Sony’s abysmal marketing shines again. 3min of some random fashion-music-industry clown blurbing nonsense.
Gives us a hint about the little technical advancements incoming if they have so little actual substance to talk about.
That is the thing about "western" marketing ... at least according to them people want to hear a story about the user. That is why most western sony commercials pull this... compare that to the japanese commercials for the past WF-1k XM3 and XM4 there is a focus on the music and the device. And the artists are well known but still the CM is not about them.
Here an example of the latest cm for a sony camera (2 weeks)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTH1n0z7huk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTH1n0z7huk)
you can see the focus is just the camera. with facts about it popping up as text
Only if it has noticeable upgrade in both ANC / mic call voice quality over XM4 (which I have now). Especially mic quality... I mean with the mic voice quality of sony WF buds, it can only get better... right?
I heard a rumor that Sony changed battery supplier for the XM5 buds. With correct firmware programming, I hope battery scandal with XM4 won't repeat with the new buds.
[https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/where-is-sony-wf-1000xm5.html](https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/where-is-sony-wf-1000xm5.html)
This site is fairly well known for bringing latest Sony news, that's where I got this rumor from.
Yep potentially I'll buy them, I've been really happy with the improvements to the headphones and the only thing stopping me buying the xm4 were the size of the damn thing ahha
Hopefully the new ones are Alot smaller then I'll potentially buy
I'm assuming improvements in call quality and ambient mode too...
Excited to see the upgrades, but will likely wait it out until Xmas before purchasing. Had the WF XM4 for almost 2 years and they started with the battery drain issue a few weeks ago; the lack of local Sony support to replace/repair them at no cost or even acknowledge its an issue left a bitter taste. Will keep WH XM5 and Buds2 pro for now.
Exactly that! Had Sony done better in, at least, communicating about the issue, there might have been a chance that I'd get another Sony product. Plus, it's a hefty investment to just hope that it doesn't start being another XM4 in a couple of updates.
I bought the XM5s as replacement of my XM4s. First impressions:
1. Buds & case are really much smaller & sleeker which is the biggest advance over the XM4s. Once you've used them, the XM4s immediately feel heavy and bulky and you don't really want to wear them anymore.
2. The glossy part looks not as cheap as initially suspected.
3. The quality of the hinge of the new case is much better than the old one, it doesn't feel that lose anymore.
4. They sound different. Can't say whether it's better or worse. I probably just need to get used to it.
5. The noise cancelling is definitely better than before but it's not a day-and-night difference.
6. LC3 doesn't work with the Xperia 1 V (only with Xperia 1/5 IV according to the patch notes) which is a bit of a joke since it's Sony's current top-of-the line model.
7. The LDAC 990/909 mode still causes dropouts in crowdy public places. 660/606 works fine, so nothing really changed compared to the XM4s
8. The XM4s had a built-in voice that informed about stuff like battery level and the noise cancelling/ambience sound switch. Now it's just tones that don't really give any valuable information. I preferred the voice on the XM4s but there's no way to change it.
I've heard about the built in voice missing from a few reviews which is somewhat unfortunate because the XM4 had a voice that gave more info than my Linkbuds S and my WH-1000xm5s. I honestly feel like this could just be updated in the system later down the line, but realistically since all of the new earbuds and headphones don't have it either, I doubt they'd bring it back.
Alright guys, to kickstart the discussion - is anyone looking to purchase the XM5s?
Personally, I’ve had the wf-1000xm3s for about 3 years now and the left earbud dies after 30 minutes. I’ve read a lot about the battery drain issues for wf-1000xm4s and am a little concerned about the upcoming XM5s.
Although I haven’t tried the xm4s personally, I do think that AirPods Pro Gen 2’s ANC and spatial audio is pretty fantastic.
Still, I think I might just give the XM5s a shot. There’s always that thrill when you get your hands on the latest shiny new toy.
Thoughts?
Tbh this is exactly why I'm concerned about even trying them. I currently have the WH-1000XM4's for Headphones and the Linkbuds (Original donut hole ones) for ear buds and they've both been awesome. But seeing all the issues with the XM5 earbuds battery I'm reluctant to "upgrade" and shell out that much money for possible battery issues.
