The XM4's Adaptive Sound Control also makes a welcome return, with upgrades in tow. Adaptive Sound Control automatically adjusts the sound output depending on your situation – so it will detect if you are in a quiet meadow or a busy city street, for example, and tweak the audio accordingly. This is more advanced than the version found on the XM4, which relies on you running Sony’s NC Optimiser after you have changed surroundings to make sure you are getting the best noise-cancelling possible.

Unlike the Sony WH-1000XM4 vs. WH-1000XM3 contest, the Sony WH-1000XM5 vs. WH-1000XM4 face-off involves differences in hardware. The XM5 has an all-new 30-millimeter driver, which when paired with the previous-gen model's Integrated Processor V1 and other upgrades has support for High-Resolution Audio — with and without wires. The XM5 also benefit from LDAC and DSEE Extreme restoration that upscales digital music files in real time. Sony WH-1000XM5 vs. WH-1000XM4: Noise cancellation and other features They don’t look and feel quite as solid or premium as some competitors but they fold up for travel and appear durable in lightweight plastic. The are also fairly easy to repair and the battery is replaceable for a reasonable sum. The XM5 is largely more of the same – these headphones offer the same basic feature set as the WH-1000XM4, with just some slight improvements. There are no complaints about that here – the XM4, after all, is one of the best wireless headphones ever made. And the improvements are quite significant.The headphones last for up to 30 hours between charges with noise cancelling turned on, which is 10 hours longer than many competitors. Turn it off and they last up to 38 hours or 22 hours with the ambient sound mode active. They last up to 24 hours of voice calling, too. Just like the XM4, it supports Sony's hi-res LDAC music codec (but not aptX or aptX HD), DSEE Extreme (which upscales music files in real time), and Sony's 360 Reality Audio tech, giving you virtual surround sound. One tap on the NFC spot is all that is needed to pair and connect compatible Android smartphones. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian The headset cannot be charged when the computer goes into standby (sleep) or hibernation mode. In this case, change the computer settings, and start charging once again.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 were best-in-class when it came to noise cancellation but this model is even better at regulating the amount of external noise that makes it through to your ears. With noise cancelling in full effect, the WH-1000XM4 let you slip away into your own audio world, free of all-but the loudest and highest-pitched annoyances. The headphones come with a standard 3.5mm headphones cable that can be used when the headphones are turned on or off. The microphone cannot be used over the 3.5mm cable, however. The Speak-to-Chat function detects when you’re speaking loudly enough and automatically enables an ambient sound mode so you can carry out a conversation. Touch controls make a return from the last generation and remain a shining example of how to implement them successfully. Doubling tapping the outer surface of the right earcup plays or pauses your audio while holding your finger to the touch sensor for two seconds engages your voice assistant of choice. Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri are all supported.Because Sony has done away with these joints and hinges, the XM5 doesn't fold into a ball like the XM4. Instead, the headphones fold flat like the Bose Noise Cancelling Heaphones 700. While this makes them a little sleeker, it also makes them feel more delicate – and less premium than the sturdier XM4 – and you are more likely to use the supplied carry case to keep them safe. This is now collapsible to be made thinner but does still take up valuable space in a bag.

There are four ways to pair the headphones – Google’s Fast Pair or via a single tap with an NFC tag for instant pairing with an Android phone, using the Sony Headphones Connect app for Android or the iPhone and iPad, and manual pairing the old-fashioned way by holding down a button.

They are not neutral, with a default sound that is more mid-bass heavy than some competitors, but they produce well-controlled, deep and full bass, warm mids and sparkling high notes. Unlike many rivals, they have a full equaliser in the app to customise the sound to your liking, as well as music enhancement systems such as Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscale audio to revive tones lost because of compression at the expense of battery life.