New design, same stunning result for Sony’s latest premium noise-cancelling headphones
In recent years, Sony has struck upon a winning formula that has seen it build some of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market. Gradual improvements in sound quality, noise-cancelling and call quality have kept the WH-1000 line one step ahead of the competition.
The drawing board has been well and truly dusted off for the latest iteration of its premium wireless ANC over-ears. It’s a brave decision, but the design changes made to the Sony WH-1000XM5 are significant. This “noiseless design” has seen the company attempt to create a slimmer, more seamless pair of headphones by reworking those areas that can contribute to wind noise. This has led to smoother, sweeping lines and less aggressive edges. Importantly, a number of the joints and hinges that allow the XM4’s earcups to be folded away have also gone. As a result, the XM5 headphones fold flat, like Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but don’t fold any smaller.
Not only do the WH-1000XM5 look very different (dare we say, cheaper) than previous generations, they also feel different. In-hand they feel lighter, though the scales suggest there are only four grams between them and the XM4s (254g vs 250g). The plastics used are nice to touch, even if the older model feels more premium. They are made predominantly from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a material formed by taking certain car parts, recycling and refining them and blending them with mica to get that final finish. It’s a material that was first used on Sony’s innovative LinkBuds.
A section of memory foam in the middle of the headband helps with support and comfort. The band is completely covered in a new synthetic leather that also covers the memory-foam earpads. It’s soft and smooth to the touch. Comfort levels are up there with the best and the Sonys deliver just the right amount of clamping force, so they feel secure without threatening to crush our ears.
There has also been a significant component change under the hood. The 40mm driver used in the 1000XM4 has been replaced with a new, 30mm carbon fibre composite dome, specially designed to be lightweight and extremely rigid.
Sony’s noise-cancelling tech has consistently wowed us in recent years, and once again it is claiming that the XM5 deliver the best in the business. After focusing on low-frequency noise in previous models, this time Sony has attempted to improve noise cancellation further up the frequency range in the XM5.
To help in this, Sony h
