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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Mpow X5 Truly Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.5
Reviewed Feb 04, 2021 at 07:58 am
Latest change: Test bench update Jan 18, 2022 at 03:04 pm
Mpow X5 Truly Wireless Picture
6.7
Neutral Sound
7.9
Commute/Travel
8.2
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
5.4
Wireless Gaming
5.3
Wired Gaming
6.7
Phone Calls

The Mpow X5 are truly wireless in-ear headphones with an active noise cancelling (ANC) feature. They're portable, comfortable to wear, and block out ambient noise to an impressive degree. They also feel quite well-made and have a relatively long continuous battery life. Unfortunately, they don't have any sound customization features to adjust their boomy sound profile and have a microphone with poor noise handling capability.

Our Verdict

6.7 Neutral Sound

The Mpow X5 are okay for neutral sound. They have a somewhat boomy default sound profile that should emphasize the thump and rumble of EDM music but may sound overwhelming to some listeners. They also lack any sort of sound customization features to adjust this, like a graphic EQ or audio presets. Thankfully, they offer very consistent audio delivery.

Pros
  • Consistent audio delivery.
  • Low amounts of audio distortion.
Cons
  • Lack of sound customization features.
  • Closed-off soundstage.
7.9 Commute/Travel

The Mpow X5 are very good for commuting and traveling. They're exceptionally portable and have an ANC feature that enables them to filter out the low-pitched rumble of a bus engine or the chatter of other commuters to an impressive degree. Their seven-hour plus battery life should also be enough for long journeys, though they lack any sort of power-saving functions, like an auto-off timer.

Pros
  • Strudy construction.
  • Comfortable, stable fit.
  • Comprehensive control scheme.
  • Impressive overall noise isolation capability.
Cons
  • No power-saving features.
8.2 Sports/Fitness

The Mpow X5 are great for sports and fitness. They're sturdy, very compact, and do a good job of staying in place, despite their lack of stability fins. They also allow your ears to breathe, so they shouldn't sweat too much while wearing them. Their control scheme puts quite a few functions within easy reach, though it may take a bit of time to get used to.

Pros
  • Strudy construction.
  • Comfortable, stable fit.
  • Comprehensive control scheme.
Cons
  • Closed-off soundstage.
7.2 Office

The Mpow X5 are decent for office use. Their ANC feature helps filter out the chatter of nearby coworkers, and their excellent audio leakage performance means that you shouldn't annoy people nearby even when listening to content at a high volume. While their continuous battery life should easily get you through a day at work, their charging case doesn't supply that much extra charge compared to alternatives, and they lack any sort of features like an auto-off timer to conserve power when not in use.

Pros
  • Impressive overall noise isolation capability.
  • Low audio leakage.
Cons
  • No power-saving features.
  • No multi-device pairing capability.
5.4 Wireless Gaming

The Mpow X5 aren't suitable for wireless gaming. They aren't compatible with gaming consoles and their Bluetooth latency on PC is likely to be too high for gaming.

5.3 Wired Gaming

The Mpow X5 are Bluetooth-only headphones and aren't compatible with any wired connections.

6.7 Phone Calls

The Mpow X5 are alright for phone calls. Thanks to their ANC feature, they filter out quite a bit of background noise, so you can stay focused on what's being said in a call. Their integrated microphone also offers decent recording quality, so your voice should sound fairly clear. Unfortunately, their mic has poor noise handling capability, and people can have a hard time understanding you if you call from an even moderately loud or crowded environment.

Pros
  • Impressive overall noise isolation capability.
  • Decent microphone recording quality.
Cons
  • Poor microphone noise handling capability.
  • No multi-device pairing capability.
  • 6.7 Neutral Sound
  • 7.9 Commute/Travel
  • 8.2 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.2 Office
  • 5.4 Wireless Gaming
  • 5.3 Wired Gaming
  • 6.7 Phone Calls
  1. Updated Jan 18, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
  2. Updated Feb 04, 2021: Review published.
  3. Updated Jan 29, 2021: Early access published.
  4. Updated Jan 25, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Jan 22, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Jan 14, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Mpow X5 Hybrid are only available in one color variant: 'Black', and you can see their label here.

If you come across a different variant, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.

