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Sony shows why it's the leader of the over-ear pack.
A 9.8 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the top 10% of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 86 of the 240 we've cataloged.
A 4.2 puts its audio quality in the top half of over-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 44 of the 240 we've cataloged.
below average for over-ear headphones — based on 150 of 240 we've cataloged.
Usb-c is the most common — on 87% of the 135 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
5.2 appears on 18% of the 145 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
Bluetooth appears on 44% of the 215 over-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 240).
The predecessors to the Sony WH-1000XM5 were king of the hill, and this new headphone takes that crown. With new drivers, features, and design, the Sony WH-1000XM5 is an intriguing set of headphones among the flagship active noise canceling (ANC) devices on the market. It excels in travel or at the office, in particular.
Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 9.2 |
| 25 | 9.3 |
| 32 | 8.9 |
| 40 | 8.6 |
| 50 | 8.2 |
| 63 | 7.5 |
| 80 | 7.2 |
| 100 | 7.0 |
| 125 | 6.5 |
| 160 | 5.9 |
| 200 | 5.0 |
| 250 | 3.7 |
| 315 | 1.5 |
| 400 | 0.5 |
| 500 | 0.3 |
| 630 | 0.4 |
| 800 | 1.1 |
| 1000 | -0.0 |
| 1250 | 0.5 |
| 1600 | 5.0 |
| 2000 | 6.4 |
| 2500 | 7.8 |
| 3150 | 14.0 |
| 4000 | 12.5 |
| 5000 | 10.2 |
| 6300 | 10.0 |
| 8000 | 8.1 |
| 10000 | 6.9 |
| 12500 | -6.5 |
| 16000 | -8.0 |
| 20000 | -27.1 |
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | -0.6 |
| 26 | -1.7 |
| 33 | -0.0 |
| 41 | 0.1 |
| 52 | 0.0 |
| 65 | -0.6 |
| 82 | -0.8 |
| 103 | -1.3 |
| 130 | -5.1 |
| 163 | -3.0 |
| 205 | -0.1 |
| 259 | 5.0 |
| 325 | 10.8 |
| 410 | 14.1 |
| 516 | 21.8 |
| 613 | 22.8 |
| 772 | 25.0 |
| 972 | 27.7 |
| 1220 | 29.1 |
| 1540 | 34.9 |
| 1940 | 36.3 |
| 2440 | 39.6 |
| 3070 | 33.3 |
| 3870 | 39.1 |
| 4870 | 47.3 |
| 6130 | 49.2 |
| 7720 | 49.0 |
| 9720 | 45.4 |
| 12200 | 39.9 |
| 15400 | 41.4 |
| 19400 | 46.8 |
Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Total attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 4.9 |
| 26 | 7.6 |
| 33 | 11.3 |
| 41 | 16.4 |
| 52 | 20.7 |
| 65 | 25.6 |
| 82 | 28.4 |
| 103 | 28.0 |
| 130 | 22.9 |
| 163 | 24.5 |
| 205 | 22.5 |
| 259 | 21.9 |
| 325 | 21.4 |
| 410 | 22.9 |
| 516 | 21.1 |
| 613 | 20.1 |
| 772 | 23.2 |
| 972 | 25.9 |
| 1220 | 28.5 |
| 1540 | 29.1 |
| 1940 | 32.0 |
| 2440 | 38.0 |
| 3070 | 32.8 |
| 3870 | 41.7 |
| 4870 | 47.3 |
| 6130 | 46.5 |
| 7720 | 44.2 |
| 9720 | 44.6 |
| 12200 | 37.9 |
| 15400 | 40.2 |
| 19400 | 44.3 |
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
See how the Sony WH-1000XM5 stacks up against the competition.
Video reviews and comparisons for this product.
Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.











