Customer Ratings & Reviews

I've enjoyed Sony's over-ear headphones for a while. I like their bass-heavy sound signature, it can be boomy while still clear. They have ANC that competes with other companies and is always in the top 5. However, I've never liked their earbuds. The WF-1000XM3 never stayed in my ears and had terrible connectivity issues that made them completely unusable. The WF-1000XM4 stayed in my ears but hurt after a while and were too big. I stayed away from Sony and went through so many other companies. Each and every time I would conclude that "these are my new earbuds!" only to be disappointed a few weeks later with either ANC performance, fit, connectivity, bugs, or other issues that caused me to either exchange or return the earbuds. I finally tried the WF-1000XM5, which I'm just going to call the XM5 from now on (Sony's naming scheme needs work). These are, without a doubt, the best true wireless earbuds I have listened to. Sony cut down the size of the XM5 by quite a bit compared to the XM4 earbuds. Sony claims they're 25% smaller and I agree with that. There's no longer a large notch resting up against your outer ear and the rounded top fits within the pinna of the ear. These are so small, albeit still larger than the AirPods Pro 2, that I can comfortably sleep with them in. Sony still relies on foam ear tips to achieve their sound and ANC. The ear tips are now a hybrid foam/rubber and more comfortable than the tips that came with the XM4. You don't need to squeeze the ear tips before inserting them in your ears. Just put them in and twist like normal earbuds. The XM5 still rely on the textured ear tips for staying in your ears, they aren't like the LinkBuds S where they use both the ear tips and earbuds to stay pinned in your ear. That's fine though, these haven't budged on me one bit after using them for multiple days for 6-8 hour each day. Sony advertises 8 hours of battery life with ANC and the XM5 are able to reach that without issues. I've been able to hit the 8-hour mark and still have a 4-5% left in each earbud. The case provides 2 more charges allowing for 24 hours of use. A quick 2-minute charge will give you 1 hour of use. ANC is top notch. I still they think fall behind the Bose QC Ultra earbuds and it's clear Sony is relying on the foam ear tips for more passive noise isolation to aid the ANC. But these are still great, better than the AirPods Pro 2, Jabra Elite 10, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds. I can't much of anything when music or content is playing. Even sitting here now typing on a mechanical keyboard with music paused, the loud clicks of the keys are dull thuds. These have no issues on flights, blocking out the rumble of engines and HVAC systems, and various other sounds. Turn on music and the world is silenced. Transparency mode is fine. It's not Bose or Apple-level, but it's still good enough. There's even a mode to amplify voices and block out other noises. One area Sony drastically improved is with microphones. Their processor effectively filters out background noise and isolates your voice for call. It might be more muted than the AirPods Pro 2, but they do a much better job of removing background noise. I've had no complaints taking phone calls next to busy roads, in the wind, and next to an external boiler for an HVAC system. Controls are limited to simple touches that you can adjust. Single, double, triple, and quadruple taps along with a tap and hold can all do something. I left the default controls since it allows for volume control. Quadruple tap on the right earbud to increase volume, do the same on the left do decrease it. I much prefer having swipe controls for that, I have a feeling Sony will add those to the WF-1000XM6 next year. The earbuds feature wear detection and will automatically pause and resume content when you remove one (or both) earbuds and put them back in. The case features for USB-C and Qi charging. Sony rates the earbuds as being IPX4 water-resistant. I haven't tested that outside of wearing these while profusely sweating from mowing the lawn. I'm not sure I would exercise with these, there are better earbuds for that with wing/fin tips. I also have a feeling that the foam ear tips would deteriorate after a while. With all that said, how do they sound? Great. I didn't like the default sound profile. It's fine. Instead, I switched it to Excited in the app and bumped the Clear Bass up to +10 instead of +8. Yeah, some people would call that EQ an abomination, but I don't care. The bass is clear and boomy, mids still come across and aren't covered by the low, and the highs are details. The sound stage is wide for earbuds. I think the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are wider, but these are still good for closed-back earbuds. I don't have any complaints about the sound stage or instrument separation. Atmos music in Apple Music offers a nice listening experience. You don't get head tracking. I hate having to look straight forward for a balanced audio experience so I turned that off when I had the AirPods Pro 2 and Beats Fit Pro. Overall, these are fantastic earbuds. I know some people are concerned with their battery longevity. The XM4 earbuds are known to be problematic. I haven't had any issues with these and I'm sure they'll be fine. Otherwise Sony's warranty will cover battery repairs by the time I'm ready to upgrade (the WF-1000XM6 are due about a year from now). I highly recommend these if the XM3 and XM4 earbuds didn't fit your ears. They're smaller, sound quality is great, ANC is still top notch, and they're an overall improvement over older models. Connectivity has been great with no skipping or audible issues. You can't go wrong with these.

