Sony WH-1000XM5 (Renewed) Review: Great ANC, Fragile Hinge
A hinge that “just snapped” is the one storyline that keeps punching through the praise for the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones (Renewed). One Sony-site reviewer warned: “everything was great until one day they just snapped,” while another summed it up more bluntly: “the headphones are great, until they break suddenly.” Verdict: exceptional noise canceling and strong sound (especially after EQ), but durability and support disputes are the recurring risk. Score: 7.6/10
Quick Verdict
Conditional — Yes if you prioritize ANC and comfort and can buy with strong return/warranty protection; No if you’re hard on gear or hinge durability is non‑negotiable.
| What buyers focus on | What they liked | What went wrong | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noise canceling | “anc is great” | Some say it’s “not industry leading” vs rivals | Sony HK reviews; Reddit |
| Sound quality | “sound quality is excellent” | “spent hours adjusting the equalizer and still not satisfied” | Sony HK/Sony UK review feeds |
| Comfort | “very comfortable and lightweight” | “headband is uncomfortable after about 30 mins” | Sony AU/UK review feeds |
| Build/hinges | “no risky folding joints” (a plus for some) | “hinge is fragile and breaks even in normal use” | Sony AU/UK/India review feeds |
| Calls/meetings | “sound isolation in the voice call is superb” | “rooms for improvement in the voice quality” | Sony HK reviews |
| Battery | “lasts for days with fast charging” | A few report “battery life is abysmal” over time | Sony AU/UK review feeds |
Claims vs Reality
Sony’s marketing leans hard on “industry leading noise cancellation,” “crystal clear hands‑free calling,” and an “ultra‑comfortable, lightweight design.” Digging deeper into user reports, the ANC claim largely holds up—but not without caveats, especially when people compare it to specific competitors and real commuting environments.
Claim: “Industry leading noise cancellation.”
A recurring pattern emerged across Sony’s own review portals: travelers and commuters describe the ANC as the headline feature. A Sony India reviewer called it “brilliant sound and noise cancellation,” and a Sony AU reviewer described noise canceling as useful for “plane trips, loud stormy rainy days, vacuuming.” For the noise-sensitive, the impact is immediate: Sony AU user Trinity wrote the noise canceling “is great for plane trips… or any noise for that matter.”
But the “industry leading” label meets pushback when users benchmark it. On Sony Hong Kong reviews, Marcus 25 praised improvement vs the XM4 yet still concluded it’s “excellent anc performance but not industry leading,” adding it wasn’t as strong as “the low frequencies in the airpod max and the high frequencies in the bose qc 45.” Another commuter on the Sony UK feed complained: “i could hear every conversation on the train,” even comparing unfavorably to older XM4s.
Claim: “Crystal clear calling.”
For remote workers and people taking calls in loud spaces, multiple stories back up the promise—at least on noise isolation. Sony HK’s Marcus 25 wrote: “the sound isolation in the voice call is superb,” and Sony Community user Nyquist 24 described a chaotic room scenario: with “about 70 people… actively engaging in conversation,” these headphones on Teams “filtered out all the noise for the call.”
Still, the “crystal clear” language doesn’t match every experience. Marcus 25 added there’s “rooms for improvement in the voice quality” despite superb isolation. The theme isn’t that calls fail—it’s that the mic can be better than average in noise handling while still sounding merely “mediocre” for voice fidelity.
Claim: “Ultra‑comfortable, lightweight.”
Many buyers agree the fit is easy to live with for hours—especially those who wear headphones daily. Sony AU reviewer RachelH said: “i bought these two years ago and i wear them almost every day. they’ve comfy, stylish,” and another wrote they’re “very comfortable and lightweight to wear.”
Yet comfort isn’t universal. Sony UK review feed user aahs ff reported: “headband is uncomfortable after about 30 mins,” and “the hinges feel really delicate.” A smaller‑head fit issue stands out too: Sony HK reviewer fictional flings wrote, “headband is painful… not made for smaller or female/ childrens head size… it will not adjust small enough,” even though the same reviewer praised ear comfort and ANC: “noise cancellation is so good i’ve slept with them on.”
Cross-Platform Consensus
Universally Praised
“Noise cancellation is still the best” is the kind of line that turns up when long‑time users explain why they keep the XM5 despite flaws. On Reddit’s long-term thread, the author wrote: “the anc is where these shine… they block out noise better than anything else i’ve tried,” and emphasized a comfort-adjacent benefit: they “don’t give me that weird pressure or nausea feeling like some other headphones do.” That’s a particular win for commuters or office workers who can’t tolerate aggressive ANC sensations.
