5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, impressive upgrade

W. · July 31, 2023

There’s a bit of possible Sony hate going on in some reviews, like others I got burned on a pair of WF-10004XM refurbished and one of the batteries started failing after a year. Wasn’t worth the cost of repair. Have others from QCY and Soundcore that were surprisingly good for less cost. Also had trouble with refurbished headphones WH-1000XM4, luckily had added insurance. Cut to buying a new pair that have been flawless.Got the Sony WF-C700N a couple months ago to scratch my earbud itch. Very good for the price. If you’re not ready to throw down $300 for the XM5 they’re a great alternative. Not quite as musical, but no gripes anyway. You can get picky about the throwback buttons but oh well.One comment before I get more specific on the XM5. I fully agree with another review that calls out Sony for how complicated their Sony Connect app has become. It could be simplified for people who don’t want to get into the tech so much.Now, how do they sound? I’m impressed and I’m not using them to their full potential. Using with iPhone so Bluetooth SBC codec is the most basic and lowest quality solution (after digging into the codec question a bit more it does appear that the iPhone has the AAC codec also). However, with the help of Sony’s equalizer and DSEE function I’m very happy with the sound. I almost don’t want to try them with a better codec and then have to go back. (Still applies with AAC, DSE does improve sound)I need treble boost for my old ears and having played bass no surprise I like a lot of bass. These don’t disappoint. I did an A-B comparison with the XM4 headphones and they didn’t have quite the low end but good and punchy with good definition between bass and drums.both can become nice and “growly” on the low end.Noise cancellation is very good, not as good as the headphones but after only a couple days I have been quite satisfied so far.Comfort level is better than the XM4 buds, but I’m so pissed I wasted the money now I don’t want to dig them out to compare audio! I think Sony really improved the fit and design to be lighter, more comfortable, and have impressive sound. Let’s just hope they found a better battery.Used overnight and had battery left in the morning but playing audiobook on timer so i couldn’t say how long continuous playback.I’ll update after I’ve had them longer.(Update) battery life seems to be very similar to the XM4. Sometimes I have battery left in the morning sometimes it comes up short.Another follow up, comes with 4 sets of tips but apparently I have very large ear canals as I’m unable to get a complete seal with the included buds. The large felt good at first but when I used the connect app to check for airtight seals I could not get them to seal. Fortunately I have many tips I’ve saved over the years and by mixing, matching, and testing I have a couple that seal. I even tried ordering extra large tips from a couple vendors and they didn’t work either. Nice that Sony is including extra small but what about us with extra large needs! I do have a possible solution on the way, find a video on YouTube that shows how to use Sugro glue rolled up and inserted in the mushroom part of the tip. Press in the ear to get a fit and then allow to cure over night. Hoping it works, I have a few tips I’d like to try this on. Was even investigating custom molded tips but for $150 plus I’ll try the Sugro hack…8/5/23 tried the Sugro hack yesterday. Still have to work to get an airtight fit but it definitely helped.My opinion on the sound has not diminished. Excellent with what I listen too. A lot of classic rock but also new material from Elle King and others. Listening to Lourdes “Royals” a very deep bass which presents low, solid, and clear. You can easily distinguish the bass and drums. The low rumbling bass of Pink Floyd “Welcome to the Machine” couldn’t be much better in any buds. Almost like I could feel it.I’m now using the WF-C700n as my workout and dog walking buds. Sound signature is very similar but the bass is not quite as good. One thing they are lacking is the airtight fit check in the app. I had to use other tips and the Sugro mold hack to get a good consistent fit in both. The included tips are worthless to me and my big ears.I see a lot of criticism of the noise cancellation for the XM5. I have no way to measure so it’s pretty subjective but I’m not disappointed. At least as good as the XM4. But with any ANC earbuds the airtight seal is critical.If you’re not ready to throw down $300 the WF-C700n are a very good alternative, but are not touch controlled, a single button on each side. Not quite as good on the low end but not disappointing either. In direct comparison you can hear the difference.I still think these are 5 star worthy. I’d take off half a star because of the somewhat complex app but if you like to tinker with the sound and features, give it back. People who are not “technical minded” may find it intimidating. I find it useful but jammed with some features I wouldn’t normally use, like automatically changing settings depending on location as an example. Some might find it useful but not me. The equalizer and clear bass functions are excellent. DSEE function makes a noticeable difference in sound quality. Happier with these than I was with the XM4. Just hope the batteries last, I would hope Sony changed from the $70 replacement cost batteries (not including labor) used in the XM4 as apparently so many people had problems with them dying out after a few months.9/22/23Used these today instead of the WF-C700n for my indoor cycling and to walk the dog. Usually I do those activities with the cheaper buds as for $300 I want to take every precaution to protect them. So…more feedback on the ANC. Definitely a difference on the bike with 2 pretty loud blower fans on. The WF-C700n does a very good job in the same situation but I could definitely tell a difference. Could hardly hear the fans at all and the WF-1000XM5 does have the superior sound performance. Note these blowers are loud enough that if I have my Apple Watch to close to them I get the over 90db warning. They’re not 90db from the bike but they are loud. These cancelled almost all the noise. With volume on my music I don’t hear the fans at all.

