Sony WHF-1000XM5
Price: £379 from fave.co/3NtO1r6
Sony’s over-ear noise-cancelling headphone, the WH-1000XM4 has ruled the roost as our top pick in noise-cancelling headphones. Well, I have news: The king is dead. Sony has an all-new noise-cancelling headphone–the £379 WH-1000XM5 – and it’s nothing short of spectacular.
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 isn’t a minor revision of the WH-1000XM4, it represents a clear rethinking of the product from top to bottom. And the results are overwhelmingly positive.
Everything starts with Sony’s plastic-free packaging. This new model comes in your choice of black (the colour or my review sample) or silver. The latter is more accurately described as a light cream colour, and it’s a stunning improvement over the previous generation’s palette.
When I first lifted the WH-1000XM5 at a private Sony event, I was immediately struck by how light they are. ‘Featherweight’ came to mind. Even though there’s only about four grams difference between the 150g WH-1000XM5 and their 154g predecessor, the XM4, when I held both models in my hand, the difference was noticeable. And that carries over to wearing them, too. It’s almost like not having anything on your head at all.
The light weight is due in large part to the continued use of plastic as opposed to aluminium armbands. I understand why Sony pursued this design decision; nevertheless, every time I see
