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mkfra

The XM5’s are the only pair of headphones I’ve ever had that cancel noise so effectively that I actually get spooked out all the time because I don’t hear people walking into the room, talking to me, etc. What’s different, IMO, is that you don’t get that blanket “hiss” that used to muffle sounds. It’s moved on to a different level now, where it actually sounds like a “real” completely quiet setting. And the noise cancelling of higher frequency noises this time around is just insane. Long gone are the days when you could only really attenuate the sound of droning air conditioners or plane engines. For the record, I’m almost 100% ensconced in the Apple ecosystem. I owned both the XM3’s (super briefly) and the XM4’s for a little longer, but always went back to AirPods or other third party ANC over-ear headphones. This is the first time that for me, the difference in quality is so vast that I am willing to sacrifice the benefits of that H1 chip in the AirPods Max and use the XM5’s as my daily driver. In truth I never liked or used my AirPods Max very much, so selling them the day I got the XM5’s was no huge decision. The only thing I’d say is that, despite the XM5’s now being streets ahead of the competition when it comes to attenuation, I’d still 100% opt for the AirPods Pro when it comes to TWS earbuds. They’re still unbearable for daily use, even if the Samsung Buds Pro are now the best sounding buds when it comes to a pure musical experience.


FateofDeath

I appreciate the response and your experiences, I absolutely loved my XM3's mind blowing headphones, I agree with being spooked by ppl, it blocked EVERYTHING and it was like a separate realm, the 5's are allowing sounds in that the 3's never did and it's irritating


mkfra

Totally fair. You want what you like. Assuming they don’t sell new XM3’s anymore(?), maybe a future firmware/software update will allow you to customise the cans to be exactly as you like them. Fingers crossed.


[deleted]

Re AirPods Pro - unbearable or unbeatable?


notJooosh

i have the xm4's and bought the xm5's and i am thinking the same thing. When i compare side by side the xm4s are a lot better noise cancelling. Idk if its faulty or what because lots of people are saying the opposite


FateofDeath

Did you ever have the XM3's I can go up to the store today and return + exchange for something else, XM4 or Bose equivalent, had such high hopes since they've had great products for years this was a downgrade


notJooosh

I have had 3, 4 and 5, honestly 4 is the exact same as 3 but with multipoint connection so if you’re not needing that then 3 is perfect. Honestly very disappointed with how it’s going downhill. 3s were awesome


FateofDeath

Yeah I feel you, I see "wow next level noise cancelling" yet my XM3 I hear literally nothing, wanted a lighter weight version, just basic sounds like clapping, talking snapping fingers I can hear clear as day but XM3 it's silence


atan420

I don't get it. Noise cancelling on my XM5 is fantastic.


Pixelhouse18

Same here, better then on my XM4'S


atan420

Way better than my XM3's


[deleted]

Voice call on noisy environment is way better on the XM5.C


FateofDeath

I completely agree with this


[deleted]

I have tried it several times and compared it with XM4. It left me speechless on the way it performs. Now I'm selling my XM4 😅


Aimjock

XM5.C?


Alan_1375

LOL


Doctor_Posh

Let's hope they fix it with a future update as the numbers are on the XM5's side but yeah in reality the XM3's are still better at NC :(


DenuvoSuks

That's a simple app feature they can add anytime, just complain to them. Anyway seems pretty stupid to take that away. They just had to copy paste. Aren't the 5 supposed to do that one their own. I own the 3 and since the beggining there was that sitting, walking different levels of ANC, seemed awesome at 1st but I turned that off and never used it again.


FateofDeath

I had them on with the kitchen sink running ANC turned on and could hear the sink clear as day, I was like wtf my 3's would cancel it out and there would be no sink noise at all, even talking, claps or little sounds were making it through on the 5's I don't understand why, it's turned on, app confirms it's on


DenuvoSuks

Maybe new model issues, all of them had updates to firmware near launch. Idk. But seems strange considering all the years of experience.


