Sony WF-1000XM5 launches to rave reviews with design and sound upgrades
Sony has now launched the WF-1000XM5, a smaller and lighter alternative to the WF-1000XM4. Arriving a month after the two-year anniversary of its predecessor, the WF-1000XM5 combines new 8.4 mm Dynamic Driver X drivers with a QN2e real-time audio processor and Sony's Processor V2 chipset. Additionally, the WF-1000XM5 supports AAC, SBC, LC3 and LDAC codecs, as well as DSEE Extreme for audio upscaling.
As various leaks suggested, the WF-1000XM5 is 20% lighter than its predecessor. Similarly, the new earbuds are 25% smaller than the WF-1000XM4, with both working in tandem to make the former more comfortable than the latter. Still, the WF-1000XM5 promise 8 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, or 12 hours with ANC disabled.
Meanwhile, the bundled charging should deliver two full charges before it needs topping up. With the WF-1000XM4 renowned for being some of the best ANC earbuds around, it should come as no surprise that the WF-1000XM5 has also received glowing praise in initial reviews. In summary, it appears that Sony's latest earbuds are more comfortable than their predecessors while maintaining excellent audio quality.
The WF-1000XM5 is not without its shortcomings though, with The Verge claiming that the earbuds' glossy texture makes it harder to remove them from their charging case. By contrast, other outlets like Trusted Reviews and Wired have criticised call quality. The WF-1000XM5 is orderable now for US$299, £259 in the UK or €319 in the Eurozone; pre-orders will not start shipping until early August in most cases.
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