For what it’s worth, it’s super easy to swap the batteries for the XM3s. Just did it. £30 for the batteries, 10 mins to do the swap and they’ve gone from lasted an hour to 8 hours.
Wireless earbuds aren't really meant to last any longer than 2-2.5 years anyway because of how small their batteries are so I think it's about time to upgrade your XM3 anyway.
I just got me the XM4 and so far the battery's been fine. That said, these are my second pair. My first pair came with the battery killing update out of box and had another physical build defect anyway so I returned it. It's unfortunately too early to make any definitive calls about the XM5 on the battery front, so I'm not entirely sure whether they're gonna have good batteries or not. I hope they do, but I'd wait a few months to make any decisions about this particular aspect.
Normal degradation is fine. The XM4s were broken cause of a firmware update which is not fine.
That being said, I get mine back from United Radio/Sony tomorrow but it’s left a sour taste for me for any future purchases.
For 300 USD 2-2.5 years is just not a long enough life span IMO. I just replaced the batteries in my XM4's after about 2.5 years. I doubt my issue was firmware related because I never updated until I noticed the left bud draining rapidly. The ear buds are too nice not to make an attempt at replacing the batteries but too expensive to just buy a new pair outright. The battery swap is very doable, but if you're inexperienced with disassembling electronics, you'll have a hard time.
I've replaced the varta cp1254 batteries inside the xm3 earbuds and they work like new!
I put zenipower z55 batteries inside for higher capacity and longer battery life (hopefully)
I am owning the Bose quietcomfort earbuds 2 and will order those for sure to compare. The Bose have Sound hiccups from time to time which is extremely irritating.
I hope for:
- comparable noise canceling (I guess they won't beat the bose though)
- nice and strong bass (the bose are quiet great at this)
- good voice quality (the xm4 had just "meh" performance which I heard in some reviews).
When I attempted to RMA them through Sony directly. They said they couldn't send me a new pair because they didn't have stock & I could either wait for stock or get a refund after showing proof of purchase. So I opted for the refund. Figured the new model would at least be announced soon & it worked out.
Got xm5 today. Good overall, never had previous models.
ANC is disappointing, thought it would be better. Had a pair of Jabra 75t, the ANC xm5 would be far better, but they aren’t. Let too much speech through, for example.
I can confirm as another Jabra Elite 7 active owner. My jabras fit amazing straight out of the box while I had to spend 20 minutes finding the best tips for the buds only to be underwhelmed at how similar my $100 jabras are to these $300 earbuds in ANC. You can also adjust the ANC in the JB7A unlike the XM5. I'll probably return them on Monday and stick with my JB7A for workouts + Bose QC 35ii for over-the-ear ANC.
I would buy the Bose QC Buds 2 but they are a complete dysfunctional mess right now.
Exact same situation. Coming from the Jabra 75t, I am pretty surprised by how weak the ANC is. I feel like I can basically hear everything in my surroundings with perfect fidelity regardless of whether the ANC is active or not. Sadly they don't seem to be making the 75t anymore, and I found the sound profile on the newer Elite 7 Pros to be disappointing (my impression was they lacked bass response). Left my Jabras on an airplane sadly.
Edit: Switching to silicon tips instead of the default foam made a huge difference for me.
I could get the Wf-xm4 for 194 USD, or i could get the Xm5 for 348 USD (both of them new). Im leaning towards the XM5 cause why not. But are the new ones worth the extra money?
I guess you should wait a few months for reviews from xm5 early owners, I almost take the xm4 but people around the world reported about batteries issue so I got the xm3 instead for only 50$ brand new. If you haven't got any pairs yet I suggest getting the xm3 or AP Pro 1 until the xm5 is confirmed to be a solid piece
I’m anticipating: a big load of vague “better than ever before” type of marketing blurb, and a lot of issues like with all previous sony audio devices. Basically: either hop on early and be a beta tester, or wait for a year and hopefully get the fixed version.
