Sony·headphones
Sony WH-1000XM5
Based on 33 credible posts from YouTube, Bluesky & Hacker News. 11 filtered out as bot-like or off-topic.
Medium confidenceA solid sample; expect small shifts as more owners post. How we score
Scored September 27, 2026
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Owner reviews
Overall owner mood
Owners are split: 36% of 33 reviews are positive, 27% negative, and the rest mixed or neutral. Praise centers on sound and noise cancelling. The most common complaint is build & durability (8 owners). Owners with 6+ months of use are less positive (25%), which suggests it wears on people over time.
What owners like
Sound praised by 8 owners
“I've used the the product bluetooth headphones for a long time, never used a mic with them, and haven't ever had complaints about sound quality.”
Noise cancelling praised by 3 owners
“I got a pair of the the product headphones for christmas and they are INCREDIBLE and IMO, over-ear headphones are the best when it comes to noise cancellation.”
Price & value praised by 2 owners
“The headphones get extremely heavy use and work well (they should at that price) but I've had to disable the touch controls due to a known issue with them.”
What owners complain about
Build & durability raised by 8 owners
“My XM's broke surprisingly easily.”
Noise cancelling raised by 3 owners
“The ANC is INSANE i see what ive been missing out on.”
Controls & input raised by 3 owners
“These controls are 10x worse than the much older versions that had volume and pause buttons on the headphones.”
Customer support raised by 2 owners
“I have had 3 generations of the headphones and all of them break or stop working within or right after the warranty ends.”
What owners talk about
- Build & durability1 praise · 8 complain
- Sound8 praise · 1 complain
- Noise cancelling3 praise · 3 complain
- Controls & input0 praise · 3 complain
- Comfort & size1 praise · 1 complain
- Customer support0 praise · 2 complain
- Connectivity1 praise · 1 complain
- Battery & charging1 praise · 1 complain
Built from the reviews themselves — every quote links to the owner who wrote it.
Full text of every credible post we scored. Bot-like and off-topic comments are hidden.
I had mine for a year or so and didn’t really like them mine had thin cushions , it would randomly pause my music without me changing the settings after an update I had to always fiddle in the settings to turn something off an update would turn back on. Just wasn’t a fan glad to get rid of them.
[...] I've had a true OG audio nut try them. [...]
I got lucky with the hinges and I've had them for over two years. Almost daily usage and no issues. It really sucks that a widespread issue would mar an otherwise outstanding headphone.
Noise canceling headphones are probably the most important and usually only adaptive tech I use. I got the Sony WH-1000XM5 3 years ago and they died last month 😭 I’m trying the Sennheiser Momentum 4 this time
[...] After removing buttons and switches with physical semantics, extending response latency, and decreasing reliability, they were running out of ways to torment us. The slow, obnoxious voices gave them a bit more runway. They even deal bonus combo damage when the headphones try and fail to connect to devices you told them to forget with their app (which made you sign up for an account, of course) and the slow, obnoxious voices agonizingly narrate the saga of failure before you are allowed to listen to your music. I am currently on Bose QC Ultra 1 specifically because it allowed disabling the voice whereas WH-1000XM5 didn't (it had a setting, but it only applied to a subset). [...]
The Sony WH-1000XM5 (newest version) headphones have both touch and voice controls, but they can be frustrating to use. The touch controls are meant to be easy, but they’re often too sensitive or don’t respond well. [...] These controls are 10x worse than the much older versions that had volume and pause buttons on the headphones.
[...] i just bought xm5, but im disappointed by the fact that the ANC isnt as GOOD as people say/review. [...] i alr checked the settings, the noise canceling is active (i always turn it on from the app/buttons). but to me, its not that WOW, or is it broken? [...]
I just bought the m5 for $199 they are okay, podcast sound amazing on them and im def satisfied with the anc which was my number 1 feature. [...]
I bought a new pair of headphones this month: the Sony WH-1000XM5. They’re amazing, and the sound quality feels incredibly professional.
My Xm5s broke after only a single month after buying them. I'm planning to get some Sennheiser Momentums instead.
