Agreed. You have way more customization and personalization to your liking with profiles, EQ, etc in the app that will enhance and make them sound better. The Max’s, besides the spatial audio, and a very few other features, lacks customization, although Apple pre tuned and calibrated the headphones from factory pretty well and they sound good in most scenarios.
I got the xm4 and the xm5 . The later are more comfortable and also the mics are amazing. The sound is pretty similar in both slightly better in the xm5.
Agreed, the call mics are great on XM5. They can block out background noise about as well as NC 700, which is incredible considering how poor the call mics were on XM1 through XM4!
I totally agree with your sound quality comparison to the AirPods Max. For the listening aspect of things, AiPods Max sounds much better but when it comes to making phone calls the AirPods are terrible, the person on the other end hears all the background noise but not me when I'm speaking. However, on the XM5 they hear little to no background noise, which is very important to me, as i work in and commute to NYC daily. I tested both and stuck with the XM5.
I was about to go out right now to buy the XM5. I still want them over the AirPods max because tbh I don’t like the design over the traditional headset designs.
I bought the XM5s. If you use a Windows PC, get these. Auto pause won't work with a PC and Airpods Max. Also, Airpods Max do not turn off unless you put them in the case. The Sony's will turn off automatically if you take them off and leave them alone for a while. Coming from the Bose QC35 iis, the Sony's have little to no "cabin pressure" which was very noticeable on the Bose.
My XM4's broke at both stems. I think it was due to the articulation design mechanism that allows the XM4's to collapse or fold the way they do. It is a convenient feature but I am only upgrading to the XM5's because my XM4 stems both broke.
My XM4's broke in exactly the same way after about a year and a half of heavy use. I feel like that is propably atleast a part of the reason the XM5's don't fold anymore.
AirPods Max are the best I have every heard in terms of transparency mode. I have heard the new Sonys and they sound awesome. But not as good on transparency mode. If Apple would give us an equalizer but I know they never will.
there might be an EQ setting for the next iteration of the Max. Well, maybe just some preset for users to choose from, it's not like Apple to let people freely mess with their devices anyway xD
Actually the XM5 can be wired too When it comes to lossless quality, Sony made the mistake of including it only for specific devices (like their phones)
Thanks for the review. I had the AirPods Max and returned them because they were not loud or as loud as I like. Instead I got a pair of Sony MDR 7506 and OneOdio A 30 for less than a quarter of the price combined of the AirPods Max. I am waiting for the fall 2022 Apple Event to see if they bring out another version of the AirPods Max that are less expensive or that they drop the price on the AirPods Max a lot. I did like them but the price i paid bothered me so I returned them. I also bought a Headphone audio amplifier that I can connect a wired set of headphone and listen louder and also can connect a bluetooth transmitter to make bluetooth louder on my wireless headphones. I tried this amplifier with my AirPods Max before returning them and it worked well but lost the spacial audio affect when done that way. Would love to get the XM5's but am undecided. Thanks again for the review. Oh, the music I listen to is Classic Rock (Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, etc).
bittu from india ...... funny comment i am listening this video from sony mx5 headphones and in india i got 22000 rs in amazon app and very great headphones and good volume and very softtouch and good experience with this headphones.
Idk what to get for everyday/all day music, those wh1000xm5 or airpods pro 2? I can only get one pair for now and i cant decide? Whats better for like travel, walking the dog and in house? Thank you
i have both of these headphones, but for me the AirPods Max has the edge on sound quality, looks and comfort which i was really surprised. at least for me the Sony's are very light but they feel more uncomfortable on my head/ears, compared to the AP Max for a long period of time. still a great pair of Head phones!!
Have you also compared them EQ'd with the airpods sound qualitiy wise? Think the default soundstage of the XM5 is not that great, however when you tweak the EQ they sound a lot better it's a night and day differnce IMHO.
There is so much hype about Sony WH-1000XM5 , best noise cancellation etc etc. I tested this already . I still like apple AirPods max than the Sony. AirPods Max noise cancellation , sound and comfort is far more superior than the Sony according to my experience.
