{"id":34589,"date":"2023-10-06T17:51:58","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T15:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0e20adf3-5cc9-43c9-b023-45717b8b6c72"},"modified":"2023-10-06T18:46:15","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T16:46:15","slug":"sony-wf-1000xm5-review-another-headphone-homerun-from-sony","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/sony-wf-1000xm5-review-another-headphone-homerun-from-sony\/","title":{"rendered":"Sony WF-1000XM5 review: Another headphone homerun from Sony"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sony’s new device hit all the key markings \u2013 fantastic audio, noise cancellation and a comfortable fit. But all that doesn\u2019t come cheap. <\/p>

By Alex Hughes\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 06 October 2023 at 15:51 PM<\/p>

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The earbud market is crowded\u2026. really crowded. There are more options than ever, and while some brands are happy to charge you into the hundreds \u2013 or, in some cases, thousands \u2013 headphones can equally be scored for a few quid.<\/p>

Sure, the performance isn\u2019t great at that price, but at what point does your money stop securing you more quality? At \u00a3259, this is a question that can be raised about Sony\u2019s new WF-1000XM5 device.<\/p>

The latest in the brand\u2019s legendary in-ear series, the WF-1000XM4 successor has a lot of hype to live up to. Can they improve on what was already an almost flawless pair of earbuds? Or is this a pricey upgrade in looks more than anything? We spent time with Sony\u2019s latest to find out.<\/p>

Design<\/h2>

The charging case is a crucial part of in-ear headphones. Sony has spent a lot of time here for this latest pair, trimming down the size of the case drastically. The case comfortably fits in the palm of the hand, taking up very little space.<\/p>

Made with premium plastic, it feels well-built all over. However, the smaller size makes the case a challenge to open one-handed, requiring some finger gymnastics to get the clasp open and closed.<\/p>

Once the case is opened, the challenge continues in getting the headphones out. The headphones have been designed to be much smaller than previous generations, and while that is great in most ways, it does make it tricky to get your fingers around them in the case.<\/p>

However, this can easily be fixed by clicking the headphones to the side, and pulling them off the magnets into your hand. Just make sure you catch them before they fall!<\/p>

Due to their smaller size, Sony\u2019s earbuds fit comfortably in the ear without feeling too heavy. Even when jogging, there was little to no movement, a problem I\u2019ve experienced with the vast majority of in-ear buds.<\/p>

Features<\/h2>
\"Back<\/figure>

Sony has a few key features implemented into these earbuds, most of which are quite subtle.<\/p>

In terms of battery life, it comes in at around eight hours if both Bluetooth and ANC are activated. With the wireless charging case topped up to full, that adds a further 16 hours on top.<\/p>

While this doesn\u2019t exactly sound like loads, by the standards of high-end wireless earbuds, this sits on the higher end of the scale for battery life.<\/p>

Like a lot of modern Bluetooth earbuds, it comes with both active noise cancellation<\/a> (ANC), as well as ambient sound. This means you can either block out or let in all the noise around you.<\/p>

Equally, there is an option for this to become adaptive to your surroundings, matching the amount of sound let into your surroundings.<\/p>

Sony has kitted the earbuds out with a number of actionable presses on each of the earbuds. There are 10 options available, ranging from skipping songs to volume adjustments and voice assistant activation.<\/p>

While useful to have this many options, it requires a rocket science degree to remember all of the different button combinations on each side.<\/p>

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>