5.0 out of 5 stars Darn near perfection.

H. · July 29, 2023

I have used pretty much every credible earbud in the last few years. Sony, Apple, Beats, Bose, B&W, Samsung, Klipsch, M&D, and more. I have also used every generation of Sony buds. In terms of overall use and features, these are not a giant change from the last gen XM4 buds. However, there are significant improvements in key areas. Here is the breakdown:Sound: There are moderate sound improvements here, over the last generation Sony's, which were already close to class leading. Sony put a larger driver in here and it makes a difference. Additionally, Sony added a lot of processing horsepower here. The put in their latest chip for audio, but then added a separate chip to handle all of the ANC duties. Sony argues, that by separating the tasks here, they were able to more finely tune the audio. You can hear the difference. Bass is thumping, highs are even more crisp, and the mid vocals definitely pop more. I am no audiophile but these are really good. To me, these sound better than the latest Bose and Airpod Pro buds. You have to get into the really high-end audio companies to find sound this good. As always, you get Sony's LDAC here if you can use it for high-end audio options and the DSEE Extreme tech that upscale regular more compressed audio. The DSEE really shines here. Your Spotify or Apple music app has never sounded so good. I think most folks will be very satisfied with what Sony has done here and, at the end of the day, sound quality is a big reason to make such an investment.Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): These are the best ANC buds Sony has ever made which is saying something. They were already 1b to the latest from Bose, but these have improved dramatically to me. The new dedicated chip just gets it done. These buds adjust the ANC to the noise around you. I honestly hear pretty much nothing other than my music when I have these in. The latest Quiet Comfort's from Bose are still at least as good to me in this arena, but that is pretty much the only area that Bose still is really on equal footing. At least in my opinion. Fit really determines great ANC, so while these are great, there is definitely some subjectivity that comes into play here. I think most will be very happy with the results they get here though.Form Factor: This is an area that Sony has absolutely nailed it and I am going to just say, FINALLY! Every bud Sony has made has always had an asterisk for me. "They sound so good but they just aren't that comfortable" was what I often told folks. Not anymore. Sony has made these buds significantly smaller and by adding the glossy interior, has created a bud I hardly notice in my ear. They have gone from a "yeah but" to a class leader in the fit and comfort space. I really cannot emphasize enough how good these are. These buds have an IPX4 rating so they should handle the gym with no issues. Sony has included a revised version of their hybrid foam tips from last year and they are great. They just hold the buds in snug and really help block ambient sound. Just so so good Sony. Thank you for the thoughtful redesign. I also want to give Sony a nod for the case redesign. Same battery (3 charges) but much smaller. I love it.Battery and Connectivity: The battery life is the same from last year. About 7 to 8 hours of real use. It is fine. Not class leading but not bad either. Connection here is BT 5.3 so the latest. Same as last gen. However, Sony said that these buds will be LE compatible when they finally start rolling this out over the coming year so you can expect even better sound and perhaps even battery life someday soon. This essentially future proofs these buds.Call Quality: Not much to say here other than these are about as good as it gets. Sony added bone conductive tech here and you can tell. Your calls sound great.Intangibles: There are too many features to unpack here. You really need to read all that Sony has packed into these. From the upscaling audio, to one touch audio play, to speak to pause tech to gestures and so so so much more. You can literally get lost in the app. Almost too much is going on here. Regardless, there is almost nothing that these buds can't do. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Sony has multipoint connection option here as well. It is only two devices, so there are more robust options out there, but this should be fine for most in real life application. Very good stuff.So, should you buy these? If you are an Android user, the answer is 100% yes. Apple users have to consider that Airpods are more tightly integrated into their space. Further, Apple is getting ready to launch their high end sound codec as well, which these will not support. They are still worth considering though as Sony has just made a better sounding product. To me, these might be the best all around buds I have ever tried. From sound to calls to comfort, Sony has just nailed all of it. There are companies that offer buds that do one thing better perhaps, but none are as complete as these in my opinion. So, yes, buy these. You will not regret it. I will update as I go here.