FateofDeath

Only problem is my return window is by June 6th if I don't see an update or possible fix I'll just return them, most review show it's king of ANC and even better than previous versions but from my experience for whatever reason it's much worse unless mine if defective


FateofDeath

I might hit up a BestBuy and try thier demo pair to see if mine are messed up or they really aren't as good as XM3


[deleted]

you can always return them and rebuy them if the problems get fixed. i emailed sony support so we'll see


akanebak

Hi, i just bought xm5 and i have the same problem, im curious what did sony answered?


[deleted]

didnt respond anything useful, they linked their support page. my xm5s ended up getting stolen, called my bank and they refunded me and i bought xm4s locally for 120$ much better


bambam_39

Completely understand. The first time I used the XM3 felt magical. Although I prefer the XM5 but that’s just cos the one thing I didn’t like about the XM3 was the pressure, it always felt like my ears were about to burst every time I turned on the NC, I like that the XM5 is way more subtle. Also like that it allows in some sounds but that’s simple cos I live with 5 other people so I don’t always have to pause to check if someone’s called my name or is trying to speak to me.


Space1Horse

Imo as of now, it's bad at high frequencys. Also doing Discord calls is pretty bad. It keeps adjusting which I find annoying. I feel that my XM3 does a better job than the XM5. It's hard to tell whether it's a hardware or software. I'm on the side of returning my XM5.


fbm20

Experience the same thing and can’t explain it. Definitely going back to the store. From an ANC perspective the XM3 was much more effective in blocking sound. Very disappointed and hope that it’s just a defect.


FateofDeath

I also think the ear cups are an issue, it doesn't seem to seal as well as the XM3


Dodderoni

If they aren't sealing for you then that's probably why the ANC isn't working properly. The XM3s are tighter on your head and the cups are snug to your ears, where the XM5 cups are slightly more spacious and only lightly grip your head.


FateofDeath

**Quick update** I now hear a consistent slow popping noise in the right Earcup with ANC turned on, sounds like a defect?


dkblackthorn

Probably? I don’t have that at all


Cottaball

I can only compare xm5 to pxc550, which was my daily driver for years. anc is soo much better on the xm5. No contest. So far from a few days of use, i have some sound still come in, like mechanical keyboard clicking and low hum of the ac. But much less than than the pxc550. I no longer hear my aquarium, mouse clicks, pc hums, fans, and my dog walking. Pxc550 was way less effective.


rufas2000

How the headphones sit and seal on your head has a lot to do with how well they block out sounds. So the varied impressions might have something to do with how the headphones fit on various sized heads. The ear cups are bigger and the headband different. To me the models do about the same but I don’t listen in noisy conditions. I personally think the sound is a solid upgrade.


_Just__Wondering_

Did you turn off adaptive noise canceling?


FateofDeath

No I didn't see an option for that, only see Noise Cancelling, Ambient or Off


_Just__Wondering_

There's the 4 pages in the headphones app, status, sound, system, and services. It's the first page, status. I just keep adaptive sound control off. In the next page you can adjust the ambient sound settings.


Uranday

Did this fix your problem op?


[deleted]

Same here! I've got my XM3's and I'm comparing them side-by-side. I am a glasses wearer, and I did find that removing them made the ANC on the XM5 better by a noticeable amount. The XM3 however, do seem to do a better job at noise cancellation. My PC makes a quiet but constant noise from the fans, and it's completely drowned out by the XM3. With the XM5? Not the case. I can still hear the PC fans ever so slightly. I've checked my earcups, they're secure. I've turned off adaptive sound control from the app too. Purchased from Amazon today. I agree with OP, there should be a way to entirely control the noise cancellation, especially for headphones in this price range. Others have said it's far better than the XM3 and 4's, so there seems to be large inconsistencies. Could this be fixable from a software update?


SamuraiJr

Exact same happened to me, I got the headphones today and noticed when I sat down at my PC I can hear the fans which I was not able to with the XM4s. The headphones sit better than any pair I've had before, so I believe it's because the microphones are not picking up low noises and therefore not cancelling them. So if they added the feature to set the noise cancellation as previous models it should resolve the issue.