How to fix WH-1000XM5 poor sound quality issues

When using your Sony WH-1000XM5, the sound quality may sound poor. You may also hear unusual noises coming out of the headphones. To see how you can fix these problems, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to look into the settings of the wireless headphones via the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

In order to do so, you need to download and install the application on a compatible smartphone or mobile device. Next, you need to open the app and then connect the WH-1000XM5 to the same phone or mobile device. You should then be able to change various settings in the app to see if the audio output sounds better.

2. You should also try changing the sound settings on the connected device to see if doing so will help improve the sound quality and/or remove the unusual noises.

3. If you are using the Sony WH-1000XM5 to listen to music, watching a video or playing a video game, then make sure that you are using the A2DP Bluetooth profile.

4. If you are using the WH-1000XM5 for video calling, then you need to switch to the HFP or HSP Bluetooth profile.

5. When it comes to video calling, the poor sound quality could be due to another device being used by the other person on the other end of the call.

6. Keep in mind that the sound quality may be poor initially once the headset has been connected to the other device. That quality should improve after a few seconds, however.

This phenomenon occurs because the Bluetooth connection will prioritize a stable communication at the beginning before switching to prioritizing audio quality shortly afterwards.

7. If you connect your WH-1000XM5 to two devices at a time, then the high quality LDAC codec will be disabled. In this case, you should disconnect one of the connected devices to get better sounding audio output.

To find out more about connecting this wireless headset to two devices simultaneously, you can check out this article.

8. Devices that produce ultrasonic sound waves, such as electronic rodent repellents, may produce strange noises on your WH-1000XM5.

In this scenario, you can simply move farther away from ultrasonic sound wave to see if the unusual sound goes away. Alternatively, you can also try turning off the Noise Cancellation mode and/or Ambient Sound Mode from the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

9. The audio source could also have poor quality. To test it out, you can try playing another audio, video or videogame to see if the sound output gets better.

10. You can also try connecting the WH-1000XM5 to another device and then play the same audio source to see if the sound output improves.

11. A firmware update for the wireless headphones may also help fix your issue.

12. You can also try resetting your headset. If a normal reset did not resolve the problem, then you could try a factory reset.

You can take a look at this tutorial to see how you can reset and factory reset the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

What to do if the WH-1000XM5 is charging too slow

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is a wireless headset that comes with an internal battery that can be recharged. If the charging is taking longer than what you are expecting, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

1. Before we start, it is important to note that it may take as long as 3.5 hours to recharge the wireless headphones if the internal battery has been completely depleted.

With that said, you can still get a decent amount of usage out of the WH-1000XM5 with just a few minutes of charging. To learn more about the fast charging or quick charging feature of this product, you can take a look at this post.

2. If the headset is still charging after more than 3.5 hours have passed, then you should make sure that the USB charging cable is connected directly to the USB port of the USB AC adaptor or compatible device.

An USB hub or USB pass-through device may reduce the output current. For the uninformed, Sony recommends recharging the WH-1000XM5 with a device that has a minimum output current of 1.5 A.

3. For the best compatibility, you should use the USB Type-C to USB Type-A charging cable that came with the wireless headphones.

4. Make sure that you are recharging the WH-1000XM5 within the recommended temperature range of 59 °F to 95 °F or 15 °C to 35 °C.

If you try to recharge the battery at a colder or hotter temperature outside of the recommended range, then it may take longer to fully recharge the battery.

5. If the internal temperature of the headset gets too hot, then it may also affect the charging speed.

In this case, we recommend that you turn off the WH-1000XM5 and unplug any cables attached to it. You can then let it cool down on its own before you try recharging it again. To speed up this cooling process, you can put the headphones near a fan.

To find out more about how you can deal with an overheating WH-1000XM5, we recommend that you check out this guide.

6. If you are using a device that has multiple USB ports to recharge the headset, then you can try using a different USB port to see if doing so will improve your charging speed.

7. You can also try looking at the settings of the other device, if possible, to see if there is anything you can change to make the recharging process faster for your WH-1000XM5.

8. You can also try restarting the connected device to see if a reset will improve the speed.

9. If the connected device automatically goes to sleep mode, rest mode or low-power state mode, then the charging speed may slow down or completely stop.

Therefore, you should make sure that you turn off these modes if you have them activated on the connected device.

10. You can also simply use another device or adaptor to recharge the WH-1000XM5 to see if switching the power source will improve your situation.

