As expected, Sony has announced its new flagship wireless earbuds for 2023 and many fans will be excited at the arrival of the WF-1000XM5.
The firm has long been a force to be reckoned with in the headphone space, particularly with active noise cancelling, and the latest buds are no different.
Sony is not being shy, instead dubbing them “the best noise cancelling headphones” with “next-level immersive sound” and “Sony’s best ever call quality.”
You can read our full Sony WF-1000XM5 review already.
When is the Sony WF-1000XM5 release date?
Sony hasn’t been specific about when you can get your hands on the WF-1000XM5, stating only that they will be available in August.
We will keep an eye out and let you know the official release date as soon as we hear from Sony.
How much to the Sony WF-1000XM5 cost?
The WF-100XM5 are priced at $299.99/£259/€320. You can buy them from Sony .
This does mean they’ve been given a price bump, but the increase isn’t as big as many rumours suggested over the last few weeks and months.
So, they cost $19/£9/€40 more than the WF-1000XM4 and, to make a change, it’s the UK that gets the better deal.
Still, they are more expensive than key wireless earbud rivals such as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
What are the Sony WF-1000XM5 specs and new features?
- Improved ANC
- Dynamic Driver X
- Integrated Processor V2
- Smaller and lighter
They might be more expensive than their predecessor, but the WF-1000XM5 do come with a host of improvements and new features.
For starters, Sony is making some big claims about the ANC performance of the earbuds stating that they are “the best noise cancelling headphones” in the truly wireless market based on its own research.
This is partly down to the introduction of a third microphone on each bud. Now there are dual feedback mics, the buds can tackle low-frequency noise even better.
In the engine room, there’s a new Integrated Processor V2 as well as an HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e. The former is also responsible for enabling plenty of other features including High-Resolution Audio Wireless via Sony’s LDAC codec and DSEE Extreme upscaling.
Those extra microphones also mean Sony is touting its best ever call quality with a new ‘wind noise reduction structure’ as well as a noise reduction engine featuring AI machine learning.
The WF-1000XM5 also contain new Dynamic Driver X drivers for “for wide frequency reproduction, deep bass and clear vocals” though Sony doesn’t state what size they are. They contain multiple materials to achieve full-range as well as low distortion.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Despite the addition of microphones and new drivers, the WF-1000XM5 are both smaller (25%) and lighter (20%) than their predecessor. So, they should be more comfortable for longer periods and this is also aided by Noise Isolation Earbud Tips which come in a new ultra-small SS size for those with tiny ear canals.
They remain IPX4 water resistant and, like the LinkBuds S , both the earbuds and case use recycled materials in some parts.
Another new feature is Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial sound technology now has head tracking for a more immersive experience. However, you will need a compatible Android 13 phone and content – eg Netflix and Ingress – to use it.
Spotify Tap has also been added and you get the convenience of Multipoint connection out-of-the-box this time around (the XM4 have been updated over the air). There are also plenty of existing features such as Adaptive Sound Control and Speak to Chat.
Sadly, battery life is not an area where Sony has managed to make any strides. A quoted battery life of eight hours from the buds themselves is the same as before, though granted it is impressive to achieve with a smaller design.
The total, when you include the charging case is 24 hours (with ANC on). The case still has Qi wireless charging and Sony says just 3-minutes of charging the buds will give you up to an hour of playback.
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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