A new design and more advanced specifications have been revealed in the leaked details of Sony's next-gen headphones.
Sony's existing flagship WH-1000MX4 headphones are among the best on the market and arguably the biggest rival of AirPods Max, so what Sony has next up its sleeve naturally garners interest among Apple users.
The successor to Sony's WH-1000XM4 will have thinner arms connecting the earcups to a narrower headband, similar to the Bose 700, according to an anonymous retail source. The redesign of the headband has led to speculation that it is metal rather than plastic.
The ear cup padding appears to be more substantial, but Sony has seemingly abandoned the collapsible foldaway mechanism that tucked one cup inside the other.
The retail source says that the WH-1000XM5 will have a longer battery life than the XM4 and will have active noise cancelation on. It is said that the total charging time is 3.5 hours, which is 30 minutes longer than the current generation.
The three microphones have been moved, and an NC/Ambient button is likely to remain reprogrammable, although the button is likely to be replaced by a voice assistant. The cans are said to have an additional ANC processor and a new sound driver, but there are no details on that front.
The release date of the headphones is unknown, but they appeared in FCC documents a few months ago, so they are likely to arrive this year. Apple users who are unhappy with the high price of the Air Pods Max are very fond of the $349 XM4's.
There are currently no rumors suggesting a new version of Air Pods Max could come in the near future, but it is worth noting that Apple removed several features from the originals like interchangeable headbands and a more affordable sport. A new audio protocol with higher bandwidth is needed for Apple to add support for Apple Music.
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