Customer reviews from sony.com
Sony - Refurbished Excellent - WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black
Average customer rating
4.1
(351 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 351 reviews
5 Stars
230
4 Stars
39
3 Stars
21
2 Stars
13
1 Star
48
79%of customers recommend this product.
(
261 out of
331)
Customer Reviews for Sony - Refurbished Excellent - WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black
Customer Rating
1
Beware the hinge breaking
on March 23, 2026
Posted by: SammyL
I bought these one year and three months ago and they just broke. They’re *just* outside the warranty. There is a faulty hinge mechanism on these headphones that Sony knows about (look up: sony xm5 broken hinge if you want to see all the many, many people who’ve had the same issue). Apparently even if you’re covered by warranty, they classify this as “physical damage” and won’t cover it. I would never buy these and wouldn’t recommend them because of this. They’re too expensive to have known design flaws that Sony refuses to fix.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, March 24, 2026
Hello SammyL,
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones. We understand how frustrating it is to encounter a hinge issue just outside the warranty period, especially when it impacts a product you rely on. Please be advised that the Sony limited warranty covers manufacturing defects; however, damage resulting from regular use or accidental impact is generally not covered.
To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized service partner, Encompass, who offers specialized repair services with genuine parts that may provide a more affordable option: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
We have also forwarded your feedback regarding product durability and support accessibility to our quality assurance team for review. We truly value your input as it helps us improve our products and services.
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones. We understand how frustrating it is to encounter a hinge issue just outside the warranty period, especially when it impacts a product you rely on. Please be advised that the Sony limited warranty covers manufacturing defects; however, damage resulting from regular use or accidental impact is generally not covered.
To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized service partner, Encompass, who offers specialized repair services with genuine parts that may provide a more affordable option: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
We have also forwarded your feedback regarding product durability and support accessibility to our quality assurance team for review. We truly value your input as it helps us improve our products and services.
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
2
Operation during an RV trip.
on March 23, 2026
Posted by: JV0410
I bought mine a year ago. On a recent RV trip, I used it to listen to XM on my phone and have noise cancellation from our very noisy RV. Battery had to be recharged after just a couple hours and during the recharge, the noise cancellation and music were inoperative. A battery replacement option would have been a good feature.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Support, March 24, 2026
Hi JV0410,
We’re sorry to hear about the battery performance you’ve experienced with your WH-1000XM5. While these headphones typically offer up to 30 hours of battery life, performance can vary based on settings like Noise Canceling and Speak-to-Chat. We recommend ensuring the firmware is up to date via the Sony Headphones Connect app and trying a different USB-C cable for a full charge.
Thanks for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Eliab
We’re sorry to hear about the battery performance you’ve experienced with your WH-1000XM5. While these headphones typically offer up to 30 hours of battery life, performance can vary based on settings like Noise Canceling and Speak-to-Chat. We recommend ensuring the firmware is up to date via the Sony Headphones Connect app and trying a different USB-C cable for a full charge.
Thanks for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Eliab
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
AVOID AVOID HORRIBLE DESIGN
on March 22, 2026
Posted by: avoidtheWH1000XM5
Gender:Male
Horrible design. Left hinge broke due to manufacturers defect. Did not even last 7 months. Sony said not covered under waranty
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, March 23, 2026
Hello there,
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the issue with your WH-1000XM5 headphones. We understand how frustrating it is to experience a problem with the left hinge in less than seven months.
Please be advised that the Sony limited warranty covers manufacturing defects; however, damage resulting from regular use or accidental impact is generally not covered. To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized service partner, Encompass, who offers specialized repair services with genuine parts that may provide a more affordable option: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
Additionally, we have forwarded your feedback regarding product durability and support accessibility to our quality assurance team for review. We truly value your input as it helps us improve our products and services.
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the issue with your WH-1000XM5 headphones. We understand how frustrating it is to experience a problem with the left hinge in less than seven months.
Please be advised that the Sony limited warranty covers manufacturing defects; however, damage resulting from regular use or accidental impact is generally not covered. To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized service partner, Encompass, who offers specialized repair services with genuine parts that may provide a more affordable option: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
Additionally, we have forwarded your feedback regarding product durability and support accessibility to our quality assurance team for review. We truly value your input as it helps us improve our products and services.
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Terrible product
on March 21, 2026
Posted by: Nunya223
This product sucks. I got it for my birthday, app is trash. Attempted to make a Sony account, not actually allowed to. Do not buy.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, March 22, 2026
Hi Nunya223,
Happy belated birthday! We are truly sorry to hear that your experience with your new WH-1000XM5 has been frustrating so far. We want to ensure you can fully enjoy your gift, and we would like to offer you personalized assistance with the application setup for your headphones.
