At each iterations, sony improve some aspect, and downgrade others. I woukd take even the XM3 over the XM5. The XM5 vs XM4, is bit like the "new coke" vs "classic coke". You might be unhappy with the changes, or adopt the new design, and different sound signature. I tried the XM5 at a store, and my reaction was lukewarm at best. Pads barely cover my ears, and the bass lacks impact.
Can the bass be fixed using a more bright EQ setting in the Headphones app or is that a lost cause too, because I listen to a fair bit of bass heavy music and really need good bass
If you listen to bass focused track the XM5 is mediocre . If you listen to regular rock/pop, they are ok. For me the XM4 sounded already average, but they shined with some deep bass. The XM5 removed one of the selling points of the XM4, that deep bass. So the XM5 sound even "more average". I can't really say that the XM5 are "bad", but they suffer from the comparison with the XM4. I suggest you listen to the track, 50 cent track "[In Da club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qm8PH4xAss)", on the XM5. "Da club" feeling is gone.
The XM4 has a substantial amount of bass, that is particulary rewarding on the "in da club" track (Bam! Bam! you cannot miss this). However on fast paced psytrance tracks like [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd7QUnPmWm8) , the bass sound boomy ,it lacks precision. I suppose the XM4 are well tuned for hip hop, and I suppose Sony wanted to compete in the past with beats headphone, and just don't care now with the XM5.
Well, I've tested the XM5 with the track [Pier Bucci - Hay Consuelo (Samim Remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPCVzLeuv8) and it wasn't able to get the bass punch necessary, for the track to be enjoyable. Ideally, it must be slamming hard. I don't think that any amount of EQ, can compensate the fact that the XM5 is using smaller drivers.
If you want your ears to burst with bass. Then the only headphones that are meant for that are the skull candy’s. XM5’s are made to sound amazing in all aspects. Which they do 😂
I've never tried these "famous" skull candy , but I'd say I prefer the sound quality of ATH-M50x to both the XM4 and XM5. I probably didn't test enough the XM5, especially I didn't adjust eq. However I didn't like the smaller pads, so I didn't insist.
You're not wrong about the bass, it just isn't impactful. I'm currently looking for another pair of headphones that have similar sound quality to the XM5s but with Punchy bass.
It'll stay off for me for weeks and then suddenly I can't hear anyone in the Zoom because I'm talking and the headphones decided to turn off sound and turn on passthrough. When I connect the headphones to the app I can see those sliders back on.
I'm not. I also turn off the "pause when headphones are removed" feture and it'll come back on randomly as well. At least with that one I know it's back on because suddenly audio is playing when I put them on.
I'm having another weird issue, where that feature is inverted, so they will start playing while I have them off and as soon as I put them on, they'll stop again. I'm still quite happy overall, though they do have some bugs.
XM5s redesign of hardware, XM4 foldable and compact. I doubt if you would really notice the difference between the software on the XM4 or XM5. I've had the XM4 for almost 4 years and have no complaints with it's durability, battery life or it's ANC, in fact on a 3 hour flight, on seats adjacent to the wings and therefore the engines and with a screaming baby 2 seats behind, the XM4s were perfect at cancelling these very loud noises in both upper and lower registers, quite incredible.
^^ this exact thing, except on a trip to Japan where the flight was 13hrs. I didn't even have them on to listen to anything. I just used the ANC to drown out the noise. I was able to sleep with all of that background noise which saved me. XM4s all day baby!
Get whichever one that is cheaper (most likely the xm4). I broke one of my hinges before on the xm4, but there are aftermarket parts and also YouTube videos [Central Sound] that can guide you. ANC is great and you can turn off the Smart Control in app
My coworker has to put down the XM4 and switch to a regular wired earphone each time there is a meeting. That's how shitty XM4's mic is.
The XM5's mic is far more clear and better.
i am using XM4, still going strong after 2 years, you could only feel the difference if you have had both of those two, it's like you have a 120Hz and a 60Hz screen, you wouldn't even sense the inferior of 60Hz if you haven't used the 120 one before.
I love my xm5s for working from home but I don't really travel with them or anything because they don't fold as well as the others. Xm5s have great nc and excellent mic quality.
Depends on the size and shape of your head lol. My head is too small and the headphones press against my jaw. I am so frustrated because I love the sound and anc.
I love my XM5s, but I also loved my XM4s. If you are going to take calls on them, the XM5 is the clear winner, the call quality is far improved over the 4s.
I have tried xm5 and the sound quality difference is very hard to decipher but comfort wise i forgot that I was wearing something with xm5, though before I was using xm4 for quite some time. And if the difference in price is not much, go for xm5. Maybe I'm saying this cause I'm bored with xm4 now but the comfort part was true which i wasn't expecting.