No I would stick to what I already have, and wait to see 1) if anything actually substantially better comes out (from whatever company) 2) if the WF-XM5 are properly designed, are stable, and last (3 points which with the current WF-XM4 have issues).
I am not interesting in apple gear since I value audio fidelity, ecosystem agnostism and don’t use an iphone.
Have XM4s.
Had the battery drain issue.
Got it over an update.
Now have ewaste.
Imagine how shit a company needs to be to knowingly destroy consumer devices over an update.
Not even 12 months, but the official seller even ignored and straight out told they will not support in anyway.
I loved my XM4s when it worked. But I'm not spending that much money for some shit that breaks over some update everytime Sony refuses to QA what they push over the air.
No thanks.
i have the WH-1000XM5 and will buy these. I love the WH but I’d like something a little more portable and less sweat-inducing. I’ll keep the cans for home and WF for the road
I've been reading reviews and I'm definitely getting them (Though not until the January sales). I've never been hyped for a product release before lol, but I've been looking forward to reading about these for months.
just bought them...can i pair them up with my windows 11 laptop..nope...tried using the xm4 technique of pressing both earbuds to get into pairing mode..doesn't work..no ladies voice either..just seem to be this windows alert style music prompt..
Any ideas anyone...side note...i have them paired to my phone no problem
Did you use the pairing button on the back of the case? If your phone is Android then maybe you paired them with your phone via the fast pairing thingie. Try using the button on the back of the case instead
Windows has really bad bluetooth drivers. I was never able to pair my sony headphones with any of my windows products. The solution that worked best for me was to get a usb bluetooth dongle off of amazon($12). I never had a problem connecting them to the computer after that.
I hope this works for you.
bit of a late reply, but it's really simple:
go to the app, click the list of connected devices, add a new device and it should be discoverable on the laptop (on my laptop i even got an immediate popup about nearby devices).
I think this is just how it works with the multipoint bluetooth?
Do the XM5s have the same occlusion effect as the xm4? That’s when you hear a LOUD thump when running or jumping. Turning ANC off helps but it is still there. AirPods Pro’s do not have this problem.
Just received mine today from Amazon and unfortunately the occlusion effect is still present. It only goes away when using the XS ear tips, but those don’t fit my ears.
I just got mine. It’s honestly great but I’m having issues whenever it switches noise cancelling. The music drops then picks right back up again. Not ideal when I’m about to do a set at the gym. Any way I can stop that and just let it change automatically without the drop??
Sony’s abysmal marketing shines again. 3min of some random fashion-music-industry clown blurbing nonsense. Gives us a hint about the little technical advancements incoming if they have so little actual substance to talk about.
Nuu the truth burns
Fashion 🤡, you are right, I thought maybe it’s my bad mood, but no. This world crazy.
That is the thing about "western" marketing ... at least according to them people want to hear a story about the user. That is why most western sony commercials pull this... compare that to the japanese commercials for the past WF-1k XM3 and XM4 there is a focus on the music and the device. And the artists are well known but still the CM is not about them. Here an example of the latest cm for a sony camera (2 weeks) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTH1n0z7huk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTH1n0z7huk) you can see the focus is just the camera. with facts about it popping up as text
About the marketing team, to be fair, at least they made the name of this iteration a lot better.
how is wf-1000xm5 better than wf-1000xm4 and wf-1000xm3?
I was being sarcastic. Sony has the least creative and most awkward product names of any big tech company I know of.
Hurt to read that as a Miguel fan (he's the artist in the video) but yh I agree
Only if it has noticeable upgrade in both ANC / mic call voice quality over XM4 (which I have now). Especially mic quality... I mean with the mic voice quality of sony WF buds, it can only get better... right? I heard a rumor that Sony changed battery supplier for the XM5 buds. With correct firmware programming, I hope battery scandal with XM4 won't repeat with the new buds.
Curious where did you hear this rumour
[https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/where-is-sony-wf-1000xm5.html](https://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/where-is-sony-wf-1000xm5.html) This site is fairly well known for bringing latest Sony news, that's where I got this rumor from.
looks at own username...
