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
Arm snapped after just over a year of light use
on February 3, 2026
Posted by: Anonymous
I am honestly pretty peeved about this - I paid these headphones off over a year, and as soon as I did and the warranty expired one of the arms cracked and they’re completely unwearable because they don’t fit right anymore. I had the XM3 version of these previously and actually still have them, although the noise canceling no longer works, so I’m really disappointed in the quality of these. Their build is significantly cheaper and less sturdy than their predecessor. And the only option for repair is to send to a third party - who will charge you whether or not they can fix them. I’ve been a big Sony fan for years but I will be switching companies.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, February 4, 2026
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear about the trouble with your WH-1000XM5 headphones.
Regrettably, damage like this isn’t considered normal wear and tear, so it isn’t covered under the terms of our warranty. We know this isn’t the answer you were hoping for and we're truly sorry we can’t offer a different solution.
Right now, the only way to get your headphones repaired is to send them to our parts supplier, Encompass. They’ll be able to assess the damage and let you know the repair options and costs.
We really appreciate your feedback and support of Sony over the years. We're sorry again for the situation.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We're truly sorry to hear about the trouble with your WH-1000XM5 headphones.
Regrettably, damage like this isn’t considered normal wear and tear, so it isn’t covered under the terms of our warranty. We know this isn’t the answer you were hoping for and we're truly sorry we can’t offer a different solution.
Right now, the only way to get your headphones repaired is to send them to our parts supplier, Encompass. They’ll be able to assess the damage and let you know the repair options and costs.
We really appreciate your feedback and support of Sony over the years. We're sorry again for the situation.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
2
Good sound quality but broke
on February 1, 2026
Posted by: K2subra
Gender:Male
I bought this 6 months back and the ear cups broke near the rotating hinge. Its unusable now :(
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, February 2, 2026
Hi K2subra,
Thank you so much for sharing all the details about what happened with your headphones. We're really sorry to hear that your WH-1000XM5 broke near the hinge.
Based on the information you provided, this kind of damage isn’t considered normal wear and tear, so it isn’t covered under the terms of the warranty. We know that’s disappointing and we apologize for any inconvenience this causes.
However, we want to help. We’ve partnered with our parts supplier, Encompass, to offer a low-cost repair. This special offer is just for a broken headband on the WH-1000XM5 model and doesn’t apply to other headphone models or different types of issues.
Here is Encompass’s contact information so you can reach out to them directly for this repair:
Phone: 1-866-835-1146
Email: service@encompass.com
Hour of Operations: Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
Thanks for considering Sony headphones and letting us know about this issue.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Thank you so much for sharing all the details about what happened with your headphones. We're really sorry to hear that your WH-1000XM5 broke near the hinge.
Based on the information you provided, this kind of damage isn’t considered normal wear and tear, so it isn’t covered under the terms of the warranty. We know that’s disappointing and we apologize for any inconvenience this causes.
However, we want to help. We’ve partnered with our parts supplier, Encompass, to offer a low-cost repair. This special offer is just for a broken headband on the WH-1000XM5 model and doesn’t apply to other headphone models or different types of issues.
Here is Encompass’s contact information so you can reach out to them directly for this repair:
Phone: 1-866-835-1146
Email: service@encompass.com
Hour of Operations: Monday - Friday: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
Thanks for considering Sony headphones and letting us know about this issue.
Warm regards,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Dhaubanjar
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I bought this in 2024 and have no any complaints. Sound is awesome and the best part is, of course, the ANC. Headphone is lightweight so I never had any problems with wearing it continuously for 4-5 hours at my work. Battery backup is also awesome.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, January 23, 2026
Hello Dhaubanjar,
Thank you for choosing Sony!
We're elated to hear that you are enjoying your WH-1000XM5 headphones. It’s wonderful to know that the sound quality, noise cancellation, lightweight design, and battery life are supporting your workday comfortably. Your experience truly highlights the thoughtful engineering that goes into our products, and we appreciate you sharing your positive feedback.