Our team is ready to help you navigate the setup process step-by-step to ensure everything is working correctly for you. Please contact us directly through the link below so we can assist you:
Contact Sony Support:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thank you for considering Sony!
Regards,
Dominick
Happy belated birthday! We are truly sorry to hear that your experience with your new WH-1000XM5 has been frustrating so far. We want to ensure you can fully enjoy your gift, and we would like to offer you personalized assistance with the application setup for your headphones.
Our team is ready to help you navigate the setup process step-by-step to ensure everything is working correctly for you. Please contact us directly through the link below so we can assist you:
Contact Sony Support:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thank you for considering Sony!
Regards,
Dominick
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Will break just over the warranty
on March 17, 2026
Posted by: LaurenF
Gender:Female
Do not buy. Way to expensive for such a short lifespan. The plastic casing of the swivel hinge broke 1 year and 2 months in and Sony would not honor the warranty. Once it breaks the headphone will not properly secure to your ear making them ultimately useless. i never worked out in them walked in them. i use them at my desk to listen to music while i work. Don't waste your money.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, March 18, 2026
Hello LaurenF,
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you’ve experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones. We completely empathize with your frustration regarding the breakage of the plastic casing on the swivel hinge after just over a year of use. While the warranty typically covers manufacturing defects and not damage from wear over time, we want to support you as much as possible.
To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized repair partner, Encompass, who can provide repair options that might be more affordable. You can find more information and service options here: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need further assistance.
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you’ve experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones. We completely empathize with your frustration regarding the breakage of the plastic casing on the swivel hinge after just over a year of use. While the warranty typically covers manufacturing defects and not damage from wear over time, we want to support you as much as possible.
To assist you further, we recommend contacting our authorized repair partner, Encompass, who can provide repair options that might be more affordable. You can find more information and service options here: https://sony.encompass.com/item/15214669/Sony/WH1000XM5-HBR/.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need further assistance.
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Horrible. Broke twice within two years.
on February 13, 2026
Posted by: Florangel
Gender:Female
I bought these headphones in October of 2024. The left hinge broke in April of 2025. I got it fixed through the official repair center that Sony offers and paid 90 dollars. When I got it back from the repair center, it randomly started turning off while in use. In February of 2026 the same hinge on the same side breaks again. Its not like I'm being rough wuth my headphones. I am very careful with them. If they're so expensive, why do they break so easily? This seems to be a common issue with many people as well. This issue should definitely be addressed.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, February 14, 2026
Hi Florangel,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. We are sorry to hear about the repeated issues you’ve encountered with the hinge of your WH-1000XM5 headphones, especially following a previous repair.
While we take your feedback seriously as it helps us identify areas for improvement, it is important to clarify that our limited warranty is designed to cover internal manufacturing defects. A broken hinge is classified as physical damage, which falls outside the scope of the standard warranty coverage.
We sincerely appreciate you sharing these observations with us. Your comments have been noted and shared with our product development team for future consideration.
Thank you for considering Sony!
Best regards,
Dominick
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your experience with us. We are sorry to hear about the repeated issues you’ve encountered with the hinge of your WH-1000XM5 headphones, especially following a previous repair.
While we take your feedback seriously as it helps us identify areas for improvement, it is important to clarify that our limited warranty is designed to cover internal manufacturing defects. A broken hinge is classified as physical damage, which falls outside the scope of the standard warranty coverage.
We sincerely appreciate you sharing these observations with us. Your comments have been noted and shared with our product development team for future consideration.
Thank you for considering Sony!
Best regards,
Dominick
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
2
Good audio marred by awful interface
on February 10, 2026
Posted by: frustrateduser123
Gender:Male
I bought based on the Wirecutter review. First off:
Sound quality and noise cancellation: excellent.
Sound quality and noise cancellation: excellent.
So why 2 stars? Everything else about these is extremely frustrating. Can't use while charging. Unintuitive and confusing buttons to turn on, connect to bluetooth, and adjust noise cancellation - after year, I still don't know how to use them (I gave up long ago). "Smart features" are very dumb and auto-enabled: I clear my throat at my desk and music pauses. My default use is plugged in with a wire, no noise cancellation, because the UX of these is so frustrating and continues to frustrate me a year later.
