View offers In-ear headphones | £259 | whf.cm/Sony_XM5
We think it’s fair to say that the Sony WF-1000XM5 are, without exaggeration, one of the most eagerly anticipated pairs of wireless earbuds to launch in recent memory.
Why? Well, for starters they are replacing a two-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner that has dominated the category since launch and set a pace that rivals from Apple and Bose have only recently matched.
Do the WF-1000XM5 push the envelope further? Sony definitely hasn’t been shy in making some big changes to its new top-of-the-line buds, but are they all positive?
The first change concerns pricing. Unfortunately, Sony hasn’t been able to do the same as Apple with its AirPods Pro 2 and keep its new flagship earbuds the same price as their predecessors. The WF-1000XM5 are £259, which is up from the £250 price tag of the previous model, the WF-1000XM4. This still sees them slot in between the AirPods Pro 2 at £249 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II at £280, which keeps them competitive. In case you were wondering, we have spoken to Sony and it has confirmed that the WF-1000XM4 will be discontinued, so stock of the older model will start to become more limited over time.
Trimmed down design
The WF-1000XM5 charging case gives the first hint that Sony’s designers have been busy. It’s noticeably
