Sony WH-1000XM6 Leak Reveals Comeback Of A Feature Fans Begged For
The design of the Sony WH-1000XM6 is sure to be a highly anticipated part of the new headphones, perhaps more so than the cost and any potential new features. Sony’s WH-1000 series of headphones has always been towards the top or at the top of the heap when it comes to wireless headphones. A big reason for this is the high-quality active noise cancellation. It oftentimes surpassed anything else on the market.
Another fan-favorite design trait of these headphones was their folding design. This allowed users to pack them more easily for travel. Unfortunately, Sony removed this feature from the most recently available pair, the WH-1000XM5. That might be changing with the launch of the WH-1000XM6, as several design details were leaked recently via a product listing on Amazon Spain.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 will return to a folding design
It’s worth noting that this hasn’t been confirmed by Sony. Having said that, a listing for the headphones on the Amazon Spain website mentions several details about the WH-1000XM5 successor, and one of the design details is that the headphones fold up. Those who are familiar with the XM4 and XM3 models will remember that the earcups not only swiveled to lay flat, but they also folded inward. Again, this was to make them more compact for storage during travel or commutes.
It was such a beloved feature that it was kind of a shock to see Sony take it away with the XM5 model. But it looks like Sony is bringing it back. As mentioned by The Walkman Blog, the Amazon listing (which has now been pulled) details several features. A “foldable design” is one of those features.
It’s also said that the WH-1000XM6 will use Sony’s new QN3 chip for HD noise cancellation processing. The headphones also feature 12 precision microphones to really boost the ANC capabilities. Interesting, Sony also appears to have improved the case. While there aren’t any images of it, it’s described as having a new magnetic closure for easier, quicker access. Additionally, they weigh about 250g and have up to 30 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, a 3-minute charge gives you about 3 hours of audio playback.
They could end up costing at least $400
Since this leak comes from Amazon Spain, official US pricing is bound to be a tad different. However, we can venture a guess based on the exchange rate. The Amazon Spain listing stated that these cost about €388.43. That’s $439.26 in USD. Now, it seems unlikely that Sony would charge more than $400 for the XM5 predecessor, which launched at $399. However, the XM4 model did launch at $349.99, so it’s not impossible. In fact, Dealabs says that the price in the US will be $450. So they might actually end up being more expensive for US consumers.
It’s also looking like these headphones are going to be launching on May 15, at least in Spain and perhaps other parts of Europe. Again, the original listing on Amazon Spain has been pulled already. So, there’s a small chance the date could be an error. It’s also entirely possible that the date is correct and the listing was just pushed early by accident. These were officially certified at the FCC back in January. Either way, Sony’s new WH-1000XM6 headphones look to be launching next week.
