Skroutz.eu

After almost a month of use, my experience so far:

Positives
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1) Excellent build quality.
2) Noise cancelling out of this world! 3 years of using the previous model, WH-1000XM4, and I couldn't imagine that the company could improve the level of sound isolation even more. And yet, at least 2 levels higher on the new model manage to achieve complete isolation from the environment (inside the house, on a busy street).
3) Immediate, seamless and uninterrupted connectivity with iPhone 12 pro max and a decade-old laptop, one at a time. The issue I had with the previous model, where it would randomly lose connection with the laptop and sometimes become completely unusable, is no longer there. Stable connection through closed doors and intermediate walls in a 72 square meter house. Truly impressive.
4) Wonderful music experience in different genres (progressive rock, blues, classical music, solo piano).
5) Crystal clear microphones in online meetings, phone calls, excellent sound isolation again. Tested outdoors only on the balcony.
6) Fortunately, they improved the connectivity and low battery notifications and got rid of the tragic sounds with the ridiculous pronunciation. Brevity is the soul of wit.

Negatives
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1) Terrible battery life. Not only does it not reach 30 hours, my feeling is that it's worse than the previous model.
2) Charging cable is completely useless, as it is desperately short, for use only from a USB next to the laptop. What the serious f@ck, Sony?
3) Supposedly, the cushion for greater comfort and prolonged use was further improved. Bollocks. My feeling is that they probably made it thinner and, compared to the previous model, I can't stand it on my head for long. I can barely get through an episode of a series or an online meeting. I see no improvement in comfort. Absolutely. And it's not because I don't have a headrest, the previous model sits on the same head...
4) The ear cups are smaller compared to the 4's. Incomprehensible why. I imagine to enhance isolation. Fine. And in this way they sacrifice the user experience. If you have big ears, my condolences.
5) Strange bug: the battery indicator on the laptop is at 50%. That's how it showed from the first connection, and that's how it continues until today. The headphones have updated firmware and the laptop is Windows 11 pro. Go figure.