With the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones now on the market, it’s no surprise that there are discounts to be secured on the Award-winning XM5s.
The XM5 over-ears have been available for £249 on Amazon on and off for a while now – and that’s the price you can grab them for currently.
But what if we told you you could save yourself an extra £30 by making a really quick swap?
To secure the XM5s for just £219 at Amazon, simply opt for the soft case accessory instead of the hard case. That’s a price we have seen only during Prime Day – although these excellent headphones did drop to £208 at John Lewis back in December 2024.
Still, a £160 saving is not something to be sniffed at. You’ll have to be quick though, Amazon is running this saving only as a ‘limited time deal’.
Unsurprisingly, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones can’t match their successor, the WH-1000XM6. But those new cans will set you back £399.
While the XM5s may have lost their long-held and well-deserved top spot in our best headphones rankings, they are still well worth snapping up, especially if you can get them at a discount price.
Which is why this whopping £160 off at Amazon – if you opt for the soft case – is such a great deal.
Sony has a winning formula that has seen gradual improvements over time. The XM5s were a huge step up from the XM4s across sound quality, noise-cancelling and call quality (which is why we gave them a What Hi-Fi? Award in 2024).
Despite being considered ‘old’ now, they are still top performers, that led our expert testers to say: “The WH-1000XM5 possess all the elements that have made the previous generations class-leaders at the money, including that effortlessly musical sound. But the latest generation manages to deliver even greater clarity and a more open presentation. It’s actually quite a jump.”
And that sound offers sensational sonic clarity, punchy delivery and precise, agile bass.
On a performance-per-pound basis, Sony’s noise-cancelling technology seriously impresses, with the Integrated Processor V1 upping the number of microphones to eight (from XM4’s four) and tech improvements inside the headphones.
There are improvements in the XM5’s feature set too, with handy modes: ‘Speak to Chat’ to pause playback when you start talking; ‘Quick Attention’ to lower the volume when you cover the right earcup; and ‘Wearing Detection’ to sense when you take them off and automatically pause your audio.
The headphones are also compatible with Sony’s LDAC technology, which allows streaming of high-quality audio from compatible devices at bitrates higher than conventional Bluetooth (there is no aptX or aptX HD support).
And then you’ve got an impressive 30 hours of battery life with Bluetooth and ANC enabled, boosted to 40 hours with just Bluetooth. And a 10-minute charge will give you five hours of battery life.
So, while the XM6s are a pricier pick, if you’re looking for some seriously impressive over-ears that will suit a more modest budget, this deal’s most certainly for you.
MORE:
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Check out the best headphones: tested by our experts
And the best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless pairs