How to fix WH-1000XM5 low volume issues

If the volume for the Sony WH-1000XM5 sounds too low, then you can take a look at this article from Seeking Tech to see how you can get a louder sound output from your wireless headphones.

1. Some devices may not be compatible with the WH-1000XM5 when it comes to syncing the volume level sync. As a result, you won’t be able to use the connected device to turn up the volume of the headphones.

To fix this issue, we recommend that you try turning up the volume of the connected device as well as the volume of the headset.

To increase the volume of the WH-1000XM5, you need to swipe from the bottom of the touch sensor panel to the top. You can do this gesture repeatedly until you get to the desired volume level.

You can also swipe from the bottom of the touch sensor panel to the top and then hold. If done correctly, the volume will continuously increase until you let go of the panel.

To find out more about how you can use touch controls for the Sony WH-1000XM5, you can take a look at this tutorial.

2. You should also check to see if the media player or media app you are using has a volume control option. If it does, then make sure you try to increase the volume level from the player or app.

3. Some apps may have a setting that automatically adjust the volume of the content being played. An example of this feature is the Normalize Volume setting of the Spotify app. This may cause the audio output to sound low.

So, if you are using an app that has this feature, then you can try enabling or disabling it to see if there is a difference.

4. Some media contents may simply have low sound level. In this case, there is not much you can do if you already tried increasing volume to the maximum on the headset, connected device and media player.

5. If the ambient noise of the surround environment is drowning out the sound output from your WH-1000XM5, then make sure you have the headphone’s noise cancellation feature enabled.

If you are having problems trying to activate noise cancellation with this product, then we recommend taking a look at this troubleshooting article.

6. The “Sony | Headphones Connect” app has several settings that you can change that may help you fix the low volume issue.

Therefore, you should download and install the application if you haven’t done so already. Afterwards, connect your WH-1000XM5 to the app and then try to change various settings to see if you can get louder sound output.

7. You can also try disconnecting the headset from the connected device and then reconnecting again.

8. If refreshing the Bluetooth connection did not work, then you can try resetting your WH-1000XM5.

You can either do a normal reset or a factory reset. When it comes to factory reset, your headphones will be returned to its original factory default settings.

 

How to fix WH-1000XM5 noise cancellation issues

The Sony WH-1000XM5 offers noise cancellation as it will be able to block out most sound when you are listing to music, watching a video or playing a game. If you are having problems trying to use this feature, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking, if the noise cancellation feature doesn’t seem to be working, is to press the NC/AMB button, which is located on the left ear cushion.

The NC/AMB button will switch the headset from the Noise Cancellation Mode to the Ambient Sound Mode and vice versa.

Be default, the WH-1000XM5 have the Noise Cancellation Mode enabled right out of the box. If you factory reset the headset and/or press the NC/AMB button anytime since you first turn it on, then it may have switched over to Ambient Sound Mode.

2. You should also check the NC/AMB button settings on the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on the connected device.

On the dashboard select Change function of [NC/AMB] button.

Finally, select your desired function for the button.

3. If you are connecting your Sony WH-1000XM5 by using a headphone cable, then you need to make sure that the headset is turned on.

While you can still hear audio from the WH-1000XM5 while it is turned off by using a wired connection, you won’t be able to take advantage of the Noise Cancellation feature.

To learn about using these headphones via a headphone cable, you can take a look at this article.

4. You should also make sure that you are wearing the WH-1000XM5 correctly as you should not cover the microphones needed to detect ambient noises.

To get the most accurate noise cancellation, we recommend that you over putting anything over the left and right ear cushions.

5. Some smartphones may end up interfere with the noise cancellation feature. So, if possible, you can try moving the headset away from your phone to see if doing so will help improve the situation.

6. Sony has noted that noise cancellation may not be effective in the following situations:

If you are already using the headset in a very quiet environment.

High frequency or pitch ambient noises won’t be filtered by the headphone’s noise cancellation.

While low frequency or pitch ambient noises will be reduced, they won’t be completely muted.

If you are still having issues with this feature, then we recommend contacting Sony for additional help.

How to check the battery charge for the WH-1000XM5

Sony WH-1000XM5 features a recharge battery that is capable of lasting up to 40 hours. You can take a look at this article from Seeking Tech to see how you can check the battery life status for the wireless headphones.

