Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Sony WH-1000XM4: Which is the better headphone in 2024?

Sony WH-1000XM5 is the newer updated version of the Sony WH-1000XM4. Bo͏th͏ b͏elong to the pr͏emium lineup of Sony headph͏ones and t͏hu͏s have a very͏ ͏goo͏d s͏ound quality to b͏ack ͏them up. Th͏e Sony WH-1000XM4 ͏was laun͏ched in A͏ugust͏ 2020, followed by the WH-1000͏XM5 i͏n May 2022. Both continue to be equally͏ popular choices for headphones today.

The W͏H-1000XM5͏ sells for $349 whereas the ͏older WH-1000XM4͏ sell͏s for $279. There is a $60 difference between the two headp͏hones, which makes ͏the͏ XM4s look like a good͏ value option. Both of these c͏ompete with ͏Apple's Air͏Pods M͏ax, which curre͏ntly occupies th͏e apex spot͏ for over-t͏he-ear he͏adph͏on͏e͏s͏ in terms of so͏und qua͏lity, f͏eatures, and pri͏ce͏.

So, is i͏t w͏orth payin͏g $60 ͏mor͏e for the new͏er ͏model, ͏or do the XM4s st͏an͏d a͏s the ͏obvious choice? This article answers that question by extensively comparing both headpho͏nes ͏in terms of their features, ͏specs,͏ and other ͏categories.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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What changes did the Sony WH-1000XM5 come with compared to the WH-1000XM4?

Sony's WH-1000XM5 (Image via BestBuy)

1) Design and materials

The first noticeable change is the design. Sony has moved away from their foldable headphone design to this one-frame structure like Apple's AirPods Max and Bose's 700s. The frame hides behind the head cushion, along with the height-adjusting mechanism. It has moved away from the sturdy finish to a flexible and bendy frame structure that seems to be the industry trend.

This time around, they have used vegan leather to cover up the ear muffs and the head cushion. They are much softer on the ears and more comfortable to wear for longer hours. With the XM5s, Sony went with the minimalist sharp trendy design that feels futuristic and modern.

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2) Sound quality and noise cancellation

The sound quality of the XM5s and the XM4s are equally good. Sony's newer iteration of the headphone did not majorly improve the sound quality. They both are on par in terms of overall quality and separation of the vocals and instruments. However, they did work on improving the noise cancellation.

Earlier, the XM4s could cancel out sounds of low pitch, like the sounds of an airplane engine and moderate traffic. The newer XM5s can cancel out even the noise of higher frequencies such as human voice, construction work, or busy traffic. It can make most of the noisy areas seem noiseless. Sony has used a more intelligent chip to filter out these noises with the newer model.

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Specs comparison

Sony's WH-1000XM4 (Image via BestBuy)

Feature	Sony WH-1000XM5	Sony WH-1000XM4
Noise Cancelling (Active)	Yes	Yes
Microphone	4 on each side	4 total
Wireless Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
Battery Life	30 hours	30 hours
Battery Charge Time	3 hours	3 hours
Carrying Case	Yes	Yes
Microphone Features	Noise cancelling	Noise cancelling
Headphone Fit	Over-the-Ear	Over-the-Ear

There is not much improvement in the fundamental qualities of each headphone. The major changes are its design and the noise cancellation feature. The Sony XM4s features four microphones, whereas the Sony XM5s has eight. This upgrade majorly contributes to increasing the sensitivity of the noise cancellation feature.

Another major highlight is the changes in the carrying case. The carrying case took on a bigger form factor because the XM5s are not foldable, unlike the XM4s. The attachment mesh, which was outside of the case in the form of a pouch, has been shifted to inside the case with a magnetic flap. The XM5s feature fast charging, making these headphones capable of playing music for three hours with just a three-minute charge.

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Sony XM4s vs Sony XM5s: Final verdict

The Sony XM5s looks classy and is a more fashionable younger brother of the Sony XM4s but our recommendation tilts towards the Sony WH-1000XM4. The XM5s does not come with enough major improvements for it to be worth $60 more than the XM4s. Looking at the price tag of the XM4s, it screams a value purchase.

There is another factor: portability. Both the XM4 and the XM5 are made for travel and are designed as travel headphones. However, the newer design of the XM5 takes away much of the portable nature that the XM4 has. Both are equally comfortable and with equally good audio quality, so the design change doesn't introduce any new benefits over the older model.