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
Posted by: 1aws1
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
Have not owned more than 7 months and one of the earmuff stems broke. Called for Warranty and they said not covered.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Gus, Sony North America Customer Support, October 13, 2025
Hi, thank you for your review!
We are truly sorry to hear that the stem on the earmuff of your WH-1000XM5 headphones broke in less than seven months, and that this issue was not covered under warranty when you called. We understand how frustrating and disappointing that must be, especially for a premium product.
Damage to the physical structure of the headphones, such as a broken stem, is typically classified as physical or accidental damage. Standard limited warranties usually cover defects in materials or workmanship, but they unfortunately do not cover breaks or physical damage from use.
We do have an option for you to receive a repair through our authorized servicer, Encompass. They handle out-of-warranty services for physical damage to the WH-1000XM5 headset.
To check the details, including the flat-rate pricing and to start the repair submission process, please visit their dedicated repair page here:
https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
We appreciate you choosing Sony and regret the inconvenience this break has caused. We hope this repair option helps you get back to enjoying your headphones quickly!
Best regards,
Gus,
Sony North America Customer Support
We are truly sorry to hear that the stem on the earmuff of your WH-1000XM5 headphones broke in less than seven months, and that this issue was not covered under warranty when you called. We understand how frustrating and disappointing that must be, especially for a premium product.
Damage to the physical structure of the headphones, such as a broken stem, is typically classified as physical or accidental damage. Standard limited warranties usually cover defects in materials or workmanship, but they unfortunately do not cover breaks or physical damage from use.
We do have an option for you to receive a repair through our authorized servicer, Encompass. They handle out-of-warranty services for physical damage to the WH-1000XM5 headset.
To check the details, including the flat-rate pricing and to start the repair submission process, please visit their dedicated repair page here:
https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
We appreciate you choosing Sony and regret the inconvenience this break has caused. We hope this repair option helps you get back to enjoying your headphones quickly!
Best regards,
Gus,
Sony North America Customer Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: BAN01
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I used it during my fight and listened to music; its voice cancellation is excellent.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, September 14, 2025
Hi BAN01! It's a truly pleasure to hear that your WH-1000XM5 headphones were able to keep you company. We are glad that the noise cancellation helped you have an enjoyable listening experience. Thank you for choosing Sony! Best regards, Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
3
Good sound disapointing strength
on September 4, 2025
Posted by: bhpbop
Overal good pair of headphones, but the build quality is mid at best.
I am no audiophile, and have not purchased a headset this expensive before. I have used several other mid to low-range devices and can appreciate the difference. The price is for the noise-canceling function. The quality of the music is notable in comparison to other devices. It is very noticeable when I am in public/noisy environments.
For the price, the build is disappointing. The controls work most of the time, but start to act up the longer I wear them. I suspect the pressure pad is either getting humid or depressed as I wear them. I have to turn off the control features if I wear them for more than an hour. The hinge also broke while wearing for normal use. I will admit to being a more blunt person, but I cannot point to any major drop/pressure that would explain the break. Search the internet for "1000XM5 hinge" and you'll see what I mean. For hundreds of dollars and version 5 you would think these issues would be better and not worse.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Costumer Support, September 4, 2025
Hi bhpbop, Thanks for your honest and detailed review of the WH-1000XM5 headphones. We genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback, as it's crucial for us to understand the customer experience. We appreciate that you've highlighted the strengths of the XM5s, including the industry-leading noise cancellation and the high-quality audio performance. These features are a direct result of our focus on delivering the best possible listening experience in noisy environments. We're very sorry to hear about the issues you've faced with the build quality and the touch controls. This is certainly not the experience we want for our customers, especially with a premium product. As a valued customer, we would like to offer our support. Please visit our repair center at https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
We want to apologize again for the bad experience, and appreciate you choosing Sony! Sincerely, Jenn | Sony North America.
We want to apologize again for the bad experience, and appreciate you choosing Sony! Sincerely, Jenn | Sony North America.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Makrishna
Gender:Female
Verified Purchase:Yes
These headphones are easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable. Sound quality is crisp but does not quite meet the depth and richness of my old Ziks from Parrot. The Ziks were twice as expensive, though! I’ll enjoy these Sony headphones well.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Fred, Sony North America Customer Support, August 26, 2025
Hi Makrishna,
Thank you for choosing Sony!