I have used the Bose QC ultra and enjoyed them but lost them and decided to give these a try. The sound quality feels more clear with vocals and the multi point is the best feature I didn't know I needed. I can watch YouTube on my Samsung phone and simply pause the video/music and start playing something on my iPad and it switches seamlessly. I am fairly new to wireless earbuds as I have mostly only used Sennheiser and beyerdynamic. These are so convenient to carry around and they have been very comfortable to me. I worry about them falling out more than the Bose but they have been pretty snug. The battery life is incredible. I have fallen asleep with these and have woken up 8 hours later with them still charged (Nothing playing with ANC on). this is a big advantage over the Bose. I feel like the ANC is not as good but it's really hard to tell. They are quite similar enough to me that it doesn't matter. Just a note on the apps between the two. The Bose app almost always fails to connect and requires re-pairing the buds or at least 20+ tries to get the app working to change settings or EQ but the Sony app works flawless and is always ready to go to make adjustments or EQ. The only issue I have had with these is the touch controls. I wish I could remap them to whatever I want but you can only set them between a couple of predefined profiles(Bose is the same if I am remembering right). Overall I am really enjoying the Sony XM5 buds

I had the WF-1000XM4s before the XM5s and I gotta say all the major flaws the XM4s had were solved with the XM5s. Notably, the smaller size of the buds make them more comfortable and reduce fatigue over a long period of time. I had major battery issues with the XM4s (that were apparently caused by a Sony software update, thanks Sony) but they seem to have overcome that issue. ANC has improved a bit but not much. Still love the sound from the Sony earphones over other brands I have tried, which is why I keep going back to them. As for a flaw of the XM5s, the ambient noise mode has too much of an unnatural sound for me to use it comfortably. I'd rather just take the earbuds off to converse with somebody. Also the price, my wallet didn't appreciate that. Side note, I bought a silicone case for them to prevent damage to the case as I've noticed they get scratched easily. Wireless charging works the same, highly recommend

Disclaimer: I want to preface this with a disclaimer: I have weird ears and am VERY picky on my earbuds. 90% of the earbuds I try DO NOT fit my ears. This includes previous Sony Earbuds, and other popular models like AirPods/AirPod Pros. I have bought and returned BOTH previous models of this earbud, the WF-1000MX3 & WF-1000MX4. But that all changed when these arrived! Finally, a pair of Sony WF Earbuds that I love! Fit & Sound: The fit is amazing. I can wear these for hours without them bothering me. I love the earbud tips they come with, it’s an interesting hybrid of foam and rubber. But since they are kinda foam, you’ll want to make sure you are ‘rolling’ them on your fingers before insertion, as to smash the foam down. This allows them to expand in your ears for a proper fit. Also they sound amazing. The new bigger drivers are clearly at work here. ANC is a little better than the previous model I owned, LinkBuds S, but a little worse than the WH-1000MX5 (expected since those are full fat over-ear headphones. FIT IS ESSENTIAL HERE… POOR FIT = POOR ANC. Use all included ear tips and the Sony Headphones app which has a fit test. Some on Reddit also report good results with 3rd part EarTips but BE CAREFULL… these earbuds have no built-in mesh to stop your earwax from gumming them up, the mesh is on the EarTips… so make sure your 3rd part EarTips have mesh. Ambient sound mode is fine but has never blown me away. Can get a little windy which is annoying. I wish they would bring back the muffle wind option in the app. Battery Life: I have had great results on battery life so far. I think these could easily last a whole workday with ANC in their current state. But who knows how long that’ll last. Because of all the battery failures on the WF-1000MX4, I bought the Geek Squad protection just in-case. Other Features: Get the Sony Headphones app! They have a ton of cool features. I like the one where it tracks my weekly sound allowance and makes sure I’m not damaging my ears. You can also do stuff like spatial audio (doesn’t work on my new Samsung phone ugh) and enable stuff like nodding your head to accept/decline a call. Also you can manage sound quality settings, like using LDAC, and multipoint which allows you to connect to 2 devices at once (so awesome!). It also tracks the hours you put on the headphone if you sign into a Sony account, which I find very cool. Can’t wait to rack up 1000+ hours on these. VS LinkBuds S & Conclusion: The LinkBuds S are another pair of Sony Earbuds that surprised me with how much I loved them. I think the MX5 sound better, due to their larger drivers. Also the ANC is a tad better on the MX5. Probably just mostly due to the better fit, but Sony would have you to think its all their new fancy chips in the MX5. I’m not sure. But here’s my conclusion: if you want 80% of the advantages of these earbuds and paying less than 80% of the price, I’d get the LinkBuds S on a sale for $120. But if you just want the best there is, get these. They fit and sound slightly better, with slightly better battery life. Get the Headphones app and keep and eye on the battery! May be worth it to get Geek Squad as well.