Perhaps someone who enjoys tinkering with smart features in an app would enjoy these, but they've been the most frustrating experience I've ever had with headphones and I regret not returning them after getting them.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, February 11, 2026
Hi there,
Thanks so much for taking the time to share this detailed review and for calling out the excellent sound quality and noise cancellation on your WH-1000XM5. We’re really glad those parts are working well for you.
We’re also very sorry to hear how frustrating the rest of the experience has been. That’s not what we want for anyone using our products.
About not being able to use the headphones while they are charging: this is by design. It helps protect the battery and supports long term performance and safety, which is why audio playback is disabled during charging.
The issue where your music pauses when you clear your throat is most likely caused by the Speak‑to‑Chat feature. This listens for your voice so it can pause audio when you start talking. You can turn this feature off, or change how sensitive it is, in the Sony | Sound Connect app. You can also control Speak‑to‑Chat using the touch sensors on the headphones if that’s easier for you.
For more details, please see this link: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000536742.html
For the Bluetooth connection and noise cancelling controls, our technical support team can walk you through the settings step by step and help you set things up in a simpler way that suits how you use the headphones. Please reach out to them here: https://www.sony.net/support-contact
We really appreciate you giving Sony a try and letting us know about your experience.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Thanks so much for taking the time to share this detailed review and for calling out the excellent sound quality and noise cancellation on your WH-1000XM5. We’re really glad those parts are working well for you.
We’re also very sorry to hear how frustrating the rest of the experience has been. That’s not what we want for anyone using our products.
About not being able to use the headphones while they are charging: this is by design. It helps protect the battery and supports long term performance and safety, which is why audio playback is disabled during charging.
The issue where your music pauses when you clear your throat is most likely caused by the Speak‑to‑Chat feature. This listens for your voice so it can pause audio when you start talking. You can turn this feature off, or change how sensitive it is, in the Sony | Sound Connect app. You can also control Speak‑to‑Chat using the touch sensors on the headphones if that’s easier for you.
For more details, please see this link: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000536742.html
For the Bluetooth connection and noise cancelling controls, our technical support team can walk you through the settings step by step and help you set things up in a simpler way that suits how you use the headphones. Please reach out to them here: https://www.sony.net/support-contact
We really appreciate you giving Sony a try and letting us know about your experience.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
3
meh
on February 9, 2026
Posted by: emeb
Gender:Female
Sounds fine. Not the best noise canceling. if you are trying to make calls, don’t buy these - the microphone does not function at all. the automatic turn off stopped working and battery power time shortened about six months in so they die constantly if you don’t remember to turn them off immediately.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, February 10, 2026
Hello Emeb,
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones, particularly regarding the microphone functionality during calls, the automatic turn-off feature, and the reduced battery life. We’re glad to hear that the sound quality is good.
To help get your device back in working order, we suggest trying the following troubleshooting steps:
Check "Auto Power Off" Settings: Open the Sony Headphones Connect app and verify that the "Automatic Power Off" function is enabled. You can find detailed instructions here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/hpc/v1/en/contents/TP0002935917.html
Call Issues: For microphone and call-related problems, please follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000534697.html
Reset the Headset: Try resetting the headphones to resolve minor glitches. Instructions are available here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541012.html
Initialize the Headset: If resetting doesn’t help, you can initialize the headset to restore factory settings. Learn how here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541013.html
Firmware Update: Ensure your headphones are updated to Firmware Version 2.5.1, which includes important fixes. You can download the update here: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/wh-1000xm5/software/00278246
If the issues persist after these steps, we encourage you to contact our dedicated support team for further assistance and advanced troubleshooting. You can find all contact options and resources here: https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for considering Sony products.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced with your WH1000XM5 headphones, particularly regarding the microphone functionality during calls, the automatic turn-off feature, and the reduced battery life. We’re glad to hear that the sound quality is good.
To help get your device back in working order, we suggest trying the following troubleshooting steps:
Check "Auto Power Off" Settings: Open the Sony Headphones Connect app and verify that the "Automatic Power Off" function is enabled. You can find detailed instructions here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/hpc/v1/en/contents/TP0002935917.html
Call Issues: For microphone and call-related problems, please follow the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000534697.html
Reset the Headset: Try resetting the headphones to resolve minor glitches. Instructions are available here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541012.html
Initialize the Headset: If resetting doesn’t help, you can initialize the headset to restore factory settings. Learn how here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541013.html
Firmware Update: Ensure your headphones are updated to Firmware Version 2.5.1, which includes important fixes. You can download the update here: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/wh-1000xm5/software/00278246
If the issues persist after these steps, we encourage you to contact our dedicated support team for further assistance and advanced troubleshooting. You can find all contact options and resources here: https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com