quality is better with Xm5s but not anc

[@jovani6044]

You should compare them to the Bose QC 2

[@wickedbeast2490]

Thats what she said! 0:37 2:28

[@Enonymouse_]

I really hope the XM5's fix the issues the xm4's had, I don't want to spend what these cost to get hosed 2 years later, considering sony's warranty is only a year..

[@mokisan]

How does it compare to the bose in terms of anc?

[@a.tharuna.tharunnaidu1888]

Hi - Samsung wf-1000xm5 v/s jabra elite 10, which one do you suggest in terms of Sound quality and noise cancelling ?And price is not a constraint for me!

[@solarcj9313]

Bout to test the sony wf-1000xm5 literally right now I'll let yoy know how I like them. I was in a huge debate on the jabras elite 10 vs sony wf-1000xm5 too but I ultimately went with sonys. If they're not good I'll lyk and I'll probably get the jabras

[@a.tharuna.tharunnaidu1888]

@@solarcj9313 how was it

[@BosemanSonnheiser]

Good review as always, Matt! There aren't a lot of good premium ear bud brands out there with bloated features, lackluster design/controls, and single bud "quick drain" batteries. So, mad respect to Sony for keeping it real with these new $300 buds!!

[@mishmishb]

Honestly smaller and lighter is generally better, but in terms of appearance I personally prefer my XM4s. Maybe I'm biased but I think they look great, whereas the XM5s look a little generic

[@kingsly1031]

they look cheap.

[@developedtea5749]

​@@kingsly1031I agree. It's a mystery why Sony won't add a metal hinge. My xm4 feels cheap, flimsy and constantly creaks

[@xxVanos]

Completely agree with you. They look like any other earbuds you'd get on the market. Still love the look of thr XM4s. 🤓

[@cooluser23]

Sucks that the mic still sucks. I don't understand why it's so hard for Sony to make a decent mic.

[@Ravens_9]

People don't consider longevity when buying this ridiculous expensive earbuds.

[@Unwavering_Resolve]

I hate wires. I'm more than down to pay more to get rid of them.

[@Ravens_9]

@Unwavering_Resolve It's actually about how long the headphones will last. It wouldn't function the same after 5 years, and the battery life will drastically degrade, and it results to 3-4 hours of battery life.

[@edmundomata7055]

@@Ravens_9buy warranty on them

[@aniketverma4580]

I'm keeping my samsung bud2 for now . I'll wait for xm6

[@ELJefeReviews]

I’m excited to check these out!

[@MatthewMoniz]

Let me know how you like them when you do!

[@ELJefeReviews]

@@MatthewMoniz Will do. I didn't get early access so I ordered mine today. Testing will be fun!

[@icejax]

Careful, jumping to quick conclusions, on new tech releases, and acting like updates won't improve day one products. updates improved the airpod 2's, beats, and Xm4's among others. You know better!

[@dadanardi5541]

What phone did you use for the testing, I've found from my personal experience Apple products are a bit finicky and inconsistent if you pair it with non-apple peripherals such as TWS. It feels like the product will never reach its full potential compared to its Apple counterpart. Just a feeling that could be wrong.

[@SanthoshKrishna17]

Im still keeping my xm4s

[@enginethatcould5257]

Good for you

[@KL-xv5gj]

Even XM4 did not worth the expensive price! Price went down a lot within a year and XM4 got battery issues! Not comfortable to wear!

[@TrigunHero]

Matt and I must have the similar ear shape Beat Fits Pro are the best for working out, nothing comes close. I will continue to use the WH series for all other use cases.

[@MatthewMoniz]

Nice! Ya the beats fit pro are just a better fit for anything active.

[@TheDigitalcrack]

10000000% Nailed these Points(Overhyped ANC, horrible phone quality, size, fit, stupid 4 taps for volume! )Thank you Soooooo much for the Unbiased Overhype of this product.

[@lummatravel]

The single greatest thing about these is the ability to connect to two devices at once compared to the xm4

[@Henry_Chinaski1]

they are 429 in canaduh thats without sale price on sale they are 329

[@omarcortes5754]

I love sony headphones/earbuds audio quaility but these are way too expensive. I'm gonna wait a couple months more to check the prices.

[@umbertomasoero367]

what do you think is better for absolute audio quality between these and the Beoplay EQ? I have the latter and they're still going strong so I was wondering whether this would be an upgrade or a downgrade.

