The much-lauded “gold standard of noise-canceling headphones”, the Sony WH-1000MX4, finally has a follow-up. In addition to bettering what it does best, i.e. industry-leading noise-canceling, the new Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones also promised exceptional sound and industry-leading call quality.
The new Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones now rock not one but two processors that control eight microphones for automatically optimizing noise cancelation based on the environment.
However, this latest in the noise-cancellation industry is not limited to the environment; it also takes into consideration the user’s head size, if the user is wearing glasses or not, or if the hair is covering the ears. In short, what WH-1000XM5 has to offer is the next level of noise-cancelation.
Here’s an overview of the noise-cancellation tech:
“With the help of the Integrated Processor V1, the WH-1000XM5 headphones unlock the full potential of Sony’s HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1, while the specially designed 30mm driver unit enhances noise canceling. These features improve sound clarity and bass reproduction, creating incomparable noise cancelation that allows the listener to completely switch off the world around them whether they’re escaping from plane noise or sitting on a train on their way home from work.”
The 360 Reality Audio Certified headphones further feature Sony’s industry-adopted audio coding technology LDAC, DSEE Extreme that upscales digital music files in real-time, precise Voice Pickup technology bolstered by four beamforming mics and an AI-based noise reduction structure, and a new, super-sleek design with improved wear comfort, featuring soft fit, synthetic leather ear cups with a step-less slider.
Furthermore, the headphones offer a hands-free experience through Adaptive Sound Control that automatically tailors sound based on the location, so you do not need to muck around with volume adjustment as you are moving through different environments.
Meanwhile, Quick Access lets you configure the headphone to resume Spotify playback with two or three taps. The headphones, through the use of the Sony Headphones Connect app, will warn users if the listening levels are too high.
Other notables include Bluetooth connectivity with a quick switch between devices with a touch of a button, support for both Google Assistant and Alexa, support for Google’s new Fast Pair feature for fast pairing with Android devices, Swift Pair for quick and easy pairing with Windows devices, and up to 30 hours of battery life and support for USB PD charging that will pack it with three hours’ worth of charge in just three minutes of charging.
The new Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones will be available to order on May 20, 2022, from Sony.com, Amazon, and Best Buy, with an asking price of US$399.99.
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Images: Sony Electronics.
