WH-1000XM5 fast charging and quick charging guide

The Sony WH-1000XM5 supports the fast charging (otherwise known as quick charging) which will let you hastily recharge the internal battery of the wireless headphones so that you can use it for a good amount of time if you are in a hurry.

You can check out this guide to see how you can take advantage of this feature.

What equipment do you need to quick charge the Sony WH-1000XM5?

In order to get the most out of the fast charging or quick charging feature for the Sony WH-1000XM5, you will need USB PD compatible AC adaptor with an output of at least 9 V/2.3 A.

If you are looking for a specific recommendation, then we recommend that you pick up the Belkin 25W Power Delivery USB Type-C PPS Wall Charger, which you can find on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

It is also important to note that the aforementioned AC adaptor uses an USB Type-C port. The WH-1000XM5 comes with an USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable. Therefore, you need to get an USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable or an USB Type-A to USB type-C adapter if you don’t have one lying around.

If you are looking for one, then you can get the Belkin USB-C to USB-C Cable on Amazon via this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

How can you fast charge the WH-1000XM5?

In order to fast charge the Sony WH-1000XM5, you can take the following steps:

1. Plus an USB Type-C cable into the USB Type-C port located on the left ear cushion of the WH-1000XM5.

2. Plug the other end of the USB cable into the USB port of an USB PD compatible AC adaptor that has an output of at least 9 V/2.3 A.

3. Plug the USB PD compatible AC adaptor into a power outlet.

How much battery life can you get when quick charging the WH-1000XM5?

If you recharge your Sony WH-1000XM5 with an USB PD compatible AC adaptor, then you should get around 3 hours of audio playback after 3 minutes of charging.

In comparison, if you are recharging the WH-1000XM5 without an USB PD compatible AC adaptor, then you will only get around 1 hour of audio playback after charging for 3 minutes.

So, by using a compatible power adaptor, you can triple the length of usage time.

Keep in mind that the battery life varies depending on the type of codecs and settings being used. To find out more about the battery of the Sony WH-1000XM5, you can take a look at this article.

To see how you can extend the battery life of the wireless headphones, you can check out this guide.

WH-1000XM5 battery life guide

The battery life for the Sony WH-1000XM5 can be drastically different depending on the codec being played as well as the settings being used.

To get a general ideal of usage time based on a fully charged battery for this device, you can check out this guide at Seeking Tech.

What is the battery life when using the AAC codec?

If you are using the WH-1000XM5 only with content that features the AAC codec, then you should be able to get up to 40 hours of battery life. Out of all the other supported codecs, this is the most energy efficient.

If you have either the Noise Cancellation or Ambient Sound Modes activated, then the battery life drops to 30 hours at the maximum when using AAC.

What is the battery life when using the LDAC codec?

If you are using your Sony WH-1000XM5 to only play content that uses the LDAC codec, then the maximum battery life is 36 hours, which makes it the most power hungry out of the supported codecs.

If you enable Noise Cancellation or Ambient Sound Modes, then the maximum length will drop to 26 hours.

What is the battery life when using the SBC codec?

When it comes to the SBC codec, you can get up to 38 hours in battery life.

If you are using SBC along with either Noise Cancellation or Ambient Sound, then the maximum battery life drops to 28 hours.

What is the battery life when using voice communications?

If you are only using the Sony WH-1000XM5 for voice communications, then you can get up to 32 hours.

With either Noise Cancellation or Ambient Sound turned on, then the maximum battery life will drop to 24 hours.

What is the battery life when using the headphone cable connection?

If you are connecting your WH-1000XM5 to another device by using the headphone cable, then you will be able to get up to 38 hours.

If you have Noise Cancellation or Ambient Sound enabled, then the maximum length will drop to 28 hours.

Keep in mind that you can also use WH-1000XM5 without depleting its battery life by using a wired connection via its headphone cable with the headset turned off. By doing so, however, you won’t be able to use Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound as well as other features.

To learn more about using this headset over a wired connection, you can check out this article.

