Sony WH-1000XM5 long-term review: The best headphone for frequent fliers

Here is my recent experience with the Sony WH-1000XM5, which is among the best over-the-ear noise cancellation headphones in the world.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 are now available for less than Rs 27,000 in India (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Written by: Vivek Umashankar

5 min readBengaluruJan 29, 2023 01:32 PM IST First published on: Jan 23, 2023 at 04:07 PM IST

Sony introduced its flagship WH-1000XM5 over-the-head active noise-cancellation headphones in September 2022 in India for Rs 34,990. And yes, we loved these headphones in our official review, and that’s also why we rated these as the best headphones for 2022. Right now, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is available for just around Rs 27,000 as part of the ongoing grand Republic Day sale on Amazon, which is an excellent deal. I must admit that I liked the design, performance, and battery life of the Sony WH-100XM5 when I first got it during the launch. But it took me almost three months to realise the full potential of this headphone. Here’s my long-term review of the Sony WH-100XM5 and why it is ideal for travellers.

Sony WH-1000XM5 is meant for frequent flyers

During my regular testing, I liked the noise cancellation capabilities of the WH-1000XM5 and how comfortable they were with day-to-day usage. And while I regularly used the WH-1000XM5 in my house to block road noise, I didn’t appreciate it unless I turned on ANC on the headphone inside a flight.

Last week, when I took a flight to Pune, the Sony WH-1000XM5 made my travel experience much more pleasant. Right before getting into the airport, I enabled the Ambient mode during the initial security check. This enabled me to talk to security personnel without taking my headphones off. Once I was done with the security check, I was left with a few hours to kill. The airport was fairly crowded and definitely chaotic. Turning back the active noise cancellation (ANC) on the headphone made me feel like I was in my house and not in an airport. And inside the flight, the ANC ensured that the irritating engine sound just disappeared, and I was in a paradise of silence.

Even with extended usage, the WH-1000XM5 feels comfortable (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Sony WH-1000XM5: Connect to two devices simultaneously

The WH-1000XM5 can connect to two devices simultaneously, and as someone who carries two phones, I am grateful for this feature. I tend to use my primary iPhone–which has my primary SIM– along with an Android smartphone as the latter is my go-to choice for content consumption. Thanks to the Sony WH-1000XM5 switching between the two was not a problem at all.

Whenever I get a call on my primary phone, I could just pick up the call, and the headphone would automatically connect to the iPhone. Once I was done with the call on the phone, I resumed my movie on the Android smartphone, and this worked flawlessly without any manual intervention from my side. This is exactly what most consumers want in a headphone with a premium price tag.

The headphones can be used simultaneously with two devices. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Connect a third device to the WH-1000XM5 using the AUX cable

But Sony has not limited connectivity options to just Bluetooth. The Sony WH-1000XM5 also comes with the option to use the good old headphone jack, and many will find it convenient. Say you have an urgent video call from your boss, you can just connect the AUX cable included in the carry case and connect the headphone to a laptop– provided your laptop has a slot still.

When you connect a device to the headphone via the cable, it will overtake the wireless mode and start working in the wired mode. Coming to the audio quality, while it is not as bass-heavy as I prefer, the WH-1000XM5 is definitely above average and offers many details. The headphone also supports HD audio playback. Do note that for this to work, you need to disable multi-device connectivity.

Also read | Sony WH-1000XM5 review: Create your own bubble

The headphones can be charged using any USB Type-C cable (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar / Indian Express)

Sony WH-1000XM5’s 30 hours of battery life is killer

One can argue that most TWS can do all these things at a much lower price. But I feel that TWS earphones are not as comfortable as over-the-ear headphones, primarily because they sit inside the ear canal. On top of that, the Sony WH-1000XM5 also offers excellent battery life and could easily last for an entire trip on a single charge. More importantly, it can be fast-charged using a USB Type-C cable.

With the current retail price of Rs 26,989, we definitely recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for those who tend to catch a flight every once in a while. The headphones offer excellent active noise cancellation, good audio performance, and great battery life. The best part is that they are comfortable to wear for an extended period. The Sony WH-1000XM5 is on top of my favourite travel headphones so far.