Sony has finally released the WF-1000XM5 earbuds which boast active noise cancellation and “next-level immersive sound”.
The latest Sony WF-1000XM5 has been announced, available to buy in August 2023 at the price of $299 / £259 / €320.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 scored 5 stars from our TV & Audio Editor, who wrote that they featured an impressively rich sound and excellent noise cancellation. You can read what we thought of the WF-1000XM5 in our review.
Since its predecessor is so well-regarded, we compared these two Sony wireless earbuds to see what the critical differences and similarities are between them.
New Integrated Processor V2 on the WF-1000XM5
The WF-1000XM5 feature the newly developed Integrated Processor V2. Sony claims this latest processor has unlocked the potential of the also new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e to deliver unprecedented noise-cancelling quality that adapts to any environment.
With the ability to process audio up to 24-bit and with high-performance analogue amplification, the aim is to provide low distortion and clear reproduction of audio.
The WF-1000XM5 are smaller and lighter
The WF-1000XM4 featured a design that some felt were on the bulky side. With the WF-1000XM5, Sony has reduced them by 25% in size and also made them 20% lighter than its predecessor. Sony says this offers a more stable and secure fit for all-day comfort.
They also come with newly shaped earbud tips that come in a new extra small size, which should make them more accessible to a wider audience.
Promise of better call quality on the new earphones
For call quality, the new earphones use bone conduction sensors that the WF-1000XM4 had, but also features a new noise reduction engine combined with A.I. learning machine learning that makes use of a Deep Neural Network (DNN). The aim of all these features is to provide even better call clarity and less noise than before.
New Dynamic Driver X on the WF-1000XM5
In terms of sound quality, the WF-1000XM4 used 6mm dynamic drivers but it’s all change with the WF-1000XM5, which sports a completely different design for driver.
The Dynamic Driver X features new structured diaphragm made from several materials, and Sony claims that this new structure will allow for a wider reproduction of the frequency range. This should allow for finer detail to vocals, and richer, more accurate bass frequencies.