What other factors impact the WH-1000XM5 battery life?

There are other factors that will impact the battery life of the Sony WH-1000XM5, including the following:

  • Ambient temperature
  • Volume level
  • Over-discharged
  • Battery degradation battery
  • DSEE Extreme feature
  • Speak-to-Chat feature
  • Equalizer feature
  • Service Link feature
  • Voice activated features

If the battery life for your Sony WH-1000XM5 is a lot shorter than what it listed in this guide, then you can try disabling some or all of the aforementioned features.

To find out more about how you can prevent the WH-1000XM5 battery from draining and, therefore, extend its battery life, we recommend that you take a look at these directions.

How to prevent the WH-1000XM5 from overheating

If you expose the Sony WH-1000XM5 to high temperatures, then it may eventually malfunction. To see how you can prevent the wireless headphones from overheating, you can check out this tutorial at Seeking Tech.

How to prevent your WH-1000XM5 from getting too hot

In order to prevent your WH-1000XM5 from getting too hot, we recommend that you take the following precautionary steps:

1. Use the headset only when you are in the recommended temperature range of 32 °F to 104 °F (or 0 °C to 40 °C). At higher temperatures, the headphones could end up overheating.

2. You should also avoid charging the WH-1000XM5 when the ambient temperature is out of the recommended range of 41 °F to 95 °F (5 °C to 35 °C). The internal battery could end up being damaged at warmer temperatures.

It is also important to note that the headphones will heat up when it is recharging. This is considered by Sony to be normal as long as you charging the battery at the recommended ambient temperature range.

3. The Sony WH-1000XM5 does not offer any protection when it comes to dust or other solid particles. If dust or other objects start to build up inside your headphones, then it could cause the device to overheat.

To prevent this from happening, we recommend putting WH-1000XM5 in its carrying case when it is not in use.

You should also clean the product occasionally. To see how you can properly do so, you can take a look at this guide.

4. Liquid damage can also cause the headset to short-circuit; therefore, you should avoid exposing the device to any water as there is no protection against liquid intake.

To see how you can prevent water damage, as well as properly dry a wet WH-1000XM5, you can check out this article.

5. Do not expose the headphones to direct sunlight as the rays will heat up the internal components.

6. You should also avoid using or storing the WH-1000XM5 near a fireplace, heater or any heat source.

7. Do not use or store the device in a very humid environment as the air moisture could end up short-circuiting the headphones.

8. When recharging the Sony WH-1000XM5, make sure you use the USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable that came included in its packaging box. Other cables may not be compatible.

9. If you are connecting your headset via a wired connection, then you should make sure you are using the headphone cable that came with the WH-1000XM5. Other cables may end up causing problems.

What to do when the WH-1000XM5 overheats

If you feel that your headphones are overheating, then we recommend that you do the following:

1. Remove the WH-1000XM5 from your head.

2. Turn off the headset.

3. If your device is recharging, then you should also disconnect the USB charging cable from the headset.

4. You can then let the WH-1000XM5 cool down. This process can be sped up if you put the headphones near a fan.

5. Once the headset no longer feels hot, you should be able use or recharge it again.

If the WH-1000XM5 continues to overheat even after you try all of the aforementioned steps, then we recommend that you contact Sony for additional support.

How to properly clean the WH-1000XM5

The WH-1000XM5 will get dirty over time. To see how you can properly clean the wireless headphones, you can take a look at this tutorial at Seeking Tech.

What cleaning cloth can use you use for WH-1000XM5?

When it comes to cleaning the WH-1000XM5, Sony recommends that you use a soft cloth. A more abrasive cleaning tool could end up scratching the exterior of the product.

If you are looking for a specific recommendation, the we suggest picking up the MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, which you can find on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

To clean smaller nooks and crannies of the headset, you can use cotton swabs.

What cleaning solution can you use for WH-1000XM5?

Since the WH-1000XM5 doesn’t offer any water resistance, you should ideally avoid using any liquid when cleaning the headphones.

