Sony WF-1000XM5

[von Chaps]

I am going to have another go at finding some buds that I can actually use. By that I mean will actually stay in my ears for more than 2 secs. Thisnis something I have failed at my entire life. My ears must be weird.

So, I am currently planning to get the WF-1000XM5 for a number of reasons. Mainly because they are on the list of supported buds at snugs.com where I am expecting to have to go to get cusom fittings.

So, a few questions:

Am I right that these buds will pair with 2 BT devices?

Has anyone used these with a Garmin watch (I have a Venu 3)?

Is there a way to charge them outside the case (i.e. QI charging or similar) as it might will be a pain to keep removing them from custom fitted tips?

My preffered brand is normally Sennheiser and I've no experience with Sony. Accepting that sound quality is subjective and very dependent on fit, are these any good? What about the associated software and also bluetooth connection reliability?

 

[macosandlinux]

Give Fat Frequency (Singapore-based) a look! Their IEMs are mostly stellar, you can get them custom-ordered with a mold from your local audiologist. Audiophiles love them, musicians use them. Get a nice pair and literally use them forever.

https://fatfreq.com

 

[von Chaps]

Give Fat Frequency (Singapore-based) a look!

Thanks. I have no doubt that an IEM handcrafted in Singapore would be excellent, but it's a little impractical for me, based in the UK. I have a source for the custom made fitting, I was just wondering if my choice of the Sonys was reasonable.

I should have said this is for gym use and casual commuting not audiophile grade listening.

 

[continuum]

Am I right that these buds will pair with 2 BT devices?

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wf-1000xm5-truly-wireless#test_1940
Yes, but looks like only 2, if that's a limitation.

As far as charging I don't know, but Rtings does confirm can play music while charging, so not sure what that means.

 

[macosandlinux]

Thanks. I have no doubt that an IEM handcrafted in Singapore would be excellent, but it's a little impractical for me, based in the UK. I have a source for the custom made fitting, I was just wondering if my choice of the Sonys was reasonable.

I should have said this is for gym use and casual commuting not audiophile grade listening.

Sony is generally a safe buy. Take note that you should be able to replace the ear tips with aftermarket ones, that either seal better or provide a better fit while working out/sweating. Have a look here: https://hifigo.com/collections/eartips

 

[von Chaps]

Sony is generally a safe buy. Take note that you should be able to replace the ear tips with aftermarket ones, that either seal better or provide a better fit while working out/sweating. Have a look here: https://hifigo.com/collections/eartips

Thanks for that, but I think I can say with confidence that nothing on that site will work for me. I have a lifetime of trying buds to no avail. I believe my only option is something custom made to reach into the ear canal. Which is why I'll be trying Snugs.

 

[The Phazer]

I have some, I don't see any way you could charge them outside of the case. I had that issue with the M3s, where I wanted to use custom tips with flanges to help them stay in better but you had to take them off every time.

Sony don't seem to make any other form of charger, and they seem pretty custom connector pins. Someone probably could strip the case apart to create something but nothing "out of the box."

They do indeed connect to two devices at once. I find the connection reliability solid, but you can make the choice between codec quality and robustness in the app. I don't think they are quite the best soundscape on the market (but by no means bad), but I do think the noise cancellation story is very good.

Don't have that watch, sorry, but they have connected to everything I've ever thrown at them.

 

[von Chaps]

Thanks. That's all very good information. Kind of what I expected re: charging. At least the custom fitters anticipate this and make them removable.

Regarding the sound quality, I am normally quite fussy, but this will be for gym use so

I had not realised there was a trade-off between connection reliability and codec quality. I assume this is referring to connection range. Since I'll be connecting to a watch, the range will be very short and I doubt the fancy codecs are supported anyway.

Many Thanks.

 

[dnbdave]

I am going to have another go at finding some buds that I can actually use. By that I mean will actually stay in my ears for more than 2 secs. Thisnis something I have failed at my entire life. My ears must be weird.

So, I am currently planning to get the WF-1000XM5 for a number of reasons. Mainly because they are on the list of supported buds at snugs.com where I am expecting to have to go to get cusom fittings.

So, a few questions:

Am I right that these buds will pair with 2 BT devices?

Has anyone used these with a Garmin watch (I have a Venu 3)?

Is there a way to charge them outside the case (i.e. QI charging or similar) as it might will be a pain to keep removing them from custom fitted tips?

My preffered brand is normally Sennheiser and I've no experience with Sony. Accepting that sound quality is subjective and very dependent on fit, are these any good? What about the associated software and also bluetooth connection reliability?

Good luck with finding earbuds that fit!

