Sony has just officially announced the arrival of new generation of WH-1000X series which is already reaching its 5th generation, developing one of the the most advanced noise reduction systems on the market.
With the new generation, Sony has been a bit more ambitious than the Sony WH-1000XM4 we reviewed just a few days ago, and aims to update its design without neglecting the evolution in its efficiency. adaptive noise reduction system.
We just received these Sony WH-1000XM5 and, although we did not have the opportunity to test them long enough to dare to make a detailed analysis, it was enough to tell you our first impressions of the Sony WH-1000XM5.
Sony WH-1000XM5 design changes
One of the most obvious changes in this new generation Sony WH-1000XM5 it’s design. A design that affects both the headband and the outer part of the headphones to slightly more uniform and rounded lines.
As for the headband, it loses the oval shape that the XM3 and XM4 had, which allowed it to get closer to the shape of the head, and becomes more round, leaving more room on the sides. Also headphones they no longer stack like the previous ones take less in the backpack.
The headband adjustment system is more progressive and this is done from the base of the headset, and not from the middle of the headband as in the previous generation.
The headphone and headband mount is also different, becoming more streamlined and opting for a single mount on top of the headset instead of the double swing side mount of previous models.
Another feature we found in the redesign of these Sony WH-1000XM5 is that if you remove them and leave them hanging around your neck, the headphones will turn and lie on your chest.
However, instead of turning inside out like its predecessors, it turns outwards, exposing the inside of the headphones.
Despite these changes, comfort remains at a good level thanks to the cushions that cushion the pressure around the ear and even expand the touch surface on the outside of each earcup.
Premium sound quality and noise cancellation
During its presentation, Sony indicated that The Sony WH-1000XM5 comes with a new set of 30mm carbon fiber reinforced drivers.instead of the previous generation 40mm liquid crystal polymer drivers.
According to the Japanese brand, this change optimizes the weight and volume of the headphones without sacrificing quality.
In the absence of a more comprehensive battery of tests for analysis, which we will publish in a few days With different musical styles, first impressions are that these new drivers retain the good frequency response we’ve already seen in the XM4.
The bass sounds very clear. leaving room for the rest of the frequencies, so reducing the size of the drivers, a priori, not a step back in sound quality.
Something similar happened to us noise reduction, which once again relies on adaptive controlwhich learns from the user’s preferences, adjusting the intensity of cancellation based on their activity or location, but gets ahead by further expanding the frequency range for cancellation.
This is achieved by combining two Sony technologies that have so far worked separately in headphones from other Japanese brands.
One side, built-in V1 processorwhich manages the operation of the internal DAC and the processing of new artificial intelligence algorithms that make the magic of DSEE Extreme possible (Digital Audio Enhancement Engine), which allows you to recover information in files with a compressed format, such as mp3.
On the other hand, management and processing Noise reduction depends on QN1 processor with the support of 8 microphones: 3 external for each earphone, which picks up the ambient noise signal with greater accuracy, and a microphone inside the earphone, which confirms that the backlash suppression is correct.
During calls, artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning are also applied.isolating the user’s voice during calls and improving the call quality of the person on the other end.
The quality of the microphones was one of the weak points we found in our 1000XM4 review, but at least in the initial test with a real call, seems to be getting better in that regard..
Communication quality is good and both voices are transmitted very well, although in tests with more intense external noise, the microphones suffer a little more to achieve that voice isolation.
Sony WH-1000XM5 adapts to the user and improves the user experience
It is likely that one of the elements that has evolved the most in Sony headphones, oddly enough, is not inside the headset, but installed on the user’s smartphone.
We talk about the application Connecting Sony headphones, which serves as a control panel from which all headphone operation is configured. In the Sony WH-1000XM5, it plays a more important role, as some of its features have also been improved with the new generation.
For example, the user will no longer have to calibrate the noise reduction setting, as was the case in previous generations. The Sony WH-1000XM5 does this automatically. calibrated for factors such as atmospheric pressure and whether you have long hair or glasses.
The application uses the smartphone’s positioning system and takes it into account when setting up a cancellation profile, determining whether you are at home, at work, etc. Ultimately, this Take your adaptive noise reduction experience to the next level which we found when analyzing the Sony WH-1000XM4.
They replicate features that already existed in the previous generation and have been extended to other Sony headphones such as Chat conversation that automatically stops the music when you speak and resumes when you’re done, or Quick Attention Mode, which mutes audio by closing the right earcup.
Sony WH-1000XM5 is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants.but this time they do it with keyword activation (saying “ok, google“or”Alexa”) rather than pressing a button.
connection with multiple devices is still present and allows you to maintain a connection between two different devices and quickly switch between them depending on which one is playing content.
For example, you can connect Sony WH-1000XM5 to smartphone and laptop and listen to music or watch videos from it. If a call comes in, the Sony WH-1000XM5 will pause music playback and switch to the smartphone to answer the call without touching anything on the mobile phone or laptop.
Autonomy Sony WH-1000XM5 significantly improved over its predecessor by putting up to 30 hours of use with noise canceling on and 40 hours of use compared to 38 hours on the previous generation. In addition, with 3 minutes of charging restores 3 hours of use.
In any case, this is a fact that we can confirm or disprove by load tests carried out in our laboratory.
Sony WH-1000XM5, price and availability in Spain
Sony’s new flagship in active noise cancellation will arrive in stores in Spain in from the end of May 2022 in black and silver finishes that retain the same line as previous models.
At the moment, there is no confirmation of the release of special versions in white, like the Sony WH-1000XM4.
the starting price will be 450 euros including taxeswhich makes it slightly more expensive than the previous generation.
Source: Computer Hoy
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