If the product is so dirty that a dry cloth won’t be able to properly clean it, however, then you can use either plain water or a solution that contain a high concentration of isopropyl alcohol.

Out of these two options, we recommend picking up isopropyl alcohol as it will not only dry out a lot faster than plain water, but it will also disinfect the WH-1000XM5.

If you are looking for a specific recommendation for the headphones, then we suggest getting the MG Chemicals 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol Electronics Cleaner, which you can purchase from Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

Benzene, thinner, as well as other types of alcohol or solvents could end up damaging the headset. Therefore, you should stick with either plain water or isopropyl alcohol.

How to clean the WH-1000XM5

In order to properly clean the Sony WH-1000XM5, we recommend that you take the following steps:

1. To begin, make sure that the headset is completely turned off.

2. Furthermore, you should also disconnect the USB cable and headphone cable if you have those attached.

3. You should remove any other accessories you have connected as well.

4. Apply plain water or isopropyl alcohol to the cleaning cloth or cotton swab.

Make sure that it doesn’t get too damp to the point where it is dripping liquid. If it does, then you need to squeeze out the excess solution.

Do not apply the plain water or isopropyl alcohol directly onto the WH-1000XM5. As we stated previously, the headphones offer no water resistance. Therefore, the solution can easily get inside and cause liquid damage.

5. Next, you can wipe clean your headset. When wiping, use the circular motion to efficiently remove dirt and grimes.

6. After cleaning, you need to wait until the WH-1000XM5 air dries.

You can speed the drying process by putting the headphones near a fan, which will provide increase air circulation.

What you need to avoid doing is using heat source, such as a hair blow dryer, to dry the headset. Otherwise, you could end up damaging your WH-1000XM5.

7. Once you are sure that the product has fully dried, you should be able to use it normally again.

What to do when the WH-1000XM5 is not outputting any sound

If your Sony WH-1000XM5 headset isn’t outputting any sound at all, then you can check out this troubleshooting article to see what you can do in order to potentially fix your problem.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to make sure that both your WH-1000XM5 and the connected device have been turned on.

Keep in mind that the you can’t recharge and use the WH-1000XM5 at the same time. If you try to charge while the headset is turned on, then it will automatically turn off by itself.

2. You should also make sure that the connected device supports the A2DP Bluetooth profile, which is needed for the headphones to output audio that is being played from a media.

For audio output that comes from video calling, the connected device needs to support either the HFP or HSP Bluetooth profile.

3. If you have the Sony WH-1000XM5 connected to two devices at the same time over Bluetooth, then the headphones will prioritize one device over the other when it comes to outputting sound.

To find out more about simultaneously Bluetooth connections with this product, we recommend taking a look at this article.

4. Make sure that you didn’t accidentally mute the connected device.

5. Furthermore, you should also make sure that you didn’t mute the volume of the media player or app.

6. Try to increase the volume on the connected device and/or media player to see if you are able to hear anything.

7. There is a possibility that the Speak-to-Chat mode may have been activated, which may have caused the headphones to mute any other sound output.

If you believe that this is the case, then you need to disable Speak-to-Chat.

8. If you have the Sony WH-1000XM5 connected to a computer, then make sure you configure the sound settings so that the output is set to the headphones.

9. Keep in mind that you can only use either a Bluetooth connection or wired connection when listening to the Sony WH-1000XM5. So, if the headset is connected to another device via the headphone cable, then it won’t be able to output sound from the Bluetooth device.

10. If you are using the headphone cable to connect, then make sure that it is securely and properly connected to both headphone jacks on the WH-1000XM5 and the other device.

To find out more information about how you can use this product as a wired headset, you can take a look at this post.

11. If you are using the Bluetooth connection, then you can try disconnecting and then reconnecting the headphones.

12. You can also try deleting the pairing information for the WH-1000XM5 and the try to pair it again to the same device.

13. If you are still getting no sound from the headphones, you can try restarting the connected device.

14. You can also try resetting or factory resetting the Sony WH-1000XM5, which you can do by following these steps.

If you still aren’t hearing any sound from the WH-1000XM5 after trying all of the aforementioned potential solutions, then we recommend contacting Sony for more help.