@@maxjames00077 bro , to my experience, I found apple airpods max ear size big & comfortable compared to Sony. Kindly check once going to store by yourself before purchasing
Well that’s just not true, have a feeling you didn’t test or you’re impartial to one that you actually own… the Sony headphones noise cancellation canceled out more with less white noise and the sound is more customizable so on the xm5 so i’d give it the edge but they’re damn close, comfort is subjective and I found the lightness of the xm5 to make them wearable for longer but slightly less comfortable if you’re only wearing for like an hour. To say far superior is just a flat out lie, the only thing i’d say is better by a solid amount is transparency mode on the AirPods, nothing rn is really competing with the transparency on the airpod max. If you have the money AirPods are still a phenomenal choice and I’d recommend getting them but for most people I’d just say get the cheaper xm5, neither one is “far more superior” than the other, Ive tried around 50 headphones in the past few years so my ears can hear differences pretty easy as well
Them not being water resistant isn’t a big deal really 1st gen airpods aren’t water resistant at all either and I’ve dropped mine in puddles, snow, a full sink and they’ve been through the wash and still work fine just don’t turn them on afterwards and ur okay. And unless ur sweat is pooling up in the ear cups there’s not much to worry abt
thanks for the review vid, I got xm4 and when travelling on plane, when I unplug the cable, it will also turn the bluetooth/headphone off. (not sure if this can be tweaked on the app). Just wondering if xm5 behaves the same way? thx
I watched a different review and they mentioned that the telescopic headband has become looser, so it doesn't keep the size firmly, did you notice the same thing with yours?
There is a problem with having a conversation in a "quiet" environment and a colleague is sitting 3 meters next to you and talking. Then the colleague's voice will be very clearly heard by the person you are talking to on the phone. Here, the Bose 700 is still the king !!!
If you want super fantastic great transparency mode? Don't wear any headphones. It's built-in and free. If you want ANC, well there are certainly options for different build qualities, price points and comfortable designs. If you're consumer that's easily sold by marketing, good luck.
When comparing the sound quality of these vis-a-vis the APM, you said so many words, yet described so little. All you said APM’s are louder, XM5’s are neutral, and then you repeated these words over and over again… Unfortunately, these words really don’t mean much. I’d say not the best review here.
These sucked and were so uncomfortable on the last trip I took! The Apple pair was so superior in every way and I mean every way. Reason it’s really hard to listen and take any UA-camr seriously. This is his opinion and his opinion alone cause while maybe a honest review he may ( most likely ) be the only person who feels this way. Do yourself a favor and stick to the ecosystem, works so well and when I’ve followed it it’s been a dream. Every time I’ve broken out of a Samsung ecosystem it’s been a total let down. Same with my wife when she didn’t say with a brand of her phone it’s been so lackluster, Samsung isn’t going to my products a cater to Apple , why would they? Be yourself. Best way to be.
You don't mention that the Sonys have LDAC capability. Apple is stuck with AAC (even with their lossless files !) When wired the Sony sound is better and Sony can still function when the battery is flat. Apple sound is sucked out in the middle with limited eq. Mics sound electronic, weighs a ton and costs double the Sony.
Everytime I browse in their website, the naming scheme of sony just gives me headache. I don't care if there's meaning behind every products' name, it's just horrible. It definitely affects their marketing cuz it will confuse many people.
This dude doesnt know what hes talking about anyways, out of box they sound fine. But you use the sony app to tweak the eq, and once you do they are by far the best sounding anc headphones. Definitely better than the apple ones.
Airpods Max really aren't in the same category as flagship ANC travel headphones like the XM5 of NC 700. They're quintessential Apple products: Overpriced, form over function, ridiculously clunky and silly looking as a result of not valuing customer feedback on design. The XM5s sound "neutral" because they are good headphones. You have the option to tweak the sound via EQ if you actually want them to sound overly equalized like Airpods Max.
Great review. But I can tell it caters to using with only an apple device. Using android you can update the sound quality by using higher frequency codecs like hi-res Ldac. So sound might not sound neutral if your using another device. Might sound better. Just mentioning it since it was not mentioned here.
This video is more beautiful visually than informative. So which genre sounds better on Sony and which one does better on Airpods? Which one has better bass performance? After watching this video I got the idea that Sony xm4 is the best in this case cause they are foldable and the case footprint is smaller.
I have both and can confirm that this is the most accurate review I have seen so far.
A good review, but you like most reviewers didn’t mention anything about the EQ in the app that lets you adjust the sound more to your liking.
Decent review at best.