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for choosing Sony!
We're elated to hear that you are enjoying your WH-1000XM5 headphones. It’s wonderful to know that the sound quality, noise cancellation, lightweight design, and battery life are supporting your workday comfortably. Your experience truly highlights the thoughtful engineering that goes into our products, and we appreciate you sharing your positive feedback.
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Halfaziatic
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
Overall Sound quality is amazing, but flaw with hinge design. Having to send in my headphones for repair after normal use.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Support, January 21, 2026
Hi Halfaziatic,
We are sorry to hear about the issue with your hinge. While we use high-quality materials for the WH-1000XM5, we understand your frustration and are glad you're receiving assistance to restore your headphones soon.
Thanks for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Eliab
We are sorry to hear about the issue with your hinge. While we use high-quality materials for the WH-1000XM5, we understand your frustration and are glad you're receiving assistance to restore your headphones soon.
Thanks for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Eliab
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Warranty does not cover Ripping Headband
on December 17, 2025
Posted by: THtTH
Have two MX5's and one MX6. Love the sounds and product overall however, Sony's warranty does not cover the headband which ripped. There was no misuse at all.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, December 17, 2025
Hi THtTH,
Thanks for your feedback. It's great to hear you love the sound of the XM series.
We're genuinely sorry to hear about the headband on your unit. We know how frustrating it is when you take great care of your gear and something like this happens.
However, our warranty policy doesn't cover physical damage to the headband material.
To help out, we’ve partnered with Encompass to provide low-cost repairs for our customers. Here is their contact info:
Phone: 1-866-835-1146
Email: service@encompass.com
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
We know that isn't the news you were hoping for, but we truly value your support.
Thanks for considering Sony.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Thanks for your feedback. It's great to hear you love the sound of the XM series.
We're genuinely sorry to hear about the headband on your unit. We know how frustrating it is when you take great care of your gear and something like this happens.
However, our warranty policy doesn't cover physical damage to the headband material.
To help out, we’ve partnered with Encompass to provide low-cost repairs for our customers. Here is their contact info:
Phone: 1-866-835-1146
Email: service@encompass.com
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm EST
We know that isn't the news you were hoping for, but we truly value your support.
Thanks for considering Sony.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Headphones
on December 4, 2025
Posted by: Ana Laura
Gender:Female
They are bad headphones . Within a month they start to peel off . The one year warranty doesn’t cover because they said it’s cosmetic .
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Gus, Sony North America Customer Support, December 5, 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Ana Laura.
We are truly sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with the earpads peeling on your WH-1000XM5 headphones after only a month of use. We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and frustration this has caused, especially given that you feel this should be covered under warranty.
We understand how upsetting it is when a premium product begins to show wear so quickly, and we regret that our initial assessment deemed this type of damage cosmetic. While cosmetic wear is generally excluded from the limited warranty, we take all customer feedback about durability and material quality seriously.
We would like to review the specific details of your case, as we strive to ensure our customers are satisfied with their investment. Please contact us directly at socialsupport@am.sony.com and provide your name, the headphones' serial number, and any existing case or reference number you were given by support.
We are committed to helping you find a resolution and regret that this product hasn't met your expectations for quality and service in this instance. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Best regards,
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
We are truly sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with the earpads peeling on your WH-1000XM5 headphones after only a month of use. We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and frustration this has caused, especially given that you feel this should be covered under warranty.
We understand how upsetting it is when a premium product begins to show wear so quickly, and we regret that our initial assessment deemed this type of damage cosmetic. While cosmetic wear is generally excluded from the limited warranty, we take all customer feedback about durability and material quality seriously.
We would like to review the specific details of your case, as we strive to ensure our customers are satisfied with their investment. Please contact us directly at socialsupport@am.sony.com and provide your name, the headphones' serial number, and any existing case or reference number you were given by support.