We’re so glad to hear you're enjoying your new WH-1000XM5 headphones! It's fantastic to know you find them easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the sound quality. We understand that while the sound is crisp, it doesn't quite match the depth and richness of your previous, more expensive pair. We truly appreciate you sharing this, as feedback like yours is incredibly valuable and helps us improve our products.
We hope you'll continue to enjoy them and discover all they have to offer. Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Best regards,
-Fred
Thank you for choosing Sony!
We’re so glad to hear you're enjoying your new WH-1000XM5 headphones! It's fantastic to know you find them easy to use, lightweight, and comfortable.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the sound quality. We understand that while the sound is crisp, it doesn't quite match the depth and richness of your previous, more expensive pair. We truly appreciate you sharing this, as feedback like yours is incredibly valuable and helps us improve our products.
We hope you'll continue to enjoy them and discover all they have to offer. Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Best regards,
-Fred
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Danbst
Verified Purchase:Yes
In February 2024, I purchased the WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphone. After a year of usage, I encountered an issue with the left-sided headphone, which no longer produced sound. Unfortunately, I did not have an extended warranty and opted to send the headphone to Sony’s repair company, Encompass.
The diagnosis revealed that both speakers had sustained damage (Both Speakers are Blown). The total cost for the diagnosis, repair parts, and labor amounted to $333.34. The original purchase price of the headphone was $349.79.
It is disheartening that the headphone failed and the speakers were damaged after only a year of use. This incident raises concerns about the product’s quality. I would rate the Sony WH-1000XM5 at one out of five stars and urge consumers to be aware of this experience.
The diagnosis revealed that both speakers had sustained damage (Both Speakers are Blown). The total cost for the diagnosis, repair parts, and labor amounted to $333.34. The original purchase price of the headphone was $349.79.
It is disheartening that the headphone failed and the speakers were damaged after only a year of use. This incident raises concerns about the product’s quality. I would rate the Sony WH-1000XM5 at one out of five stars and urge consumers to be aware of this experience.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, August 20, 2025
Hi Danbst,
We're sorry to hear about your experience. We understand that your WH-1000XM5 are having issues. For us to better assist you, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
One of our technical specialists will call you back within 2 business days.
Sincerely,
Eliab
Sony Social Support
We're sorry to hear about your experience. We understand that your WH-1000XM5 are having issues. For us to better assist you, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
One of our technical specialists will call you back within 2 business days.
Sincerely,
Eliab
Sony Social Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
3
Consistent static
on August 7, 2025
Posted by: GreyEels
Gender:Female
Honestly, the XM3 was way better. I went through two XM4 models with malfunctioning sound quality (booming, static, crackling sounds that gradually became louder) while playing music or simply using the noise canceling feature without music.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, August 7, 2025
Hi GreyEels!
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your experience with the WH-1000XM5 headphones.
We sincerely apologize for the issues you've encountered, especially after having gone through two XM4 models with sound quality problems. We understand how frustrating it can be when a product does not fulfill your expectations.
We are continuously working to improve our products and your feedback is invaluable in helping us achieve that.
If there's anything specific we can do to assist you further or if you would like to discuss this matter in detail, please don't hesitate to reach out to our technical support team at https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thanks for considering Sony products and for your feedback.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your experience with the WH-1000XM5 headphones.
We sincerely apologize for the issues you've encountered, especially after having gone through two XM4 models with sound quality problems. We understand how frustrating it can be when a product does not fulfill your expectations.
We are continuously working to improve our products and your feedback is invaluable in helping us achieve that.
If there's anything specific we can do to assist you further or if you would like to discuss this matter in detail, please don't hesitate to reach out to our technical support team at https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thanks for considering Sony products and for your feedback.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: Gabriel_yyj
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I bought these for my wife for Christmas. She really liked them but after about a year the joint connecting the headband to the ear piece broke. This was just outside the warranty period, so we reviewed some videos to learn it is a common issue and follow some tips (e.g., try plastic weld). That worked for a few weeks, then the side broke, so we did the same thing, then it broke again, hence the duct tape. This was normal household wear, and I definitely would expect better from Sony and this price point. They have setup a service via Microland for headband repair, but that is another $150 and I would sooner put that toward new headphones with a different company.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy DiegoV, Sony North America Customer Support, August 4, 2025
Hello there,
Thanks for letting us know about this situation. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences. This is certainly not up to the quality standards we strive for, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. Rest assured, we will forward your comments to our dedicated Sony team for their review as we continue to work diligently to improve our products.
