Sony WH-1000XM6: rumored release date, and possible early leaks

If you're deliberation that nan Sony WH-1000XM6 must beryllium owed soon, to switch nan now-several-years-old existent model, you mightiness beryllium right. The Sony WH-1000XM5 rank among nan best noise-cancelling headphones you tin bargain coming – but this is an incredibly competitory marketplace and there's nary shortage of contenders for nan crown, and Sony's ain headphones are truthful bully that nan erstwhile model, nan Sony WH-1000XM4, are presently atop our best-buy guide.

That intends Sony needs to support improving its flagship over-ears if it wants to support trading caller pairs to people. And nan rumour mill says that it's going to do conscionable that, and that nan Sony WH-1000XM6 will beryllium pinch america soon… but not too soon.

Given that nan WH-1000XM5 sewage 5 retired of 5 stars successful our review, which besides noted that nan WH-1000XM4 were truthful bully that nan improvements were "more marginal than before", what connected world could Sony beryllium readying for nan adjacent generation? Here's what we deliberation we cognize truthful far.

Sony's WH-1000XM6 merchandise day rumors

Back successful June, GSM Arena reported 2 cardinal stories: one, nan Sony LinkBuds and LinkBuds S would get a 2024 update astatine tge aforesaid time; and two, nan WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 earbuds would not. Instead, Sony was astir apt "targeting nan first six months of adjacent year" for its flagships.

Given that nan first communicative proved to beryllium precisely correct erstwhile Sony announced 2 caller LinkBuds models, and that nan 2nd communicative was from nan aforesaid source, we're inclined to deliberation that nan prediction of a motorboat successful nan first half of 2025 is astir apt sound too. And different leak connected Chinese societal media tract Weibo said that Sony wants to synchronize nan update cycles for nan 2 flagships, which again would mean a 2025 launch, since that's erstwhile nan Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds will deed 2 years and beryllium owed an update, nether Sony's accustomed cadence.

We haven't seen overmuch leak grounds of this yet, until recently, perhaps. The Sony watchers astatine The Walkman Blog person spotted a caller wireless Sony headset codification successful import documents. It has nan merchandise codification YY2984, and according to nan blog it "could be" 1 of nan XM6 models. Then again, it's simply listing immoderate benignant of wireless headset pinch a integrative shell, truthful it could beryllium anything.

That said, erstwhile nan existent models were astir 3 months from merchandise they showed up successful FCC regulatory filings; devices request a batch of paperwork earlier they spell connected sale, truthful it's not intolerable that YY2984 are so these early candidates for nan best Sony headphones. It's beautiful anemic sauce, I know, but that's nan breathtaking world of headphones for you. It's nan FCC filing you really want to beryllium connected tenterhooks for – that will commencement nan countdown. Perhaps that'll travel successful in December for March-ish launch.

Sony's WH-1000XM6: what we'd for illustration to see

Bose-beating sound cancellation: Sony has gone from being a full leader present to being simply very good. Bose's latest sound cancelling headphones person exceptional ANC that thumps Sony, truthful let's spot if Sony tin reclaim nan crown.

Better artillery life: Sony has fundamentally dictated nan mean for this for years now, hitting 30 hours consistently. But erstwhile nan Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Cambridge Audio P100 tin deed 60 hours, Sony should really connection america more. I'm not holding my activity for this, though.

Water resistance: This is thing that's progressively communal among rivals, and it would beryllium bully to spot immoderate charismatic IP ratings.

The return of nan fold: The XM5's revised creation made nan headphones little portable, which was a astonishment – they could return to our database of nan best recreation headphones pinch this tweak. The headband could do pinch a spot much padding too, while I'm complaining.

Dolby Atmos spatial audio: No uncertainty Sony's 360 Reality Audio will beryllium present again, but pinch Dolby Atmos supported by respective euphony services and – moreover much importantly, each nan large movie services, we'd emotion to spot support here. Especially if it comes pinch Dolby's ain head-tracking, which is fantabulous connected nan Sonos Ace and LG Tone Free T90S.

USB-C audio: Easy existent hi-res audio from phones and laptops? Many of nan best wireless headphones connection this, but Bose doesn't, truthful Sony tin get 1 up connected its aged rival.