SonyWH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Cancelling Wireless Over-Ear Headphones, Bluetooth, Clear Call Quality, Hi-Res Audio, Up to 30hr Battery Life, Includes Hard Case, iOS & Android - BlackReducing CO2

Having tried a lot of headphones over the years, I can say the Sony WH-1000XM5 delivers one of the best audio experiences available, which is why they still deserve five stars from me.They’re not without their downsides: they’re comfortable but not the most comfortable (the XM4s might have the edge there), and the noise cancelling, while good, isn’t the absolute best if you’re after total world-blocking. But the audio quality is exceptional, the battery life is fantastic, and while some have had issues with durability, I’ve found mine to be reliably sturdy.If you want high-end sound quality and a solid overall performance, the XM5s are a great choice, even with a few minor flaws.

The headphones are a top choice for anyone who wants premium noise cancelling. They're super comfortable for long listening sessions and feel lightweight despite their sleek design.The noise cancellation is outstanding — blocks out background chatter, traffic, and even airplane noise. Sound quality is rich, with deep bass, clear vocals, and balanced highs.Battery lasts up to 30 hours, and it charges fast (just 3 mins gives you 3 hours). Touch controls work well and the voice assistant integration is smooth.Perfect for travel, work, or just relaxing at home. A bit pricey, but worth it if you want the best in comfort, sound, and silence.

Amazing headphones - Bought as used but they were pretty much brand new . Fit well on the ears and are comfortable. Sound quality is unmatched compared to my Bose and Senheisser headphones and seamless connectivity . Great value for money if you can get them on sale .

Considering all the rave reviews I have heard about Sony headphones I have to say I was underwhelmed. I should have known better as I used to own the predecessor of these headphones but I lost them on a train. After doing so I went back to my old Bose QC 25s and was a bit shocked at how good they sounded after listening to the Sonys. They just had an immediacy and clarity about then that somehow the Sonys lacked. So I stuck with the Bose again for some time until I got the itch to get something new and better and, once again, I read all the reviews and fell for these Sonys. Big mistake. As with ANY Hifi, you should have a PROPER listen before you buy, not try a few of your favourite tracks in a noisy department store like John Lewis Oxford Street, where the truth is it is actually very difficult, for me at least, to distinguish one sound from another. So after buying the Sonys, and feeling underwhelmed, I spoke to a London Hifi shop (kind of high end - I am guessing I should not name it here) and they said I should try the Senheisser something or others. Can’t remember the name. They said they would not say the Senheisers were better than the Sonys just different. They offered for me to go in and have a listen to them. I wanted more choice than that so I called up another Hifi shop - a chain that has lower end Hifi - and went in. They actually had a very good range of headphones from a couple of hundred pounds to almost £2000. They had the senheissers and sure enough they were obviously better than the Sonys. Indeed if I had stuck at that price point I would say that the Senheissers are clearly better. More natural and open sound with greater reality. Somehow the Sony sound is manufactured. As if to say this is what you get. This is our sound. The guys in the shop then suggested I go off piste and try something more expensive. I was blown away. But these were £1000 headphones reduced to about £600. That was way more than I wanted to pay for a pair of headphones. However it turned out they were the only pair in that model they had and they had been on display and worn by some customers. But you could barely see that. After some minor haggling then they gave them to me at cost price. They are stunning. Really impressive sound. But not as portable and light as the Sonys and even more so QC35s. I would not take them on a long flight or on a train journey say. No. I keep the Bose for that. But when at home and listening to music on my phone or my laptop I usedMy new more expensive headphones. I don’t used them with my Hifi as I see no point using headphones with a good Hifi. And they are tiring after a while. I mean all headphones. For me anyway. So I asked Amazon if I could return the Sonys and of course they said yes. Look it’s all personal choice. But at that price point I would say the Senheissers are definitely better. BUT FOR ME. That’s the point. You must listen first, compare, and make your choice. I think a lot of people buy headphones based on what they have read or seen other people buy. They buy into a brand and, well, hype. And Sony have the money and the brand clout to do that. The Sonys are good headphones. But for me there is better at the same or similar price. And there is way better for more money. Decide on your budget and get the best you can hear at that price. Or just follow the hype and buy the Sonys if you like the idea of owning them and if you like them then great. I would say the Sonys are perfect for people who like the idea of owning a brand and model with a good reputation. And don’t get me wrong they are good. But for me I wanted and found better, even at the same price point. But I went up a bit and found better still. Thans Amazon for giving me my money back with no fuss and no delay. But save yourself and Amazon the hassle and really have a listen to as many headphones and you can before you buy. And if you do that and find one you like and you want the convenience and safety of buying from Amazon, and you like the Amazon price, then go ahead. But never ever just buy on Amazon because you have heard or read that something is good. Unless you just want to buy into the brand and the hype and don’t care if there might be something better out there for the same price.

