We've spent enough time with the Sony WH-1000XM5 to conclude that they may be the best wireless headphones you can buy at their price. With an extensive feature set, superb sound quality and regular price cuts tempting prospective buyers into a sneaky bid, they've been the noise-cancelling over-ear headphones to beat for the last couple of years.
That's an impressive feat considering the quality of the ranks of five-star models that have emerged to challenge them. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless have all thrown their respective hats into the ring and chip away at Sony's dominance, but the Sony are the best all-rounders in our opinion.
Without sounding like spoilt children on Christmas casting aside one gift as they tear open a newer, shinier one, all we want now is a sequel. We're cautiously optimistic that a WH-1000XM5 follow-up, almost certainly dubbed the 'WH-1000XM6', will arrive at this point this year, mostly likely in the summer.
We've already had signs, including an FCC certification document, that a new pair are on the way, so where would we like improvements made for the hugely anticipated follow-up? Our years of testing have taught us there's no such thing as a perfect pair of headphones, and even the Sony's aren't immune from a bit of constructive criticism.
Below, you'll find our predictions for when a potential successor to the XM5 might launch, how much we think the headphones might cost and what improvements we'd like to see from a potential replacement. Fingers crossed they're not too far away...
- The Sony WH-1000XM6 are this year’s most anticipated headphones – but I'm waiting for something else
Sony WH-1000XM6: release date speculation
It's likely, but not officially confirmed, that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will arrive during the summer of 2025. The much-anticipated cans showed up in late January 2025 on an FCC certification, one of the key steps all manufacturers must take to sell their products in a given territory, indicating Sony's intent to pave the way for the new flagship over-ears to come to market. The submission document doesn't provide much technical information, but as the short-term confidentiality ends on July 22nd 2025, we're logically anticipating a summer launch.
This makes sense given Sony's history and the pattern of the company's release schedule. The Japanese brand's Award-winning run with the XM line started in August 2018 with the launch of the WH-1000XM3, followed by the WH-1000XM4 in August 2020 and then the WH-1000XM5 in May 2022. A clear pattern, then.
It also fits with established reports and rumours concerning a possible drop date. A respected tipster named 'zackbucks', who has managed to provide eerily accurate information about previous Sony launches, claimed that the follow-up model to the WH-1000XM5 would arrive in 2025 with a new pair of premium wireless earbuds. It seems that, at least for the first part, he will once again be proved correct with the XM6.
Sony WH-1000XM6: price predictions
The big question is how much could a successor to the XM5 cost. The WH-1000XM3 cost £330 / $350 / $500 at launch, but for subsequent models, the price has steadily crept up. The WH-1000XM4 launched at £350 / $350 / AU$550, whereas the WH-1000XM5 landed at £380 / $399 / AU$550. We'd like to see these numbers stabilise, but as we've all discovered to our literal cost, prices just continue to rise in line with global financial uncertainty.
The trend of Sony putting up prices is certainly in keeping with the general trend in consumer electronics, coupled with rampant inflation over the last couple of years. Since the AirPods Max arrived in 2020, flagship/premium pairs from many manufacturers seem to have crept up in price too: just look at the B&W Px7 S2e (£379 / $399 / AU$599), and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (£449 / $429 / AU$649) for further examples.
Will this mean a higher price for the XM6? We think Sony will still endeavour to keep it below £400 / $450 / AU$600 unless the new model justifies a significant jump through a more premium design, the use of more high-end materials and a more advanced feature set. After all, there's only so far you can go before you alienate users and, perhaps more crucially, savvy rivals undercut you and steal your customer loyal base.
These are all just predictions and speculation at the time of writing. The recent FCC certification didn't give us any clues regarding price, but we'll keep you updated if we find out any more information or, even better, some concrete numbers to share.
Sony WH-1000XM6: 5 things we'd like to see
Brilliant as the Sony WH-1000XM5, they're not perfect. There were a few gripes that prevented the over-ears from being completely flawless, many of which we feel could easily be rectified for the upcoming sequel. We're not expecting Sony to solve every issue, but a few minor tweaks would be enough to distinguish the newer pair from the cans they ultimately replace.
1. A more premium design
For the WH-1000XM5, Sony overhauled the headphones' look and feel. It was a bold move, diverging from a multi-Award-winning design that had won plaudits across the board. Happily, it mostly paid off.
Still, while we praise Sony's comfortable fit and "noiseless" design that cuts down on the number of joints and hinges – not to mention its use of recycled materials – there's no getting away from the headphones' plasticky feel. Put them next to the B&W Px7 S2e, for example, and they feel positively cheap. The FCC leak has hinted at removable ear pads and slightly differently-shaped earcups, but what we're really hoping for is a more premium feel and aesthetic overall.
2. The ability to fold away
Once upon a time (well, earlier this century), most noise-cancelling over-ears folded away. That was a big part of their appeal: they're designed for use on planes, and as such, would fold down to fit in your hand baggage more easily. Not any more.
Now, the trend at this level is to have swivelling ear cups that fold flat, but that's it. Instead of folding up, they come with a carry case to keep them safe. That's fine, except these cases can take up quite a bit of space when you're on the go.
While we like the XM5's "noiseless" configuration, we miss the folding design of their predecessors, the WF-1000XM4. It's unlikely Sony will go back to the drawing board for their successors, but foldability should really return for 2025.
3. Next-gen noise cancelling
The XM5 are among the best noise-cancelling headphones money can buy, but the competition is fierce at this level. Bose is never too far away and neither are B&W, Sennheiser or Apple and its luxurious AirPods Max. How, then, can Sony stay ahead of the pack?
With a new noise-cancelling chip, that's how. The XM5 use Sony's Integrated Processor V1 to impressive effect, but that made its debut in the WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds in 2021. For now, the WH-1000XM5 are the best all-rounders available, but we'd like them to silence an even wider range of frequencies and to deal with variable sounds like traffic noise a little better.
4. Longer battery life
When the XM5 were just a glint in Sony's eye, rumours abounded that the battery life would top 40 hours. That turned out to be only partly true – the XM5 can last for 40 hours, but with noise cancelling switched on they'll run out of juice after 30.
That's still very respectable (and 10 hours more than the Apple AirPods Max), but it hasn't changed since the Sony WH-1000XM2 launched back in 2017.
Compare this with some rivals that have upped their game significantly and Sony is starting to look like it's slouching a little. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, for example, offer a mammoth 60 hours of runtime between charges, and that's a big part of their appeal for users who travel frequently and need cans with a meaty lifespan.
5. aptX support
Sony's never been one to support aptX through all generations of its WH-1000 series headphones and, to be honest, we doubt it will change with a new model. It seems to be happy with supporting SBC, AAC and its own LDAC codec, the latter of which offers higher data rates than traditional Bluetooth when paired with a compatible source.
However, rival pairs from B&W, Bose, and Sennheiser now support aptX Adaptive, the latest variant of the tech which promises improved latency with supported mobile devices. Is that a box Sony could be tempted to tick?
6. IP rating
The XM5 aren't waterproof nor are they sweat-resistant, features that have also been absent in older generations. Some key rivals tick at least one of these boxes and we'd like to see the new generation of Sony's headphones have a suitable IP rating too. After all, if you've just spent a hefty sum on a pair of wireless headphones, you don't want them to break as soon as the weather goes south.
MORE:
Read our Sony WH-1000XM5 review
Sony WH-1000XM5 tips: how to connect to two devices, use wired and more
These are the best Sony WH-1000XM5 deals of 2025
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Sony WH-1000XM5: which ANC headphones are better?
