Wan 2.5 Review: Affordable AI Video With Native Audio Is Here

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For all its progress, AI video has been mostly stuck in the silent era. Wan 2.5 aims to change that, generating sound (dialogue, effects, background noise) and picture together without the premium price tag of Veo 3. Now comes the real test: how well does it work?

Tip:

Want to jump straight in? You can try Wan 2.5 right now in our Video Generator.

From Wan 2.1 to 2.5: Filling the Gap

The Wan series has evolved quickly.

Wan 2.1 showed what was possible: short clips with consistent motion and recognizable subjects. It was more proof of concept than production tool.

Wan 2.2, released in July 2025, made the jump from “what” to “how”, letting you sit in the director’s chair: not just a man running, but a tracking shot through a dusty attic, lens flare cutting across the frame. It responded well to camera language, lighting cues, and style instructions.

Tip:

For a deeper look at the previous release, see our full overview of Wan 2.2.

It was a leap forward, but still limited to silent films. Wan 2.5 picks up where 2.2 left off and fills the biggest gap: sound.

The scene is shot from inside a cozy, wood-paneled bookstore cafe. Rain streams down the large front window, blurring the city lights outside. A young woman is engrossed in a book, and her boyfriend sets a steaming ceramic mug of hot chocolate in front of her. The camera focuses on the mug and the steam rising from it, with the rain-streaked window in the soft-focus background. The sound is the gentle patter of rain and the quiet, ambient murmur of the cafe. Boyfriend: "Here you go." Woman (looking up with a grateful smile): "Thanks. You read my mind."

Major Features of Wan 2.5

Native Audio Generation

The aforementioned Google Veo 3 showed the industry what’s possible with native audio, impressing with smooth voices and environments that carry a lot of subtle detail. Wan 2.5 is not able to beat it, but it does the basics well: characters speak their lines in sync, and the background hums with life.

Where it really stands out is price positioning: it's nowhere near the cost of Veo 3 (or even Veo 3 Fast). Instead, it’s priced alongside the strongest video-only models… except here you get audio included. 

That makes it appealing for anyone still in the exploratory phase: experimenting with different story ideas, testing styles, or building iterations without burning through budget in record time.

Beyond The Sound

Wan 2.2 already gave creators a strong baseline for following cinematic instructions, and 2.5 mostly stays the course. Camera language (one of Wan’s standout strengths since 2.2) also continues to shine.

Wide pans are smooth, handheld shots are believably shaky without turning chaotic, and framing doesn't feel like a lucky guess.

Stop-motion claymation style. A clumsy clay burglar in a striped red and white shirt and mask creeps across a miniature living room with a big sack. As he passes by it, he accidentally knocks a vase off the table. The camera crash-zooms onto his panicked, wide-eyed face. The sound is a playful, sneaky bassoon melody, interrupted by a tiny, comical CRASH sound effect as the vase breaks and his squeaky gasp.

Just like its predecessor, Wan 2.5 works in both Text to Video and Image to Video modes. Google’s Veo 3 has recently added Image to Video support after launching without it, so Wan doesn’t pull ahead here, but it’s still an important strength that both creation styles are supported from day one.

Prompting Tips for Wan 2.5

Prompting Wan 2.5 isn’t complicated, but a few habits make the difference between a rough clip and a scene that feels polished. Here are some dos and don'ts to keep in mind:

Do

Don't

✅ Write dialogue like a script.
Anchor: “Good evening, here are tonight’s top stories.” Reporter: “Thank you.”
This keeps lines clear and prevents voices from overlapping.

❌ Don’t just say “two people talking.”
The model will guess at words and timing, and you’ll lose control over the exchange.

✅ Build a soundscape.
A runner’s footsteps echo on wet pavement, car horns blare in the distance, a dog barks as they pass.
These details make the moment convincing.

❌ Don’t stop at “running through the city.”
Without environmental cues, the scene feels flat.

✅ Give the camera a job.
Handheld shot chasing close behind the runner, shaky and breathless.
The model links camera language with motion and sound for more cinematic results.

❌ Don’t leave it static unless that’s intentional.
A wide, locked shot can be powerful, but only if you call for it.

An extreme close-up, macro shot inside a pristine, sun-drenched Parisian kitchen. A master pastry chef, with intense focus, uses delicate tweezers to place a single, perfect raspberry atop an exquisitely crafted miniature cake. The cake is a glossy work of art, glistening under the soft studio lights. The sound is hushed and deliberate: the faint, almost imperceptible click of the tweezers, the chef's quiet breath, and the gentle, ambient hum of a professional kitchen. The atmosphere is one of absolute precision, artistry, and delicious perfection. Mentor (off-screen, a soft, approving voice): “Voilà. Perfect.”

Start Generating with Wan 2.5

Wan 2.5 is the rare model update that doesn’t just add polish, it shakes things up with a completely new feature. It might not be at the level of Veo 3’s, but the trade-off is compelling.

The price-to-quality ratio makes Wan 2.5 the most accessible way to create AI clips with native audio, and for many use cases that balance will matter more than perfection.

Bottom line: Wan 2.2 gave you a director’s chair. Wan 2.5 adds the microphone. Try it now!

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