I know the Sony XM5s are getting a ton of hype right now, but after my M4s just bricked after barely 4 months i've decided i aint buyin shit until its been out for at least a few years so i can see how they hold up

so, fellow commie audiophile dorks, what headphones are yall using/recommending?

  • ChestRockwell [comrade/them, any]
    ·
    2 years ago

    I was rocking the in-ear xm4 until firmware fucked it. After a bunch of returns to Asurion, I got a full refund and got some xm5s. At first the ANC made me super nauseous, but that's subsided.

    Highly recommend getting protection plans for headphones over $200. I've gotten at least 4 or 5 pairs either totally refreshed (new battery) and then others comped like my xm4s. It sucks because you do have to do the customer service runaround sometimes, but the plus side is you can either get a new pair for free or defray the cost within 2yrs if they die.

    • President_Obama [they/them]
      ·
      2 years ago

      How would you compare the ANC of the in ear XM4s to the over ear XM5?

      I'm autistic and have had the wf-1000xm4 for over a year because it's the best noise cancelling in ear, so helps with stimuli. I want to upgrade in a year/year and a half, and just want to get the best noise cancelling there is on the market. So I'm curious to know if the headphones are better at noise cancelling than the in ears.

      • ChestRockwell [comrade/them, any]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Order of magnitude more powerful. It's why I felt discomfort at first, the xm5 anc is really insane. You can't adjust the ANC tho, so if you experience eardrum suck there's no way to dial it down like with some other pairs.

        I was honestly concerned I might have to return them but the discomfort has definitely subsided as I've gotten used to them. The quiet from the ANC is really something else.

          • ChestRockwell [comrade/them, any]
            ·
            2 years ago

            Yeah it's just a better seal. I will say I used foam tips with the xm4s (I've got ear wax so need the mesh barriers) so maybe my own anc experience isn't what Sony intended, but the xm5 is something else. I tried them out with the motor running in my car and hearing the ANC kick in and everything go super quiet was a really crazy experience.

            • President_Obama [they/them]
              ·
              2 years ago

              I used foam tips with the xm4s

              I do too, because foam is waaaay better at blocking out noise than silicone. Any who I'll remember to check this out next year, then. Thanks