Compared To Other Headphones

The Mpow X5 Hybrid are noise cancelling in-ear headphones. They have an effective ANC feature, a stable, comfortable fit, and are quite well-made. While their bass-heavy sound profile may please fans of genres like EDM or hip-hop, some users may find it muddy and overwhelming, and there are no sound customization features that can be used to adjust this. If you're looking for alternatives, take a look at our list of recommendations of the best budget wireless headphones, the best noise cancelling earbuds and in-ear headphones, and the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds.

Mpow M30 Truly Wireless

The Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and Mpow X5 Truly Wireless are fairly evenly-matched, though one may suit you better than the other depending on your needs. The M30 deliver audio more consistently, have a more stable fit, leak less audio, and have a mic that deals with ambient noise more effectively. Conversely, the X5 have a superior control scheme, last longer on a single charge, and are fitted with an active noise cancellation feature that enables them to block out a lot more ambient audio.

Mpow X3 Truly Wireless

The Mpow X3 Truly Wireless and Mpow X5 Truly Wireless each have their own advantages, so you may prefer one over the other depending on your needs. The X3 are smaller, with a more stable fit. They have a better-balanced sound profile, and superior overall microphone performance too. Meanwhile, the X5 have a more comprehensive control scheme, block out a far greater degree of ambient noise, leak less audio, and last longer on a single charge. Unlike the X3, they don't have a standby mode to conserve battery life.

TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 Truly Wireless

The Mpow X5 Truly Wireless are slightly better for mixed usage than the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 Truly Wireless. The Mpow have a more comfortable fit, a better charging case, and a longer continuous battery life. However, the TaoTronics filter out more ambient noise, leak less audio, have lower Bluetooth latency on Android and iOS mobile devices, and are equipped with an auto-off timer to conserve battery life.

Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless

The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are better than the Mpow X5 Truly Wireless. The Apple AirPods are better built, have a much more neutral sound profile, have a superior ANC feature, and have a charging case that supplies roughly five additional charges compared to the Mpow's two. On the other hand, the Mpow last longer on a single charge, leak less audio, and offer superior mic recording quality.

TOZO NC9 Truly Wireless

The Mpow X5 Truly Wireless and TOZO NC9 Truly Wireless are very similarly-performing headphones, though one pair may suit you better than the other. The Mpow deliver audio more consistently, leak less audio, and have longer battery life. However, despite not having ANC like the Mpow, the TOZO do almost as good a job at blocking out ambient noise. They also take much less time to charge.

Mpow X6 Truly Wireless

The Mpow X5 Truly Wireless are a better option for most use cases than the Mpow X6 Truly Wireless. The X5 have a better-balanced sound profile that some users will prefer, block out a lot more ambient noise, offer superior microphone recording quality, and supply roughly twice the runtime on a single charge, though their case only stores roughly two additional charges to the X6's four. The X6 also take less time to recharge and have a mic that isolates speech from background noise slightly more effectively.

TOZO NC7 Truly Wireless

The Mpow X5 Truly Wireless and the TOZO NC7 Truly Wireless are similarly performing headphones, so depending on your listening habits, you may prefer one over the other. The Mpow are more comfortable, and they have a slightly better noise isolation performance. However, the TOZO have a more balanced sound profile, especially in the bass range, and their continuous battery life is a bit longer.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type In-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Truly Wireless
Transducer Dynamic

The Mpow X5 are conventional-looking truly wireless in-ears. They look fairly similar to the TaoTronics SoundLiberty 94 Truly Wireless, with a compact, low-profile design made of all-black plastic that shouldn't stand out in any environment.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.03 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs

These are comfortable headphones. They don't exert too much pressure inside your ear canal and don't have an especially deep, intrusive fit. Since their control scheme is touch-sensitive, you can make inputs without forcing them deeper into your ears. Unfortunately, they don't offer as many sizing options for the ear tips compared to alternatives like the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless.