I rate earbuds on 5 things, Noise Canceling, Sound, Voice Calling, Controls & Ear Fit. Many professional reviews on these expensive earbuds or over-ear headsets are never helpful and accurate. Noise Canceling: Bose noise canceling is great (10), better than close comparison Sony - WF1000XM5 (9). Sennheiser Momentum closely matches up well with Bose (10). Sound: Bose Sound is great, gives you a good spatial audio with bass and just has good depth (9.5), The Sony - WF1000XM5 sound is seriously not great, very mundane in my view, good treble (8). Sennheiser Momentum sound doesn’t have as much base to the Bose, but overall sound is better than the Bose (10). Voice Calling: Most of this are ok with voice calling. I would say the Bose is a 9, Sony - WF1000XM5 is a 7 and Sennheiser Momentum 8.5 Controls: Bose controls are easier 10, Sony - WF1000XM5 packaging doesn’t even show the controls, have to research it (8) and Sennheiser Momentum 10. Ear Fit (working out, not running): Bose fits well and stays (10). Sony - WF1000XM5 with the different tips do not stay in ear well (8). Sennheiser Momentum fits and stays well (10)

These have the best sound quality I have ever heard out of a pair of earbuds. The sound cancelling is amazing, the battery life is outstanding, and they don't falling out when you use the right earbud tip. They come with 4 and if I remember right medium is already on there and it goes all the way down to super small, and I was using those until I tried to clean them, the tips get very dirty as they are made out the same type of foam the ear plugs are made of, the will pull most of the earwax out of your ear. So cleaning them is a must, this however is very hard to do they are extremely easy to damage with finger nails, they fall apart in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, use warm water and a cotton q-tip. There are some cheap replacement options on amazon. Now on to the sound quality and range, The biggest thing is the sound cancelling on these is out of the world because of the tips are designed to seal your ear completely so it is insane good, The highs are amazing and mediums are amazing, and the lows are great. The lows are diffidently the spot they lack in. The sony headphone app will help a lot with that so I highly recommend using it. The battery life is probably like 8 hours per charge, I could spend a whole day using them and they would not disconnect or anything. Pairing them to a pc is easy as long as pc or laptop has bluetooth just open the case and hit the pair button the back. I use them a lot when I drive to answer calls or just to listen to music. The call quality is lacking and makes it go to transparency mode automatically.

Last week, I traded in my old pair of WF1000XM4's for these, and much like the previous model, they are excellent noise cancelling earbuds with long battery life, and great portability. In the interest of full disclosure, I use non-standard memory foam eartips from Comply, which in my particular case improve comfort and noise isolation. Sound quality is crisp and clear, the touch controls are relatively intuitive, the earbuds themselves feel relatively light, and can sit comfortable in my ears for hours at a time. The multiple-device connection feature works pretty seamlessly too, and it's very convenient for any situation that may require you to switch back and forth between two audio sources. For anyone looking for a set of ultra-portable noise cancelling headphones, I can highly recommend these. Despite my general satisfaction, I do have a few minor gripes about this new model. The glossy plastic finish on the earbuds looks excellent, but it makes them feel a little slippery. I can't help but think it's going to lead to them getting dropped a few times. I've also run into a few bugs when using these earbuds to control Audible playback, especially when connecting to multiple devices at once. I'm hesitant to blame Sony for that, as I've definitely found Audible to be one of the most temperamental apps I use regularly when it comes to playback control, regardless of the device controlling it. Finally, while these do feel more comfortable than the outgoing model, I find it a little harder to get them in and out of my ears than the previous model due to the rounded design and glossy plastic surface. Adjusting how I hold them has helped, but it just doesn't feel as natural as it did with my old pair. Perhaps that's habit more than anything, as I had that pair for almost 3 years. All of these are minor issues, none of which would lead me to choose a different product over these, but I felt compelled to mention them nevertheless.