For anyone considering these headphones, it might be worth factoring in an additional ₹5,000 “hinge installment” when evaluating the real cost of ownership. My XM5 hinge failed during normal use while the headset was still under warranty. The warranty claim was denied and I was asked to pay ₹4,830 for repair after the issue was classified as “external damage”. What is surprising is that many users online appear to report the same hinge failure. Community polls with 2200+ respondents suggest around 25% hinge breakage and nearly 47% overall failures, mostly hinge related. During a phone call, a Sony representative mentioned that if warranty claims were accepted for this hinge issue “everyone would start asking for it.” But if many customers have the same complaint, shouldn’t that raise questions about a structural issue rather than external damage?
It Happened To Me: a Sony Headphone Owner Autobiography As if I needed one more shitty piece of annoying garbage to happen in my life, my headphones just snapped exactly like everyone else's today. Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are defective, but there's no class action lawsuit. [...]
[...] The ANC is INSANE i see what ive been missing out on. The battery life is better, the sound imaging is better, the call quality is better. [...] The only exception is charging once a week. Never worn around my neck, never taking them off too fast or rough, so the hinge issues dont scare me, but as of today, day one, after doing my song testing, eq work, and dolby atmos comparisons i love these. [...]
Mine stopped charging as soon as I left the country and now have a brick. I have had 3 generations of the headphones and all of them break or stop working within or right after the warranty ends. [...] I have my Bose N700 that I bought as soon as they came out and still work flawlessly. [...]
My XM's broke surprisingly easily. [...] I'm sure XM4 would not have broken as easily. [...]
I’m not bald but I heart my headphones and need rich bass at all times: - Gym: SkullCandy Crusher 540 Active (BEST bass) - Gym: SkullCandy Crusher ANC 2 - Travel: Sony WH-1000XM5 - Earbuds for small ears : SkullCandy Method 360 ANC Wireless
hopping in to say ime earbuds will be ruined by a conch for up to a year but a comfortable over-ear can be a lifesaver, i got the sony wh-1000xm5 after my first conch!
My headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM5, are so ridiculously powerful: I cannot hear people talking, door knocks, air conditioner blasts, etc. [...]
I got a pair of the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for christmas and they are INCREDIBLE and IMO, over-ear headphones are the best when it comes to noise cancellation.
Yea I had some over the ear headphones from sound core that I really like until I got my Sony WH-1000XM5
I'm using sony wh-1000xm5, been using PX from B&W before and I'm going back to them when I'm buying new. I'm always listening to Spotify. Easy and clean..
I have the sony wh-1000xm5 and 1) amazing sound cancelling 2) audio quality is the best. I use them to hear the background details in songs
I've used the Sony WH-1000XM5 bluetooth headphones for a long time, never used a mic with them, and haven't ever had complaints about sound quality. Big fan.
I bought the AirPods Max 1 but had to return them because they felt like a vice and were too heavy. I ended up going with the Sony wh-1000xm5, which are much lighter. My only complaint on the Sony is the earcups are not deep enough for my big ears.
Sony WH1000XM5 headphones are my daily driver, mainly Zoom calls and music. I'm generally pretty happy with them, but one big gripe I have is when I'm on a call and briefly take off my headphones to e.g. [...] It happens so often I even wrote a script to switch to the MacBook internal speakers then back to the headphones. I've used wired headphones before (and the Sony even has a wired option), but I didn't like how the cord was constantly getting the the way of my arms. edit: Another big gripe is with the Bluetooth codec itself, and how the quality changes depending on if the mic is active.
My WH-1000XM5 set broke, and it was going to cost more to repair it than buy than simply buying a new pair. So I decided to check out the cheaper end of the market, and bought a pair of Edifier W830NB. [...] But I was very happy to discover that when plugged in via USB-C, the microphone works over usb with full quality, that's one thing my WH-1000XM5s couldn't do, nor the newer XM6s So both Bose and Sony need to step up their game.
I recently bought an XM5bon ebaybfor $144 used. I am willing to take the risk since i feel that Sony should really drop the prices on the new xm5 and xm4s by now. And i also have other headphones.
I bought some of these on eBay for $150. My XM4s broke on me after 5 years which is crazy (I used them everyday).
did Sony threatened you to be that nice , talking about the hinges ? Cause YEAH, hinges are a real problem on this model. Whatever how you treat the xm5, hinge will have 1 chance on 4 to break . [...]
