Sony’s WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones have been one of the best options since their debut in 2020, but the company appears to be gearing up to release the next generation.German tech news site Technology News Some images and specs of the successor have been released and it appears to be called the WH-1000XM5 (from gizmo).
The first thing you might notice is the sleek new design, especially the thinner headband. The 1000XM3s and 1000XM4s are nearly identical, but Sony could change the way it looks for the new 1000XM5s.
Unlike the swivel hooded arm, which is exposed, a single point of contact replaces the larger folding hinges on the XM4 earcups. This also changes the design of the earcups, but shows that they have only a tiny bit of space available to affect what you hear.
The arm looks slimmer than previous designs and saves weight, hopefully without giving up any strength and durability.as gizmo pointed out (via Notebook check and Walkman Blog), documents filed with the FCC and other regulators outlining the new model were discovered in February. A key item revealed is that the FCC label has moved, from the headband itself to under the earpads, Walkman Blog Speculation could mean that the band is now made of metal instead of plastic.
Image: TechnikNews
Images of the leaked model in the carrying case show a design that ditched the XM4’s collapsible fold that tucks one cup into another. Still, it seems doubtful that they would take up more space in a table, stand or bag in these photos.
according to Technology News Retail sources say the WH-1000XM5 has an expected battery life of up to 40 hours with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) turned on, 10 hours longer than the XM4, and a total charge time of 3.5 hours via USB-C, about 30 minutes longer than the XM4 long. They also report that it will use two processors instead of one ANC and that the sound will be produced by a new driver, although there are no details on what has changed. They still use three microphones to pick up your voice and detect noise to cancel it, but the location has changed.
The button that was previously labeled “Custom” is in the same place as before, but is now labeled NC/Ambient, which probably reflects what most people use it for, rather than integrating a voice assistant or anything.
Last year’s model iterates on its award-winning predecessor with “Speak to Chat,” muting music if it hears you’re trying to talk to someone, and multipoint Bluetooth audio that stays connected to multiple devices at once . The latter feature is more useful, although it did have some glitches at launch. Software updates help it work better, but any improvement in helping the headset decide which device to connect to and when is welcome.
There’s no word on pricing or a release date, but the WH-1000XM4 was priced at $349.99 at launch, and retailers like Best Buy and Amazon are maintaining that price today.Headphone prices occasionally drop during sales edge transaction Noting when they pop up, it’s unclear if the changes in the new model will move the bars in any direction.