As good as the WF-1000XM4 earbuds are, I'm blown away by the new WF1000XM5's! I didn't think it was possible for the noise cancellation, sound quality and comfort to get any better then the previous generation Sony's, but man was I wrong! The battery life also seems to be much improved. I tried the top earbuds from most of the heavy hitters in this arena (Bose, Apple, Samsung, Sennheiser) before snatching up these earbuds, and the Sonys came way out on top in everything that matters. Yet another home run from Sony!

First off the design of the earbuds are amazing. The fit and feel way better than the "Sony WF-1000XM4." Sony also having their own app to help you customize your headphones/earbuds is quite a nice feature. Secondly an improvement from it's predecessor is that you can use either earbud how you want. With the "WF-1000XM4" the right earbud was the "main" so if you wanted to use the left, you had to have both. The Sony Wireless WF-1000XM5 allows you to use whichever you please which is preferable. The only issue I have is sound quality. Sony has come a long way, so should their products. Sometimes it sounds amazing, sometomes I to turn it all the way up just to hear it. The most frustrating issue is their are time's where it sounds like certain parts of the track is muffled or underwater. Some might try to say that "oh your listening to a posted version from an unreliable source" but I listen to it directly from the artist themselves. Overall the earbuds aren't bad, Sony is heading in the right direction. Just some small tune ups.

After about a month the ambient noise setting stopped working for the left ear. I’ve tried troubleshooting it and restarting and even asking it politely to work, soo. that’s a thing that may happen beware. Also, I wish it came with smaller earbud tips because of my stupid tiny ear canals so I had to switch em out. OTHER THAN THAT these rock, the battery life is super long and charges really fast and it sounds good. and the connecting to two things at once is *chefs kiss*. also the app is really good too. i think worth the money, just gotta figure out this left earbud thingy i suppose

I purchased the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds about three months ago, and I am still amazed by their exceptional design and performance. The engineering behind the noise-cancelling technology is remarkable—it effectively blocks out ambient sounds without compromising the rich, detailed audio quality much better than any of my previous wireless earbud experiences. I’ve particularly appreciated how the two dedicated integrated processors optimize the music based on the environment, delivering crisp highs, vibrant mids, and a solid bass response. Finally, Sony's unique polyurethane foam material does, in my opinion, noticeably intercept high-frequency signals at a much higher level of fidelity than any of the other wireless earbuds I have used, and it is the first implementation of such a method I am familiar with, though unfortunately as a result of the properties by which the polyurethane material functions, soft and compressible to form to a wide variety of ear canals and create a sort of pressure seal to reduce incoming noise, the material falls apart over a relatively short period of time(I ran through 3 pairs of earbud tips in a few months, though I likely used them more than the average user) and relatively quickly makes their use prohibitive. On the software side, the Headphones Connect app allows a surprising level of customization, letting me fine-tune EQ settings, tailor noise-cancelling levels, and even toggle voice controls. These features aren’t just gimmicks; they genuinely enhance day-to-day use by giving me the freedom to configure everything to my personal preference. Despite pairing them primarily with my iPhone, I never felt left out of the advanced features Sony offers. Unfortunately, I experienced a mishap that highlights how important support options can be. My sister’s puppy managed to chew up the case and both earbuds, eventually swallowing the right earbud. Thankfully, the puppy is healthy after several vet visits, but I am now left with a functioning left earbud and case—both visually battered yet operational—and no right earbud to be found. Because Apple’s tracking features don’t apply to these headphones, I have no way to locate the missing piece. I’m reaching out to Sony in hopes they can assist me in replacing the right side or provide some other remedy. In spite of this incident, I stand by my 5-star rating. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds deliver phenomenal audio fidelity, top-tier noise cancelling, and a thoughtfully designed app that significantly elevates the user experience.

