I love noise canceling headphones. They block out just the right amount of background noise to make even the harshest work environments or commutes tolerable. Sometimes I wear them without podcasts or music, just for the deadly capabilities they offer.
Sony has been doing good work in this area for a long time. The quality of its products’ noise-canceling technology has put it ahead of some competitors in the field, although you may pay extra for the privilege.
Noise-canceling headphones don’t just block noise by blocking your ear canal; they use technology to effectively neutralize certain noise frequencies. A built-in microphone analyzes the noise around you, measures ambient noise, then the technology generates opposing sound waves to counter it.
Sony’s latest wireless earbuds, the tiny WF-1000XM5 Wireless Earbuds, make the most of this expertise.
The earbuds themselves are a fairly standard design: small, shiny black earbuds that sit directly in your ear, rather than the stem design favored by Apple, Huawei and others. There’s a small matte touch panel on each earbud that can be customized for various functions – more on that later – and for the microphone array.
They magnetically snap into the pill-shaped charging case, which will give you up to 24 hours of listening time from the earbuds.
The heads themselves are smaller and lighter than their predecessors, so they feel more secure, although the previously mentioned glossy finish may make it harder to grip them when you want to remove them. But they’re noticeably less protruding than previous headphones Sony has made, which is a bonus.
The headphones use Sony’s multi-noise sensor technology, which Sony says is its biggest advancement in noise-canceling technology to date. It uses three microphones on each earbud, including dual feedback mics, to help improve low-frequency cancellation and capture ambient sound more accurately.
They also feature two proprietary processors that Sony says cancel out more external noise than ever before, and when combined with the noise-isolating earbud tips, you get a good in-ear fit that won’t move around with less noise seeping in.
They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, although you will want to get a good fit at first or they will sometimes feel like they are about to come off.
Sony has adaptive noise cancellation which can therefore change as you move from a different environment – for example from a relatively quiet office to a noisier commute along a busy road – and can be linked to your movements. For example, if the headphones detect that you are staying in one place, sitting at your desk, for example, you can turn on ambient sound to allow you to hear your colleagues chatting with you. You can also save different locations, just in case you have different preferences for sitting at home or at your office.
To take advantage of this, you will need to register for the Sony Headphone Connect app. There are some customization options in the app, such as tapping to control music and taking calls. You can also choose to use Alexa as a voice assistant, controlled by the touch control panel on the earbud itself. This works with the built-in digital assistant, such as Siri or Google Assistant, which you can activate via the usual “Hey Siri” or Hello Google” commands.
What about sound quality? These headphones do not disappoint. They support high-resolution audio, and with Sony’s new Dynamic Driver X, designed specifically for wide-frequency reproduction, you get better detail and vocals than ever before. Even if you’re not particularly picky about music quality, the headphones will deliver better sound across the board.
With Sony’s 360° Reality Audio, you can use the app to analyze the shape of your individual ear for more immersive music, although that’s not a deal breaker for me. There are times when immersive audio isn’t quite what you need, and it ends up being more boring than immersive.
Call quality on the earbuds is excellent, with the smaller profile working in their favor, especially when you’re outdoors. They’re also comfortable to wear for long periods of time, although you’ll want to get a good fit at first, otherwise they’ll sometimes feel like they’re about to come off.
What about sustainability credentials? The buds themselves come in durable packaging, with little visible plastic. The packaging itself has also been reduced so that you don’t have a giant box for the tiny headphones and various accessories. Replacing the built-in battery would be a challenge, however.
GOOD
The sound quality here is excellent and the changes Sony has made have led to real improvements rather than just tweaks for the sake of it. The smaller earbuds are easier to wear for longer periods of time and don’t feel as precarious as some of the previous wireless earbuds.
Battery life is good, with a total of 24 hours without the earbuds and case.
Bad
It’s not the cheapest on the market, although you could argue that you get what you pay for. Plus, the glossy finish means you may sometimes have trouble gripping the buds.
Everything else
The headphones support multipoint connections, so you can connect to two devices at the same time and switch between the two easily. The connection itself is also very stable, thanks to a new built-in processor that transmits the Bluetooth signal to and from both ears simultaneously. Add support for the next generation of low-latency Bluetooth audio, LE Audio, and you have a decent set of Bluetooth headphones on your hands.
Verdict
Sony’s expertise comes to the fore.