The noise cancelling champ is back with new-look Sony WH-1000XM5

When it comes to noise cancelling headphones – Sony’s 1000X series is King. I’ve got four of them and each one was a sensation at launch. Now the WH-1000XM5 version is coming our way, mid-June in Australia actually, for $549.95 AUD.

The WH-1000XM4s are already pretty amazing so it will be an interesting hands on review.

The WH-1000XM5s have a different look to the previous models but under the hood there’s more power to the shut the world out and improve audio reproduction. The M5’s use two processors controlling eight microphones that reduce noise especially in the mid-high frequency range. The Auto NC Optimiser automatically optimises noise cancellation, depending on the environment. Think of cafe, train or walking the city streets.

The 30mm driver unit with a light and rigid dome uses carbon fibre composite material that improves high frequency sensitivity for more natural sound quality. LDAC means High-Resolution Audio with and without the wires.

When it comes to phone calls, Sony’s precise Voice Pickup technology uses four beamforming microphones and an AI based noise reduction structure to isolate your voice. A new wind noise reduction structure minimises wind noise during calls.

Sony’s tweaked the look of the WH-1000XM5s and stepless slider. The new synthetic soft fit leather material should take pressure off your ears. 

The WH-1000XM5 unit integrates Quick Access so you can configure the headphones to resume Spotify playback with two or three taps without using your smartphone.

As expected the headphones can be paired with two devices at the same time. When you receive a call, your headphones know which device it’s coming from and instantly connect you to the right one. You can also quickly switch between devices with just the touch of a button.

The WH-1000XM5s support Google’s new Fast Pair feature, allowing you to effortlessly pair with your AndroidTM devices. You can also locate where you last left your headphones. Swift Pair makes it quick and easy to pair your headphones to your Windows 11 or Windows 10 laptop, desktop PC or tablet.

Sony says the WH-1000XM5 comes with 30 hours of battery life. If you need a quick top up, you’ll get 3 hours of listening from just 3 minutes using USB Power Delivery (PD).

There’s also a handy collapsible carrying case that can be made thinner for storage.

No Plastic!

Always happy to see this when a new product comes out. There’s no plastic in the WH-1000XM5 packaging. The product box is produced using recycled and sustainable materials developed specially for Sony. The WH-1000XM5s also use recycled plastic materials from car parts.