Bought a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. Dear god turning on the noise cancellation made me think i had gone deaf. [...] a bit annoying that i have to use my phone to pair it to my computer but so far its not that bad.
I use the Sony WH-1000XM5 for gaming (and music/videos on the iPad); I use a condenser mike for voice chat. The headphones get extremely heavy use and work well (they should at that price) but I've had to disable the touch controls due to a known issue with them. (Cheap USB one ear headset for work)
I have xm5 but im thinking of getting the new airpods max 2.
Sorry, I'm not talking earbuds but closed headphones. I have the WH-1000XM5, and I immediately notice that I hear my own voice/noise way more as soon as I turn them off.
Sony WH-1000XM5 long-term: how it holds up
When problems show up
- Build & durabilitytypically around 1.6 years · 2 reports
The claims, and the evidence
What the brand claims
- Industry-leading noise cancellationMixedNoise cancelling: 3 of 6 positive
- Two processors controlling 8 microphonesFew owner reports
- Up to 30 hours of battery lifeFew owner reports
- 3-minute quick charge for 3 hours of playbackFew owner reports
- Specially designed 30mm driver unitOwners agreeSound: 8 of 9 positive
- Lightweight design at about 250gFew owner reports
- Speak-to-Chat
- Multipoint connectionFew owner reports
- Hi-Res Audio Wireless with LDACOwners agreeSound: 8 of 9 positive
What owners report
“[...] I've had a true OG audio nut try them. [...]”
after 2 yearsView on YouTube“I bought a new pair of headphones this month: the Sony WH-1000XM5. They’re amazing, and the sound quality feels incredibly professional.”
“I had mine for a year or so and didn’t really like them mine had thin cushions , it would randomly pause my music without me changing the settings after an update I had to always fiddle in the settings to turn something off an update would turn back on. Just wasn’t a fan glad to get rid of them.”
after 1 yearView on YouTube“I got lucky with the hinges and I've had them for over two years. Almost daily usage and no issues. It really sucks that a widespread issue would mar an otherwise outstanding headphone.”
after 2 yearsView on YouTube
Common Sony WH-1000XM5 problems
Issues at least two owners independently report.
- Build & durability8 mentionsView on YouTube
“[...] i just bought xm5, but im disappointed by the fact that the ANC isnt as GOOD as people say/review. [...] i alr checked the settings, the noise canceling is active (i always turn it on from the app/buttons). but to me, its not that WOW, or is it broken? [...]”
- Controls & input3 mentionsView on Hacker News
“[...] After removing buttons and switches with physical semantics, extending response latency, and decreasing reliability, they were running out of ways to torment us. The slow, obnoxious voices gave them a bit more runway. They even deal bonus combo damage when the headphones try and fail to connect to devices you told them to forget with their app (which made you sign up for an account, of course) and the slow, obnoxious voices agonizingly narrate the saga of failure before you are allowed to listen to your music. I am currently on Bose QC Ultra 1 specifically because it allowed disabling the voice whereas WH-1000XM5 didn't (it had a setting, but it only applied to a subset). [...]”
- Customer support2 mentionsView on YouTube
“For anyone considering these headphones, it might be worth factoring in an additional ₹5,000 “hinge installment” when evaluating the real cost of ownership. My XM5 hinge failed during normal use while the headset was still under warranty. The warranty claim was denied and I was asked to pay ₹4,830 for repair after the issue was classified as “external damage”. What is surprising is that many users online appear to report the same hinge failure. Community polls with 2200+ respondents suggest around 25% hinge breakage and nearly 47% overall failures, mostly hinge related. During a phone call, a Sony representative mentioned that if warranty claims were accepted for this hinge issue “everyone would start asking for it.” But if many customers have the same complaint, shouldn’t that raise questions about a structural issue rather than external damage?”
- Noise cancelling3 mentionsView on YouTube
“[...] i just bought xm5, but im disappointed by the fact that the ANC isnt as GOOD as people say/review. [...] i alr checked the settings, the noise canceling is active (i always turn it on from the app/buttons). but to me, its not that WOW, or is it broken? [...]”