Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are perhaps the most anticipated noise-canceling headphones in 2022, and a new leak claims to have revealed their new design and key specifications.
TeknikNyt out of Germany, citing an unnamed “retail source”, the successor says to the hugely popular WH-1000XM4 will include a redesign and improvements to battery life, among other updates. If this leak is accurate – as always, be wary of such things – the WH-1000XM5 will have up to 40 hours of battery life, an additional 10 hours on top of the previous three models, making it close to the top of its class . In addition, the 1000XM5 will reportedly be fully recharged in 3.5 hours, or about 30 minutes longer than before – not a bad trade-off for the extra juice.
Reproductions allegedly delivered to TechnikNews reveal a more refined design, with 1000XM5 having a slimmer profile than 1000XM4, one that reminds me more Bose 700. As the representations show, thin arms now connect the ear cups and are separated from the headband. There also seems to be more padding on the ear cups, which could be one of the most comfortable pairs headphones around even more comfortable. The new design certainly looks more modern, although I would have liked more color options in addition to black and silver (ish).
The WH-1000XM5’s three microphones have reportedly been moved, and an NC / AMB button replaces the CUSTOM. I assume most people used the CUSTOM button to switch between ANC and ambient modes anyway, so this change is more about removing any ambiguity. The 1000XM5 headphones are also said to have new drivers and two processors to control noise reduction, to go along with the larger battery.
WH-1000XM5 headphones is ready to become one of the year’s most significant headphone releases. For the context, it was easy to buy noise-canceling headphones before 2016, where everyone just bought the latest Bose QuietComfort model and enjoys their class-leading noise reduction and excellent sound quality. Then Sony released the MDR-1000X and everything changed. Finally, Bose had a challenger.
Since then, Sony has released a critically acclaimed and commercially successful pair of noise-canceling headphones after the next, and at one point even topped Bose. Now everyone wants to join the party, and Sony is in the enviable position of defending the throne against people like f. Apple AirPods Max and Bose 700.
This is where the WH-1000XM5 comes in, and we do not have to wait much longer to see how these cans stack up. Although we do not have a fixed release date, XM5 was covered in FCC documents a few months back, suggesting an impending release.