I read and watched a lot of reviews about ANC headphones and the Sony XM5s kept coming up as one of the top picks. Even though I was tempted by cheaper, but still highly rated headphones this seemed to be the best.Now that I have used it for a couple of weeks I can say I am really happy with my choice.COMFORT *****This is one I can wear all day - the soft headphone cups are very comfortable and I do not feel the strap at all and I have very short hair. The headset is adjustable and it even comes with a tutorial in the app that shows you how to set it. If you don't follow this I can see how some people could squeeze it on and feel it's too tight or sore on the headband but just following in the instructions there is nearly no weight on the headphone strap and it is padded well enough.SOUND *****The sound quality is excellent. Out of the box it sounds good but with the app provided fine tuning the EQ it is exceptional. For music you really can hear the detail in songs. The base is super clean with no distortion and plenty of depth and mids are clear and full, not the hollow scooped out sound you get from some other headphones. The highs are crystal clear without being tinny.Movies are great to listen to. Even without APTX low latency it has no problems with delays or lip sync on anything I have tested on Phone (Android) or desktop (Windows). Movies with great sound design like A quiet place 2 are incredible. Note I am using the Alternative A2DP Driver from bluetooth goodies on Windows so that I can use LDAC codec for higher bandwidth and quality and Tidal for high quality music but it works very well with spotify and standard windows bluetooth connection.Gaming - if you really look for it you can notice a slight delay but nothing that affects gameplay for me. Explosions, atmospheric music, dialogue all sound fantastic from Single player story driven games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake to competitive multiplayer like Naraka Bladepoint or Apex legends.Connectivity ****With support for Bluetooth 5 and LDAC connection should be solid. Never had cutouts or distortion when within the advertised range even through walls. It support multi device which allows you to connect to your tablet or PC while still controlling EQ, ANC and switch between devices from your phone which works well. Sadly if you use multidevice it prevents using LDAC so I leave this feature turned off as it is still really quick and easy to switch between devices - as soon as you hit connect on a paired device it takes over the connection, you get the ding and it's ready to go. It also remembers which of the devices it was last connected to when you turn it on.ANC *****The Active Noise cancelling is S tier - it really does work well. Cancelling out much more background noise than expected making it a dream to use in a noisy office or café. The way they have implemented pass through is really good so you can just hold you hand to the right ear to lower the volume of your music and have the 8 mics pass the outside sound to you and amplify it so you can quickly talk to someone. I don't use the automatic pass through when you start talking feature but I could see it being useful for some people. It also has good noise cancelling for the mic so making a voice/video call in a noisy area still sounds great for both you and the person you are calling.NegativesOf course there are some negatives but thankfully they are relatively minor.Firstly, they do not fold down as compact as other headphones. You're not going to fit this into your pocket or even want to throw it into a bag but it does come with a nice case and so constatly wearing it or take a big enough bag for it in the case.The other is that although the soft touch material on the cups feels way better than plastic or metal and transfers a lot less sound if something rubs against it like a hood or your hand it does leave unsightly greasy marks. I am experimenting with skins for it from xtreme skins as you can see in one of the photos which solves the problem but I didn't find the skins a good fit for the curved sides but your mileage may vary. I probably will put up with the greasy look to avoid the extra weight and faff of the stickers.The battery life would fall into this category as while very good it is not as long as some cheaper models offer. I can still run it all day with no issues of comfort or battery but I do find I am topping it up every other day instead of once a week as I have done with previous headsets. It's understandable with the relatively light weight and constantly on HQ ANC or pass through (I never use ANC off completely).Not really a negative as I didn't expect this from it but this is not a headset to wear while working out, jogging or in the rain. It has no water resistance. For those purposes I prefer to use earbuds anyway and find the Pixel Buds do the job just fine but of course the sound quality and lack of ANC mean it does not compare when you have the option of the Sony XM5s.Overall an excellent headset if you can appreciate great sound quality even if not an audiophile, with top notch noise cancelling and comfort.