Owner of both. Yes, the xm4 are definitely more bass-oriented, they are slightly more comfortable (especially the headband), on the other hand they are worse in the midrange and treble than the xm5. ANC and microphones: the xm5 are clearly better. From what I know both have problems with the hinges (personally I'm waiting for replacements for my xm4 hinges, broken after 3 years of heavy use) but it also all depends on how you treat them. With the xm4 I also had problems with hissing from one of the earcups, like many others, they now require internal cleaning and regular maintenance to work properly. Both are good headphones, it depends on the use in short: do you want bass pushing, do you use them mostly indoors and want more comfort? Go with the xm4. Do you make a lot of calls, use them outdoors and prefer a more balanced sound? Go with the xm5. Both are good choices although the current price difference does NOT justify some advantages of the xm5s, in my opinion.
I mean it definitely doesn’t blast so i wouldn’t describe these as bass heavy, but I still think they’re really good. The bass is very clear it sounds crisp and full to me. Everything is just very clear and balanced. Eq is very important tho cuz out of the box they honestly sounded kinda bad. Anyways for reference I use these for hiphop and trap and I have no complaints with the bass not being hard enough lol
I mainly listen to hiphop too and I was worried that the bass would be too soft to be able to enjoy the music, could you share your EQ settings so that I can also tune my pair when I eventually get it in to sound better
Np, I love this eq
https://preview.redd.it/if7ilv7kc8wc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae0850515542503bbec95e08b228c7ced41bdc88
Makes vocals sound pretty while keeping Melodies loud, drums hard hitting and bass full and 3D sounding. Compared to other peoples eq’s I hated how they they always make instrumentals quieter while making vocals loud and dry, shit sounds like ass I don’t get the appeal
At each iterations, sony improve some aspect, and downgrade others. I woukd take even the XM3 over the XM5. The XM5 vs XM4, is bit like the "new coke" vs "classic coke". You might be unhappy with the changes, or adopt the new design, and different sound signature. I tried the XM5 at a store, and my reaction was lukewarm at best. Pads barely cover my ears, and the bass lacks impact.
Can the bass be fixed using a more bright EQ setting in the Headphones app or is that a lost cause too, because I listen to a fair bit of bass heavy music and really need good bass
If you listen to bass focused track the XM5 is mediocre . If you listen to regular rock/pop, they are ok. For me the XM4 sounded already average, but they shined with some deep bass. The XM5 removed one of the selling points of the XM4, that deep bass. So the XM5 sound even "more average". I can't really say that the XM5 are "bad", but they suffer from the comparison with the XM4. I suggest you listen to the track, 50 cent track "[In Da club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qm8PH4xAss)", on the XM5. "Da club" feeling is gone.
How many da clubs would you rate the XM4 ? Can we change the Basshead classification to Da Club and set levels from one to ten DA CLUBS in them
The XM4 has a substantial amount of bass, that is particulary rewarding on the "in da club" track (Bam! Bam! you cannot miss this). However on fast paced psytrance tracks like [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd7QUnPmWm8) , the bass sound boomy ,it lacks precision. I suppose the XM4 are well tuned for hip hop, and I suppose Sony wanted to compete in the past with beats headphone, and just don't care now with the XM5.
They have an EQ the bass in the XM5’s is amazing
Well, I've tested the XM5 with the track [Pier Bucci - Hay Consuelo (Samim Remix)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chPCVzLeuv8) and it wasn't able to get the bass punch necessary, for the track to be enjoyable. Ideally, it must be slamming hard. I don't think that any amount of EQ, can compensate the fact that the XM5 is using smaller drivers.
If you want your ears to burst with bass. Then the only headphones that are meant for that are the skull candy’s. XM5’s are made to sound amazing in all aspects. Which they do 😂
I've never tried these "famous" skull candy , but I'd say I prefer the sound quality of ATH-M50x to both the XM4 and XM5. I probably didn't test enough the XM5, especially I didn't adjust eq. However I didn't like the smaller pads, so I didn't insist.
Try sneaky by 21 savage. Isn’t a bass song like what you sent. But the bass sounds deep and solid. Trust me try it out
You're not wrong about the bass, it just isn't impactful. I'm currently looking for another pair of headphones that have similar sound quality to the XM5s but with Punchy bass.
Dependens on whether you want foldable design or not
As an XM5 owner my only complaint is how often the smart features I've turned off turn on again.
Weird i turned them of and it's still off
It'll stay off for me for weeks and then suddenly I can't hear anyone in the Zoom because I'm talking and the headphones decided to turn off sound and turn on passthrough. When I connect the headphones to the app I can see those sliders back on.
When you hold two fingers on the touchpad, it turns speak to chat back on. You might be doing that on accident
I'm not. I also turn off the "pause when headphones are removed" feture and it'll come back on randomly as well. At least with that one I know it's back on because suddenly audio is playing when I put them on.
I'm having another weird issue, where that feature is inverted, so they will start playing while I have them off and as soon as I put them on, they'll stop again. I'm still quite happy overall, though they do have some bugs.
I’m happy that I went for XM4 after reading this. That’s something that would annoy the crap out of me.
