Sony is all set to launch its next pair of flagship noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM6, next week. With a few days leading up to the announcement, leaks about the upcoming pair haven’t exactly been gushing in — unlike the case with phones, but one substantial leak reveals the new headphones in its complete glory.
Just days after Amazon Spain accidentally fired up a product page for the Sony WH-1000XM6, another leak shows the headphones’ in great detail, revealing a subtle redesign and focusing on improving comfort. In its leak, The Walkman Blog also showcases three color options for the XM6s, including a white, black, and “midnight” blue variants.
As explicitly visible from the images, the WH-1000XM6s brings one major visible differentiator over the previous generation XM5s, i.e., the hinge. With this iteration, Sony has opted for a more nuanced hinge design, also enabling a folding mechanism. This should, we hope, address a major pain point from the users’ perspective, with widespread reports of the fragile hinge in XM5s falling apart too easily. The new mechanism incorporates a three-part design, with the middle element made of metal, likely to make it sturdier. Whether the new hinge also improves comfort in terms of wearing is for us to test when the headphones.
The new design also brings a rounder power button, along with volume up and down controls now potentially being moved to either side of this new button — though dedicated volume buttons aren’t visible, suggesting these could be capacitive.
Additionally, the mesh covering up the openings for microphones indicates better water resistance, though we don’t expect to see a proper water-resistance rating for the XM6s. The 3.5mm headphone jack is still present, which means Sony might skip USB-C playback for yet another generation, though we wouldn’t be so sure just yet. The cushions, as previously pointed out by an FCC listing, should be easily removable, though we don’t see that in action in the latest set of leaked images.
As for the launch, Sony Australia has confirmed the launch to be scheduled for May 16th, 2 a.m. Melbourne time, which would be noon of May 15th in New York. The headphones are rumored to be priced around $449, up from the previous generation’s $399 pricing in the U.S.
Internally, the headphones bring some substantial changes, including a new QN3 HD chip for ANC, a Mediatek MT2833 processor, and six microphones on each ear cup (12 in total) for noise-cancelling.
Prime Day has entered day two with deals on electronics of all kinds, including some terrific Prime Day headphones deals. Here at Digital Trends, we keep an eye out for deals all year round, so we already have a selection of headphone deals for you to peruse. But sometimes a deal comes around which is so good we need to highlight it for you straight away, and thats the case with this deal on the audiophile-favorite noise-canceling headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4. These tremendous headphones are now available with a $50 discount and with every purchase youll also receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
Sonys flagship noise-canceling headphones are perfect for those who want to block out background noises while they work or travel. They sound great, with clear and detailed mids and highs, and the bass is well balanced so it doesnt overwhelm the listening experience. If you have a preference for how your headphones should sound, you can adjust the EQ and noise-canceling options using the free Headphones app for iOS or Android. And the headphones come with a built-in microphone so you can use them to take calls or attend virtual meetings as well.
Sony and Bose have been locked in a heated battle for wireless headphone supremacy for years. As each company comes out with a new model, the other is never far behind. Its the kind of competition we love, because no matter which of them ends up on top, its folks like us who ultimately win.
If youve only just started researching wireless headphones, let me give you the Cliffs Notes version: Until August 2020, the Sony WH-1000XM3 were the best wireless headphones and the best active noise-canceling (ANC) wireless headphones you could buy.
What changed in August, you ask? Sony debuted the follow-up to the XM3, predictably called the WH-1000XM4. For the same price as the XM3 — $350 — the XM4 comes with a slew of small but meaningful improvements, and theyve now taken their rightful place at the top of our lists of recommended headphones.