7.6
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
No
Noise Cancelling Control On/Off
Talk-Through
On/Off
Additional Controls Voice Assistant

These in-ears have a good control scheme. It's highly responsive and easy to use once you get used to its reliance on multi-touch inputs. Tapping the right earbud once increases volume, tapping it three times skips forward, and a two-second hold activates your phone's voice assistant. You can decrease media volume by tapping the left earbud once, while a triple-tap skips your track backward, and a two-second hold cycles through the ANC on/talk-through/ANC off settings. A double-tap on either bud pauses and plays media. The reliance on single taps for volume adjustment is a little frustrating, since changing the volume at multiple increments could be interpreted as a double or triple tap. There are voice prompts for ANC and talk-through activation, power on and off, and Bluetooth pairing. Unfortunately, you can't put the headphones into pairing mode unless you disconnect them from the last device they were connected to.

9.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 0.8 °C

The Mpow X5, like most truly wireless headphones, are exceptionally breathable since they trap very little heat and allow for plenty of airflow. You should be able to wear them without your ears sweating or noticing too much of a temperature difference.

9.4
Design
Portability
L 1.5" (3.8 cm)
W 1.2" (3.0 cm)
H 1.0" (2.5 cm)
Volume 1.80 in³ (29.50 cm³)
Transmitter Required No

These in-ears are very portable. They take up very little room and have a compact charging case that can be stored in a pocket or your bag.

7.5
Design
Case
Type Hard case
L 2.9" (7.4 cm)
W 1.7" (4.3 cm)
H 1.2" (3.0 cm)
Volume 5.90 in³ (96.68 cm³)

The Mpow X5 Hybrid's charging case is good. It's slightly smaller than that of the Mpow M30 Truly Wireless and feels slightly sturdier overall, though its lid still feels somewhat flimsy. The case features four lights that indicate its remaining battery life.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Mpow X5 are well-built. They feel quite sturdy overall, with a fairly dense plastic construction that should survive some drops and bumps. The buds are rated IPX5 for water resistance, though we don't currently test for that. There aren't too many obvious weak points, though the silicone buds do feel as though they could tear easily.

7.5
Design
Stability

These headphones are stable. They shouldn't fall out of your ears even during fairly intense head movements, though repeated high-intensity shakes could cause them to loosen slightly.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Mpow X5 noise cancelling headphones
  • Charging case
  • 3x tip options
  • USB-A to USB-C charging cable
  • User Guide

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.71 dB
Treble Amount
-3.13 dB

The Mpow X5 have a somewhat boomy sound profile. This should suit fans of EDM and hip-hop who prefer a little more thump and rumble, but may be overwhelming and muddy to some listeners. Conversely, if you want even more thump and rumble, consider the Mpow X6 Truly Wireless, which have a heavily overemphasized low-bass response. Unfortunately, there aren't any sound customization features, like audio presets or a graphic EQ, to adjust this.

9.4
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.13 dB

The frequency response consistency is superb. Once you achieve a proper seal with the included ear tips, audio should be delivered consistently every time you use them.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.1
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.56 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10 Hz
Low-Bass
2.11 dB
Mid-Bass
4.71 dB
High-Bass
6.69 dB

These in-ears have okay bass accuracy. The overemphasis in the mid through high-bass range can provide extra punch and boominess to EDM and hip-hop music but may muddy other mixes.

7.7
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.01 dB
Low-Mid
4.5 dB
Mid-Mid
-1.72 dB
High-Mid
-0.01 dB

The Mpow X5 have good mid accuracy. The overemphasis from the high-bass range carries over into the low-mids, which can clutter lead instruments and vocals. Otherwise, the rest of the range is fairly well-balanced, though a slight dip in the mid-mids can slightly nudge vocals and lead instruments toward the back of the mix.

7.6
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.54 dB
Low-Treble
2.76 dB
Mid-Treble
-2.38 dB
High-Treble
-7.74 dB

The Mpow X5 have decent treble accuracy. A bump in the low-treble range can give a slightly harsh quality to vocals and lead instruments while a minor dip in the mid-treble can dull sibilants and make them sound slightly lispy.

7.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.98 dB
Dips
1.44 dB

The peaks and dips performance is satisfactory. A bump from the high-bass to low-mid range can give a muddy quality to some mixes and clutter vocals and lead instruments, while a dip in the mid-mids can push them toward the back of the mix. A spike in the low-treble can make some vocals and lead instruments sound harsh while a minor dip in the mid-treble can give a lispy quality to some sibilants.