Across Sony’s review portals, the same benefit is framed as peace and focus. A Sony UK reviewer said the noise canceling “is excellent… so you don’t have to keep taking them on and off,” which matters for people moving between conversations and solo work. Meanwhile, a Sony India reviewer highlighted a very specific commuter use case: “super noise cancelling feature especially when using on london’s jubilee underground train.”
Sound quality is praised, but the more revealing pattern is that many listeners treat the app EQ as part of the product. On Sony HK reviews, Marcus 25 said, “the sound quality is excellent, but the bass is too strong for me,” and fixed it by using “the -2 clear bass setting.” On Reddit’s two‑year post, the author echoed the same arc: “straight out of the box? the sound is kind of disappointing. but once you mess around with the eq… they sound so much better.” For casual listeners, this means the default tuning may not wow immediately—but people who like customizing can “tweak them to match your preferences.”
Daily usability stories also show up repeatedly: multipoint switching and general convenience are called out by long‑term users. Sony AU reviewer Trinity wrote: “i love how it can sync seamlessly when i switch between devices,” which is exactly the kind of feature that matters if you bounce between phone, tablet, and laptop meetings.
After the narratives, the common “wins” users keep repeating look like this:
- ANC: “phenomenal” on flights and for focus (Sony Community; Reddit)
- Sound (with EQ): “excellent” once tuned (Sony HK; Reddit)
- Comfort (for many): “wear them almost every day” (Sony AU)
- Convenience: easy device switching and controls (Sony AU)
Common Complaints
Digging deeper into user reports, the most consistent complaint isn’t sound or ANC—it’s physical durability at the hinges/joints and the frustration of warranty/support responses. This isn’t a one‑off “I dropped it” story; several users describe failures during normal handling. Sony AU reviewer Bronja me 53 warned: “the hinge is fragile and breaks even in normal use. it suddenly broke on me when i took it off my head.” Another Sony HK review (km ash) described a similar moment: “everything was great until one day they just snapped,” then claimed support pushed them toward a paid fix.
Some reports extend beyond hinges into driver/speaker failure. Sony HK reviewer b00541 wrote: “they died after only 18 months… the right speaker has stopped working,” and Zumpy reported: “only lasted 18 months and now the right speaker driver is totally dead.” For buyers expecting multi‑year reliability at a premium price, that timeline becomes the core grievance.
Comfort complaints cluster around headband pressure and heat. aahs ff said the “headband is uncomfortable after about 30 mins,” while adewpk wrote: “very hot to use in singapore.” The Reddit two‑year review reinforces the heat theme: “these get hot. in summer? forget about wearing them outside.” That’s a clear warning for runners, gym users, or anyone in humid climates: comfort may be great indoors but falter outdoors.
After the narratives, the repeating pain points look like this:
- Hinge/joint durability: “break suddenly,” “snapped,” “broke twice” (Sony AU/HK reviews)
- Warranty/support disputes: “not covered,” “physical damage” framing (Sony India; Sony HK reviews)
- Heat/headband discomfort: “very hot,” “uncomfortable after 30 mins” (Sony HK/Reddit)
- Occasional sound dissatisfaction: “still not satisfied with the sound” even after EQ (Sony HK)
Divisive Features
A clear split emerges on ANC ranking and out-of-box sound. Some owners describe the XM5 as top-tier noise canceling—Reddit’s long-term reviewer called it “still the best”—while others explicitly rate it behind competitors in certain frequencies. Sony HK’s Marcus 25 wrote it “isn't as great as the low frequencies in the airpod max and the high frequencies in the bose qc 45.” That contradiction matters most for frequent flyers and train commuters who know exactly which noises they want gone.
Sound tuning is similarly polarizing. For people who enjoy tweaking, the EQ is a superpower: Reddit’s reviewer said the “eq options are phenomenal,” and emphasized how much it changes the experience. But for listeners who want magic without setup, Sony HK reviewer gc 67 said: “spent hours adjusting the equalizer and still not satisfied… sound quality for the cost… is not great.” The same headphones can be “king of sound” to one buyer and “not great… for the cost” to another depending on expectations and tolerance for tuning.
Trust & Reliability
Renewed purchases naturally raise anxiety about condition, and the data includes at least one story that reads like a classic “was this used?” experience. Sony HK reviewer upset customer miami complained: “the box was beat up… like theses were used or returned,” and added customer service was hard to reach: “never able to reach a real person… hung up on me multiple times.” That kind of report doesn’t prove a widespread scam pattern, but it does show why renewed buyers obsess over packaging, return windows, and clear seller policies.