[@sony1968]

Suggestion: Rubio-Pez album! :) This is where the XM5 shows its capabilities

[@jayinftlaud]

I want to love mine, but ive had issues with thr functions...the right earbud was working perfectly, then suddenly i can not use the control functions...i reset it, i uninstalled the app, i powered my phone, still nothing, i really do not want to return this bad boi, but i have to

[@cooluser23]

Did the mic improve? So far the mic was always awful.

[@nitinthakur4407]

This one vs OnePlus buds pro 2 which one is better sound quality plz plz reply 🙏🏻😊

[@shubhamkumar8596]

Ofcourse sony sony is superior but galaxy buds 2 pro tough competition dega sony xm5 ko

[@shubhamkumar8596]

Ofcourse sony sony is superior but galaxy buds 2 pro tough competition dega sony xm5 ko

[@rolins3279]

I don't know but, I feel like I see Sony LinkBuds S in a new body with just memory foam tips, but sold extremely expensive 🤔 I have the impression that the mountain ⛰ has given birth to a mouse 🐁 🚶🏽‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️ 🚶🏽‍♂️

[@GadgetsGearCoffee]

Does the multi connect work properly? I have the Sony headphones XM4 and it never works properly, even though my laptop lid is closed, nothing is playing, and I play media on my phone it often will still show connected to the laptop and then I have to open up the app to disconnect the laptop, it's hella annoying and others have had this issue

[@HLB49]

How do they compare in terms of sound quality to the Beoplay EX, Status BETWEEN 3ANC and lastly the AZ80's. What say you?

[@ThisIsManta]

I'm still happy with my M4. I'll switch to M5 next year when it's on sale 😂

[@kq7739]

Just got a full refund from retailer due to sony wf1000xm4 battery issue (already known to sony). So instead of repair or version 4 replacement, I was given full refund. Giving a second chance and picked up the new version!

[@cherylshepherd5602]

The airpods did sound better for the call quality, however, I'm an android person through & through so I need buds that will give me superior call quality for loud environments. I've been trying to decide between these, the Bose Quiet Comfort or even the Samsung earbuds because I want call quality AND entertainment quality. Yeah, I'm looking for the unicorn 😊

[@nasce.pt.Design]

do they stay secure during workout? thank you

[@rodrigodamascenobraga]

How they compare to boses qce 2?

[@kavid8120]

i hate that they stick out so much from the ear to the point where it’ll be impossible to be able to sleep with these on

[@log791]

WhatHifi wrote in their review: "In the search for resolution, we feel like Sony has sacrificed a little bit of the fun that was so appealing in their predecessors" - can you confirm this?

[@DerpyDude777]

Ok, the price is a bit steep, it's kinda like the Airpods Max, 500 bucks is too steep of a price. 250 is about the max I'd do for ear buds but if anything, I'd rather keep it under 200 for ear buds, headphones I could see spending 250-300 fine which I've done 2 times prior to my WH-1000XM4's.

[@tride.design]

Nice, I'm glad i got xm4 for 150$ recently because of them, wonder if Airpods pro really have better NC...

[@21backwards78]

They don't he's lying

[@nicomilord]

I only have the wh xm4 is this a good for a first time buyer of earbuds?

[@idoboker8324]

Can you use each earbud separately? Like, can you use the left one only without having to take out the right one and vise versa?

[@MatthewMoniz]

Yes but each earbud has different controls

[@ama-tu-an-ki]

As a Sony fan, it pains to hear my how far behind Sony still is compared to Apple in Microphone sound quality. It's just .... bad and lagging behind.

[@ra9788]

Seems like xm5 anc weaker than xm4 if it is not perfectly fit into ear

[@xWhiteFalcoNx]

Beware of the foam-tips of these Earbuds. The Material is very sensitive and if you use & clean them often, they will rip apart in a few weeks. Sony-Support will send you new, but as before, they will rip apart after a few weeks. And they won't refund the Earbuds at all, they will write you that its your fault and you did clean them wrong. I have these support-mails and I find it pretty ridiculous that they blame the customer for wrong cleaning. I used a very soft tissue like recommended in the manual, but the foam-tips still rip apart after a few uses. Technical they are awesome, but get replace-tips out of silicone from some seller if you want some longevity.

[@mattparsons8598]

Sony's might very well be more prone to falling apart (I switched them out immediately as they just didn't work for me). But in general foam tips are a consumable tip that you'll need to replace every 3-6 months (depending on use, usually closer to 3)

[@s89kw]

Everyone is talking about it being the best at canceling noise There may be something wrong with your experience I don't know but I have xm4 And the noise cancellation in it is significantly better than the Apple AirPods pro 2

[@MatthewMoniz]

I have the XM4s as well and they along with the XM5 are not better than the AirPods Pro 2 when it comes to ANC. However, I do prefer the sound quality on the XM5's over the other 2.

