This Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones deal has saved my friends and me from a huge Black Friday disappointment

(Image credit: Sony)

Before the start of Black Friday, I prepared my friends – most of whom were asking for the best wireless headphones to buy this Black Friday – to be ready for a deal on the Sony WH-1000XM4. As these headphones are now over five years old, yet still remarkably talented, I had huge expectations for a massive Black Friday discount.

Alas, there hasn't really been a deal worth shouting about. Sure, the XM4 wireless headphones are down to £178 at Amazon, which is a nice saving, but I was expecting more.

In a surprise twist, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are the headphones I'm now recommending to my friends, as they are now hugely discounted to just £150. We initially reviewed this pair of headphones at £380, and since the launch of the WH-1000XM6 earlier this year, the price has slowly come down, with Amazon quoting a recent price of £260.

You'll notice that these are labelled as the WH-1000XM5SA, which is a slightly different model number from the original model. This is because Sony gave these headphones a light refresh that swaps the hard-shell case of the originals for a soft carrying bag. Otherwise, we've been assured that these are the same headphones.

Sony has a habit of doing this: tweaking a couple of minor things and attaching a new model number to their existing products, and dropping the price while doing so. We've seen the company do something similar with the Bravia 8 OLED TV, which now has a cheaper counterpart in the form of the Bravia 8A.

Regardless, these headphones will deliver the same excellent sonic capabilities of the standard XM5 headphones, including punchy, agile and precise bass mixed with top-notch clarity and top-notch timing.

This comes with a host of creature comforts, including a claimed 30-hour battery life, and a ten-minute charge via a supported USB PD charging brick will enable five hours of listening time if that battery runs flat.

On a personal level, I prefer the design of the WH-1000XM4 as I found these cans to be sturdier and easier to travel with as they fold away, which the XM5 do not, but the build remains sleek and premium regardless of how you look at it.

These are a seriously talented pair of headphones, and they happen to be the cheapest way to gain access to Sony's stellar flagship WH-1000XM range currently. This year's WH-1000XM6 are currently retailing for £299 at Amazon, which is a considerable step up.

I've already spread the news that these headphones are on sale to every group chat I can think of, and multiple friends of mine are now scrambling to Amazon to snatch up this deal.

If I were a betting man, I'd guess that this deal will sell out quickly (much like the Apple AirPods Pro 2 deal I missed out on by not being quick enough), so I wouldn't hesitate if these headphones are on your wishlist.

TOPICS

Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Black Friday quick links