I was amazed by the sound I was getting from these. Though it is technically the next generation beyond the XM4's, it is nearly on par with my headset XM4 that I have used tirelessly. kind of sound compacted to this size is no short of incredible. The noise-cancelling is incredibly capable as well. I of course can't agree that it's the absolute best, but this can't be beat for this price. I only feel like there's much more room in terms of functionality with the touch controls, but most of the takeaways have been incredibly positive for me. They almost feel like I'm wearing nothing at all.

Talk about about a learning curve moving from AirPods to Sony but I'm kinda glad they did. The noise cancellation is much better allowing for the volume to not need to be so high. Also, speaking on the phone is slightly better. Battery life is also much better!!! With updates they are also working very similar to AirPods anyone when connected to iPhone. Slightly more secure in the ear too.

They work great. Almost a year after buying them, everything has held up. This is the best option for great sound with no hassle.

Its truly no mystery sony once again knocked these wireless earbuds out the park! From the discreet look in ones ear to the beast mode connectivity from a at least 60 to 80 paces away flawless connection. It was a no brainer buy. Sound quality is perfect for my taste if your looking for an earbud that creates hearing loss these are not for you lol! Some people prefer deafening sound. The beauty bled of bass tremble is high-quality. Noise cancelation is amazing! I work in a steel mill super load it almost silences my surroundings better then earplugs designed to protect from harmful noise levels. A must buy if your looking for a well balanced earbud with amazing 8hr plus battery life, is what im averaging.

I have used Bose and Sony noise canceling headphones in the past. I must say that Sony's this specific headphone is slightly above in terms of noise canceling, sound quality (balanced bass/clear voice) and battery life. Its almost an year now I have been using these, amazing quality. Spatial audio features can be improved but worth the price!

The requirement for new earbuds arose due to the unfortunate misplacement of my Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by my children. The audio quality of these earbuds is exceptional for their form factor, and the noise cancellation feature is remarkably effective. Considering their overall performance, they represent a sound investment. While a lower price point of $50 would have been preferable, one must be realistic about their options.

Have been using these nearly constantly for 8 months now, they are better in nearly every way than the xm4s, look good, have a great battery life, fit in my pocket well, and sound better than any other wireless earbud I have tried. They have a warm sound curve and require minimal equalizer treatment (in my own opinion). Stay in while running, comfortable for long periods of time. If you can justify spending $300 on earbuds, they will treat you well for a long time.

I’ve tried a bunch of wireless earbuds, but the Sony WF-1000XM5s are hands down the best ones I’ve ever used. The sound is super clear with deep bass, and the noise canceling is crazy good—it blocks out almost everything. They're also really light and comfy, even after wearing them for hours. Battery life is solid too—about 8 hours per charge and the case gives you extra juice. They connect to multiple devices at once (like phone and laptop), which is super convenient. Plus, they’re sweat-resistant, so no worries if you’re using them at the gym or on a run. Honestly, if you're looking for premium earbuds that do it all, these are 100% worth it—especially if you can catch them on sale. Total game-changer.

Any enthusiasm I had for these is pretty much gone, and very happy I didn’t sell off my WF1000XM4s. They sound excellent, they pair up right well with the iPhone; beyond that, the little annoyances start to add up. First, the fit. If you have larger ears, you’re going to experience a lot more outside noise than usual. Some odd reason, the fit isn’t as tight as the previous model. Switching to a larger tip makes it uncomfortable for me and then you have this issue where it doesn’t fit in the case perfectly. Hopefully a third party like Comply or SpinFit will update their catalog to maybe remedy this. Two, random dropouts during playback. Sometimes it’ll be the right bud, or both. This may or may not be linked to the “unknown accessory” tab that randomly pops up on my phone screen. This has never happened on the previous model or any of my other wireless ANC buds. It’s quite annoying. New tips, maybe a firmware update will correct these annoyances ? I haven’t used these for phone calls. As expected the battery life is excellent in both the buds, and case. In the right setting, music detail , experience are excellent.