[@KL-xv5gj]

I did not find XM4 earbuds got good ANC. AirPods Pro 2 got much better ANC than XM4 for sure and it should be even better than XM5 earbuds in terms of ANC, although I need to try it in person soon!

[@RoneryRitsu]

Yeah buy them and and have them f up by a software update.

[@mike_abramyan]

Damn, so sad to hear you no longer can just have the tip in :(

[@grinps]

Looks like premium version of Sony Linkbuds S

[@Tintin_desi_billa]

Do they still have the memory foam tips that the xm4 came with?

[@MatthewMoniz]

Yup! They still use the memory foam tips

[@tpar83]

the beats fit pro is still in its 1st iteration? any news of an update?

[@MatthewMoniz]

No news yet! I think the only thing they're really missing is being able to wirelessly charge.

[@NyteStalker89]

The tips aren't for earlobes.. they're for earCANALS

[@MatthewMoniz]

SSSHHHHh you heard nothing

[@superboy305]

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

[@kunjanpatel4907]

Very uncomfortable, worst Transparency mode (just static voice), not so good or not so bad Noise cancelation, sound quality - balanced but not at all loud. This buds is Big no for Bass Lover. Conclusion : Totally Not worth it

[@chabelo5156]

Is the anc better than xm4?

[@MatthewMoniz]

its pretty close to the xm4 if anything a teeny tiny bit better.

[@KL-xv5gj]

AirPods Pro 2 has excellent ANC and the best total package, especially for iOS users

[@kristiandawe85]

I’ll probably buy the wf-1000xm5, I already have the xm4’s and AirPods Pro 2, I like them all, but my AirPods Pro 2 are my main headphones because they are so comfortable and have such great transparency mode and microphones for taking calls

[@isearia9348]

İ’m undecided bose or sony or sennheiser i got sennhriser 2 but battery died so my hearth telling sony

[@amrsalem7143]

Tx Matt

[@MatthewMoniz]

Thanks for watching!

[@joshhud]

Bought the xm4 and returned instantly. They were too huge and i couldn't get a good fit with the foam tips.

[@friskyfixedit]

Mic sounded crackly as all hell

[@Jahreas]

Sony need to sack the mic engineer!

[@goonernaz77]

Just the tip

[@protonjicari5990]

Damn still looks like a tumor! Now that Matthew pointed it out

[@vahlah5205]

300 no way

[@omaribtesam]

15%

[@pspr33]

Ear lobe? Your ear lobe is the part at the very bottom of your ear, the flappy skin part. I sure don't wear my earphones in my lobes!

[@Salehq825]

Noway I'm going to buy these clowns I got xm4 it has a defect unit from manufacture alot of people same case Sony didn't respond at all 👎🏼

[@maxweinbach3996]

You know what they say about men who have bug ears...

[@SpeedyPalomino]

Too bad you didn't include the Bose QC2 in this review...

[@SadeeIsha93]

Seriously airpods pro 2 sounds the weakest 😂😂😂

[@yairman4]

Mic is trash in compare to the airpods and the xm4

[@askataful]

Voice quality - airpods > xm4>xm5

[@MatthewMoniz]

Xm5 sounded better than xm4s but they had a bit of cracking at first

[@askataful]

@@MatthewMoniz Idk... to me xm4 sounded a bit better than xm5's

[@alejandrarocha1723]

Wrong… the previous version is not wireless charging

[@MatthewMoniz]

Yes it is

[@KL-xv5gj]

It is wireless charging!

[@ArifGhostwriter]

Lol - yes it is! But don't let facts get in your way.

[@davecook81]

💯‼️

[@michaelshepard9409]

Hanging, listening to my nura true pros,,,, those buds can't touch these bad boys!!!!!!! Sony,, full of baloney...

[@bklynrickel]

You are right about them being pricey. Better indeed to wait.

[@blackphantom374]

the microphone is miles better in the airpods

[@eric131313]

Big meh 😑

[@joelrumidi3268]

I'd still place the galaxy buds 2 pro at the top in terms of sound quality

[@abonnema]

I’m assuming the battery will be even harder to replace when it dies. Is anyone else tired of these $300 disposable earbuds? I’m still waiting for a brand to launch a pair of buds with a serviceable battery, but I’m not holding my breath as the planned obsolescence feeds their profit motives.

[@nerfherder33]

You give WAY too much credit to the garbage apple products. The airpods are the worst ever.

[@vincentkwek]

How does it compare to the linkbuds S?

[@MatthewMoniz]

no clue i dont have them /=