Method #1: Using the Power Button

The easiest way to check the battery charge for the Sony WH-1000XM5 is by using the power button. In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

1. Make sure that the WH-1000XM5 is turned on.

2. Press the power button.

3. You should hear a voice through the headphones that will say the following:

“Battery fully charged,” which means that it should be at 100%, or “battery about %.”

The headphones will also automatically send out a warning beep followed by a voice saying “low battery” when the battery charge is nearly depleted.

If the battery charge fully runs out, then you will hear another warning beep followed by a voice saying “battery is empty.” Afterwards, the WH-1000XM5 will shut down on its own and won’t turn on again unless you recharge it.

If you can’t hear a voice after pressing the power button, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting guide.

Method #2: Looking at the Power Indicator

You can also get a rough estimate of the remaining battery life by looking at the power indicator, which is located next to the power button.

If the power indicator flash orange for around 15 seconds, then it means that the WH-1000XM5 has a battery charge of 10% or less.

Method #3: Looking at the Battery Icon on iOS

If you connect the WH-1000XM5 to your iPhone or iOS device by using HFP (also known as Hands-free Profile), then you should see a battery indicator that is vertical right next to the battery indicator for your Apple device.

The icon has four stages:

  • 100%
  • 70%
  • 50%
  • 10% or lower

For the 10% or lower stage, you should see a little bit of red at the bottom of the icon. This means that you should recharge your headphones if you want to keep using them as the battery is about to run out.

If HFP is not used when connecting the WH-1000XM5 to your iPhone or iOS device, then the battery status indicator may not be accurate.

Method #4: Checking the Battery Life on Android

If you have the WH-1000XM5 connected to an Android phone or mobile device via HFP, then you can do the following to check for the battery life of the headset:

1. Open the Settings app on the Android device.

2. Inside of Settings, you need to go to Device connection.

3. Next, you need to select Bluetooth.

4. You should find the battery life of the WH-1000XM5 in the Bluetooth menu.

If you aren’t using HFP, then the battery status for the headset may not be accurate.

Keep in mind that if you recently update the firmware of your WH-1000XM5 and/or haven’t used the headphones for many months, then its battery charge status may not be accurate no matter which method you used.

How to fix WH-1000XM5 audio delay issues

When using your Sony WH-1000XM5 to watch a video or play a video game, you may notice that the audio may lag behind what is being shown on screen. This can be very apparent when someone is talking as the lip sync may look off.

To see how you can potentially fix this syncing issue, you can take a look at this guide from Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to look at the settings menu of the device that is connected to your WH-1000XM5. Some devices have an audio delay, or a similar-sounding, setting where you can adjust the audio to match the video.

2. There is also a possibility that the audio lag issues may not be related to the WH-1000XM5 at all. Instead, the connected device may have some problems when it comes to processing the audio and/or video.

In this case, we recommend that you try restarting the device. You should also keep the connected device up to date when it comes to firmware. Last but not least, a factory reset may help fix the audio delay problem as well.

3. Furthermore, you can try testing out other videos or video games. If audio syncs up just fine with other media, then the issue is most likely isolated to a specific video or game.

For a problematic game, you can try updating it to the latest available patch to see if doing so will fix the problem. For a problematic video, you can try updating the media app.

You can also try closing the game/or app and then reopening it again to see if the audio delays are fixed.

4. A weak Bluetooth connection may also audio to go out of sync.

To better a better Bluetooth connection, move the WH-1000XM5 closer to the connected device.

You should also make sure that there aren’t any solid objects that may block the connection between the headphones and the connected device. Furthermore, other nearby wireless devices could also cause issues when it comes to Bluetooth.

5. It is important to note that Bluetooth in general will introduce audio delay. If you want a lag-free experience when watching a video and/or playing a video game, then you need to the WH-1000XM5 as a wired headset.

To do so, you should use the headphone cable that came with the product to connect it to the other device. To find out more information about utilizing the Sony WH-1000XM5 as a wired headset, you can take a look at this article.

6. Updating the firmware of WH-1000XM5 may also shorten the audio lag. If you can’t seem to update this headset, then you can take a look at this article.

7. You can also try resetting the wireless headphones. If resetting the device did not make the audio delay go away, then you can try a factory reset, which will restore the product to its original factory default settings.

To see how you can reset and factory reset the Sony WH-1000XM5, you can check out these directions.