How to prevent the WH-1000XM5 from getting liquid damage

If you aren’t careful, then you can cause liquid damage to your Sony WH-1000XM5. To see how you can prevent the wireless headphones from getting exposed to water, you can take a look at this article from Seeking tech.

What is the Sony WH-1000XM5 IP rating?

The WH-1000XM5 does not have an Ingress Protection rating. As a result, it is vulnerable to liquid and solid penetration.

How to prevent WH-1000XM5 liquid damage

In order to prevent your Sony WH-1000XM5 from getting liquid damage, we recommend that you take the following precautionary measures:

1. Do not expose your headphones when it is raining or snowing.

2. Avoid using or storing the product in a very humid environment.

3. Do not touch the WH-1000XM5 with wet or sweaty hands.

4. Avoid wearing the headset when your head starts to sweat.

5. Be careful when using or storing the WH-1000XM5 near any drink or any body of water.

6. Store the wireless headphones in the included carrying case when you are not using it.

What to do if your WH-1000XM5 gets wet

If your Sony WH-1000XM5 got wet, then we recommend doing the following in order to potentially dry the wireless headphones before liquid damaged could occur:

1. If you haven’t done so already, turn off the headset.

You can do so by pressing and holding the power button located on the left ear cushion for around two seconds.

2. If you are currently charging the headphones, then you should remove the USB cable from the USB Type-C port on the right ear cushion.

3. If you have the headphone cable connected to the WH-1000XM5, then you also need to disconnect it from the headphone cable input jack located on the left ear cushion.

4. After making sure that the headset is turned off with no cables attached, we recommend placing the headphones upright and then placing a dry cloth underneath.

By doing so, water from inside will be able to drip right out of the USB Type-C port and headphone cable input jack.

5. Next, you can simply wait until the headset air dries.

In order to speed up the drying process, you can put the WH-1000XM5 next to a fan, which will provide better ventilation.

Do not use a hair blow dryer or any other heating source, however, as you may end up causing overheating issues.

6. Once you are sure that the headphones have completely dried, then you should be able to turn it back on, recharge its internally battery and reconnect any cables you previously removed.

If you notice some issues after turning on and using the WH-1000XM5, then it may have suffered from liquid damage. In this case, you may need to send the headphones in for repair or get a replacement.

How to fix WH-1000XM5 headphone cable problems

Although the Sony WH-1000XM5 is mainly designed to be wireless, the headset also comes with a headphone cable. If you are experiencing issues when using this cable, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Seeking Tech.

Can the WH-1000XM5 be used as a wired headset?

The Sony WH-1000XM5 can be used as a wired headset. For best compatibly, make sure you are using the headphone cable that came with the product.

You should also make sure that the other device has a headphone cable input jack. Otherwise, you won’t be able to connected the two using the cable.

How to connect the WH-1000XM5 by using a wired connection

In order to use the WH-1000XM5 through a wired connection, you need to take the following steps:

1. Use the headphone cable that came with the Sony WH-1000XM5.

2. Plug the straight end of the cable into the headphone cable input jack located on the left ear cushion of the WH-1000XM5. You should hear an audible click.

3. Plug the other end of the headphone cable, which should have a 90-degree angle, to the headphone cable input jack to the other device.

How to enable Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and Noise Cancellation when using a wired connection

If you are using a wired connection for your Sony WH-1000XM5, then you may have issues trying to enable Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and/or Noise Cancellation. In order to use these features, you need to do the following:

1. First off, you need to make sure you have these Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and/or Noise Cancellation enabled on the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app. In order to do so, start by disconnecting the headphone cable from the WH-1000XM5.

2. Next, you need to connect the WH-1000XM5 wirelessly to a smartphone or mobile device that has the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

3. Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

4. Makes sure that the Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and/or Noise Cancellation features are enabled.

