All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Sony improved on its already excellent WH-1000XM4 headphones earlier this year by introducing their next product, WH-1000XM5. The new cans make almost everything about the previous model a little better, taking them to a class of their own – and their $398 price tag reflects that. But now you can buy the XM5 for about $60 less than usual thanks to a one-day sale at Woot, bringing the black model down to $340. That’s the best price we’ve seen since the headphones launched in May.
Sony has made some subtle changes to the design of the XM5. Compared to the XM4, the new headset has a thinner headband and a more modern overall look. They are only slightly heavier than their predecessors, but they feel much lighter when you wear them, which should make them more comfortable to wear for hours on end.
Somehow, Sony managed to make the sound quality and active noise cancellation even better on the XM5. The headphones feature new 30mm carbon fiber drivers that handle the sound, are well-tuned for a variety of genres, and have more depth and clarity. The ANC has improved thanks to the additional processor and the total number of microphones that detect and block noise. Overall, the XM5 does a better job at blocking out things like nearby voices and TV noise than its predecessor.
The XM5 also works with Sony’s companion mobile app, which you can use to change settings and do things like enable multipoint, change the voice assistant, and more. In terms of battery life, you’ll have about 30 hours before needing to recharge, and it’ll only take three minutes to get three hours of playback. Make no mistake, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 still great headphones (which you can usually find on sale), but the can of XM5 is the one to buy if you want all the latest features and some of the best ANC you’ll find on-ear. over-ear listening.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and Sign up for the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying tips.
