Sony has released an update to their best pair of wireless earbuds. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are a new and improved version of the Sony WF-1000XM4 which was launched back in 2021.
The new earbuds feature enhanced noise cancellation and sound quality, as well as a smaller and lighter minimalist design, which we actually prefer over the bulky and flashy appearance of the Sony WF-1000XM4.
Sony has also redesigned the earbuds’ case to make it more compact while improving the battery and charging capabilities. While the Sony WF-1000XM4 case can store 16 hours of battery life and deliver an additional 60 minutes of play on a 5-minute charge, Sony announced that the new Sony WF-1000XM5 case will store the same amount of power, but deliver an additional 60 minutes of play on a 3-minute charge. It also supports wireless charging with a QI charger.
The improvements to the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are thanks to improvements made to its processors and speaker placement. Sony announced that the new earbuds have a real-time audio processor and dual microphones in each earbud, powering the enhanced noise cancellation capabilities of the “Dynamic Driver X” driver unit and Integrated Processor V2.
In addition, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds come with improved tips that use special materials to provide extra noise isolation and improve the earbuds’ feel and fit. Sony disclosed that users will experience the full power of the enhanced noise-cancellation function of the earbuds in airplanes, trains, and buses.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds use Precise Voice Pickup Technology to amplify vocals, providing additional value to users who are frequently in noisy environments. Sony also disclosed that this technology uses an AI machine learning algorithm that was trained with 500 million voice samples to detect the user’s voice amidst ambient noise and project it clearly during calls.
To support the Precise Voice Pickup Technology, Sony has included bone conduction sensors in the earbuds, which pick up vibrations in the user’s voice from their skull bones, enabling accurate voice detection.
As you very well know, excellent audio and voice detection are of no value if the Bluetooth headsets cannot transmit or receive a clear signal to or from the device it is connected to. To prevent poor transmission, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds use Sony’s proprietary LDAC coding technology, which Sony reports is capable of transmitting 3x more data compared to conventional audio coding technology used in the industry.
In addition, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds use Edge-AI and head tracking to upscale and adjust sound for a more realistic listening experience. The earbuds also support features such as Auto Play to automatically play audio when certain triggers are detected, Multipoint Connect to support connection to two Bluetooth devices, and spatial sound technology to deliver immersive sound when users are playing Augmented Reality games.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds availability and Pricing
The Sony WF-1000XM5 is available in black and silver color options. Sony launched the earbuds today on pre-order for $299.99 USD, you can get yours at Amazon.
Update 11/29/2023: Our review of the Sony WF-1000XM5 is now live.