How to Spot Fake Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds

Now let us look at the internals of the case. Notice the date on the PCB, 2024.7.19. Either this fake has been around for more than a year, or this PCB is used in other low end Chinese earbuds.

Here is the top side of the case PCB. We have the USB-C port in the middle, button on the left, and 2 LEDs near the top, a red and blue. The blue turns on when the earbuds are placed inside the case, and turns red when charging.

Looking at the components, we only have really 2 main ones, IP5413P and 1R5. Googling both, I came up with the following.

• IP5413P
  • Main Control IC – An all-in-one SoC that handles Lithium battery charging, 5V boost converter (to charge earbuds), LED indicators, and button control.
• 1R5 Inductor
  • Power Inductor – Used for power management.

Throwing IP5413P into Google yields this from the first result.

The IP5413P is a multi-functional power management SOC that integrates a 5V boost converter, lithium battery charging management, and battery power indication. It provides a complete power solution for TWS Bluetooth earphone charging cases.

The IP5413P achieves boost functionality through a single inductor.

Looking at the pin layout in the datasheet, it appears that the charging case PCB uses the same layout. Here is a link to the datasheet.

Here is the reverse side of the PCB. The battery connections are soldered, poorly I may add, as when I tried to put the case back together the connection on the negative terminal broke off. I have no means to solder the connection back on, so the case is basically dead for the time being.

Moving onto the earbuds. Again, they were very easy to take apart. No glue or tape is used to keep the earbud together. The parts are held together through a friction fit.

The ‘touch sensor’ is not your standard touch sensor one would see in earbuds but a pogo pin in contact with a small metal plate. The pogo pin is the same type found on the case PCB which are used for recharging.