Image: Nils Ahrensmeier/TechnikNews
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones could be the most anticipated noise-canceling headphones of 2022, and new leaks claim to have revealed their new design and key specs.
The successor to the popular WH-1000XM4 will receive a redesign and improved battery life, among other updates, Germany’s TechnikNews quoted an unnamed “retail source” as saying. If this leak is accurate — as usual, be cautious about these things — the WH-1000XM5 will get up to 40 hours of battery life, 10 hours more than the previous three models, making it near its top class. Additionally, the 1000XM5 is said to be fully charged in 3.5 hours, or about 30 minutes longer than before — a nice trade-off for the extra juice.
The renders allegedly provided to TechnikNews show a more refined design, with the 1000XM5 having a sleeker profile than the 1000XM4, which reminds me of the Bose 700. As the renders show, the thin arms are now attached to the earcups and separate from the headband. There also appears to be more padding on the earcups, which may make for one of the most comfortable headphones around. The new design certainly looks more modern, although I prefer more color options than black and silver(ish).
Image: Nils Ahrensmeier/TechnikNews
The WH-1000XM5’s three microphones are said to have been relocated, and an NC/AMB button will replace the CUSTOM one. I think most people are using the CUSTOM button to switch between ANC and Ambient mode, so this change is more to remove any ambiguity. The 1000XM5 headphones are also said to feature new drivers and two processors for managing noise cancellation, as well as a larger battery.
The WH-1000XM5 headphones are expected to be one of the most important headphone products this year. For context, buying pre-2016 noise-cancelling headphones used to be easy, and everyone just had to buy the latest Bose QuietComfort model and enjoy its best-in-class noise cancellation and great sound. Then Sony released the MDR-1000X and everything changed. Finally, Bose has a challenger.
Sony has since released a well-received and commercially successful noise-cancelling headphone, and at some point, even Top BoseNow everyone wants to party, and Sony finds itself in the enviable position of vying for the throne with the likes of Apple’s AirPods Max and Bose 700.
That’s where the WH-1000XM5 comes in, and we won’t have to wait too long to see how the cans stack up. While we don’t have a firm release date, the XM5 was spotted in FCC filings a few months ago, suggesting an imminent launch.