WH-1000XM5 touch controls guide

The Sony WH-1000XM5 features a touch sensor control panel that you can use to adjust its output volume as well as control media playback. To see how you can utilize the touch controls of the wireless headset, you can check out this guide at Seeking Tech.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to play or pause media

In order to use the WH-1000XM5 to play or pause media, you need to double tap the touch panel, which is located outside of the right ear cup.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to skip to the next track of playlist

In order to skip to the next track of a playlist with the wireless headphones, you need to swipe from the back of the touch panel to the front.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to go back to the beginning of the track

If you want to go back to the beginning of a track, then you need to swipe from the front of the touch panel to the back.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to fast forward

To fast forward using the touch panel of the WH-1000XM5, you need to swipe from the back to the front and then hold. It may take a little bit of time for the fast-forwarding process to start. Once you reach the desired point of the track, you can let go of the panel.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to fast reverse

To fast reverse to an earlier point of the track, you have to swipe from the front to the back of the touch panel and then hold. The fast-reversing process may also take some time to get started. Once you get to the point of the track that you want, then you can let go of the panel to resume playback.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to increase volume

In order to increase volume when using the WH-1000XM5, you need to swipe from the bottom of the touch sensor control panel to the top.

You can repeat the swiping motion to get to the desired volume level.

Alternatively, you can swipe from the bottom to the top and then hold in order to get the headset to continuously increase its volume level. Once you get to your desired volume level, you can let go of the touch panel.

How to use the WH-1000XM5 touch panel to lower volume

In order to lower the volume for your Sony WH-1000XM5, you need to swipe from the top of the touch sensor control panel to the bottom.

You can do this swiping motion repeatedly until you get to the volume level you wanted.

Alternatively, you can swipe from the top to the bottom and the hold. This method will make the headset lower its volume continuously until you let go of the touch panel.

If you are running into problems when trying to use the touch sensor control panel of the Sony WH-1000XM5 wireless headphones, then you can check out this troubleshooting article.

How to fix WH-1000XM5 touch control issues

In order to change the volume and control media playback with the Sony WH-1000XM5, you need to use its touch sensor control panel.

If you are having issues when trying to utlize the touch controls, then you can check out this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech to see how you can potentially fix your problem.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to make sure you don’t have anything covering up touch sensor control panel. The sensor may not be able to detect touch if it is blocked by clothing, sticker or other types of adhesives.

2. We also recommend that you carefully clean the touch panel as it may be too dirty to function normally.

To find out how you can properly keep the sensor, as well as the rest of the wireless headphones, free of dirt and grimes, we recommend that you take a look at this article.

3. There is also a possibility that your hands are dirty. In this case, you can try washing your hands and then dry them before trying again.

4. If you are wearing a glove, then the sensor may not be able to pick up your touch.

5. If the Sony WH-1000XM5 appears to be wet or overheating, then we recommend that you first turn off the headset.

If it is wet, then you can check out this post to see how you can safely dry the device.

If it feels hot when touched, then you can take a look at this article to see how you can properly cool it down.

Once the WH-1000XM5 appears to be normal again, you can turn it back on and then test to see if the touch controls are working normally.

6. If the Bluetooth connection between the WH-1000XM5 and its connected device is poor, then the other device may not be able to pick up your touch inputs.

In order to get a better Bluetooth connection, try to move the wireless headphones closer to the connected device. You should also make sure that there aren’t any other wireless electronics nearby as it may interfere with the Bluetooth connection.

7. There is another possibility that the connected device or app you are using may not support some or all of the touch control commands.

So, if you can’t get the touch panel to work correctly, then you can try using another app or connecting the WH-1000XM5 to another device.

8. A firmware update may be able to fix issues related to the touch sensor.

If you are having a hard time trying to update your Sony WH-1000XM5 to the latest available firmware, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article.

9. Resetting or factory resetting the WH-1000XM5 may also help fix the touch panel problems. To find out how you can perform both actions, you can check out this guide.

10. You may also want to update the firmware, reset and/or factory reset the connected device to see if doing so fixes the touch panel issues.

If you are still experiencing problems, then we recommend that you contact Sony for additional help.

How to fix WH-1000XM5 wear detection issues

The Sony WH-1000XM5 should be able to detect whether or not you are currently wearing the wireless headphones. If you are having issues trying to get this feature to work, you can check out this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

What are the benefits of using Sony WH-1000XM5 wear detection?