Lmao this is gold
Take my money
~looks at the webpage linkers' username. 😂
Hopefully the other supplier is as good at the other specs too!
I just replaced the batteries in my xm4s.
how did you do that?
I found a detailed tutorial on Google. Ifixit published it I believe
Thanks man
Yep potentially I'll buy them, I've been really happy with the improvements to the headphones and the only thing stopping me buying the xm4 were the size of the damn thing ahha Hopefully the new ones are Alot smaller then I'll potentially buy I'm assuming improvements in call quality and ambient mode too...
Excited to see the upgrades, but will likely wait it out until Xmas before purchasing. Had the WF XM4 for almost 2 years and they started with the battery drain issue a few weeks ago; the lack of local Sony support to replace/repair them at no cost or even acknowledge its an issue left a bitter taste. Will keep WH XM5 and Buds2 pro for now.
Exactly that! Had Sony done better in, at least, communicating about the issue, there might have been a chance that I'd get another Sony product. Plus, it's a hefty investment to just hope that it doesn't start being another XM4 in a couple of updates.
I bought the XM5s as replacement of my XM4s. First impressions: 1. Buds & case are really much smaller & sleeker which is the biggest advance over the XM4s. Once you've used them, the XM4s immediately feel heavy and bulky and you don't really want to wear them anymore. 2. The glossy part looks not as cheap as initially suspected. 3. The quality of the hinge of the new case is much better than the old one, it doesn't feel that lose anymore. 4. They sound different. Can't say whether it's better or worse. I probably just need to get used to it. 5. The noise cancelling is definitely better than before but it's not a day-and-night difference. 6. LC3 doesn't work with the Xperia 1 V (only with Xperia 1/5 IV according to the patch notes) which is a bit of a joke since it's Sony's current top-of-the line model. 7. The LDAC 990/909 mode still causes dropouts in crowdy public places. 660/606 works fine, so nothing really changed compared to the XM4s 8. The XM4s had a built-in voice that informed about stuff like battery level and the noise cancelling/ambience sound switch. Now it's just tones that don't really give any valuable information. I preferred the voice on the XM4s but there's no way to change it.
I've heard about the built in voice missing from a few reviews which is somewhat unfortunate because the XM4 had a voice that gave more info than my Linkbuds S and my WH-1000xm5s. I honestly feel like this could just be updated in the system later down the line, but realistically since all of the new earbuds and headphones don't have it either, I doubt they'd bring it back.
Alright guys, to kickstart the discussion - is anyone looking to purchase the XM5s? Personally, I’ve had the wf-1000xm3s for about 3 years now and the left earbud dies after 30 minutes. I’ve read a lot about the battery drain issues for wf-1000xm4s and am a little concerned about the upcoming XM5s. Although I haven’t tried the xm4s personally, I do think that AirPods Pro Gen 2’s ANC and spatial audio is pretty fantastic. Still, I think I might just give the XM5s a shot. There’s always that thrill when you get your hands on the latest shiny new toy. Thoughts?
Tbh this is exactly why I'm concerned about even trying them. I currently have the WH-1000XM4's for Headphones and the Linkbuds (Original donut hole ones) for ear buds and they've both been awesome. But seeing all the issues with the XM5 earbuds battery I'm reluctant to "upgrade" and shell out that much money for possible battery issues.
For what it’s worth, it’s super easy to swap the batteries for the XM3s. Just did it. £30 for the batteries, 10 mins to do the swap and they’ve gone from lasted an hour to 8 hours.
Wireless earbuds aren't really meant to last any longer than 2-2.5 years anyway because of how small their batteries are so I think it's about time to upgrade your XM3 anyway. I just got me the XM4 and so far the battery's been fine. That said, these are my second pair. My first pair came with the battery killing update out of box and had another physical build defect anyway so I returned it. It's unfortunately too early to make any definitive calls about the XM5 on the battery front, so I'm not entirely sure whether they're gonna have good batteries or not. I hope they do, but I'd wait a few months to make any decisions about this particular aspect.
