SonyWH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Canceling Headphones, Auto NC Optimizer, 30-Hour Battery, Alexa Voice Control, Midnight Blue

I recently bought this XM5 as a perceived upgrade from my old XM3 bluetooth cans. I had held off this purchase, thinking that by now Sony would've released the XM6 by now. But no, Sony decided to continue making and selling the XM5. Tired of any further waiting for something that might not happen anytime soon, I finally caved and bought the XM5 when Amazon put the price back under $300 for the October 2024 Amazon Days.The first thing I noted was how CHEAP the packaging and the accompanying accessories were for this XM5. No stout carrying/storage case this time around. The headphone's boxed packaging might appear to be about Sony trying to be environmentally conscious and being "green", but I suspect that Sony was more about SAVING some green by cheapening up their packaging costs. Even at a discount price, the rudimentary unboxing process made me feel a bit cheated.However after charging up the XM5, I have to admit that in the end it's really only about the user experience with the headphones. And I must confess that it's pretty great, a definite step forward from the XM3 from two generations before. The XM5 is definitely more comfortable for me than the XM3, which itself wasn't all that bad to begin with. I still loathe the swipe controls on the right earpad, but at least I god used to them during my years of using the XM3.I have six plus decade old ears, so a LOT of the sonic range is now denied to my brain as my ears certainly don't perform like they used to. But I still can hear enough to say that acoustically the XM5 is a noticeable step forward from the old XM3. While initially the XM5 sound seemed a little colder and a bit on the sharp side, the soundstage imaging is better and more appealing to me, and detail recreation seems marginally improved over the older headphones. So far well-recorded live performances sound a bit more spatially realistic than what was possible with the XM3, and as the burn-in hours add up (roughly about 120 hours of burn-in so far), I suspect that these nuances with further blend, warm up and smooth out.I don't generally use over-ear wireless headphones for phone calls, so I can't really comment about this feature set of the XM5 when I used it with my cellphone. It does seem to work okay, and persons on the other end seem to regularly claim that they can hear me well enough.All in all I'm pleased with the XM5 so far. It sounds nicer than the retiring XM3 I had been using, and it fits my large noggin decently well. I do think that the headband is, if anything, a bit on the loose side. But that does seem to aid in making the XM5 wear as comfortably as it does for me. The XM3 was a difficult set to wear to sleep; any slight turn of my head at night often resulted in neck pain the next morning. I've not had this problem at all with the XM5. So far it's been a 5-star experience, and I'm looking forward to continuing to use these for the next few years.

Love the build quality, battery life, noise cancelling, and connectivity. There does tend to be a slight delay in the Bluetooth connection from some devices. Bought these for airline travel, and I recommend anyone get them to enjoy a quieter flight.

Awesome headphones with great sound quality. ANC was pretty good too! It also switches devices as soon as u play audio its way better at switching than my airpods between my iPhone and mac.

Please do not purchase! Within 9 months of normal use the right hinge came apart, normal use! While many people may have caused their headphones to break, as an avid music listener, I have maintained previous sony heaphones and ear buds in pristine condition (they are still functioning and in good working order). This headphones within 9 months of purchase fell apart during normal use, walking to the park! I contacted Sony multiple times and they allege because its "physical damage" it is caused by user error and not covered by warranty. A quick search(es) online reveal for many users, hundred to thousands complained about the "right hinge failure" (you may see a few complaints on amazon as well). For the WH-1000XM6 they changed the hinge completely from cheap plastic to a foldable medal and upped the price and additional 100 dollars. Please stay away from these headphones and be weary of purchasing from Sony. I have bought headphones consistently from them for over 10 years but now I know Sony is not to be trusted. Disgusted and I know to avoid their products due to how they treat their customers.

Love the sound and features. I do wish it supported Apple products better. I am on my second set with both breaking at the same spot. Buy the 3 year insurance because this design flaw all my friends have been hit with. Sound quality is warm, and I feel smooth. Calls could have better mics. Both sets broke the same at about 14 months of use. They sound better then my Bose so I keep returning.

At 73, I had more headphones then I can list. These I'll wear in my grave to hear every note & tone the Angel choir or noise cancel the screams of Hell.