One of the benefits of the wear detection feature for the Sony WH-1000XM5 is that it will save on battery life. If you stop wearing the headset, then it will automatically shut down after 15 minutes if you kept the power off option to the default setting.

Another benefit is that wear detection will automatically pause the audio playback when you stop wearing the headphones. This is helpful if you managed to accidentally dislodged the WH-1000XM5 from your head.

During calls, wear detection can also switch the audio output from the headphones to the speaker on your smartphone.

How to fix wear detection issues with the WH-1000XM5

If wear detection doesn’t seem to be working, then you can try doing the following:

1. The wear detection may get accidentally activated in the following scenarios:

  • Wearing the headphones on your neck in a way that your chin gets near the ear cups.
  • Putting your hand in the left ear cup where the proximity sensor is located.
  • Putting the headphones inside a bag or hanging it on a bag. For storage, we recommend putting the headset inside the WH-1000XM5 case when not in use.

2. If you cover your ears before wearing the headphones, then wear detection may not work as intended.

In this case, you need to make sure that only your ears are inside the ear cups.

3. Wear detection will not work if you connect the headphones to another device by using the headphone cable.

If you want to use this feature, then you will need to use a Bluetooth connection instead.

4. The connected device, or the app running on the connected device, may also not support the play/pause feature of wear detection.

5. If the audio playback keeps going even after you remove the headphones, then you can try to make sure that you have the “Pauses when headphones are taken off” feature enabled.

In order to check, you need to take the following steps:

  • Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.
  • Connect your WH-1000XM5 to the application.
  • On the dashboard, make sure that “Pauses when headphones are taken off” is turned on.

5. If the audio isn’t switching over to your phone’s speaker when you have call, then you need to make sure that you have the “Automatic Power Off” feature enabled.

To do so, you need to do the following:

  • Launch the “Sony | Headphones Connect” application on your smartphone.
  • Connect your WH-1000XM5 to the app.
  • From the dashboard, make sure that “Automatic Power Off” has been activated.

WH-1000XM5 voice guidance guide

When wearing your Sony WH-1000XM5, you may get a voiced notification depending on the current state of the wireless headset. To learn more about this voice guidance feature, as well as how to customize it, you can take a look at this guide from Seeking Tech.

What are the voice notifications you can get with the Sony WH-1000XM5?

You will get the following notifications based on the current status of the wireless headphones:

  • The “Pairing” voice notification indicates that the WH-1000XM5 is ready to be paired to another device.
  • The “Battery about %” voice notification will let you know how much of the battery charge is remaining.
  • The “Battery fully charged” voice notification means that the battery of the headphones has been completely charged.
  • The “Low battery” voice notification indicates that the battery charge is low, which means that you should consider recharging the device.
  • The “Battery is empty” voice notification indicates that the battery charge has completely depleted. After this announcement, the headset will automatically shut down. If you want to turn your WH-1000XM5 on again, you will need to recharge its battery first.
  • The “Speak-to-chat activated” voice notification means that the Speak-to-chat has been turned on.
  • The “Speak-to-chat deactivated” voice notification indicates that the Speak-to-chat has been disabled.
  • The “Google Assistant is not connected” voice notification means that the Google Assistant feature is currently not available.
  • The “Either your mobile device isn’t connected; or you need to open the Alexa App and try again” voice notification indicates that the Alexa feature is currently not working for one reason or another.
  • The “Launch Headphones Connect to activate Service Link” voice notification means that the Service Link feature is currently turned off when you are trying to use Quick Access.
  • The “Function is not available during update. Please wait a moment until the update completes.” voice notification means that Quick Access can’t be used currently as the WH-1000XM5 is being updated to a new firmware.
  • The “App assigned to the Quick Access is not launched on the mobile device” voice notification indicates that app that is assigned to the Quick Access feature is currently not opened on the connected device.

How to customize the voice guidance language or turn off voice guidance for WH-1000XM5

In order to change the voice guidance setting for the Sony WH-1000XM5, you will need to take the following steps:

1. Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on your smartphone or mobile device.

2. Connect the Sony WH-1000XM5 to the same smartphone or mobile device.

3. On the dashboard of the app, select Notification & Voice Guide.

If you want to turn off voice guidance, then you need to move the switch next to it to the left. By default, this feature is turned on for the Sony WH-1000XM5.

If you want to change the language for voice guidance, then you need to select the drop-down menu underneath Notification & Voice Guide. The default language is English.