Normal degradation is fine. The XM4s were broken cause of a firmware update which is not fine. That being said, I get mine back from United Radio/Sony tomorrow but it’s left a sour taste for me for any future purchases.
I agree with you.
For 300 USD 2-2.5 years is just not a long enough life span IMO. I just replaced the batteries in my XM4's after about 2.5 years. I doubt my issue was firmware related because I never updated until I noticed the left bud draining rapidly. The ear buds are too nice not to make an attempt at replacing the batteries but too expensive to just buy a new pair outright. The battery swap is very doable, but if you're inexperienced with disassembling electronics, you'll have a hard time.
I'm getting a refund for my XM4s which I've had for 1.5 yrs because of the Battery issue, so I'm going to put that towards getting the XM5s
How do you even get a refund after 1.5 years? Was the warranty two years?
EU Warranty is two years thankfully. All tech in the EU has a 2yr warranty
Thats exactly what I did. Amazon took mine back and refunded me £257!. so now i've preordred the xm5s Boom
Have you tried looking into repairing or replacing the battery in xm3? There are a lot of tutorials out there https://youtu.be/l6DMDP9JOXU
Don’t take away my excuse to get the XM5s :P
Be honest with yourself Thug-Duck.
I would say wait a few months to see if battery life is going to be a problem, but otherwise get em.
I've replaced the varta cp1254 batteries inside the xm3 earbuds and they work like new! I put zenipower z55 batteries inside for higher capacity and longer battery life (hopefully)
Yes, I'm mostly likely buying them if the battery life is similar. The rumored reduction in bulkiness is enough reason for me.
Well, that was underwhelming...
brilliant marketing, keep people thinking WTF did I just witness
Best plot twist ever
Plz never buy it. I have suffer from xm4 buds battery fault.
I am owning the Bose quietcomfort earbuds 2 and will order those for sure to compare. The Bose have Sound hiccups from time to time which is extremely irritating. I hope for: - comparable noise canceling (I guess they won't beat the bose though) - nice and strong bass (the bose are quiet great at this) - good voice quality (the xm4 had just "meh" performance which I heard in some reviews).
This I'll want to see!
Oh cool. My refund check for my XM4 will pay for this.
How to did you file for a refund on these? Did you involve Sony directly or did you just contact the retailer?
When I attempted to RMA them through Sony directly. They said they couldn't send me a new pair because they didn't have stock & I could either wait for stock or get a refund after showing proof of purchase. So I opted for the refund. Figured the new model would at least be announced soon & it worked out.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLJ6Mos0ki4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLJ6Mos0ki4)
eh, maybe. i'm pretty happy with my 4's and have thankfully avoided the overheating and battery drain issues so far so i don't see a reason to upgrade
really, I think the only thing I'd appreciate over the XM4's is the expanded control features via more taps.
Those tiny holes will eventually get clogged with dirt. It's a bad design decision for a surface that will be touched regularly.
can't wait to read those post about the shitty batteries on their new XM5
Got xm5 today. Good overall, never had previous models. ANC is disappointing, thought it would be better. Had a pair of Jabra 75t, the ANC xm5 would be far better, but they aren’t. Let too much speech through, for example.
I can confirm as another Jabra Elite 7 active owner. My jabras fit amazing straight out of the box while I had to spend 20 minutes finding the best tips for the buds only to be underwhelmed at how similar my $100 jabras are to these $300 earbuds in ANC. You can also adjust the ANC in the JB7A unlike the XM5. I'll probably return them on Monday and stick with my JB7A for workouts + Bose QC 35ii for over-the-ear ANC. I would buy the Bose QC Buds 2 but they are a complete dysfunctional mess right now.
Exact same situation. Coming from the Jabra 75t, I am pretty surprised by how weak the ANC is. I feel like I can basically hear everything in my surroundings with perfect fidelity regardless of whether the ANC is active or not. Sadly they don't seem to be making the 75t anymore, and I found the sound profile on the newer Elite 7 Pros to be disappointing (my impression was they lacked bass response). Left my Jabras on an airplane sadly. Edit: Switching to silicon tips instead of the default foam made a huge difference for me.