5. Next, you can disconnect the WH-1000XM5 from the smartphone or mobile device and then reconnect the headphone cable.

6. Make sure that the WH-1000XM5 is turned on in order to use Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and/or Noise Cancellation.

Can you still use WH-1000XM5 as a wired headset while it is turned off?

You are still able to use the WH-1000XM5 as a wired headset while it is turned off. Instead of using its internal battery, the headphones will get its power source from the connected device instead.

When using a wired connection, the Ambient Sound Mode, High-Resolution Audio and/or Noise Cancellation will be disabled while the headset is turned off.

How to fix calling issues when using a wired connection

If you get a call on your smartphone while it is connected to the WH-1000XM5 via the headphone cable, you may not be able to hear the caller’s voice through the headphones.

To fix this problem for furure calls, you need to do the following:

1. Disconnect the headphone cable from the WH-1000XM5.

2. Connect the WH-1000XM5 wirelessly to a smartphone or mobile device that has the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

3. Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

4. Disable the Speak-to-Chat setting.

5. Disconnect the WH-1000XM5 from the smartphone or mobile device.

6. Reconnect the headphone cable.

How fix WH-1000XM5 pairing issues

Before you can connect your WH-1000XM5, you first need to pair it to the other device.

If the wireless headset is not pairing correctly, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech to see you can potentially fix this problem.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to put the WH-1000XM5 and the device closer together. Sony recommends a range of 1 meter or 3 feet.

You should also make sure that there aren’t any solid objects in between the line of sight of the headphones and the other device.

Furthermore, avoid pairing when there are other wireless devices, such as a microwave or Wi-Fi router, nearby as these may interfere with the process.

2. You should also make sure that the headphones and the other device have enough battery life remaining in order to complete the pairing process.

If your WH-1000XM5 is flashing an orange light, then it indicates that the battery charge is 10% or less. In this case, you should recharge the wireless headphones before trying to pair it to the other device.

3. If you have already paired the Sony WH-1000XM5 to another device before, then subsequent pairings require a slightly different method.

In this scenario, you will need to press and hold the power button located on the left ear cushion for around five seconds. The status indicator light next to it should flash a blue light two times in sequence, which means that the headset has been set to pairing mode.

4. If the other device is currently connected to other Bluetooth devices, then we recommend that you disconnect them to see if you are able to pair the Sony WH-1000XM5.

5. Furthermore, we suggest that your restart the other device. By doing so, you will be able to refresh its Bluetooth connection, close any apps that may have been causing issues with the pairing and free up hardware resources.

6. Resetting or factory resetting the Sony WH-1000XM5 may also fix the pairing problems.

A regular reset should clear any potential temporary glitches from the headset. A factory reset will restore the WH-1000XM5 to its original factory settings, which will result in the removal of any existing pairing information.

To see how you can do a regular and factory reset of this product, you can take a look at this tutorial.

7. If your Sony WH-1000XM5 was previously paired to the other device but you needed to factory reset or send in the wireless headphones in for repair, then that could be causing issues.

To fix this particular problem, you first need to delete or forget the WH-1000XM5 in the Bluetooth menu of the other device. You should then be able to pair the wireless headphones without any issue.

8. There is also a possibility that the other device may not be compatible with the WH-1000XM5. Its Bluetooth connection may have been defective as well.

In both of these cases, we recommend trying another device to see if you are able to go through with the pairing process.

9. The Bluetooth connection could also be damaged on the WH-1000XM5. If you believe that this is the case, then you need to contact Sony about getting the wireless headphones repaired or replaced.

How to connect the WH-1000XM5 to two devices at the same time

You are able to connected the WH-1000XM5 to two devices simultaneously. To find out how to do so with Sony’s latest wireless headphones, you can check out this tutorial at from Seeking Tech.

What’s the purpose of connecting WH-1000XM5 to two devices concurrently?

If you want to play media from two devices while using headphones for the audio output, then you normally can only have one device connected at the same time.

With the WH-1000XM5, you are able to connect both devices, which makes it more convenient if you want to switch between two devices quickly without having to go through extra steps.

