I have used pretty much every credible earbud in the last few years. Sony, Apple, Beats, Bose, B&W, Samsung, Klipsch, M&D, and more. I have also used every generation of Sony buds. In terms of overall use and features, these are not a giant change from the last gen XM4 buds. However, there are significant improvements in key areas. Here is the breakdown:

Sound: There are moderate sound improvements here, over the last generation Sony’s, which were already close to class leading. Sony put a larger driver in here and it makes a difference. Additionally, Sony added a lot of processing horsepower here. The put in their latest chip for audio, but then added a separate chip to handle all of the ANC duties. Sony argues, that by separating the tasks here, they were able to more finely tune the audio. You can hear the difference. Bass is thumping, highs are even more crisp, and the mid vocals definitely pop more. I am no audiophile but these are really good. To me, these sound better than the latest Bose and Airpod Pro buds. You have to get into the really high-end audio companies to find sound this good. As always, you get Sony’s LDAC here if you can use it for high-end audio options and the DSEE Extreme tech that upscale regular more compressed audio. The DSEE really shines here. Your Spotify or Apple music app has never sounded so good. I think most folks will be very satisfied with what Sony has done here and, at the end of the day, sound quality is a big reason to make such an investment.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): These are the best ANC buds Sony has ever made which is saying something. They were already 1b to the latest from Bose, but these have improved dramatically to me. The new dedicated chip just gets it done. These buds adjust the ANC to the noise around you. I honestly hear pretty much nothing other than my music when I have these in. The latest Quiet Comfort’s from Bose are still at least as good to me in this arena, but that is pretty much the only area that Bose still is really on equal footing. At least in my opinion. Fit really determines great ANC, so while these are great, there is definitely some subjectivity that comes into play here. I think most will be very happy with the results they get here though.

Form Factor: This is an area that Sony has absolutely nailed it and I am going to just say, FINALLY! Every bud Sony has made has always had an asterisk for me. “They sound so good but they just aren’t that comfortable” was what I often told folks. Not anymore. Sony has made these buds significantly smaller and by adding the glossy interior, has created a bud I hardly notice in my ear. They have gone from a “yeah but” to a class leader in the fit and comfort space. I really cannot emphasize enough how good these are. These buds have an IPX4 rating so they should handle the gym with no issues. Sony has included a revised version of their hybrid foam tips from last year and they are great. They just hold the buds in snug and really help block ambient sound. Just so so good Sony. Thank you for the thoughtful redesign. I also want to give Sony a nod for the case redesign. Same battery (3 charges) but much smaller. I love it.

Battery and Connectivity: The battery life is the same from last year. About 7 to 8 hours of real use. It is fine. Not class leading but not bad either. Connection here is BT 5.3 so the latest. Same as last gen. However, Sony said that these buds will be LE compatible when they finally start rolling this out over the coming year so you can expect even better sound and perhaps even battery life someday soon. This essentially future proofs these buds.

Call Quality: Not much to say here other than these are about as good as it gets. Sony added bone conductive tech here and you can tell. Your calls sound great.

Intangibles: There are too many features to unpack here. You really need to read all that Sony has packed into these. From the upscaling audio, to one touch audio play, to speak to pause tech to gestures and so so so much more. You can literally get lost in the app. Almost too much is going on here. Regardless, there is almost nothing that these buds can’t do. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Sony has multipoint connection option here as well. It is only two devices, so there are more robust options out there, but this should be fine for most in real life application. Very good stuff.

So, should you buy these? If you are an Android user, the answer is 100% yes. Apple users have to consider that Airpods are more tightly integrated into their space. Further, Apple is getting ready to launch their high end sound codec as well, which these will not support. They are still worth considering though as Sony has just made a better sounding product. To me, these might be the best all around buds I have ever tried. From sound to calls to comfort, Sony has just nailed all of it. There are companies that offer buds that do one thing better perhaps, but none are as complete as these in my opinion. So, yes, buy these. You will not regret it. I will update as I go here.

I owned a pair of Jabra 75t’s as well as Jabra Elite Pro 7’s. I liked both very much; but the latter’s battery / case charging issues (meaning the case didn’t charge the earbuds unless connected to USB power) had me search for better options. The Sony’s are expensive, so I don’t recommend them for everyone. But as someone who really enjoys music, I have to say these XM5’s can’t be beat. Yes, the noise cancellation and transparency are not as good as Apple or Bose; but do you buy headphones and earbuds because you want to negate white noise or have conversations? I buy them to listen to music and for that, these have been awesome! I have to recommend you look for EQ settings (there are many online) that make these even better as the default EQ isn’t as good.

Here we have the Sony WF-1000XM5 up for review. They are world class leading when it comes to Active Noise Cancellation and that is apparent as soon as you put these on. Starting with the material that is used to insert in your ear lobe. It’s not a rubber like other models I’ve used but this is more of a foam material which helps these buds from falling out of my ears compared to many other buds I’ve tried. They also really help to create a strong seal which is crucial for any good ANC headphone. The sound quality of these are amazing and can even be further improved to your liking by installing the app and using the built in EQ. It’s not just a simple EQ that allows you to control treble or bass. So you start by playing some music and it presents you with different options to choose from, based on the sound that sounds best to you after a few selections voila you have your personalized custom EQ setting created! You can create multiple personalized EQ’s for all different genre types. This was a setting that really impressed me. Sound quality is top notch after installing the app and setting up the EQ. I tried the 360 Reality Audio and it is really impressive. Takes these buds to the next level of immersion. The app itself is really easy to use and has all the settings that you’d expect to get with a quality pair of wireless headphones. You can see the battery percent of each bud as well as the charging case battery. Battery life on these last hours and the case should provide an additional 3 charges so you don’t ever have to worry about your battery dying with these. They charge up super fast too. Honestly no complaints here. Don’t worry we’ll get to what I didn’t appreciate as much soon and where I think these could be improved.

Cons/room for improvements:

– These buds are hard to take out of their charging case because of their smooth plastic design. I wish they were easier to handle and pull out of their case.
– the touch functionality is a hit or miss. For me it’s mostly a miss. If you happen to touch your headphones to readjust them in your ears you may turn ANC on or off or enable Passthrough mode by accident. Sometimes I pause my music by mistake. Luckily you can turn off the touch settings in the app and just use your phone to change song or raise or lower the volume if needed.
– the pass through isn’t great either compared to something like the AirPods. With these it feels like the surrounding sounds are being played in your ear like a speaker making it sound less natural.
– the price of these are definitely on the higher end of the spectrum.

Overall:

Overall I would rate these a 4/5 based on my experience using them and taking everything into consideration. If they were maybe $100 cheaper I would easily recommend these but due to the high asking price (currently $429.99 CAD) these are probably not the best value you can find in 2023. They are great quality headphones don’t get me wrong but are definitely not perfect.