Gadget review: Sony's WF-1000XM5 will make a sound statement

My first tryst with Sony and music was when I got my first Walkman, the portable cassette player. There was a certain charm to walking around with it, blasting the chart-toppers with the sound doing its best given the available technology. This was followed by the famed Discman, which also had a certain prestige associated with it considering the newness of Compact Discs. At different points in my life, these two served as my reliable travel companions on many a journey through the mountains of India, playing a soundtrack to the twists and turns.

There were different models to choose from and using them gave rise to a feeling of experiencing something that was top of the line. Moreover, in their own way, they did make a style statement in those times. I remember a model with a bold sporty yellow colour that was a favourite among those prone to basking in attention.

In terms of sound, since the advent of the digital players, headphones and then earbuds, Sony has been trying to play catch up with innovations. Although, over the recent past, it has consistently released some well-reviewed iterations that have scored well in performance and visuals. But very few of them have been solid contenders when it comes to reclaiming the mantle of a must-have accessory.

Now, the brand is having yet another go at bringing fashion to sound in the form of its new earbuds, WF-1000XM5, albeit in a muted manner. These have been launched in collaboration with global K-pop phenomenon LE SSERAFIM expanding the acclaimed 1000X Series, which also includes WH-1000XM5 headphones, both in a brand-new colour called Smoky Pink.

These do look appealing, but without being too in your face. But more on that later.

So, as I set out to try the WF-1000XM5 earbuds, which also have a companion app that enhances the experience in different ways, the first thing that struck me was that they feel light, even though the surface area is not minimal. The latter meant that there is more space assigned to the touch sensors, making manoeuvring about a bit challenging, and quite a few times I activated the touch sensors by mistake. This took some learning as with all earbuds, but I wouldn’t say it got infinitely better over time.

One of the standout features in my experience was the battery life of the earbuds. I tend to use a single earbud at a time, and it lasted me through the day and into the night. This after I used it to listen to music, made a number of phone calls and used voice search. The battery life of the case, however, seemed shorter than I would have liked.

It connects with the companion app, Sound Connect, which can be used to play around with the equaliser settings, shortcuts, connecting more devices (I connected two and it moved from one to the other seamlessly), assigning touch controls and lots of other tech for those inclined to tinkering around. One thing we liked was that we could set the earbuds to switch off automatically when not in use and switch back on when in use, surely saving some battery time.

Coming back to the earbuds themselves, Sony’s industry-leading noise cancellation doesn’t fail to impress. The sound is immersive and captures the details of even the most complex of compositions. It also has adaptive noise control that can be toggled on and off while using the app, which switches between noise cancelling and ambient sound modes automatically. This feature detects your posture and position to switch between the two modes, making it easier to go about the day and turning the outside world on and off as the situation dictates.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous in our devices now and Sony’s Edge AI makes it presence felt in this pair. DSEE Extreme upscales compressed digital music files in real time. In addition, an AI-based noise reduction algorithm based on Deep Neural Network (DNN) processing and bone conduction sensors ensures that the voice goes through clearly when on calls. This is quite palpable when using the earbuds as my low voice usually leads to me repeating myself. With this pair, I had a seamless experience when on calls even in noisy environments like restaurants and parks.

Earbuds certainly evoke a fashion sense in these times. And for those so inclined, the WF-1000XM5 Smoky Pink edition has a soft, refined matte finish, so they are never too ostentatious and yet make for a sound style statement. The sides have a glossy finish, but without being too flashy. In ear, these do look good and can make people take notice due to the uniqueness of the shade. The case has a sleek, matte finish too with the subtlety of the colour giving it a softer look.

The price point of Dh999 puts these on the higher end of the spectrum and will appeal to those who crave uniqueness. Overall, it brings a solid combination of sound and style to everyday life and is comfortable to wear for long durations. In times when the tech we use says a lot about us, the WF-1000XM5 Smoky Pink earbuds exude good taste without being too loud.

Hits:

- Noise cancellation