Let’s cut to the chase. I love my jams. I hate crying kids on the airplane. Or people wanting to make conversation in places I least needed them. I’m on the urinal, sir. Please, stop talking about your limited edition model train collection from 1974 – there’s a time and place for everything.
Table of Contents
My Overall Experience
I didn’t know I needed them, but Jesus Christ how I missed them. I can’t do without them anymore. My life has improved immensely ever since I got my Sony noise-cancelling headphones. These bad boys will filter out any unwanted social interaction with people. You don’t even have to feel the need to react to some rando walking up to you and talk about his weird toxic plants and his pet snake; you can simply ignore him. Everyone will understand. And the best part is: you’re doing it all while listening to your favorite bangers, which makes you feel badass all the same time, which catalyzes a misplaced confidence you know you shouldn’t feel in that moment. But it’s there. And it’s great.
Anyways, I purchased Sony’s newly released WH1000XM5 and its specs are absolutely top notch. For starters, the battery life is awesome. I’ve had it for two months now and I only needed to charge it once since unpacking. On top of that, the noise-cancelling is insane. It has given me so much more peace and quiet during the day. On my way to work and during traveling, I could sometimes get slightly over-stimulated by my surroundings. But with these headphones, that all fades away. It’s like sitting inside a featherlight sound cocoon that embraces your ears and filters out all the unnecessary sounds. I actually feel more well-rested and energized now that I can shut myself off from unwanted, triggering noises.
The Equalizer
The great thing about these headphones, is the EQ. Unlike JBL, a brand that focuses more on bass, the Sony approach is very equal. It doesn’t screw around so much and doesn’t peak certain frequencies. As an audiophile, I love that. I don’t want my stereo output to add another layer on the original mix. And the great thing is that if I do want that, I can just go to the app to adjust the equalizer. However, in the first two months that I have it, I still didn’t need to use it.
Comparison to WH1000XM4
Now, is it better than its predecessor? Yes, obviously. But not a lot. I tested them both and the level of noise-cancelling is pretty equal and the sound quality too. It’s Bluetooth from the XM5 that’s slightly better, but it’s a negligible enhancement, really. Also, the XM4 is actually much more portable than the XM5. The XM4 has a foldable design, while the XM5 can’t be folded and comes in a large hard-case. I do think the design of the XM5 is slicker and I thought it fitted my skull a little better, but that’s just a very personal preference.
So, if you don’t care about design, the XM4 has not been improved that much by the XM5, which is actually a bit of a swing-and-a-miss by Sony. But then again, the XM4 was already the best you could get, so it’s no shocker the difference in audio quality is so slim. And, much more important, they make stuff that makes me happy. So, who’s complaining? Not me. Because I don’t complain anymore at all since I have these. I’ve succumbed to my comfortable zen lifestyle.
Added features
And then it has some funny additional features that are pretty useless, but hey, they’re not unwanted either. For instance, you can cover the shells with your hand palms while wearing them and then the noise-cancelling goes away. You can also tap on the shells, which should trigger something, but I barely use that feature.
In conclusion
So yes, if you’re looking for headphones under $400 with great quality, I would definitely recommend it. Maybe I’d even recommend the XM4 before the XM5, especially if you prefer the design of the XM4 and if you don’t need extra features. So yeah, go for it. Your life will never be the same again.
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Sem Bergman 