- Wife is talking about getting some over the head headphones and since her birthday is coming up it’s got me looking at what’s available as a possible suprise present .
Sony XM5’s seem to get a lot of good reviews.
Looks like you can still buy the The XM4 which are significantly cheaper and equally well regarded.
I really can’t imagine she’s going to benefit a huge amount in having the more expensive XM5 but I can see a few posts on these headphones so maybe somebody can give some real world views on them.
She is currently using Jabra ear buds for podcasts, music, teams and she starts a new job soon so they’d also be used on the train .
Possible either of these may be overkill anyway but they are something I know is worth spending a few extra ££’s on.
Save the cash and get the XM4’s?
Anything else I ought to consider?
Both are great, honestly i can't really tell a difference other than for me the xm5's are more comfortable to wear
If i was an android user and wanted headphones for on the train use then XM4 especially as they fold up smaller, check out review and comparison on rtings here , but I’d prefer to use Sony WF-100XM5 in ears when on the go
As I am an iPhone user there is only one sensible option and that’s AirPods Pro 2 which I’m listening to now, I rarely use my iem’s or headphone setup anymore
I've got XM4s, which have been brilliant. They pack away better than the xm5, which was a big bonus for me (+ cheaper etc).
I haven’t touched my over ear Sonys since I got some AirPod pros.
Think I'm getting the 4s for some traveling this year. Prefer the design over the 5s.
I've got the 4's, they seem pretty decent to me, but I haven't tried the 5's
I’ll chip in as an XM3 owner - I always tend to buy (and often refurb) slightly older tech. I’ve had opportunities to go for XM4s but many reviews suggest not a drastic/meaningful upgrade over the XM3 - which can be found for damn good prices on eBay. Usual ebay patience/caveats apply. Keep eyes peeled for dodgy hinges (fixing involves complete tear down/soldering) and charge sockets (soldering/mods). New ear pads can be found for ~£10, and batteries for ~£10-15. Both simple plug n play repairs.
Sat here with XM3s on, struggle to think how anything could be better for the money.
I bought xm4s rather than discounted xm3s as they were prone to going bad in one ear quickly.
But the xm4 don't seem to suffer it so if I had the chance to get them cheaper I would.
None of the pods stay in my ears so over ear bins it is.
But what are you seeing as a good price for xm4s .... They look to still be about £235 which doesn't seem like a deal given That's what I paid 18 months ago on the high Street.
I’m not saying they’re a good price. I’m saying they’re approx £100 cheaper than XM5’s
I spent 30+ minutes trying both, couldn’t tell the difference (max bitrate Spotify on iPhone w/ range of music genres). I bought the XM4’s and been well impressed for audio, noise cancelling (no source) and Teams calls. If it’s true they also fold up better / have a smaller case then no-brainer. Battery life seems good too but rarely a factor.
Plenty £199 deals come and go so don’t pay more than that. HUKD alert will help.
I have the XM4s. Best headphones I've ever had for music and films. Noise reduction is almost too good - can really miss things going on even nearby...
However, they are not great for calls (Teams, zoom etc). Very echo-y. For work or even family calls I use AirPods Pro, or an old pair of Bose QM35s. The XM4s are SO much better than those for films or music, but just don't cut it on calls.
So consider intended use.
Are you accessing them natively via your device or via the Sony headphones app.
For call you have to set them to go into call mode or they are echoy as you say.
They have stereo sound or headset mode.
Only found out when I figured out that my Windows machine detected two Bluetooth devices related to the headphones. But the phones only found 1 until I relented and got the app
I have a pair of XM3s, they’re great. Unless there is specific new functionality on the 5s that you think she’d love then I’d save yourself some cash
I was in the same situation last week and ended up with....Technics EAH-A800. Just my 2 cents.
I had Bose QC35 for years and recently got the XM5s. They are a great step up in use, sound, app and noise cancelling. Earbuds don't stay in my ears (tried loads!).
I use them for calls a lot and was asked what they are last week as evidently I sound really clear with brilliant audio.
The person asking was checking as they said the sound of other Sony headphones isn't great. They struggle to hear someone in their team with XM3s.
There's could be more to it but a lot of reviews say the 5s have far better mic audio for calls and that's why I chose the 5s. I was happy to get the feedback on call clarify!
So if being heard on calls is important the 5s might be worth the extra cash and I doubt she'll be disappointed. They're excellent.
I went to John Lewis fully intending to buy the XM5 model a month or so ago, I listened to both extensively (currys and John Lewis usually have them on demo)
They do sound different. I preferred the XM4 sound, this had nothing to do with them being cheaper. If they were both the same price I'd still have gone for the XM4 model
I got my 4's from the Aus ebay Sony which were "returns", $200, boxed and for all intents and purposes, work fine, sound great and I couldn't justify paying more than twice the price for the 5's.