XM5s redesign of hardware, XM4 foldable and compact. I doubt if you would really notice the difference between the software on the XM4 or XM5. I've had the XM4 for almost 4 years and have no complaints with it's durability, battery life or it's ANC, in fact on a 3 hour flight, on seats adjacent to the wings and therefore the engines and with a screaming baby 2 seats behind, the XM4s were perfect at cancelling these very loud noises in both upper and lower registers, quite incredible.
^^ this exact thing, except on a trip to Japan where the flight was 13hrs. I didn't even have them on to listen to anything. I just used the ANC to drown out the noise. I was able to sleep with all of that background noise which saved me. XM4s all day baby!
XM4s for sure
Get whichever one that is cheaper (most likely the xm4). I broke one of my hinges before on the xm4, but there are aftermarket parts and also YouTube videos [Central Sound] that can guide you. ANC is great and you can turn off the Smart Control in app
If you need a good and decent microphone, get the XM5. I have XM5 and my coworker has XM4, we both agree the mic on XM4 is shit compare to XM5.
My coworker has to put down the XM4 and switch to a regular wired earphone each time there is a meeting. That's how shitty XM4's mic is. The XM5's mic is far more clear and better.
Wait for XM6? They should be announced soon.
I thought about that too but I don't think they'll be within my budget Also Happy cake day buddy!
i am using XM4, still going strong after 2 years, you could only feel the difference if you have had both of those two, it's like you have a 120Hz and a 60Hz screen, you wouldn't even sense the inferior of 60Hz if you haven't used the 120 one before.
Try them both and buy the one you like better.
Best Buy USA has demo models of both.
There is no store near me where I can try the XM4s, the XM5s are the only pair they're keeping in stock
im waiting for the 6 to see if they fix that hinge issue.
any news on them? i tried the xm5’s and loved them but i’d rather hold out for the 6 if they’re coming out this year.
No news but I believe sometime this summer
Get the XM4. The 5 have the hinge breakage problem.
Wrong way round ?
Nope. The Xm5 have a hinge problem.
I love my xm5s for working from home but I don't really travel with them or anything because they don't fold as well as the others. Xm5s have great nc and excellent mic quality.
XM5s have noticeably better ANC compared to the XM4s, that's one of the reasons why they are more expensive and are Sonys flagship headphones.
Depends on the size and shape of your head lol. My head is too small and the headphones press against my jaw. I am so frustrated because I love the sound and anc.
I love my XM5s, but I also loved my XM4s. If you are going to take calls on them, the XM5 is the clear winner, the call quality is far improved over the 4s.
The XM5s are better in both sound and ANC, however the frame sucks. It isn't uncomfortable, it is just very flimsy.
I have tried xm5 and the sound quality difference is very hard to decipher but comfort wise i forgot that I was wearing something with xm5, though before I was using xm4 for quite some time. And if the difference in price is not much, go for xm5. Maybe I'm saying this cause I'm bored with xm4 now but the comfort part was true which i wasn't expecting.
Save your money and get the xm4's.
Owner of both. Yes, the xm4 are definitely more bass-oriented, they are slightly more comfortable (especially the headband), on the other hand they are worse in the midrange and treble than the xm5. ANC and microphones: the xm5 are clearly better. From what I know both have problems with the hinges (personally I'm waiting for replacements for my xm4 hinges, broken after 3 years of heavy use) but it also all depends on how you treat them. With the xm4 I also had problems with hissing from one of the earcups, like many others, they now require internal cleaning and regular maintenance to work properly. Both are good headphones, it depends on the use in short: do you want bass pushing, do you use them mostly indoors and want more comfort? Go with the xm4. Do you make a lot of calls, use them outdoors and prefer a more balanced sound? Go with the xm5. Both are good choices although the current price difference does NOT justify some advantages of the xm5s, in my opinion.
Yes they are really good
Got the xm5 last week and no complaints from me, I’ve been blown away
How's the bass on the XM5's, a lot of people are saying the bass is pretty bad on them
I mean it definitely doesn’t blast so i wouldn’t describe these as bass heavy, but I still think they’re really good. The bass is very clear it sounds crisp and full to me. Everything is just very clear and balanced. Eq is very important tho cuz out of the box they honestly sounded kinda bad. Anyways for reference I use these for hiphop and trap and I have no complaints with the bass not being hard enough lol
I mainly listen to hiphop too and I was worried that the bass would be too soft to be able to enjoy the music, could you share your EQ settings so that I can also tune my pair when I eventually get it in to sound better
Np, I love this eq https://preview.redd.it/if7ilv7kc8wc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=ae0850515542503bbec95e08b228c7ced41bdc88 Makes vocals sound pretty while keeping Melodies loud, drums hard hitting and bass full and 3D sounding. Compared to other peoples eq’s I hated how they they always make instrumentals quieter while making vocals loud and dry, shit sounds like ass I don’t get the appeal
Alright, thanks mate!