Sony - WF-1000XM5
Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to support the site! I may get a small commission for some links, and it doesn't cost you anything. Thank you!
Reddit Reviews:
Filter by Topic:
Based on 1 year's data from Mar 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
89
18
"The sound is perfect for me. There's lots of detail and it's a wide soundstage and more than enough bass."
"Re sound quality, the Sony is much better. ... But I would never ever reach for them to listen to music."
"The eq works very well, thank god lol I’m not a fan of the stock sound (but excited preset is great)."
106
27
"noise cancelling headphones are such a blessing for me. i've always been sensitive to noise and i get overstimulated easy when out in public. they give me silence and privacy when I need it. worth every cent!"
"The noise cancelling is insane"
"Sony's ANC is second to absolutely none."
21
4
"No battery problems, still getting me through nearly 10 to 12 hours with ANC or Transparency. ... A full charge is usually enough to get me through the day, including that quick charge. ... on one full charge, you should expect around 7 to 8 hours of playback with ANC or AAC nonetheless."
"My battery lasts about 6-7 hrs of continuous usage ... I use them all day as i work, I also use them when I go to the gym and just streaming stuff and havent had issues."
"battery life is double ... Xm5s easy 8hrs."
44
40
"they stay in place ... I run a lot ... For a mix of workouts and daily use"
"Perfect for sleeping too. ... Not too tight"
"Sony sit nicely and cover up all gaps to make better ANC."
Disliked most:
6
30
"The amount of foam tips I have to buy is stupid ... I have like 10 in a little satchel for then my current ones inevitably rip open."
"Mind the mx5s are the most uncomfortable/awkward ear fit I've ever experienced."
"the fit was unbearable. ... Some of the most uncomfortable earbuds I've ever owned."
4
22
"left side depletes battery faster (and I mean _very_ fast) than the right by a lot, essentially making them useless. ... It's very annoying and a known manufacturing issue they just have never resolved."
"I have had two sets where the left earbud just stops working after a while. The first time was after about a year and the second was after only 4 months"
"the batteries will become un-chargeable in about 18 months. Happened to mine and my wife's."
12
18
"I had the Sonys and they were the worst that I tried in terms of microphone quality."
"Wfxm5 mic quality is garbage"
"XM5 have terrible mic quality if you talk outdoors. ... Mic is awful."
6baglowchert5slump 1.0I have owned both the Bose quietcomfort ultra earbuds, and the Sony 1000XM5 earbuds for over a year now. I prefer the Bose over the Sony for work. I pour and finish large slabs as a commercial concrete finisher, and these earbuds allow me to block out the noise from my coworkers, as well as machines. Whether I’m finishing an elevated deck with iron workers a level above me smashing steel, or if I’m tired of listening to my pendejo amigos, I just pop in my quiet-comfort ultras and my day becomes much better
9sim9 1.0Surprisingly well worth the money but only if you buy something exceptional like the Sony brand, after owning a sony pair of earbuds everything else sounds like a cheap pair even the expensive ones...
The WF-1000XM4 or WF-1000XM5 they are the top end of the sony range but have heard good things about the mid range sonys as well.
aa21238 1.0I just went FROM the XM5s to the Buds 3 Pro and honestly, I should've done it before. The Sony never sat well and had to really really push them hard in to the ear canal to get proper ANC. For me as a user who mainly wear during flights/trains and on the go work calls - the Samsung so far is breeze and I like the pinch and swipe functions. Your mileage will vary but totally find the XM5 in ears to be too hyped.
Abject-Classroom-784 1.0The way I see it. If you want the best build and sound quality get wired iems. Not to mention most iems have detachable cables so longevity isn't as much of a concern. So obviously when you look at it this way expensive bluetooth earbuds seem useless and they kind of are. Most people don't buy bluetooth earbuds for quality alone there buying a brand Apple, Samsung, Bose, Sony etcetera. I'm even an example of that I've had Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, and Sony WF-1000XM5. The most important features for bluetooth earbuds imo are comfort, convenience, and Ambeient/ANC. Because sound quality shouldn't be as much of a concern imo because most situations when you would use a bluetooth earbud sound quality wouldn't matter as much such as working, exercising, or travel. I feel like in all of those instances the three things I mentioned are more important. So in conclusion expensive bluetooth earbuds aren't worth it but if you know why you want a certain model such as Sony or Bose for anc such as for myself. It just comes down to if you're willing to sacrifice longevity for convenience.
absurdherowaw 1.0I don’t know, I use iOS and Sony’s WF-XM5 earbuds sounds way more detailed and lively compared to AirPods, both from Qobuz and Apple Music.
abyde 1.0I have the Sony WF-1000XM5 and DNB sounds great on them.
Academic-Bug-9654 1.0I usually pair it with the wf-1000xm5.
According_Reality117 1.0Bass and AirPods do not go together. Sony XM5s tick all the boxes. Including bass
JBL Tour, Bose QC, Sony XM4 and XM5, Liberty NC4... They all sound better but like I said, AirPods Pro 2 truly shine with their seamless integration into the Apple Ecosystem, transparent mode, ANC and call quality. You can basically put them on and forget they're there
The ANC and features on the AirPods are going to be the best.. especially if you have an iPhone. The sound quality is good, but nothing to brag about. In that price range you ou could also get Sony XM5s as they sound amazing and have amazing ANC
acheyneck 1.0In my music grab bag: Sennheiser ie900 (daily driver) Sony xm5 earbuds (noisy travel anc backup) Ibasso dx180 (bit heavy and sharp edged for me) Qudelix5k (intro’d me to peq) DD Hifi TC19CC OTG (great connector) 3.5 / 4.4 mm balanced cables Anker 20k power bank Apple air tag BTR19 joining this week
My music grab bag: + Sennheiser ie900 (daily driver) + Sony xm5 earbuds (anc for noisy travel) + DdHifi TC19cc OTG (great connector) + Qudelix5k (intro’d me to peq) + 2.5 / 3.5 / 4.4mm balanced cables + ibasso dx180 (bit heavy and sharp edged) + anker 20k power bank (also a bit heavy) (Fiio BTR 19 joining this week, Qudelix 5k being passed on.)
actual_griffin 1.0I don't necessarily think that they do overcharge. AirPods are excellent. I've had a pair of AirPods Pro for six years, and AirPods Pro 2 for three. I also had Sony WF-1000XM4s and XM5s, which have better noise cancellation than those, but are significantly more expensive. Apparently the AirPods Pro 3 have even better noise cancellation than the Sonys. If you're someone with an iPhone, MacBook or iPad, the AirPods are even better. If you don't use any Apple products, I wouldn't even consider them.