Long-term reliability concerns aren’t limited to cosmetics. Multiple users describe failures after months or a little over a year—exactly the time when warranties can get complicated. Sony HK’s b00541 reported failure at “only 18 months,” and aidanyyz described theirs as great “until they broke twice… within a year,” blaming “poor plastic construction… where the joints pivot.” On Sony India reviews, Babatunde wrote: “swivel hinge came off during warranty period and sony refused to honour the warranty,” saying it was labeled “physical damage.”
For buyers, the investigative takeaway is simple: while many people happily use these daily for years, a non-trivial set of stories describe hinge/speaker issues plus contentious support outcomes. That risk is especially relevant for renewed units where prior handling is unknown.
Alternatives
Only competitors mentioned in the data are included here: Bose, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QC45, Technics, Sennheiser, and Sony’s own XM4/XM3/XM6 comparisons.
When users compare ANC, it’s not a clean sweep for Sony. Sony HK’s Marcus 25 felt XM5 ANC improved over XM4 but still trailed “airpod max” in low frequencies and “bose qc 45” in highs. On pure sound quality, Sony India’s Mansell 44 said “the airpod max, the sen heisser and bose all have the edge… on pure sound quality,” even while calling the Sony “fantastic headphones with great features.”
On the flip side, several users still prefer XM5 comfort and overall package. aidanyyz said the XM5 was “significantly more comfortable than my old bose headphones,” and Nyquist 24 described the XM5 as “the total package” for ANC, calls, and comfort. The alternative choice seems to hinge (literally) on whether you prioritize durability confidence or Sony’s particular mix of ANC + features + app EQ.
Price & Value
The renewed Amazon listing in the data shows a price of $287.75 for “Midnight Blue (Renewed)” with a 4.7/5 rating (10 reviews). On resale markets, eBay listings span widely—from roughly the low hundreds to the mid‑$200s for used/open-box and higher for some refurbished offers—suggesting the model is liquid but price-sensitive.
For bargain hunters, the community advice is implicit in the horror stories: buy with protection. People who had hinge breaks often describe expensive paid repairs (e.g., km ash cited “$99 + tax” via a partner repair, and others mention £92/£96 repair quotes on Sony portals). That means the “good deal” can flip fast if your unit becomes one of the hinge/speaker failures.
Buying tips drawn from user patterns:
- If buying renewed, prioritize easy returns—packaging/condition complaints exist (Sony HK).
- If you’re rough on gear or travel constantly, hinge durability reports suggest extra caution.
- If sound is the priority, expect to use the Sony app EQ; multiple users say it’s key (Reddit; Sony HK).
FAQ
Q: Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 (Renewed) actually “industry leading” at noise canceling?
A: Many owners call the ANC excellent—Reddit’s two‑year user said “the anc is where these shine.” But not everyone agrees with the “industry leading” label; Sony HK reviewer Marcus 25 said it wasn’t as strong as AirPods Max in low frequencies or Bose QC45 in high frequencies.
Q: Do the XM5s sound great out of the box, or do you need EQ?
A: Several users say EQ is the difference-maker. A Reddit long‑term owner wrote, “straight out of the box… disappointing,” but “once you mess around with the eq… much better.” Others still weren’t happy after tuning—Sony HK reviewer gc 67 said they “spent hours adjusting… still not satisfied.”
Q: Are the hinges really that fragile?
A: Multiple reviews describe hinge/joint failures during normal use. Sony AU reviewer Bronja me 53 warned: “the hinge is fragile and breaks even in normal use,” and Sony HK’s km ash said they “just snapped.” However, some long‑term owners report no breakage if handled carefully.
Q: Are these comfortable for long sessions and smaller heads?
A: Comfort is split. Many say they’re “very comfortable and lightweight,” but others report headband discomfort and fit issues. Sony HK reviewer aahs ff said the headband gets uncomfortable “after about 30 mins,” and fictional flings wrote it “will not adjust small enough” for a smaller head, causing headaches.
Q: Are they good for calls and work meetings?
A: Users often praise noise handling on calls. Sony HK’s Marcus 25 said “sound isolation in the voice call is superb,” and Sony Community’s Nyquist 24 described a noisy room where Teams calls were clear. But voice quality can be merely average; Marcus 25 noted “rooms for improvement in the voice quality.”
Final Verdict
Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones (Renewed) if you’re a commuter, frequent flyer, or remote worker who prioritizes ANC and wants a feature-rich headset that many say becomes “so much better” after EQ tweaks. Avoid if you need rugged, worry-free durability—because multiple owners describe hinge/joint failures (“broke suddenly,” “snapped”) and frustrating warranty or paid-repair outcomes.
Pro tip from the community: tune the sound in the Sony app. As Sony HK’s Marcus 25 put it, “the bass is too strong for me,” but “the -2 clear bass setting improve the sound a lot.”
