Sony's newest noise-canceling headphones are available for preorder

And they're $120 cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max.
By Haley Henschel  on 
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a man sitting in a subway station wearing the black Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones while holding a phone
Credit: Sony

PREORDER: The new Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are set for release on May 20. In the meantime, you can reserve a pair through Amazon, Best Buy, or Sony.com for $399.99.


Looks like Apple's AirPods Max have some new competition.

Sony announced last week that it's coming out with a new pair of premium wireless over-ear headphones featuring its "most remarkable noise canceling technology yet": the WH-1000XM5 headphones. They're the latest entry in its award-winning 1000X series, succeeding the excellent WH-1000XM4s (our favorite wireless headphones currently on the market), with a launch date set for Friday, May 20.

Preorders are live as of May 16: You can reserve a pair at Amazon, Best Buy, or directly from the Sony website for $399.99. (That's $50 more than the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones and about $150 less than the AirPods Max, which have never gone on sale below $429.) Note that Amazon was offering a $2 discount at the time of writing.

black Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones sitting on a desk next to a laptop and a smartphone
The Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones come in black and silver (which is really more of a light beige). Credit: Sony
silver Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones wrapped around the handle of a silver suitcase next to a phone and someone wearing a beige coat
Credit: Sony

Made from lightweight, soft fit leather, the WH-1000XM5s come equipped with touch controls, a revamped driver, Speak-to-Chat and Quick Attention modes that stop your music to let in ambient sound, and a new Auto NC Optimizer that automatically adjusts the amount of noise cancellation based on your surrounding environment. Their Multipoint Connection feature lets you quickly pair with different devices, while Sony's Precise Voice Pickup Technology makes sure your voice is the only thing your Mom/friend/boss hears when you're on a phone call. You can get up to 30 hours of battery life out of them, though a mere three minutes of charging offers up to three hours of playback in a crunch.

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As for those AirPods Max comparisons, early reviews say the Sony WH-1000XM5s offer better noise cancellation and a longer battery life at a much more reasonable price point than their Apple rivals. That being said, the AirPods Max remain a strong contender for iOS users — they're just so easy to pair with other Apple gear, and their Spatial Audio feature offers unrivaled sound quality. Your mileage may very when it comes to comfort.

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Haley Henschel
Senior Shopping Reporter

Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.

Haley received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and honed her sifting and winnowing skills at The Daily Cardinal. She previously covered politics for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, investigated exotic pet ownership for Wisconsin Watch, and blogged for some of your favorite reality stars.

In her free time, Haley enjoys playing video games, drawing, taking walks on Lake Michigan, and spending time with her parrot (Melon) and dog (Pierogi). She really, really wants to get back into horseback riding. You can follow her on X at @haleyhenschel or reach her via email at [email protected].


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