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I’ve spent my entire life deeply listening to music. Like, the sitting down in front of a pair of speakers, playing a vinyl record from front to back while taking notes type of listening to music. So, when I say I care about audio quality, you’d better believe I spent a few years looking for the perfect pair of Bluetooth headphones. After countless hours of research and reading, scrolling product review websites, tech publications and various Reddit threads, the over-ear Sony WH-1000XM5 became my holy grail. My only problem was its price tag: $400.
After months of saving, I finally pulled the trigger back in October, and after spending virtually my whole life believing that headphones that cost over $200 won’t make a difference, I’m happy to report that I’m dead wrong. A good pair of Bluetooth wireless headphones — one that can handle crisp highs and deep bass without static — genuinely makes a difference when listening to music. And when it comes to lifestyle assistance, like clear microphones, noise-cancelation and all-day comfort for a glasses-wearer like me, I can truly say that, without a doubt, WH-1000XM5 is the best pair of headphones I’ll ever own.
While I hashed out $400 for mine, luckily for you, they’re on sale right now at Amazon and Walmart at $100 off. Their more affordable pair, the WH-1000XM4, is also 43% off if you don’t want to drop that kind of cash. But I promise you should.
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are comfortable, well-padded and feel pretty dang good over your head — I’m talking pillowy soft. They’re USB-C rechargeable, have a battery life of up to 30 hours (I barely charge mine!), feature eight microphones for crisp audio for phone calls and Facetime and have a superb active noise-cancelation that blocks out distractions as needed. I find that ANC is pretty great for deep work and virtual therapy, helping me block out any ambient room noise and the outside traffic that usually disrupts my thinking. They also come in a protective carry case to stow away and bring along for travel, and keep them out of harm’s way.
It’s also loaded with a ton of features and pairs well with an app where you can toggle ambient mode, in case you’d still like to hear what’s going on around you while they’re on, and an equalizer to control your highs and lows. They also have an adaptive mode that automatically adjusts to your environmental noise, turning down the volume as needed. My favorite feature, and probably the most convenient, is their auto-pause — once you take them off your head, your headphones pause whatever you’re listening to and automatically resume when you put them back on. They come in four colors, though only black is the lowest price at Walmart: black, pink, silver, and blue.
If the pair that I love and adore are too expensive for your budget, consider grabbing the Sony WH-1000XM4 at Amazon instead. They’re 43% off, and while they don’t sport as great of ANC technology as the WH-1000XM5, nor do they feature an adaptive mode, many reviewers still love them. “Overall, the headphones turned out to be quite an exceptional pair, especially when it comes to listening to music during commutes,” says one reviewer on Amazon. “The great noise cancelling, beautiful audio, and fantastic transparency mode definitely make these headphones a winner in my book. And the app only helps to improve the flexibility of the headphones, allowing for many different features to be unlocked.”
If you’re in the market for the last pair of headphones you’ll ever need, consider grabbing the WH-1000XM5 while they’re on sale at Walmart and Amazon. They’ll also make an excellent gift for that audiophile in your life! Read on for more promising reviews of the WH-1000XM5, and check out the WH-1000XM4 if the former is just out of budget.
More promising reviews of the Sony WH-1000XM5:
“The Sony WH-1000XM5 are, hands down, one of the best noise-canceling headphones I’ve ever used. The sound quality is fantastic, with a balanced, clear sound profile that works well across all genres. The noise cancellation is top-tier, effortlessly blocking out background noise whether you’re traveling or just in a noisy environment. Comfort is excellent, with plush ear cups and a lightweight design, making them great for long listening sessions. Battery life is superb, offering up to 30 hours of use, and the quick charge feature is a nice bonus. The design is sleek and minimalist, though they do feel a bit delicate. Overall, the WH-1000XM5 are an outstanding choice for anyone looking for premium audio quality and industry-leading noise cancellation.” — Aron
“[…] The sound quality out of these are amazing! Does really well in all areas of music genres. Particularly really in low frequencies for bass! I get to enjoy these at a great volume and it pairs amazingly with my PS5 as a gaming headset! (Will mention the headphones does not come with a microphone for gaming when using a headphone jack.) As a pair of noise cancelling headphones, you can expect to hear a positively good detail in music, movies, gaming or even a phone call! They are clear and surprisingly really balanced. The microphone on these headphones for phone calls are great. Better than the previous versions. […] ” — Richard Huynh (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review.)
“These headphones will take a small bit of time to update especially on iPhone. Firmware and software. Take your time and it will be fine if you follow the directions. Learn how to use the swiping gestures and be patient with it. It all works well with a quirk or two here and there. Not a deal-breaker. The sound is quite real and smooth, bass is just fine for you bass-heads. Sony definitely has its own sound signature and I like it. The ability to customize the sound etc., through the app is the best I’ve seen, and it works. The headphones themselves are VERY lightweight, almost to a “cheap-o” feeling but for me, this makes them more comfortable when compared to others like B and W PX7′s which are OK in their own right for BT headphones. The iPhone 15 Pro I have has NO problems with connectivity, so stop complaining in the reviews, your doing something wrong. Longevity of the headphone itself is TBD but you should careful not to throw them under a bus if you know what I mean. I consider myself an audiophile (wanna-be) and think the sound is quite acceptable and pleasing for bluetooth. Happy listening.” — Charles Q.
“A: Exceptional battery life. B: Call quality that was considered good UNTIL I did a direct comparison to my Blueparrott B450-XT’s – NO WHERE NEAR the quality of the Blue 450’s, BUT the Blues are made specifically for calls in noisey environments. . Blues are in my opionion the defacto standard by which all other ANC phone calls should be judged. My “demo” for people is to run my upright vacuum cleaner whilst on a call. People on the other end cannot hear it AT ALL – REALLY!, I hear them, and they hear me perfectly! TRULY amazing! I did the same test with these and alas they failed miserably in comparison. I expected that. I was told they sound like I am in a room away from the microphone, a bit fishtank like, and muddy. SO, they’ll do in a call but not as a primary phone call device in noise. I heard a sample of the BOSE 700’s and they were terrible, which is what prompted me to get the Sony’s. C: One unconventional thing they do great at: A Sleep Aid. Yup, they drown out all the extraneous noises like people talking, Air conditioners, fans, Water coolers, hums, etc. ALL gone with nothing playing through them! I bought them primarily for playing on my PS5, and watching TV late at night. They do both quite well. […]”— Waydavis (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review.)
“[…] All in all I’m pleased with the XM5 so far. It sounds nicer than the retiring XM3 I had been using, and it fits my large noggin decently well. I do think that the headband is, if anything, a bit on the loose side. But that does seem to aid in making the XM5 wear as comfortably as it does for me. The XM3 was a difficult set to wear to sleep; any slight turn of my head at night often resulted in neck pain the next morning. I’ve not had this problem at all with the XM5. So far it’s been a 5-star experience, and I’m looking forward to continuing to use these for the next few years.” — monoblocks (This review has been edited for length. Read the full review.)