In-ear headphones with a music focus |

Sony has done it again. They introduced new headphones with a cryptic name that even us geeks and tech journalists stumble upon and stumble upon daily: the Sony WF-1000XM5. Last week I was allowed to examine him at my first practical training session in Zurich, to make a first impression and make the first attempts to hear him. The test product should reach me in the next few days and then the big test can begin.
I’m really, really excited about that. Because it is interesting that the first test, on site, did not work out as usual for me. Yes, first things first, as always, and if you have any questions about the new earphones, get in touch using known channels.

Sony NDA event

Normally, hardly any product launches during the summer holidays. But sometimes, as a manufacturer, you have to show what’s new over time. It all happened at the Zunfthaus zur Letzi and the Hotel Bourbon restaurant inside. There were only a handful of journalists and influencers present at the launch of the Sony WF-1000XM5. This gave us more time on site to ask questions and talk to the people from Sony.

Sony has gone through a bit of a transformation in the last year or two and finally realized that its great strength lies in its sheer breadth. Sony sells PlayStation consoles, mirrored TVs, smartphones, cameras, and much more. Unlike many other headphone manufacturers, Sony also has the right content. With Sony Music, they have a great group of musicians under their roof. In the past 20 years it was always a pain, each department had their own agencies and somehow they didn’t talk to each other. This can change now.

For the first time, Sony is using its own artists in its audio products to promote its products. For example, the Sony WF-1000MX5 Apache207 will be present at the launch and will advertise the product prominently. At the NDA event we were lucky enough to enjoy live music and no, it wasn’t Apache207.

No, the German rapper wasn’t there and gave us a small, intimate concert, in which Sony put a Swiss artist (with Brazilian roots) on stage. At first she was still on stage at Letzigrund’s Coldplay, then she was with us in an intimate, harmonious concert: Caroline Alves.

The singer from French-speaking Switzerland first gave a short a cappella concert on her backyard terrace, and after dinner, she introduced us to some songs in the restaurant downstairs. Caroline has a really great voice and I will definitely continue to follow her. At least it’s already on my local Apple Music playlist and is currently playing over and over through my speakers here at the office.

Some details about the Sony WF-1000XM5

The new Sony WF-1000XM5 promises first-class sound quality, best call quality (I’m really excited about that), up to 24 hours of battery life (including ANC), and multipoint connectivity. I find the latter almost embarrassing when it’s announced at the moment.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy a pair of headphones that haven’t done this for a decade. In the times of smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, computers and other tech devices, you don’t want to go into the Bluetooth settings every time and extract the right headphones.

Compared to the previous model, it’s impressive how well Sony has slimmed down the headphone. At least that’s what Sony says without sacrificing quality or battery life. Unfortunately, I have to pass here, I couldn’t test your ancestors.

The headphones now fit snugly over the ear. Its wear should be barely noticeable after a few hours of use. At least that’s what two local Sony employees told me. As soon as I get my hands on the Sony WF-1000XM5, I will of course investigate.

I had more trouble removing the earbuds. Sony is now using piano-coated plastic on the side of these. With a little trick (I’ll tell you in the video) it’s also very easy. As always, you just have to know how.

I’m particularly curious about “best call quality”. This is where a lot of headphones have disappointed me in recent years. Let’s see if Sony really lives up to its promise.

Technical details

My first short audio test with the Sony WF-1000XM5 didn’t work (for me).

I also had the opportunity to try out the Sony WF-1000XM5 on site. I was allowed to listen to a new set of Knubbels (which, by the way, are now equipped with a mesh grille, which should greatly improve the quality).

Looks like I had the perfect pair of ears for headphone testing. So far I’ve always been able to use the standard nubsies the manufacturer gave them. Sony now carries not three, but four different types of headphones. A new one in “SS” size is included. Let’s put the name aside.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) didn’t work for them. Oddly enough, not even in the second test with the standard stuff. Here I’m really curious how this will go in my own testing, in my own office and given enough time.

The first conclusion for Sony WF-1000XM5

I got a chance to play around with Sony’s new earphones, and even did my first little listening test.

So of course I can’t tell you much about it yet. My own experience setting it up, using it at home, in bed, on the couch, by the pool, on the train, on the bus, wherever I use it will of course follow here on the blog.

The first tactile impression is actually very good, the smaller case with much larger driver and the 24 hour battery life promise a lot. Especially since Sony hasn’t made a lot of mistakes with the headphones yet in terms of audio technology.

Banner photo: Photo session of the new headphones with fellow journalist Diane from nau.ch