Don’t come as a surprise then Recent leaksToday, however, Sony announced its latest flagship noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM5. They cost $399.99, up from previous 1000XM4s, and go on sale May 20.
Sony says it has taken already great noise cancellation to new heights by adding a second processor to the new headphones. The improvements are most noticeable in “mid to high frequency noise,” according to the company’s press release. This includes things like everyday city street noise and human voices.
The 1000XM5 models feature a completely different design from their modern predecessors. Sony opted for a more elegant look, switching to a stem-style slider and moving the microphones (there are now eight them) around the circumference of the ear cups. The 1000XM5 models also use a new type of faux leather on the headband, which is slightly thinner than previous models. The controls haven’t changed: you still control the volume with tap and swipe gestures, and there’s a physical button to switch between ANC and ambient modes.
The internal components have also changed. Sony has ditched the 40mm drivers on the 1000XM4 models in favor of new 30mm drivers that are supposed to sound more natural and “improve sound clarity and bass reproduction”. One criticism of the 1000XM4s has been the sometimes muddy bass, so it looks like Sony has worked to address that with the new model.
Sony WH-1000XM5 review: New design, new sound, new price
Sony also highlights the improved voice call quality made possible by four beamforming microphones and AI noise reduction algorithms. All of Sony’s signature features – LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling, 360 Reality Audio, Speak to Chat, etc. – have made their way into the 1000XM5s.
These headphones don’t really do anything the new Compared to the WH-1000XM4s, which Sony plans to continue selling. But the company appears confident that it outperformed the previous 1000X series headphones in the most important things like sound quality, noise cancellation and voice calls.
Is this true? Well, I’ve been testing 1000XM5s for the past few weeks, and you can Read the full review now Before you decide if it’s time to upgrade.
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