For real, the EQ made my earbuds go from sounding trash to amazing real fast.
your right, i wonder if he used LDAC
Agreed. You have way more customization and personalization to your liking with profiles, EQ, etc in the app that will enhance and make them sound better. The Max’s, besides the spatial audio, and a very few other features, lacks customization, although Apple pre tuned and calibrated the headphones from factory pretty well and they sound good in most scenarios.
It doesn’t look cheap at all, I like the minimalistic look.
feels cheap doesn't look cheap
It feels and looks it’s just full on plastic
@@mr.dude1338that doesn't mean cheap, u gonna call xbox & playstation consoles cheap?
@@mr.dude1338just about all headphones are plastic
I got the xm4 and the xm5 .
The later are more comfortable and also the mics are amazing.
The sound is pretty similar in both slightly better in the xm5.
Agreed, the call mics are great on XM5. They can block out background noise about as well as NC 700, which is incredible considering how poor the call mics were on XM1 through XM4!
I totally agree with your sound quality comparison to the AirPods Max. For the listening aspect of things, AiPods Max sounds much better but when it comes to making phone calls the AirPods are terrible, the person on the other end hears all the background noise but not me when I'm speaking. However, on the XM5 they hear little to no background noise, which is very important to me, as i work in and commute to NYC daily. I tested both and stuck with the XM5.
I was about to go out right now to buy the XM5. I still want them over the AirPods max because tbh I don’t like the design over the traditional headset designs.
Agreed!
I bought the XM5s. If you use a Windows PC, get these. Auto pause won't work with a PC and Airpods Max. Also, Airpods Max do not turn off unless you put them in the case. The Sony's will turn off automatically if you take them off and leave them alone for a while. Coming from the Bose QC35 iis, the Sony's have little to no "cabin pressure" which was very noticeable on the Bose.
My XM4's broke at both stems. I think it was due to the articulation design mechanism that allows the XM4's to collapse or fold the way they do. It is a convenient feature but I am only upgrading to the XM5's because my XM4 stems both broke.
My XM4's broke in exactly the same way after about a year and a half of heavy use. I feel like that is propably atleast a part of the reason the XM5's don't fold anymore.
AirPods Max are the best I have every heard in terms of transparency mode. I have heard the new Sonys and they sound awesome. But not as good on transparency mode. If Apple would give us an equalizer but I know they never will.
there might be an EQ setting for the next iteration of the Max. Well, maybe just some preset for users to choose from, it's not like Apple to let people freely mess with their devices anyway xD
Same with Bowers and Wilkins. The PX7's and PI7's sound great but their sound would be damn near unbeatable with an adjustable EQ
Interesting point of view. Anyway the AirPods Max with wire and Apple music lossless are incredibke.
Oh for some reason I didn't realize it supported an analog connection. What do you need a lightning to USBC?
@@michaelcorcoran8768 Lightning to Jack (iPhone) or USB-C to Jack (iPad) and Jack to Lightning (AirPods Max)
Actually the XM5 can be wired too When it comes to lossless quality, Sony made the mistake of including it only for specific devices (like their phones)
Was waiting for you to review these!
Thanks for the review. I had the AirPods Max and returned them because they were not loud or as loud as I like. Instead I got a pair of Sony MDR 7506 and OneOdio A 30 for less than a quarter of the price combined of the AirPods Max. I am waiting for the fall 2022 Apple Event to see if they bring out another version of the AirPods Max that are less expensive or that they drop the price on the AirPods Max a lot. I did like them but the price i paid bothered me so I returned them. I also bought a Headphone audio amplifier that I can connect a wired set of headphone and listen louder and also can connect a bluetooth transmitter to make bluetooth louder on my wireless headphones. I tried this amplifier with my AirPods Max before returning them and it worked well but lost the spacial audio affect when done that way. Would love to get the XM5's but am undecided. Thanks again for the review. Oh, the music I listen to is Classic Rock (Beatles, Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Doors, etc).
Geez, how high do you crank the volume? I hope your ears will be okay!
@@FromDesertTown They don’t sound loud to me. Ears can be different. I’m ok with loosing my hearing.
Nice videos man been watching for years. Keep it up. 😊
Hi Nikias! What’s up? I think I’ve arrived a bit late for this video, but anyway, great content and amazing video!
