Sony WH-1000XM5 review: new design, new sound, new price

Filed under:Sony’s latest noise-canceling headphones have a fresh look and iterative improvementsIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.Sony has a brand new flagship set of noise-canceling headphones: the WH-1000XM5. And as much as we’ve ragged on Sony’s terrible product names before, I think that at least with the 1000X series, people get it: these have always been among the very best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. If you look at some of Sony’s competitors like Bose’s Noise Canceling Headphones 700 or Apple’s AirPods Max, you can see where Sony may have found some inspiration. But one thing Sony’s new headphones can’t do anymore is fold. Sony has switched from 40-millimeter drivers in the 1000XM4s to 30-millimeter drivers in these new headphones. Sony stuck with the same QN1 noise cancellation processor for the new headphones, but now it’s also added in a second processor to dial up ANC even further. But if you want to use the Headphones Connect app, which is essential for customizing the settings, EQ, and other features of the headphones, you’re agreeing to:You can also opt in to letting Sony collect data from your usage of the Headphones Connect app, which the company says is for the purpose of improving its products and services.Together, you get three optional agreements.The 1000XM5s still support LDAC, Sony’s codec for higher-quality wireless audio. It seems like Sony got confused with what it wanted the 1000XM5s to be: they’re a strange half-step between the 1000XM4s and luxury headphones like the AirPods Max. There’s no major new feature or big headlining thing about them.