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Sony’s WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones are now available to pre-order

The design of these cans just got a little better – but battery life remains the same

Jasper Pickering
Thursday 12 May 2022 17:00 BST
Sony’s flagship over-ears come in a brand new design
Sony’s flagship over-ears come in a brand new design (iStock/The Independent)

Sony has announced the newest edition of its over-ear noise-cancelling headphones – the WH-1000XM5 – and pre-orders are now available.

We’re big fans of the 1000X series, with the last iteration, the WH-1000XM4, being crowned our favourite noise-cancelling wireless headphones in our round-up of leading audio brands.

Our reviewer said: “The sound profile is delicate and impressive, with options for EQ tweaking in the corresponding Sony app if you want a little more oomph, and the battery life is a massive 30 hours.”

The new headphone design is the most notable departure from the previous WH-1000XM4 models and according to the company, these new cans are a marked improvement on the already industry-leading noise cancelling technology, thanks to its eight microphones and dual processors.

If you want to find out more details about the new WH-1000XM5 headphones and how to pre-order them then keep reading the rest of the article below.

Read more:

Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones: £380, Amazon.co.uk – pre-order

(Sony)
  • Type: Over-ear
  • Noise cancellation: Yes
  • Battery life: 30 hours
  • Drivers: 30mm
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 with multipoint, NFC, 3.5mm jack
  • Voice control: Yes

According to Sony, a lot of the WH-1000XM4’s best features are making their way over to this newly designed set of headphones, with multi-device connectivity for listening to songs on a computer, or swapping to taking calls on your phone.

Sony is also doubling down on its active noise-cancellation (ANC) with two processors controlling eight microphones (compared to the previous model’s five) that are designed to reduce noise in the mid-high frequency range. An auto NC optimizer can also automatically detect different environments and adjust noise cancellation based on location.

Interestingly the WH-1000XM5 headphones have a smaller driver size compared to its previous iteration, coming in at 30mm compared to the older 40mm driver size. According to Sony, these newly designed drivers use “carbon fibre composite material that improves high frequency sensitivity for more natural sound quality.”

This new model also boasts a 30-hour battery life on a full charge, which is the same as the WH-1000XM4. But, ultra-fast charging is guaranteed through USB power delivery, providing three hours of listening time on a three-minute charge (though the adapter is sold separately).

The headphones will also be available in two different colourways – black or platinum silver – and will be priced at approximately £380 in the UK.

Pre-order now

Voucher codes

For the latest offers on audio and headphones, try the links below:

Ditch the fussy wires with the best wireless and noise-cancelling headphones

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