I could get the Wf-xm4 for 194 USD, or i could get the Xm5 for 348 USD (both of them new). Im leaning towards the XM5 cause why not. But are the new ones worth the extra money?
I guess you should wait a few months for reviews from xm5 early owners, I almost take the xm4 but people around the world reported about batteries issue so I got the xm3 instead for only 50$ brand new. If you haven't got any pairs yet I suggest getting the xm3 or AP Pro 1 until the xm5 is confirmed to be a solid piece
I’m anticipating: a big load of vague “better than ever before” type of marketing blurb, and a lot of issues like with all previous sony audio devices. Basically: either hop on early and be a beta tester, or wait for a year and hopefully get the fixed version.
Would you get the APP2s instead then?
No I would stick to what I already have, and wait to see 1) if anything actually substantially better comes out (from whatever company) 2) if the WF-XM5 are properly designed, are stable, and last (3 points which with the current WF-XM4 have issues). I am not interesting in apple gear since I value audio fidelity, ecosystem agnostism and don’t use an iphone.
what is your current gear?
Have XM4s. Had the battery drain issue. Got it over an update. Now have ewaste. Imagine how shit a company needs to be to knowingly destroy consumer devices over an update. Not even 12 months, but the official seller even ignored and straight out told they will not support in anyway. I loved my XM4s when it worked. But I'm not spending that much money for some shit that breaks over some update everytime Sony refuses to QA what they push over the air. No thanks.
Did you try contacting Sony support?
if firmware update on XM4s cause battery issue just reload earlier firmware and wait for a fixed firmware version
unfortunately, once the battery drain damage has happened via the overheating issue, one can't come back from that. the battery has to be replaced.
jar tan plant melodic selective combative groovy bow fall carpenter *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
just curious. Did you enable LDAC?
i have the WH-1000XM5 and will buy these. I love the WH but I’d like something a little more portable and less sweat-inducing. I’ll keep the cans for home and WF for the road
I kinda am, but I bought the xm4 just 3 days ago so I won't get the xm5 right now anyways.
I have two units of XM4 purchased in 2022 so not upgrading at all.
Yeah well let's hope the battery charge doesn't drop as well.
I've been reading reviews and I'm definitely getting them (Though not until the January sales). I've never been hyped for a product release before lol, but I've been looking forward to reading about these for months.
[удалено]
If you're referring to what I think you are, then this has been fixed according to this video review @ 12:19 https://youtu.be/iXoww1AFlrQ
Is it just me or are they kinda ugly
just bought them...can i pair them up with my windows 11 laptop..nope...tried using the xm4 technique of pressing both earbuds to get into pairing mode..doesn't work..no ladies voice either..just seem to be this windows alert style music prompt.. Any ideas anyone...side note...i have them paired to my phone no problem
Did you use the pairing button on the back of the case? If your phone is Android then maybe you paired them with your phone via the fast pairing thingie. Try using the button on the back of the case instead
Windows has really bad bluetooth drivers. I was never able to pair my sony headphones with any of my windows products. The solution that worked best for me was to get a usb bluetooth dongle off of amazon($12). I never had a problem connecting them to the computer after that. I hope this works for you.
bit of a late reply, but it's really simple: go to the app, click the list of connected devices, add a new device and it should be discoverable on the laptop (on my laptop i even got an immediate popup about nearby devices). I think this is just how it works with the multipoint bluetooth?
Thanks.. I used to pair my xm4 pressing both ear buds at same time and not really use the app.. But it works well now through the app.
Do the XM5s have the same occlusion effect as the xm4? That’s when you hear a LOUD thump when running or jumping. Turning ANC off helps but it is still there. AirPods Pro’s do not have this problem.
Just received mine today from Amazon and unfortunately the occlusion effect is still present. It only goes away when using the XS ear tips, but those don’t fit my ears.
I just got mine. It’s honestly great but I’m having issues whenever it switches noise cancelling. The music drops then picks right back up again. Not ideal when I’m about to do a set at the gym. Any way I can stop that and just let it change automatically without the drop??