Along with phones, tablets, and smartwatches, I have a couple of other "addictions" in the tech world. If you look around my home office, you'll find all kinds of headphones, but I've been holding out on picking up the Sony WH-1000XM5s. Prime Day 2023 finally broke me down, and I just grabbed these headphones to add to my collection as they're down to just $328.
Sony's naming convention isn't the greatest when it comes to headphones, but they make up for it by offering the best noise-canceling cans. Along with the best ANC in the game, there are a few other features of the WH-1000XM5s that helped draw me in. For one, these headphones support multipoint, allowing you to pair two devices at once and seamlessly switch between them.
But I'm also a big fan of the design, even though Sony made the XM5s less portable than their predecessor, the WH-1000XM4s. Using faux leather on the earcups and the headband make for a comfortable experience.
In our review, we note that Sony also managed to "double the noise-canceling mics of the XM4s," making them great for meetings and phone calls. And if you want even more fine-tuned control over the audio experience, Sony's Headphones Connect app is available on both iOS and Android.
Lastly, I wanted a pair of over-the-ear cans that had long battery life because I'm absolutely terrible about remembering to charge headphones. Thankfully, Sony delivered in this regard, as the XM5s are rated to last for up to 30 hours even with ANC enabled and a staggering 45 hours if you turn ANC off.