To answer your questions:

Yes, WF-1000XM5 pairs with 2 BT devices.
No specific feedback on Garmin Venu 3, but Sony's earbuds are generally compatible.
No Qi charging outside the case, sorry!
Sound quality is great, with excellent noise cancellation and balanced sound. Software is user-friendly, and Bluetooth connection is reliable. But, as you said, fit is key, so custom fittings should help!

 

[diabol1k]

Thanks. That's all very good information. Kind of what I expected re: charging. At least the custom fitters anticipate this and make them removable.

Regarding the sound quality, I am normally quite fussy, but this will be for gym use so

I had not realised there was a trade-off between connection reliability and codec quality. I assume this is referring to connection range. Since I'll be connecting to a watch, the range will be very short and I doubt the fancy codecs are supported anyway.

Many Thanks.

For gym use... have you considered Shokz? I'm very happy with my OpenRuns after trying a whole bunch of different buds (struggled with fit, especially when sweat got in the mix... and then when sweat has nowhere to go). Audio quality is good enough (for me, but I'm not very snobby about it) and the lack of noise cancelling is a plus for my use case (mostly road running).

 

[von Chaps]

For gym use... have you considered Shokz? I'm very happy with my OpenRuns after trying a whole bunch of different buds (struggled with fit, especially when sweat got in the mix... and then when sweat has nowhere to go). Audio quality is good enough (for me, but I'm not very snobby about it) and the lack of noise cancelling is a plus for my use case (mostly road running).

That is actually an interesting suggestion for me. Since I have spent a (not inconsiderable) lifetime failing to find a single pair of buds that will stay in for more than 2 secs, if my current approach of paying a bunch for custom mades still doesn't work, then that might be the answer.

I do like to think of myself as reasonably discerning about audio, so I would be worried about sound quality. Plus, I would like at least some level of ambient noise blocking because my gym plays such astonishingly terrible music (it's the main cause of people leaving).

I have an appointment tomorrow with the audiologist to make the molds of my ears. I plan to quiz them on what it is about my ears that is so odd as to make bud use impossible.

 

[Paladin]

I am also a bit fussy with ear fit (airpod style 'stick and pod' ones never feel right even after trying 15 plus models). I have had excellent results with Ear Fun Free Pro, and the 2 and 3 models. (1st gen, 2nd and now 3rd gen releases of the same line). All have had excellent sound, decent noise cancelling and most importantly good fit for me with a variety of tips and flanges. They are very much more affordable for use in the gym etc. where you might eventually lose or drop them or whatever.
https://www.soundguys.com/earfun-free-pro-3-review-110394/

 

[continuum]

Yah fit is very personal, try a few....? Let us know how the custom made fit goes.

Some friends are very picky about fit and found they had somewhat small ear canals, and in one or two cases ear canals not shaped like normal, for the latter custom fit was way to go...

 

[von Chaps]

To the audiologist today...

Dude answered all my questions including why I've never found a pair of anything that fit my ears and the newly fabricated molds of my ears tell the tale.

I'll not post pictures because who wants to see the inside of some strangers ears on the internet? Suffice to say, there is a 90° bend just inside my ear canal which stops anything fitting.

It remains to be seen whether the manufacturer can make anything usable from these molds that a) fits, b) doesn't sound crap and c) I can actually get in and out without ripping my ears off.

 

[Ardax]

Suffice to say, there is a 90° bend just inside my ear canal which stops anything fitting.

That sounds like it would mess with your hearing compared to the norm too.

 

[von Chaps]

That sounds like it would mess with your hearing compared to the norm too.

Not so actually. My hearing is irritatingly excellent sensitive. Unless, by "mess with" you mean "make really acute".

 

[von Chaps]

I obtained custom made fittings that do actually stay in my ears.

I got the Sonys and they sound fine and stay in my ears using the above. This is a first for me.

They do pair with the Garmin Venu 3, so I can gym without my phone and still have chownz. If I do have my phone with me, they are paired to that too. If a call comes in on the phone, the Sonys will pause the Venu 3 if that's what I'm using for music. Cool.

Buds can be tethered to, I think, 9 devices, but only 2 can be active at a time and only one can be playing music at a time (but it can be either of the two and can be switched at will).

No way to charge the Sonys without pulling them out of the custom silicon fittings. It's a pain, but not unexpected.

All up, it's quite an expensive solution especially considering the batteries in the Sonys will give out eventually. At that point, the custom madef fitings will probably be useless too as they are designed for the specific ear bud. I will probably splash out on a good wired pair of in-ears and molds for them. They should outlast me. I'll probably also get some ear-pro for shooting. All from the same mold which snugs.com now have scanned and saved. Nice business model for them.

I am happy to have finally ear buds that stay in.

Thanks for the help and advice all.