We are committed to helping you find a resolution and regret that this product hasn't met your expectations for quality and service in this instance. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Best regards,
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: TMedina
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
The headphones worked flawlessly for about 22 months. I was very happy with the sound quality, the battery life and the comfort. I'd use these at my desk daily for work and the microphone was great for conference calls. Then after less than 2 years the headset just snapped. They weren't dropped or thrown or anything more than just placed back on the table and snapped. I was shocked that this expensive of headphones would fall apart in that short of a time period. My older XM3 and XM4 models lasted much longer than these.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Gus, Sony North America Customer Support, November 17, 2025
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback, TMedina.
We are genuinely sorry to hear about the unfortunate failure of your WH-1000XM5 headphones after 22 months, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration this structural issue has caused. It is completely understandable that you are shocked and disappointed when such an expensive product fails during normal use, especially when your older XM3 and XM4 models have demonstrated greater longevity.
We are pleased to hear that, up until this point, you were very happy with the sound quality, battery life, comfort, and the great microphone performance for your daily work and conference calls.
However, we take quality concerns like this extremely seriously. We are committed to providing durable, premium products, and a headset snapping under normal use is certainly not the standard we set for the WH-1000XM5 series.
We want to help you resolve this. Please contact our product support team directly at https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones. Our specialists can review your product's specific situation and explore possible service or repair options available to you.
We regret that the product's durability has not met your expectations, and we appreciate you bringing this important feedback to our attention.
Thank you for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
We are genuinely sorry to hear about the unfortunate failure of your WH-1000XM5 headphones after 22 months, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration this structural issue has caused. It is completely understandable that you are shocked and disappointed when such an expensive product fails during normal use, especially when your older XM3 and XM4 models have demonstrated greater longevity.
We are pleased to hear that, up until this point, you were very happy with the sound quality, battery life, comfort, and the great microphone performance for your daily work and conference calls.
However, we take quality concerns like this extremely seriously. We are committed to providing durable, premium products, and a headset snapping under normal use is certainly not the standard we set for the WH-1000XM5 series.
We want to help you resolve this. Please contact our product support team directly at https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones. Our specialists can review your product's specific situation and explore possible service or repair options available to you.
We regret that the product's durability has not met your expectations, and we appreciate you bringing this important feedback to our attention.
Thank you for choosing Sony.
Best regards,
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Not worth it
on October 17, 2025
Posted by: Cust123
Headphones totally stopped working in a little over a year, Sony will not offer to repair or any support - they just told me to go find a headphone repair center. Google around, there are known problems with these and the software also sucks.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, October 18, 2025
Hi Cust123,
We sincerely apologize for the experience you're having with your WH-1000XM5 headphones. We completely understand your frustration after they stopped working.
Since your headphones are now out of the limited one-year warranty, you are correct that we can no longer offer a direct repair or replacement service through Sony.
However, we can still absolutely point you toward our authorized service center, Encompass, who specializes in repairs for our products.
Find their contact information here: https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
If, for some reason, Encompass is unable to assist with the repair, a great next step is to look for a local electronics repair servicer. You can often find reputable local businesses by checking a business directory like the Yellow Pages.
Thanks for considering Sony products. We truly are sorry that you're running into this issue.
Sincerely,
Estefany
We sincerely apologize for the experience you're having with your WH-1000XM5 headphones. We completely understand your frustration after they stopped working.
Since your headphones are now out of the limited one-year warranty, you are correct that we can no longer offer a direct repair or replacement service through Sony.
However, we can still absolutely point you toward our authorized service center, Encompass, who specializes in repairs for our products.
Find their contact information here: https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
If, for some reason, Encompass is unable to assist with the repair, a great next step is to look for a local electronics repair servicer. You can often find reputable local businesses by checking a business directory like the Yellow Pages.
Thanks for considering Sony products. We truly are sorry that you're running into this issue.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com