It’s been over two years now since Sony dropped the WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds, and while a number of us in the SoyaCincau office were quite a fan of them, the Japanese giant has now launched its successor, the WF-1000XM5. Proudly calling them the ‘best noise cancelling headphones’, the XM5s are smaller and better than before, complete with a higher price tag too.
With a 25% smaller body and a 20% reduction in weight compared to their predecessor, Sony claims that its the biggest step forward in noise cancelling for them. The WF-1000XM5 earbuds continues to build upon its lineup’s noise cancelling with a triple microphone setup on each earbud, including dual feedback mics. Each earbud has a new V2 integrated processor too, with an updated QN2e noise cancelling processor in them as well. The earbuds also now have noise isolation earbud tips that reduce noise in the high frequency range too.
The WF-1000XM5 earbuds have 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X units in each earbud that, according to Sony, provides richer vocals, lower distortion and 24-bit audio processing. You’ll also of course find support for Sony’s LDAC audio codec technology and Bluetooth 5.3, as well as DSEE Extreme, an AI-powered digital music upscaling technology. There’s an AI-based noise reduction algorithm here for better call quality with these earbuds as well. They come with an IPX4 water resistance rating too.
As for their battery life, Sony rates the WF-1000XM5 to be good for up to 8 hours of music, with another 16 hours of use possible via the charging case when noise cancelling is on. Without noise cancelling, you can expect 12 hours of use with the earbuds and a further 24 hours from the charging case. A 3-minute charge will be able to get you an hour of use too if you’re in a hurry, while a full charge will take approximately one and a half hours. The charging case itself meanwhile can be charged either via USB-C or wireless charging. You’ll also find them in packaging made out of 100% paper materials as part of Sony’s sustainability efforts.
As for pricing and availability, the Sony WF-1000XM5 will be coming to Malaysia this August with a retail price of RM1,399, making it notably more expensive than its predecessor that launched for RM1,099. Over on the Sony Malaysia online store, the first 50 customers to pre-order it will also be able to get a free limited edition gift box, while all pre-orders will come with a limited edition passport holder too. Once you receive your new wireless earbuds, if you register its warranty with Sony Malaysia you’ll also stand a chance to win their ZV-1F vlogging camera.