I was looking for a anc wireless headphones and this kinds of video review (*have watched a lot) really helps
Thanks for the info about the water resistance. Wasn’t aware about that. They sounds great and the noise cancelling is very good.
I was attracted by the quality of the AirPods Max, but the bulk, weight and expense steered me to the Sonys.
I have both but find the XM5's are a little shallower in the cup than the AirPods Max. With the Sony's my ears touch the back of the cup.
bittu from india ...... funny comment i am listening this video from sony mx5 headphones and in india i got 22000 rs in amazon app and very great headphones and good volume and very softtouch and good experience with this headphones.
Idk what to get for everyday/all day music, those wh1000xm5 or airpods pro 2? I can only get one pair for now and i cant decide? Whats better for like travel, walking the dog and in house? Thank you
I love my Mark 5s, but transparency/ambient mode in leagues better on AirPods Max. It’s not even close.
I've just gone over to Android. So far so good. I like your videos
Most iconic bluetooth noise-cancelling headset by Sony, Inc. ever!!! 💖💖💖
how does the sony feels with shades on? does it feel uncomfortable or it still feels comfy
i have both of these headphones, but for me the AirPods Max has the edge on sound quality, looks and comfort which i was really surprised. at least for me the Sony's are very light but they feel more uncomfortable on my head/ears, compared to the AP Max for a long period of time. still a great pair of Head phones!!
And if you EQ the XM5's do you still think that the AirPods have an egde?
I just got my xm5 and i think my noise cancellation not working so well i already tried literally everything
Great review! This was a really in depth look into both headphones. Btw, I noticed you were wearing the headphones backwards on all of your shots.
Have you also compared them EQ'd with the airpods sound qualitiy wise? Think the default soundstage of the XM5 is not that great, however when you tweak the EQ they sound a lot better it's a night and day differnce IMHO.
Could you recommend some EQ settings, if you don’t mind?
There is so much hype about Sony WH-1000XM5 , best noise cancellation etc etc. I tested this already .
I still like apple AirPods max than the Sony. AirPods Max noise cancellation , sound and comfort is far more superior than the Sony according to my experience.
Do you know the inner earpad size of the Airpod Max? (And/or the Sony WH-1000XM5) I've big ears and find most headphones uncomfortable.
@@maxjames00077 bro , to my experience, I found apple airpods max ear size big & comfortable compared to Sony. Kindly check once going to store by yourself before purchasing
@@RameshKumar-ng3nf ye ill go to the store and check soon but its sad we can't really try em for a longer period like 1 hour to see how they sit
@@maxjames00077 bro, if you in US , I think they give few days time to test & can return if you don’t like. Not sure about other countries.
Well that’s just not true, have a feeling you didn’t test or you’re impartial to one that you actually own… the Sony headphones noise cancellation canceled out more with less white noise and the sound is more customizable so on the xm5 so i’d give it the edge but they’re damn close, comfort is subjective and I found the lightness of the xm5 to make them wearable for longer but slightly less comfortable if you’re only wearing for like an hour. To say far superior is just a flat out lie, the only thing i’d say is better by a solid amount is transparency mode on the AirPods, nothing rn is really competing with the transparency on the airpod max. If you have the money AirPods are still a phenomenal choice and I’d recommend getting them but for most people I’d just say get the cheaper xm5, neither one is “far more superior” than the other, Ive tried around 50 headphones in the past few years so my ears can hear differences pretty easy as well
did the silver xm5 get dirtier with use in time? i dont know if i should go with black or silver
Them not being water resistant isn’t a big deal really 1st gen airpods aren’t water resistant at all either and I’ve dropped mine in puddles, snow, a full sink and they’ve been through the wash and still work fine just don’t turn them on afterwards and ur okay. And unless ur sweat is pooling up in the ear cups there’s not much to worry abt
thanks for the review vid, I got xm4 and when travelling on plane, when I unplug the cable, it will also turn the bluetooth/headphone off. (not sure if this can be tweaked on the app). Just wondering if xm5 behaves the same way? thx
I watched a different review and they mentioned that the telescopic headband has become looser, so it doesn't keep the size firmly, did you notice the same thing with yours?
Do xm5s have a physical bass like xm4s? Or is it audible bass we get in mid range headphones because they have smaller 30mm drivers compared to xm4s.
