KOCHI: Sony has launched the new WH-1000XM5 wireless noise-canceling headphones. Compared to the previous edition, popularly known as Mark 4, which came with added multi-device support and excellent sound, the new one offers some improvements. It makes sure to not lose Sony’s quality of giving a distraction-free listening and call clarity.
The lightweight headphones now have a minimal, sleek, and clean look. It comes in two shades — dark and light — with a tinge of cream colour. The vegan leather material makes the headphones even more comfortable and they fit perfectly around the head with less pressure on ears. This makes it comfortable to wear for a long period. The Mark 5 also features intuitive touch control settings. Sensitive panel on the right side can do skipping, pausing, etc.
Though Sony gave a super soft texture, the design can be a downgrade for some for one reason. The Mark 5 does not fold. The old versions with their seamless features and the ability to fold and fit into little cases made it an ultimate travel partner. In this new design, the sliding headband — which looks similar to Bose 700 and the AirPods Max — is the only way to adjust the headphone’s size. They no longer fold down into a smaller size. Due to this, Mark 5 can be carried around in a slightly bigger backpack. The case also comes with a compartment to hold the charging cable.
With the two processors controlling eight microphones, Mark 5 is the king of the mill for travel. This time the noise cancellation feature has been bumped up significantly. It can block out airplane engines and traffic too. The device has become stronger and efficient enough to block out higher frequencies of appliances and human voices perfectly.
Whereas the musical sound quality doesn’t seem to have much of an upgrade, Sony has retained its impeccable sound quality. The lightweight, comfortable noise-cancelling headphones were rumoured to have a battery life of 40 hours. But they are still rated for the same 30-hour as Mark 4. However, it has a lightning-fast charging feature. When plugged in for three minutes, you can get at least three hours of listening. The headphones can be paired with two bluetooth devices at the same time. So when a call comes in, the headphones will connect to the right device immediately. The headphones are priced at $399 (`30,904 approx).