Six generations into Sony's WH-1000 series, we're starting to see the sales trend.
As the shiny newer headphones become more established, the older models tend to get more and more reduced as stock is cleared.
That does mean, however, that you can get some excellent five-star headphones at bargain prices. And that's what we see today with the Sony WH-1000XM5 going for £179 at AO.com as part of their clearance sale.
You'll need the code CLEAR20 to bring the headphones down to this price, but it's well worth this extra hassle. This is the best price we've seen for the XM5 headphones by quite a bit, even beating out the £200 Black Friday price.
You'll have to bear in mind that this is the SA edition of the headphones, which comes with a soft case rather than the usual rigid hard case. However, the all-important headphones are exactly the same – and you might want to snap these up quickly before stock runs out.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 have been succeeded by the superior WH-1000XM6, but they're currently retailing for £329. They won't be getting anywhere near this price for some time.
So at £150 cheaper, the XM5 still offer plenty of value – they were Award winners in 2024 after all. They're still hugely competitive at this price, particularly in sound quality, noise-cancelling and call quality.
Testing with Duel of the Fates by John Williams immediately showcased some of the XM5's sonic strengths.
"From the moment the choir puts the wheels of the song in motion, you can hear the Sonys conveying dynamic shifts without any hesitation," our Sony WH-1000XM5 review reads.
"Strings and woodwind instruments drive the track along, the Sonys carefully switching from the frantic, frenzied action to the quieter moments with a delicate touch. They do a great job of tracking and dissecting the timpani roll in the middle of the track – a section that is tough to follow on headphones with a richer balance."
The XM5 headphones also automatically optimise the noise-cancelling as you move around, and prove effective at blocking out trains, underground carriages and unwanted conversations.
Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology also ensures call quality is impressive, keeping your voice clear while also suppressing external noise and gusts of wind.
Battery life is a substantial 30 hours with Bluetooth and ANC enabled, stretching to 40 hours with ANC switched off. If you're in a rush, then a 10-minute charge alone will give you five hours of battery life.
Memory foam in the earpads and the band also help with support, putting the comfort levels up there with the best.
Our only gripes are the lack of aptX or aptX Adaptive support, and a flat folding design that means they don't fold away completely.
However, this is hardly a dealbreaker. The Sony WH-1000XM5 might not be the newest headphones on the block, but with £200 off at AO.com, they're hugely competitive and a better pick than most similarly-priced rivals.
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