Sony’s WH-1000XM6 (pictured above) are some of the best headphones I’ve ever reviewed. That’s why I’m particularly hyped at new leaks which point to a potentially even more premium model.
The leak follows a string of recent sightings and reports, including photos of actor Damson Idris wearing the headphones in New York (via HotHardware), along with renders published by reliable leaker OnLeaks.
Everything so far points to a special-edition pair of wireless over-ears called the WH-1000XX – or possibly 1000X The ColleXion. Either way, the headphones appear to be a premium spin on the hugely successful 1000X line, potentially marking the range approaching its 10th anniversary.
According to the leaks, it’ll land with a rather large $649 asking price which, if true, puts them above the AirPods Max 2 pricing territory, and around $200 more expensive than the current Sony WH-1000XM6.
The images with Damson Idris wearing the headphones reveal something akin to a pair of XM6’s, with minimal styling, metal accents, and a more streamlined design.
Under the hood, though, things sound very familiar. The WH-1000XX reportedly use the same QN3 processor found in the XM6, along with Sony’s DSEE Ultimate upscaling tech, head-tracked 360 Reality Audio support, and a 12-microphone setup for ANC and call handling. And if that spec sheet sounds suspiciously XM6-shaped, you’re not imagining it.
When I reviewed the XM6 last year, I dubbed them “the new gold standard for noise-cancelling headphones” thanks to their exceptional ANC, stellar comfort, and superb sound quality. Their upgraded 12-mic setup and Sony’s much faster QN3 processor made them absurdly good at blocking out noise – to the point where plane engines practically disappeared during testing.
The XM6 also sounded phenomenal across basically every genre I threw at them, balancing powerful bass with crisp detail and impressive spaciousness. Sony’s return to a foldable design helped fix one of the biggest complaints people had with the XM5, too.
Which raises the obvious question – what exactly does Sony add to justify a much higher price? That’s still unclear, especially as the leaks also suggest that Sony may stick with a similar 30mm driver setup to the XM6, while battery life is reportedly around 24 hours with ANC enabled – actually lower than the XM6’s 30-hour figure.
So, unless Sony has some major acoustic trickery hidden away for launch day, the extra cost may end up being more about exclusivity, materials, and anniversary branding than a huge leap in performance.
Still, Sony has been dominating the premium ANC headphone space for years now, and if any company can convince people to spend even more than AirPods Max money on wireless over-ears, it’s probably the one that already makes some of the best headphones around.
Either way, we’ll know for sure on 19 May, at 18:00 CEST / 17:00 BST, when they’ll be officially revealed.
