Creating perfection – Sony WF 1000XM5 (A wishlist)

Sony’s WF 1000 XM5 is not here, but wouldn’t it be great if Sony fixed the microphones on these? And you know what – we’re pretty sure it’s going to be amazing because we have the Sony LinkBuds S which sound fantastic in noisy conditions and the Sony WH 1000 XM5 also are great for calls outdoors.. So yes – Sony has cracked it, it just needs to bring it to the flagship. I mean the microphones in noisy conditions on the WF-1000 XM4 are just awful. We have 10 other things on our wish list for the Sony WF 1000 XM5. And maybe a release date?

Number 10

Another thing that will be a sure thing is that they will have multipoint right out of the gate. Sony has again upgraded the LinkBuds S with multipoint after they were released and the update for the XM4 is also on its way. So yeah – no doubt that Sony’s going to have multipoint on the XM5 too. But having multipoint is just a tick in the box. It also has to work reliably – and we really hope Sony implements it well. With the device list in the app and everything. One thing we don’t want Sony to change? Leave the ability to pull connection from a previously paired device without having to go into pairing mode. This makes the lives of those of us with too many devices infinitely easier!

Number 9

The touch controls on the Sony WF 1000 XM4 are… limited. You have to choose between three sets of controls. The choice is between ambient sound control, playback control and volume control. Three things to choose from and two buds to control them with. In the immortal words of Brian May – I want it all. Yes Freddie sang those words, but Brian wrote em. We didn’t know that – just looked it up for this script. So yeah – we want it all and we want it now. It’s certainly possible – I mean even Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 does it now – what’s Sony’s excuse? And while we’re at it – here’s hoping Sony supports the vakman by including a gesture for mute when on phone calls. Vakman out.

Number 8

Good sound. The Sony WF-1000 XM4 have good sound. Good, but they’re not great. We’d love for Sony to change its house tuning away from the bass focused – darkish sound signature and add a bit more top end. We’re fine with dynamic drivers, but if they do a good multi-driver setup, we won’t complain. Given the fact they have a very popular EQ, this small change might be a game changer. Of course, we just assume Bluetooth’s new LE Audio will absolutely be on board given that Sony is a SIG associate member, but hey – stranger things have happened.

Number 7

99% of the wireless earbuds we get here on the channel all come with some sort of silicone eartips. The Sony WF-1000XM4 really flipped the script by including foam tips. Not Comply, but their own version of hybrid foam tips. There are generally two schools of ears here. One which prefers the tight seal you get from foam tips and the other that prefers the comfort and grip from silicone tips. Pinching the foam tips and inserting them, really make for an excellent seal. This translates to better noise cancelling and you can enjoy more of the bass. But, we actually want Sony to change them to silicone tips, or better yet, include both types. Although foam gives you a good seal, it can also be less comfortable since it pushes against
the walls of your ear canal.

Number 6

New features are great, but bug fixes are just as important and we hope that Sony fixes the right bud battery drain issue that results from using Google Assistant. No Assistant is worth losing all your energy over!

Number 5

And while Sony keeps packing in newer features with every iteration, it’s time that they cleaned up the absolute glut of ANC related features they have. It now feels like every time you touch or move or talk – something’s happening with these earbuds. Time to polish these features and make them easier to use before Apple beats Sony to the punch again and claims ‘it just works’!

Number 4

Despite all the 101 ways you could activate transparency mode, the XM4 wasn’t exactly leading the pack. We ranked it as Tier B for its transparency mode. In the same class as the SoundCore Liberty 4 and the Lypertek Z5 – buds that cost FAR less. Although the S Tier is dominated by the AirPods Pro gen 1 and 2 – we hope the WF-1000XM5 will at least improve and make it into Tier A. We find this a likely outcome since Sony’s LinkBuds S is already Tier A. And there is really no excuse anymore, the excellent transparency is no longer something for the Sonys, Sennheisers or Samsungs. We recently reviewed an $80 pair of buds from a budget brand called EarFun and its ANC was ranked Tier A for both ANC and transparency!

Number 3

All the Sony buds in recent time, including the WF-1000XM4 have been IPX4 rated. Which yes, for a bit of rain and sweat will do fine. But the X stands for Xtra shit at dust resistance. Just kidding, it means there’s no official rating against dust. So if you’re one to take earbuds to the park, the beach or on a run outdoors then you’ll need to be Xtra careful. We get the fact that some things are good enough for 90% of their consumers. And that’s why on the whole, most buds are only IPX4. But I mean come on, we’ve got mid-range brands like Edifier supporting IP54 and IP55 on buds costing around a third of the price. And what about water resistance for the case? That’s something they could add!

Number 2

Ok – we don’t understand how the company that invents a codec gets left behind by other companies that adopt it! Having LDAC is great, but having LDAC AND multipoint is greater! The Technics AZ60, the 1More Evo AND the Oppo Enco X2 can already do this. So come on Sony – Let’s Do A Copy! Don’t give up on us guys – there’s one more tip to go.

Number 1

We talked transparency, but Sony’s lead in noise cancelling has been eclipsed by Apple and Bose. And even cheaper alternatives like Earfun Air Pro 3 are beginning to creep up on Sony. So-ny.Ear. Fun. Time for Sony to take the lead again. And maybe even leapfrog Apple and Bose?

Release Date

But the money question – when will the new release date be? Well, Sony tends to release its premium earbuds in the summer. The Sony WF-1000XM3 series was released on August 5, 2019 and the XM4 series on June 8, 2021. So based on simple arithmetic progression, the summer of 2023 seems to be a safe bet. Stay subscribed guys and we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything. If there’s one thing that didn’t make the wishlist, it’s battery life. Because we think it’s already great! 8 hours with ANC On. That’s a whole work day of continuous use. Please don’t change that Sony.

You’ve been wishing, not washing and we’ve been DHRME. Namaste