If you’re thinking that the Sony WH-1000XM6 should hit the market soon, replacing the current model that is now several years old, then you might be right. The Sony WH-1000XM5 are among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy today – but this is an incredibly competitive market and there’s no shortage of contenders for the crown, and Sony’s own headphones are so good that the previous model, the Sony WH-1000XM4, are currently at the top of our best-buying guide.
That means Sony will have to keep improving its flagship over-ears if it wants to keep selling new pairs to people. And the rumor mill says it’s going to do just that, and that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be with us soon… but not at soon.
Considering the WH-1000XM5 received five out of five stars in our review, which also noted that the WH-1000XM4 was so good that its improvements were “more marginal than before”, what on earth could Sony be planning for? the next generation? Here’s what we think we know so far.
Rumors about the release date of Sony’s WH-1000XM6
Back in June, GSM arena reported two major stories: first, the Sony LinkBuds and LinkBuds S would get a 2024 update at the same time; and two, the WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 earbuds do not. Instead, Sony was most likely targeting the first six months of next year for its flagships.
Given that the first story was spot on when Sony announced two new LinkBuds models, and that the second story came from the same source, we’re inclined to think the prediction of a first-half 2025 launch is probably correct. at. And one more leak on Chinese social media site Weibo said that Sony wants to synchronize the update cycles for the two flagships, which would mean another launch in 2025, as the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds will then be two years old and will receive an update, according to Sony’s usual cadence.
We haven’t seen much leak evidence of this, until recently perhaps. The Sony viewers at The Walkman Blog have seen a new Sony wireless headset code in import documents. It has the product code YY2984 and according to the blog it “could” be one of the XM6 models. On the other hand, there’s just some sort of wireless headset with a plastic shell inside, so it could be anything.
That said, when the current models appeared in the FCC filings about three months after release; Devices require a lot of paperwork before they go on sale, so it’s not impossible that YY2984 are indeed these future contenders for the best Sony headphones. It’s a pretty weak sauce, I know, but that’s the exciting world of headphones for you. It’s the FCC filing you really want to fear – and that begins the countdown. Maybe that will arrive in December for the March launch.
Sony’s WH-1000XM6: What we’d like to see
Bose-beating noise cancellation: Sony has gone from being a total leader in this field to just being a very good player. Bose’s latest noise-canceling headphones have exceptional ANC that beats Sony, so let’s see if Sony can reclaim the crown.
Better battery life: Sony has been dictating the average for this for years and consistently achieves 30 hours. But if the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Cambridge Audio P100 can reach 60 hours, Sony should really offer us more. I’m not holding my breath on this one, though.
Water resistance: This is something that is becoming increasingly common among rivals, and it would be nice to see some official IP ratings.
The return of the fold: The revised design of the XM5 made the headphones less portable, which was a surprise: this tweak allowed them to return to our list of the best travel headphones. The headband could also use a little more padding, while I complain.
Dolby Atmos spatial audio: No doubt Sony’s 360 Reality Audio will be back, but now that Dolby Atmos is supported by several music services and – more importantly, all the major movie services – we’d like to see support here. Especially when it comes with Dolby’s own head tracking, which is excellent on the Sonos Ace and LG Tone Free T90S.
USB-C audio: Easily get true Hi-Res audio from phones and laptops? Many of the best wireless headphones offer this, but Bose doesn’t, so Sony can gain an edge over its old rival.
