As an avid Sony enthusiast, myself, it’s safe to say that they have not disappointed for the most part. And their audio gear is one to live for as they have been pretty consistent in terms of improvements and offers phenomenal experience. The XM Series is the pinnacle of all things ANC and good audio quality and this year, we get the all-new Sony WH-1000XM5. Here’s everything you need to know.

New Design and Eco-friendly Package

Sony’s initiative to make an impactful situation is very clear and their Road to Zero environmental plan is something they are proud of. That said, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are now packaged in the same plastic-free Sony Original Blended Material we have seen in the past. And the headphone itself, is made up of recycled Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic from automobile parts.

Now it has a much more slimmer headband, with a nice soft material on the top so that it doesn’t pressure your head by a lot. The Soft Fit leather material is more stretchable than the Synthetic leather we find in previous generations headphones. And it weighs 250 grams, in comparison to the 254 grams from the WH-1000XM4.

Specially Designed Driver

Unlike the older driver, the new ones you find with these Sony WH-1000XM5 are different. It now houses a new 30mm precision-engineered driver unit with a soft TPU edge which claims to improve the Noise Cancelling quality, and the sound production – allowing the users to enjoy music a lot more precise.

That said, the Sony WH-1000XM5 doesn’t stray way from its predecessor as it still has support for Hi-Res Audio where it takes complete advantage of LDAC giving three times more data than conventional Bluetooth codec. DSEE Extreme is here to take your existing music file and upscale it to a non-compressed state. If you want to be in the music, 360 Reality audio can do exactly that.

Improved Microphones and ANC

Once again, from the looks of it the Sony WH-1000XM5 takes a generational upgrade on the ANC with not just new inclusions but improvements as well. The Precise Voice Pickup Technology with AI helps you to filter the noise for better call quality via the four beamforming microphones. These microphones alongside with the other eight microphones will also help with the Wind Noise Reduction for better ANC or Ambient Sound Mode.

Adaptive Sound control is here to stay where it detects based on your geolocation and your environment based on your phone and the microphone to be able to switch the mode accordingly. Speak-to-chat and wearing detection from the WH-1000XM4 is also brought forward to the XM5.

Smart and Safe Features

One of the newly implemented technology with the Sony WH-1000XM5 is Safe Listening. This feature exists as a way to reduce the burden on the ears based on WHO recommendations. So, which means, it would check the sound volume and what impact it has on your ears alongside with the pressure. All these data that’s been recorded will give you notifications on your phone on whether if your listening method is doing more bad than good.

Then you have your crucial Headphones Connect App, followed by support for Alexa and Google Assistant. For those who wants music, one touch away, then we have the Spotify Tap option as well. Another amazing thing with the Sony WH-1000XM5 is that it now supports Multipoint connection – so you can connect with two separate devices without needing to switch back and forth manually.

Pricing and Availability | Sony WF-1000XM5 Malaysia

As for the pricing, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will be listed for $399 in the states and as for the Malaysian market,  it will be sold for RM 1799 and there’s a preorder going on right now. The Sony WH-1000XM5 will be available in Malaysia in stores starting early June 2022. So, stay tuned for that. For those who wants to pre-order can do so via Sony official stores.