How to connect WH-1000XM5 to two devices simultaneously

In order to connect the WH-1000XM5 to two devices at the same time, we recommend that you take the following steps:

1. If you haven’t done so already, make sure that the WH-1000XM5 has been paired to both devices.

2. You should also make sure that you download and install the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on both devices.

3. On one of the devices, open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” and then connect to your Sony WH-1000XM5.

4. On the same device, turn on the “Connect to 2 devices simultaneously” setting in the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.

5. Connect your WH-1000XM5 to the other device.

Can you connect WH-1000XM5 to more than 2 devices at the same time?

Although you can connect your WH-1000XM5 to more than 2 devices, the headphones will disconnect to one of the devices. As a result, it will only maintain connections to the new device as well as the device that you last used to play music or video.

What happens when you try to play media for both connected devices at the simultaneously?

When you try to play a music or video on both connected devices when using your WH-1000XM5 as the audio output, then the headphones will prioritize the audio from the device that was first playing the media.

In order to switch the audio to the other device in this scenario, you need to stop playing the media from the device that is currently using the headphones. Afterwards, start playing the media on the other device. The WH-1000XM5 should be able to switch over without any issues.

What happens when you get incoming calls for both connected devices at the same time?

If you connect two smartphones to your Sony WH-1000XM5, then you may end up getting incoming calls for both devices at the same time.

In this case, both devices will initially be put in standby mode. The headphones will also prioritize the audio output for the device that first receive an incoming call. If the other device gets an incoming call afterwards while the first device is still ringing, then the other device will be using its own speakers to alert you.

For this scenario, you need to finish your call on the first device before you are able to get audio output from the other device if the other device is getting an incoming call.

What to do if the WH-1000XM5 randomly turns off

The WH-1000XM5 can automatically turn off by itself depending on certain situations. If you don’t want your wireless headphones to seemingly power off at random, then you can take a look at this tutorial from Seeking Tech.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to turn the headphones back on and then check its status indicator located on the left ear cup.

If the indicator is slowly flashing an orange light for around 15 seconds, then it indicates that that there is no more than 10% battery life remaining.

If the indicator isn’t displaying any lights, then it means that the device is currently not turned on.

In both of these cases, we recommend that you recharge the WH-1000XM5 before you use it again to ensure that it doesn’t shut down by itself due to the lack of battery charge.

If you are having issues trying to recharge this device, then we recommend that you check out this troubleshooting article.

2. It is also important to note that the Sony WH-1000XM5 will turn off on its own after 15 minutes of inactivity. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to take the following steps:

  • If you haven’t done so already, download and install the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on a compatible smartphone or mobile device.
  • Make sure you also pair and connect the headphones to the same smartphone or mobile device.
  • Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.
  • Go to the System tab.
  • Set the automatic power off setting to “Do not turn off.”

3. The Sony WH-1000XM5 also features wearing detection as it is able to detect whether or not the headphones are being worn.

If you put the headset over a beanie, cap, cloth, hat, scarf or other accessories then the device may not be able to identify that it is currently in use. If you have hair covering your ears while wearing the WH-1000XM5, then it may also cause problems.

To fix this issue, make sure that only your ears are inside the ear cups. If you have any head accessories, then you can either remove them or put them over the headphones. If your hair was previously blocking your ears, then try to move your hair so that it won’t interfere with the detection.

Alternatively, you can simply set the automatic power off setting to “Do not turn off” to make sure that the headphones won’t shut down due to any erroneous wearing detection.

4. The Sony WH-1000XM5 may also turn off if you are using it during extremely cold or extremely hot temperature.

For the uninformed, the device has a recommended temperature range of 0 °C to 40 °C (or 32 °F to 104 °F). If you try to use it outside of this range, then the WH-1000XM5 may shut down on its own.

5. We also recommend that you keep the headset updated to the latest firmware as a new software version may fix issues with it randomly shutting off.

6. A factory reset may also help with this issue. To find out how you can do this action, you can check out this article.