Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony

8.7

Still a noise-cancelling value champion

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony

8.8

Excellent

Sony WH-1000XM4

What Reviewers Agree On

Class-leading active noise cancellation (QN1 processor + dual mics per cup), adaptive to your activity and location
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling and a capable app EQ
Exceptional all-day comfort and an understated, lightweight design carried over from the much-loved XM3
Strong 30-hour battery (ANC on) with a 10-minute quick charge giving ~5 hours of playback
Genuinely useful smart features — Speak-to-Chat auto-pause, wear detection, Quick Attention and multipoint pairing
Outstanding value now that prices have fallen well below the $349 launch — still a top recommendation years later

Pros & Cons

Sony WH-1000XM4

Pros

Class-leading active noise cancellation (QN1 processor + dual mics per cup), adaptive to your activity and location
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling and a capable app EQ
Exceptional all-day comfort and an understated, lightweight design carried over from the much-loved XM3
Strong 30-hour battery (ANC on) with a 10-minute quick charge giving ~5 hours of playback
Genuinely useful smart features — Speak-to-Chat auto-pause, wear detection, Quick Attention and multipoint pairing

Detailed Comparison

Sound Quality

Sony WH-1000XM4

A judicious, confident sound with LDAC hi-res, DSEE Extreme upscaling and 360 Reality Audio support — widely praised, with the main critique being a slightly bright top end that some EQ to taste.

As far as sound goes the XM4 needs very few excuses made for it — a confident top end and a judicious overall balance.
Updating the QN1 chip algorithm and improving digital sound processing elevates the XM4 from great to superb over the XM3.
40mm drivers deliver rich, not overly bass-heavy sound; bass lovers can add thump easily in the app EQ.
Supports LDAC and 360 Reality Audio; DSEE Extreme upscaling exists but the difference on/off can be hard to hear.

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Deal Breakers

Mediocre microphone/call quality — barely better than the XM3 and frustrating for conference calls
Multipoint disables LDAC — you can't have two-device pairing and hi-res audio at once
No aptX and no IP water/sweat rating; not recommended for running or heavy gym use
Some long-term units develop a piercing feedback noise in one cup in ANC mode (moisture/sweat on the mics over years)
Sony doesn't sell official replacement ear cushions, a wear-and-tear item on a long-lived product

Sony WH-1000XM5

What Reviewers Agree On

ANC is best-in-class, especially for low-frequency noise like airplane engines
Sound quality is excellent with a balanced, natural tuning out of the box
Comfort is outstanding for extended wear thanks to the lightweight 250g design
Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity works reliably across devices
Sony Headphones Connect app offers excellent EQ customization

Deal Breakers

No longer folds flat, only folds inward
No IP rating for water/sweat resistance
Ear cup material can get warm in hot weather

Outstanding value now that prices have fallen well below the $349 launch — still a top recommendation years later

Cons

Mediocre microphone/call quality — barely better than the XM3 and frustrating for conference calls
Multipoint disables LDAC — you can't have two-device pairing and hi-res audio at once
No aptX and no IP water/sweat rating; not recommended for running or heavy gym use
Some long-term units develop a piercing feedback noise in one cup in ANC mode (moisture/sweat on the mics over years)
Sony doesn't sell official replacement ear cushions, a wear-and-tear item on a long-lived product

Sony WH-1000XM5

Pros

ANC is best-in-class, especially for low-frequency noise like airplane engines
Sound quality is excellent with a balanced, natural tuning out of the box
Comfort is outstanding for extended wear thanks to the lightweight 250g design
Multipoint Bluetooth connectivity works reliably across devices
Sony Headphones Connect app offers excellent EQ customization

Cons

No longer folds flat, only folds inward
No IP rating for water/sweat resistance
Ear cup material can get warm in hot weather

Reddit owners' take: not 'the best' at any one thing, but it does everything right and sounds more than good enough once EQ'd.

Versus the XM5: the XM4 is brighter with more vocal 'bite/sizzle', while the XM5 is warmer with more sustained bass — and the XM4 can get a touch boomy at 100-200Hz.

Sony WH-1000XM5

The XM5 delivers a balanced, natural sound profile that appeals to a wide range of listeners. The 30mm drivers provide clear mids and detailed highs without harsh sibilance.

Sound signature is more neutral and refined than XM4 — less bass-heavy out of the box
LDAC Hi-Res Audio support delivers noticeably better quality from compatible sources
EQ customization in the app is powerful and the presets are well-tuned

Noise Cancellation

Sony WH-1000XM4

The XM4's headline strength: industry-leading ANC at launch via the QN1 chip and dual mics per cup, with smart adaptive behaviour. It still tunes out office and travel noise as well as almost anything in its price class.

Sony's QN1 processor with two mics on each earcup delivers what Sony billed as its best-ever noise-cancelling, automatically optimising for ambient conditions.
Outstanding noise isolation thanks to the ANC plus a comfortable, premium design — still worth checking out even after the XM5 replaced it.
Adaptive Sound Control senses whether you're sitting, walking, running or in transit and adjusts ANC to the activity automatically.
For an 8-10 hour office day the ANC reliably tunes out talking and loud noise — a standout for work environments.
The AirPods Max slightly edge the XM4 on raw noise-cancelling, but the XM4 is lighter, has a far better case and is $200 cheaper.
Long-term flaw: some units develop a loud, piercing feedback noise in one cup only in ANC mode (suspected sweat/moisture on the internal mics over years).

Sony WH-1000XM5

The ANC on the XM5 is widely considered the best available, with eight microphones and Sony's Integrated Processor V1 delivering exceptional noise isolation.

ANC is the best in class — airplane engine noise virtually disappears
Auto NC Optimizer adapts ANC based on ambient pressure and environment
Ambient/transparency mode is natural but not as good as Apple AirPods Max