There is a problem with having a conversation in a "quiet" environment and a colleague is sitting 3 meters next to you and talking. Then the colleague's voice will be very clearly heard by the person you are talking to on the phone. Here, the Bose 700 is still the king !!!
Do you have beep sound when you press the buttons in left earphone?
If you want super fantastic great transparency mode? Don't wear any headphones. It's built-in and free. If you want ANC, well there are certainly options for different build qualities, price points and comfortable designs. If you're consumer that's easily sold by marketing, good luck.
When comparing the sound quality of these vis-a-vis the APM, you said so many words, yet described so little. All you said APM’s are louder, XM5’s are neutral, and then you repeated these words over and over again… Unfortunately, these words really don’t mean much. I’d say not the best review here.
Hey Nikias!
Best video as always …..
Love from India 🇮🇳
Please suggest me that should I go for macbook air m2 ?
These sucked and were so uncomfortable on the last trip I took! The Apple pair was so superior in every way and I mean every way. Reason it’s really hard to listen and take any UA-camr seriously. This is his opinion and his opinion alone cause while maybe a honest review he may ( most likely ) be the only person who feels this way. Do yourself a favor and stick to the ecosystem, works so well and when I’ve followed it it’s been a dream. Every time I’ve broken out of a Samsung ecosystem it’s been a total let down. Same with my wife when she didn’t say with a brand of her phone it’s been so lackluster, Samsung isn’t going to my products a cater to Apple , why would they? Be yourself. Best way to be.
weird flex but okay
@@justcornerlurker right
You don't mention that the Sonys have LDAC capability. Apple is stuck with AAC (even with their lossless files !) When wired the Sony sound is better and Sony can still function when the battery is flat. Apple sound is sucked out in the middle with limited eq. Mics sound electronic, weighs a ton and costs double the Sony.
Everytime I browse in their website, the naming scheme of sony just gives me headache. I don't care if there's meaning behind every products' name, it's just horrible. It definitely affects their marketing cuz it will confuse many people.
But the xm4 are one of the most sold headphones even with that name scheme, i don’t think it will change for the xm5
Will it be good for office work?
I don’t think xm5 look cheap. Flexibele doesn’t mean cheap for me. I’m buying it for the best noise canceling so I don’t even mind sound quality.
This dude doesnt know what hes talking about anyways, out of box they sound fine. But you use the sony app to tweak the eq, and once you do they are by far the best sounding anc headphones. Definitely better than the apple ones.
Another great video!! Love this style of real life reviews on your channel Nikias! Also love Spain so much!!
Thanks man 💛
Awesome video kinda like the air pod max.
Airpods Max really aren't in the same category as flagship ANC travel headphones like the XM5 of NC 700. They're quintessential Apple products: Overpriced, form over function, ridiculously clunky and silly looking as a result of not valuing customer feedback on design.
The XM5s sound "neutral" because they are good headphones. You have the option to tweak the sound via EQ if you actually want them to sound overly equalized like Airpods Max.
Great review. But I can tell it caters to using with only an apple device. Using android you can update the sound quality by using higher frequency codecs like hi-res Ldac. So sound might not sound neutral if your using another device. Might sound better. Just mentioning it since it was not mentioned here.
Tuning isn't affected by what codec you are using. Just gives the audio more detail
You think the Sony's sound neutral? What??
I’ll stick with my Bose 700!
Do you know what the inner earpad size is of the Bose 700? I want to buy them but I've got big ears..
@@maxjames00077 I really don’t know but it’s deeper than the Sony XM5 and 4. I tried both and my ears were touching the inside of the Sony.
@@mbs7994 alright, I'll go try em both in the store soon!
I prefer hi res headphones over Bluetooth and a dac player .
This video is more beautiful visually than informative. So which genre sounds better on Sony and which one does better on Airpods? Which one has better bass performance? After watching this video I got the idea that Sony xm4 is the best in this case cause they are foldable and the case footprint is smaller.
Apple AirPods Max, is not waterproofing too.
Great video!!! ❤️
I don’t like how the XM5 ear cups don’t pivot to lie flat like the AirPods Max do. That’s why the case is so freakin huge.
They do, he literally showed it in the video
they do lie flat, they just don't fold.
Nikias, greetings from India. Your new house interiors look amazing. Give us a new house tour. Keep up the great videos!
Soon 👀
Awesome, video
cy?😀
kle xar
First 💛
Did you win a cookie?