For call you have to set them to go into call mode or they are echoy as you say.
That's interesting, I've got the xm4s and they're fantastic, except whenever I've tried to use them for a teams/phone call the person on the other end has said that they're struggling to hear me clearly.
I've been using the Sonys for music and then swapping to a cheap(er) Jlab headset with a boom mic for calls but will have to investigate 'call mode'.
We’ve got some Sony over head headphones , and at Christmas I bought Sonys in ear headphones (mid range)
I wouldn’t go back to over head noise cancelling headphones again
Yes the noise reduction might not be quite there but much easier to sleep/get in a comfortable position wearing in ear
My XM3s are fine on calls, according to my colleagues, even when in a noisy coffee shop.
Bought some XM4s before Christmas because my WCH700s were beginning to give up the ghost and they're about as cheap as they're gonna get. I thought the 700s were good but they feel like a massive upgrade. I wear them most of the day, as I did the one's previous. Love them. Couldn't justify an extra £100+ for the XM5. I came across plenty of reviews saying they preferred the XM4.
That’s interesting, I’ve got the xm4s and they’re fantastic, except whenever I’ve tried to use them for a teams/phone call the person on the other end has said that they’re struggling to hear me clearly.
I have had this a number of times, people asking if I'm on speaker phone. I don't use them for calls much though.
Really repeating what everyone else said, but I'd go XM4 over 5 purely because of the inability of the 5's to fold down properly.
If I'm being totally honest, much as I love my XM4's, I very rarely use them. For work calls I use the right tool for the job (decent Jabra headset) and for non-work stuff it's so much easier to just grab my Airpod Pros which give 90% of the performance in a far smaller, easier to use package.
I've the xm4's which are excellent, used daily. They fold down and come with a case, significantly better than my daughter's CH720N's. No idea if the sm5 would be any better than the 4's, but if mine ever broke id definitely buy another set rather than spend any more.
I have the 4s which are completely useless for Teams calls. Makes me sound like a robot so I can't use the mike (on Mac and Win).
I think they are great for music but not for work use. If you need something for both then I would look for something else.
XM3 user here - not tried the 4's, or 5's, but can confirm the 3's are great. Don't use them for calls though
I've had the xm3 over ear for a few years.
Use them every day and they've been brilliant.
No issues using teams either.
Also have the xm4 earbuds and up till Christmas they've have also worked flawlessly but after a firmware update the battery level on the rh bud drains so fast I'm lucky to get 20 minutes out of them.
XM4 over ear headphones here. Just trying to decide between WF1000-XM5 or Airpod Pro 2s as a replacement for my dying Jabra buds.
The XM4s are excellent, and I've had no issues using them on calls.
I'm not the only one:
Those Sony over-ear headphones have very good sound quality, you need to spend a lot more to get anything comparable in other brands. What you do get though is better build quality and comfort; the Sony's are a bit plasticky and 'cheap' feeling by comparison to say B+O, B+W, Bose and Apple offerings. I know of a pair of wired Sonys (so no NC or 'phone features etc) that use the same drivers as the XM4s, but are under £100, if it's just sound quality on a budget you're after. I'll try to find the right model.
I’m not the only one:
I had real issues using my Jabra Elite 75ts on MS Teams calls. They would randomly mute and the microphone wasn't great. Jabra state that they only warrant that they work with phones. After going around the houses, I bought a Sennheiser USB Bluetooth adapter which I connect the 75ts to. It works a treat with no more issues.
https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/en-UK/p/btd-600/
Interestingly I see that Jabra bundle a dongle with the earbuds they certify for laptop use.
Airpod Pro 2s/iPhone here. Excellent for in-ears
I am fully apple (Phone, Watch, Macbook, iPad), but I've resisted the airpods to date.
They are on offer and Amazon for £200, so I may need to audition them.
Just tried Teams test call using both laptop microphone and XM4 microphone. Former is better but the latter ain’t bad. Not sure if it degrades more easily though. Speaker in both cases was the XM4s. I usually use laptop mic though.
I've got XM4s, which I was lucky to find at the price of XM3s when I bought them. I think they're brilliant.
I've used the laptop mic when on Zoom / Teams calls.
Just to close this out. After plenty of too and fro’ing between the XM4 and XM5 I’ve gone for a pair of XM5’s. They’re a Birthday present so they’ve not been opened yet - that’ll be next week.
i paid £299 for them last week but noticed today that they’ve been reduced to £279 (I’ve blagged my £20 refund from currys this morning 😁) and the XM4’s are now £199 which seems a really good price if anybody is looking for some.
Damn you!
I've been swithering over these for a while and the £200 offer was too good to pass up.
For those interested and using Google John Lewis also has them in black and silver as well as blue but they aren't listed in the search results.