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost perfect (don't like the foam tips)

N.b.p. · December 3, 2024

I have over-the-ear Sony's but wanted something for the gym, that's right I work out. These are very light and unobtrusive, the sound is fine, probably too bass heavy for audiophiles but you can adjust, noise canceling is okay--I'm using the biggest of the foam tips because I want a tight fit to keep them secure *and* to help block noise, but the foam is just not dense enough so it never feels that secure and you get sound leakage the ANC can't block. Seems incredible to produce this high-tech wizardry and then cheap out on the foam so it ruins the effectiveness but come on, I'm sure that $0.000013 savings adds up.

Amazing sound and anc

M. · November 23, 2024

I had the xm4s previously and got these ones to upgrade from prime day. The design is much smaller and better, the comfort is incomparable to the xm4s as these you can forget are in your ears. The build quality is great and everything feels sturdy (minus the case) and the touch controls are better than the previous version. Overall these are amazing earbuds.ProsSound qualityMuntipoint connectionAmazing anc and transparencyLots of improvements software wise from xm4sSmaller case and buds over xm4sConsPoor case design (hinge feels flimsy still and construction feels worse than xm4s)PriceWould still recommend!!

Melhor Escolha para Cancelamento de Ruído e Bateria

I.R.L. · August 11, 2024

Estou usando o fone intra-auricular da Sony há quase três semanas e estou impressionado! O controle de ruído e a qualidade do microfone são excelentes, especialmente quando comparados a outros fones da mesma categoria. A durabilidade da bateria também me surpreendeu, durando mais de 8 horas sem recarga.Tenho outros modelos de concorrentes famosos, mas este se destaca em cancelamento de ruído e duração da bateria. Na categoria intra-auricular, poucos modelos oferecem uma qualidade de microfone decente. Eu daria uma nota entre 7 e 8 para o microfone, o que é ótimo para um fone desse tipo. Para qualidade de microfone excepcional, geralmente é necessário um modelo que cubra toda a orelha.Um ponto negativo é que o manual veio em japonês, mas encontrei facilmente uma versão em inglês na internet. Isso não desqualifica o fone, apenas um detalhe a considerar.Outro ponto positivo é a sincronização com diversos dispositivos de diferentes marcas. Alternar entre dispositivos Apple e Android é fácil, algo que não vi em outros modelos.Estou confortável em dar a nota máxima: 5 estrelas.

Excelente

A.T. · December 6, 2023

Fones de ouvido excepcionais. Atender telefonemas com esse aparelho é muito confortável, nem se compara com as versões anteriores.

Great product value for money

B.S. · January 16, 2025

This is the best ANC earbuds you can buy. Better then apple earbuds. I use it almost all places like office, workout, flight etc. very good fit. The call quality is great on this. And when you are using this in flight you can feel the difference. Adaptive noise cancellation is great. There are tons of features in it. You just need to explore.I bought it during 2024 Diwali sale. Got it for 11500/- but that was very lucky. After that the price never came down more than 15K which is also great.I would strongly recommend this for daily use.Music quality is way above then anything in this segment.Sound clarity is great during calls.Charging is great. Keeps atleast 4-5 days including box. Fast charging is there and also wireless charging is a +1.Connectivity is great with any android or IOS device with multi point connection which seemlessly switch between two devices.Design is great and good to carry.

ممتازة

M. · December 29, 2024

عندي اختها الكبيرةالـ WH-1000XM5وده اللى شجعني اجيب ال WFوالصراحة ممتازة ومش حاسس بفرق كبير بينها وبين الـ WHال Noise canceling فيها عالمي وده كان اهم حاجة بالنسبة ليثابتة فى الودن بشكل ممتازوالصوت ممتاز طبعاً .. فى الأخر دي سوني.