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A pair of headphones going one generation out of date is usually bad news for the buyer. Here it is the opposite.
The XM6 arrived, the XM5 stayed on sale, and the price fell to a place the XM5 never occupied when it was new.
The verdict, before the details
For long flights and long train journeys, this is still the most noise you can remove for the money โ provided you buy it on discount and you do not need the case to be small.
List is $399 and it has traded far below that all year โ check today's price.
Sony built the XM5 around eight microphones and a dedicated cancellation processor, aimed squarely at low-frequency noise.
Reviewer consensus puts it at or near the top of its price class for exactly that kind of sound: engine drone, tunnel roar, the hum of a cabin at cruise. On Amazon it carries a 4.4 rating across a review count in the forty-thousands, so the consensus is not a thin one.
Weight250 gBattery30 h, ANC onMics8CodecsLDAC, AAC, SBCList$399
What the numbers buy you
Thirty hours is a whole trip, not a leg of one
Thirty hours with cancellation running covers a flight to Asia, the return, and the taxi rides at both ends.
That is a full day and a half of continuous use. In practice it means charging weekly rather than nightly.
Eight microphones aimed at the sound a commute is made of
Cancellation works best against low, steady noise, and eight microphones plus a dedicated chip is what makes that work hold up at altitude.
Conversation nearby drops much less. That is physics rather than a flaw, and no headphone in this class escapes it.
A 3.5mm cable in the box is a small spec with a large consequence
The cable plugs into an in-flight entertainment jack, which is the only way to watch the seat-back screen through your own headphones.
It also means a dead battery does not end your listening. Very few flagship rivals still include this.
| WH-1000XM5 | Bose QuietComfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery, ANC on | 30 h | 24 h |
| Weight | 250 g | 235 g |
| Folding cups | No | Yes |
| Codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC |
Those are the numbers โ see what it costs today.
Three drawbacks worth knowing
It does not fold
The XM4 folded inward at the cups. The XM5 only lies flat, so the case is bulky and a packed carry-on notices it.
It is the previous generation
The WH-1000XM6 is out. That is what created the discount, and it is also what puts the XM5 on a path to discontinuation eventually.
The headband does not suit every head
Reviews from people with smaller heads repeatedly mention clamping pressure. Comfort is the one spec you cannot read off a sheet.
Who this fits
This is a good fit if you
- Fly or ride long distances and want the deepest cancellation available at a discount price
- Want LDAC and multipoint so a phone and a laptop stay connected at once
- Value a wired fallback for in-flight screens and dead batteries
Look elsewhere if you
- Pack light and need the case to disappear into a bag
- Want the newest model and its warranty runway rather than the discounted one
Still on your list? See today's price.
What to pay
List is $399 and there is almost no reason to pay it. The street price has run between $278 and $350, and major sale events have taken it below $200.
The gap between list and sale is wide enough that timing matters more here than on most products. If you are not in a hurry, wait for a discount event.
Check today's price on AmazonSony WH-1000XM5 โ
Questions people ask before buying
Should I buy the XM5 or wait for the XM6 to discount?
If you need headphones now, the XM5 at a sale price is the better value by a wide margin. The XM6's discount cycle will take most of a year to reach the same depth.
How much noise does cancellation actually remove?
Far more low rumble than voices. Our explainer on how active noise cancellation works covers why engine noise disappears and the person behind you does not.
Is the XM5 still supported with firmware?
Sony has continued to ship firmware for the line, including the update that allowed LDAC and multipoint to run together. Support has not stopped with the successor's launch.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links. We were not given this product and were not paid to write about it.