Thanks for considering Sony products.
Best regards,
DiegoV, Sony North America Customer Support
Thanks for letting us know about this situation. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences. This is certainly not up to the quality standards we strive for, and we appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. Rest assured, we will forward your comments to our dedicated Sony team for their review as we continue to work diligently to improve our products.
Thanks for considering Sony products.
Best regards,
DiegoV, Sony North America Customer Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
SONY WH1000XM5-Useless for watching movies.
on July 11, 2025
Posted by: PCQ3912
Gender:Male
Useless for watching movies. Cannot disable Automatic Gain Control -AGC of source signal. Dialogue volume OK but when characters stop talking volume drops to total silence eliminating all critical background sounds and any mood music. Destroys suspension of disbelief pulling viewer out of movie. Volume continuely goes up and down ruining and wasting all the effort and work by the sound engineer.
Gone back to my WIRED Sennheiser headphones.
Gone back to my WIRED Sennheiser headphones.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Gus, Sony North America Customer Support, July 13, 2025
Thank you for your detailed feedback about your experience watching movies with the WH-1000XM5 headphones. We genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns regarding audio dynamics, specifically with the perceived Automatic Gain Control (AGC) behavior.
Based on available documentation and support resources, the WH-1000XM5 headphones do not have a user-accessible option to disable AGC directly. There is also no indication in the official Sony Help Guides, app settings, or frequently asked questions that would allow users to control or turn off AGC—whether via the Sony | Headphones Connect app or device settings.
It’s possible that some of the behaviors you’re experiencing—such as the sudden drop in volume or background ambience—may be linked to features like “Speak-to-Chat” or noise control modes rather than an explicit AGC setting. The Speak-to-Chat function, when enabled, automatically lowers the playback volume when it detects that you are speaking, in order to better hear outside conversations. By default, Speak-to-Chat is turned off, but if you believe it might be activating unintentionally, you can disable it by holding two fingers on the right ear cup until you hear the deactivation voice prompt, or by toggling the setting in the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
If you have already checked features like Speak-to-Chat and are still experiencing the issue, you can try to initialize and restart the headset.
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541013.html
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541012.html
We understand how important a consistent and immersive movie audio experience is, and how frustrating it can be when audio fluctuations disrupt your viewing. If you have not already, please consider ensuring all headphone firmware and the Sony | Headphones Connect app are updated to the latest versions, as occasional improvements to sound processing and customizations can be delivered through updates.
If you would like assistance, our support line is always available to help. You can contact them at:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thank you again for your honest review. If you have any further questions or details to share, we are here to support you and help you get the most out of your listening experience.
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
Based on available documentation and support resources, the WH-1000XM5 headphones do not have a user-accessible option to disable AGC directly. There is also no indication in the official Sony Help Guides, app settings, or frequently asked questions that would allow users to control or turn off AGC—whether via the Sony | Headphones Connect app or device settings.
It’s possible that some of the behaviors you’re experiencing—such as the sudden drop in volume or background ambience—may be linked to features like “Speak-to-Chat” or noise control modes rather than an explicit AGC setting. The Speak-to-Chat function, when enabled, automatically lowers the playback volume when it detects that you are speaking, in order to better hear outside conversations. By default, Speak-to-Chat is turned off, but if you believe it might be activating unintentionally, you can disable it by holding two fingers on the right ear cup until you hear the deactivation voice prompt, or by toggling the setting in the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
If you have already checked features like Speak-to-Chat and are still experiencing the issue, you can try to initialize and restart the headset.
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541013.html
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/wh1000xm5/v1/en/contents/TP1000541012.html
We understand how important a consistent and immersive movie audio experience is, and how frustrating it can be when audio fluctuations disrupt your viewing. If you have not already, please consider ensuring all headphone firmware and the Sony | Headphones Connect app are updated to the latest versions, as occasional improvements to sound processing and customizations can be delivered through updates.
If you would like assistance, our support line is always available to help. You can contact them at:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Thank you again for your honest review. If you have any further questions or details to share, we are here to support you and help you get the most out of your listening experience.
Gus, Sony North America Customer Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com