Sony XM4 vs XM5 | Which headphones are better? | Mark Ellis Reviews

Mx5 noise cancelling is so much better

Thank you for the information. I like the design of the Sony XM4 better. Think i will purchase the 4.

how is the anc performance when using with glasses, i never get review that include glasses

Exactly the kind of review I wanted. All I want is a really nice set of headphones for music. I don't care one iota about calls on them either so this review was perfect. I'm definitely saving myself a £100 now and getting the 4's. Thank you!

How much noise do they leak? That's an important feature which seems often overlooked!

I didn't need the fold, so i bought the xm5 and i love it

Just bought the Sony XM4 and the noise cancelling gives me nausea...

"A big thank you for your video! 👍🏽

When using the headphones (xm3, xm4, xm5) with noise cancellation activated without listening to music while you work, does the headset automatically turn off or disconnect after a certain period of inactivity?"

One is small enough to take on a plane and one is large enough to be embarrassing.

I have the xm3s and i love them, ive had them since they came out nad i see no reason to upgrade them yet

Xm5 is so much better than xm4 imo

the xm4 has a better anc i confirm and the xm5 has a better sounds

Thanks for the interesting and unbiased video. I own both the xm4 and xm5. My usage is probably not typical of most users. I was perfectly happy with the xm4's and them the xm5's appeared. after a few months I bought the xm5's and was pleased but a bit underwhelmed. I had clocked up about 10.000hrs of use with the xm4 and already replaced the cushions due to wear. So far after about 4000 hrs of usage of the xm5's I think they beat the xm4's in every aspect that matters top me. More comfortable, better sound and call quality. The only thing the xm4 does better is in it's Bluetooth range.

My xm5s have developed a random touch pad problem which I hope to fix after I strip them down. As a consequence I find myself switching to the mx4's. Here is the thing that probably makes me different from the average use. I only use them at home and connected to my laptop for signal source, also connected to phone for calls. I typically continuously wear the for 8-12 hrs daily. Touch functions such as stc or pause/play (that is unreliable on the laptop), I don't use or any of the "features". Both models are great ANC phones but I would not rate either (or any other BT phones I have tried) for sound quality. I would rate it as good compared to other competing headphones but just passable compared to decent wired headphones. Yes I know that is not the intended audience for BT ANC headphones. If all you want to do is listen to stuff then get the xm4's, if taking and making calls is important get the xm5's.

For travelling I am going to check out Sony's xm earbuds which makes the folding issue obsolete for me.

I’ll be honest my xm4’s sound fantastic and have retained their better life insanely well from the time I’ve bought them. And I’ve been hard on them. They’re still comfortable and sound incredible. Good comparison though

would you still recommend the xm4s given prices for xm5 has dropped and difference is around £60

I just upgraded from beats studio 3s to xm5s its a downgrade when it comes to overall sound wouldn’t recommend

I wish i got the xm4s 😩

The Headphones of Sony connect to apple iphones or no?

What about the glasses? Did it hurt you using xm4 or 5? 😊

disappointed with the noise cancellation on xm5, it was hyped so much that when i got these, got disappointed, it isn't any better than devices half it's price

I bought my xm4 brand new for £188.99

streets ahead.

One thing that I would think is detrimental and that I didnt hear mentioned here is the driver size, 40mm on XM4 and 30mm on XM5

Thanks for not saying “ALEXA” otherwise u would be waking all my neighbours 😂

I purchased the older XM4 because of this review and you have my subscription and support for your channel. The prices for the XM4 are dropping fast. I must admit I much prefer the Older XM4
Kindest regards….👍👍👍

I’ve found xm5 that are a 50$ difference. That’s not a big deal for me, so I think I’m going to get the 5’s

Thanks. Not buying XM5

Been wanting to upgrade headphones… just ordered some XM4s so I’m pumped

great review on XM 5s

The only thing i hate from the xm4's is that they have a big design flaw that if you use it a lot it can start build up moisture in your headphones and then it will give an annoyingly loud alarm (almost like a fire alarm) right in your ear if you have ANC on. It's such a bad flaw that could even damage your hearing.

You can clean them to fix it but it won't prevent it from happening again. And you won't know it's there until you get the annoying alarm straight in your ears

Friendly reminder, the xm5 and 4 (and 3) have eqs that can be changed to however YOU want.

The noise Cancelling on the xm5 is nuts, it's a lot better than any out there.

The only drawback is the price. Hope it goes on sale soon

Sony if you cant produce a new version which is not noticeable better than current version just give us the current version till you are ready for a better upgrade. If its not broken dont try to fix it up.

im pretty sure the custom button's default function is the same as the xm5's button so you saying you dont like it is funny

Comfort and travel = 4s . 5s are redundant

Cant wait! I am getting my xm4 today!!

What isn't mentioned in many of these reviews is the noticeable white noise floor present on noise cancelling. Also: comically light? They are 4 grams lighter?

Personally think the XM4 look nicer. The XM5 having the thin band yet thick cups looks really funny. Especially with the air gap on the side of the head and the band.

I bought the XM5 for only $300, which is honestly why I kept them. If they hadn't been that much of a deal, I'd have traded it for XM4. The new design is a huge miss.

I prefer xm5. There are lots of small things that are better.

It has more clear bass, overall sound better, better NC, faster bluetooth connection, much faster charging. And yes they don`t make crackling noise when on your head like the xm4 dies, noticable when you are on a pillow or something with them on.

Also better microphone and way less wind noise in calls, and when you have NC on.

If you can get xm4 for cheap tho, idk if all the small things actually worth it. But also some stores let you get xm5 with new sony smartphones, so definitely a good deal then.

Got the XM5s for free as a bundle for the Xperia 1 Mark V
Can't wait to compare them with my XM3s

The fold of the xm4's is the biggest issue. I really love mine but the Right hinge broke multiple Times. Thanks God we have a 3d printer at Work.

I've never managed to get Alexa working on my XM5's, even though permission is given in the Alexa app it still asks for permission - stuck in a loop - and I can't use Alexa with them at all.

It appears that if considering for travel, the XM4 is a clear winner!

I recently bought the XM5, replaced and finally returned them. Here's why:

- Microphone for calls is passable at best, cheap 40$ buds peform miles and miles better
- Connection to Samsung Smart QLED TV was pathetic - i tried turning on and off all settings including turning sound profile to prioritize connection but everytime i moved outside range and cameback- the sound would crack distort unusable. Even disconnecting and reconnecting 2-3 times wouldnt sort it out! same if I used dual connection with my phone and TV.

Overall a product costing this much, the issues above are unacceptable. Especially the connection issues.

I prefer the look of the XM4

Unfinished symphony... unfinished sympathy... Who knows lol

who else has XM4 that randomly turns off? Any fix for this? About to upgrade...

Super helpful! Thank you for sharing!

Ok going with xm4s. Thank you for the video