9.4
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.11
Weighted Phase Mismatch
2.46
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.37
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
0.69

The stereo imaging performance is superb. Their weighted group delay falls beneath the audibility threshold, resulting in tight bass and transparent treble. The L/R drivers are also well-matched in regards to amplitude, frequency, and phase response. This means that objects like voices and footsteps are accurately-placed within the stereo image, generating a more immersive listening experience. However, these results are only valid for our test unit, and yours may perform differently.

0.7
Sound
Passive Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
Openness
1.7
Acoustic Space Excitation
1.2

Since these are closed-back in-ears, the Mpow X5 have a terrible passive soundstage. It's very small, and since they bypass any sort of interaction with the outer-ear, sound is perceived as coming from inside your head rather than all around you.

0
Sound
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No App

These headphones don't have any virtual soundstage features.

7.6
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.253
WHD @ 100
0.167

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is good. Distortion is kept to a fairly low level at moderate and high listening volumes, so audio reproduction is fairly clean and pure.

Sound
Test Settings
Firmware
Unknown
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 5.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
On
Tip/Pad
Silicone (small)
Microphone
Integrated

These are the settings used to test the Mpow X5. Our results are only valid in this configuration.

Isolation
8.3
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-22.45 dB
Noise Cancelling Yes
Bass
-18.65 dB
Mid
-16.75 dB
Treble
-31.49 dB

The Mpow X5's noise isolation performance is great. Turning on the ANC feature allows them to block out an impressive amount of ambient noise across the frequency spectrum, from the low rumble of bus and plane engines to the high-pitched hum of a nearby AC unit, not to mention the chatter of people nearby.

8.9
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
27.71 dB

These in-ears have excellent audio leakage performance. Even when listening to content at high volumes, people nearby shouldn't be annoyed by escaping audio.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
Yes
In-Line
No
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
No
Mic Yes

The Mpow X5 have an integrated microphone.

7.4
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
276.97 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.29 dB
HFE
6,267.15 Hz
Weighted THD
0.269
Gain
7.23 dB

The microphone's recording quality is decent. Your voice should sound natural and fairly clear, but also a little thin.

5.3
Microphone
Noise Handling
SpNR
5.58 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
5.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
5.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

The integrated mic's noise handling capability is poor. People may have a hard time understanding you if you make a call from an even moderately noisy environment, like a subway station or a busy street.

Active Features
6.2
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
7.5 hrs
Additional Charges
2.0
Total Battery Life
22.5 hrs
Charge Time
2.7 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Audio While Charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No
Charging Port USB-C

The Mpow X5 have acceptable battery performance. They provide over seven hours of continuous playback time with ANC enabled, which should be more than sufficient for a day at work. Unfortunately, their charging case supplies roughly two extra charges, so their total battery life is far less than the near 100 hours offered by the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 Truly Wireless. You can listen to one bud while the other charges in its case, but there are no power-saving measures like an auto-off timer.

0
Active Features
App Support
App Name No App
iOS No
Android No
macOS No
Windows No
Equalizer
No
ANC Control
No
Mic Control No
Room Effects
No
Playback Control
No
Button Mapping No
Surround Support
No

These headphones don't have a companion app.

Connectivity
7.0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
5.0
Multi-Device Pairing
No
NFC Pairing
No
Line Of Sight Range
245.00 ft (74.68 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
230 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
iOS Latency
132 ms
Android Latency
170 ms

The Mpow X5 have satisfactory Bluetooth connectivity. They support Bluetooth 5.0 but not NFC or multi-device pairing, so you can't stream music off of your phone while remaining connected to your computer. Their latency on PC is quite high, but they perform slightly better on mobile iOS and Android devices, though you still may notice a bit of audio latency while streaming movies or videos. It's worth noting that apps and devices compensate for latency differently, so your experience may vary.

0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A

These in-ears are Bluetooth-only.

0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
No
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length N/A
Connection
No Wired Option
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A

The Mpow X5 don't support any wired connections. They come with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging their case.

Connectivity
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No

These headphones aren't compatible with Xbox One or Xbox Series X consoles.

2.2
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
Charging Case
USB Input
No
Line In
No
Line Out
No
Optical Input
No
RCA Input
No
Dock Charging
Yes
Power Supply
USB-C

The Mpow X5 come with a charging case that supplies roughly two extra charges. It can only be recharged via USB-C.