Sony WF-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM4 | Impossible To Compare?! 🤔
Some of you could be thinking if it makes more sense getting the WF-1000XM5 earbuds simply because it’s more portable, or wondering if full sized headphones like the WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 can deliver a much better experience due to their bigger drivers, this review is going to help you because we’re going to compare their call quality, active noise canceling, and yes, sound. And after that we’ll be looking at the pros and cons of each option.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality, the XM5 headphones are the best among them whether in quiet or noisy conditions, followed by the XM5 earbuds, although it wasn’t able to isolate my voice as well from the noise, it kept the background silent, whereas the XM4 headphones wasn’t able to do even that. Listen to the samples here.
(Compared their call quality in both quiet and noisy conditions, using loud simulated cafe noise, with some wind noise coming from a fan.)
Active Noise Canceling
In terms of ANC, it seems that the XM5 earbuds are comparable to the XM5 headphones, and it cancels more noise than the XM4 headphones, especially in the low frequencies. Listen to the samples here.
Transparency Mode
In terms of transparency, the XM5 headphones sound the most transparent. Very little hiss and sounds very natural, almost like I’m not wearing headphones. In fact, I do regard its transparency to be a little better than the AirPods Max. That’s how good it is. The XM4 headphones are a close second. It’s also has very little hiss, but a bit more occlusion than the XM5 so it’s not as transparent. The XM5 earbuds are the least transparent. It has more hiss overall, and a bit more occlusion than the XM4, although it does seem to amplify ambient sounds louder.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound quality, the XM5 buds sound very different from the headphones because the fitment is different. These goes deep into the ear canal which means you do get an in-the-head sound field as opposed to the enveloping and airy sound field of the XM4 and XM5 headphones.
That is why the frequency sweeps show that the XM5 earbuds have a higher spike in the frequencies above 9 khz.
This is to make the soundstage feel wider and more airy. (A lot of earbuds do that not just the XM5.) And though the graphs show that the XM5’s earbuds have lower gain in the bass and mids, I found its bass response quite comparable because what the microphones are actually picking up is the difference in how much air the drivers are able to move. After all, sound is just air in motion, and 11mm drivers can’t move as much air as 30 or 40mm drivers. That’s why it’s important to get a proper seal with eartips to lock in the bass.
Still, you do get a fuller, richer sound when listening with the WH-1000XM5 or XM4 headphones in the upper bass and vocal range. It felt like I could hear more of the music. Listen to the sound samples.
Pros and Cons
If you’re looking at which one’s better in terms of features, they are all very similar. They use the same app, mostly the same features, but there are reasons that justifies buying each of these. Let me explain. Let’s start with the earbuds.
Why I prefer the Sony WF-1000XM5
Obviously if portability is important to you, the WF-1000XM5 makes more sense. Easy to bring with you in your pocket, or even just keep it in your bag and if you need the audio or noise canceling, it’s always within reach. In hot, humid Singapore it’s also less sweaty using earbuds compared to over the ears cans which is why this can be my daily driver. And being the newer product, it is a little more feature rich.
For example its head tracking also works for answering and rejecting calls while the XM5 headphones are restricted to just watching movies. It’s also possible to turn off transparency mode for phone calls, which isn’t possible on the headphones yet. One of the drawbacks for me is its mic pickup. It’s a vast improvement over the previous version but it’s still not as great as the XM5 headphones especially in noisy conditions. Completely understandable because, to put it simply, headphones have mics closer to your mouth, so they can pick up your voice more easily.
Another drawback is battery endurance. Yes it has up to 8 hours per charge, total of 24 hours, but if you do have to use them longer than that you’ll have to put it back in the case to charge. One scenario I can think of is if you’re stuck on a plane for 14 hours or more,and if you’re listening to music with them with noise canceling, it’s not going to last that long. Whereas for headphones, you don’t even have to charge them for a few days.
The case for the Sony WH-1000XM5
Compared to the others, the WH-1000XM5 is definitely worth going for if you prioritize mic pickup because its call quality is one of the best right now, if not the best. That’s how good it is. A recent update also added head tracking to it, which can be used in certain situations. It is also one of the most comfortable headphones in the market. Very lightweight, and very gentle clamp, but firm enough for it to stay. I do take this out with me, just not if I’m expecting to be under the hot sun, and if I do have a bag with me because otherwise these goes around my neck. The problem I have with the XM5 headphones is the way it changes noise canceling intensity depending on environment. The switching can be a little too abrupt which is a bit uncomfortable. But that’s just me, many people don’t really notice it that much.
Why I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM4
The WH-1000XM4 which, being an older product, doesn’t have the latest features like spatial audio with head tracking, and the ability to stream over LDAC while maintaining a multipoint connection. Since it is not equipped with the latest processors and sensors. Even so, due to the difference in price you may not consider that to be important. In terms of call quality, it’s not the best out there at the moment, a lot has happened since 2020, but if we’re looking at sound and active noise canceling, these are still pretty good even now. Plus it’s often on promo, so these make a great value alternative to bothe the XM5 headphones and earbuds.
If you want to check the latest prices of these products, I’ve included links to their Amazon and Lazada pages below.
Sony WF-1000XM5
Amazon - https://amzn.to/3JGI1uN
Lazada - https://s.lazada.sg/s.bsAyl?cc
Sony WH-1000XM5
Amazon - https://amzn.to/4bIqJtZ
Lazada - https://s.lazada.sg/s.bMAHc?cc
Sony WH-1000XM4 - https://amzn.to/3UL9YID
Lazada - https://s.lazada.sg/s.bMApl?cc
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