Hello, everyone. I’ve been thinking about getting the WF-1000XM5, but I’m not sure if it’s a good investment. I’ve heard that the WF-1000XM4 had a major battery drainage problem. Is this still the case with the WF-1000XM5?
Right now, I am using the WH-CH710N. They’ve been great, but recently they started to break. They still work, but the ANC doesn’t isolate the same way on the right ear as in the left ear, and they aren’t really compact. So I’m looking for an upgrade. I know that over-ear headphones are superior when talking ANC, but they aren’t as compact as in-ear. I’ve also heard that the AirPods Pro are a good option. But as an Android user, I usually tend to avoid Apple products.
Do you guys have any recommendations?
If you’re itching more towards to the over-ear one, I can personally recommend the q45 and q35.
I’m all in on headphones. Been using IEMs for a decade but the annoyances they have always ruin the experience for me. Wireless IEMs are also made to be as non-repairable as possible, so if those WF XM5s break after 2 years you’ll have to buy new ones. Headphones are usually somewhat repairable.
I’d recommend against Sony IEMs. I know multiple people who got theirs replaced under warranty (WF-1000XM4 and 5), one of them twice. They tend to not last for very long.
I have some WH-1000XM4 over-ears and they’re not terrible, but not worth the money either. They need an equalizer to sound decent.
But before you buy anything: Can you wear IEMs comfortably for a long time? I got some weirdly shaped ears and horrible earwax, so I don’t bother with those at all.
I used my WF-1000XM4s daily for 2 years until the batteries gave out. They were already out of warranty, but Sony replaced them anyway. I still use mine daily and am quite happy with the performance. They’re great IEMs if you’re fine with the batteries croaking after a couple of years – not a big deal if you’re comfortable installing aftermarket cells.
It’s not ideal, but I’ve had worse exeriences with other IEMs. My worst experience was actually with the GalaxyBuds, which unfortunately I developed an allergy to (Don’t roll your eyes – I’m not the only one! It was an issue with the rubberized coating in a few specific batches). Those assholes accepted my in-warranty RMA, but then never sent anything back. I literally only wanted a replacement, not even money back! Support completely stonewalled me even though I had the UPS receipt from their return slip 😤
If you got no problems with IEMs, they produce incredible sound for a fraction of the price. Just check Truthear Zero.
If you’ve got issues with IEMs such as ear infections due to ear wax pushed inward, then you more or less don’t have a choice but to go with on-ear / over-ear. I had an infection once a decade ago and went over-ear ever since. It costs more to get good quality sound out of over-ear compared to IEMs.
