If you're think that the Sony WH-1000XM6 must be due soon, to replace the now-several-years-old current model, you might be right. The Sony WH-1000XM5 rank among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy today – but this is an incredibly competitive market and there's no shortage of contenders for the crown, and Sony's own headphones are so good that the previous model, the Sony WH-1000XM4, are currently atop our best-buy guide.
That means Sony needs to keep improving its flagship over-ears if it wants to keep selling new pairs to people. And the rumor mill says that it's going to do just that, and that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be with us soon.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 have appeared in the database of the FCC, the official US regulator for things like wireless communication. This doesn't come with anything like a release date, but it does tell us a lot more about a likely release window, and it looks like July is when to expect them.
Given that the WH-1000XM5 got five out of five stars in our review, which also noted that the WH-1000XM4 were so good that the improvements were "more marginal than before", what on earth could Sony be planning for the next generation? Here's what we think we know so far.
Sony's WH-1000XM6 release date rumors
Back in June 2024, GSM Arena reported two key stories: one, the Sony LinkBuds and LinkBuds S would get a 2024 update at the same time; and two, the WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 earbuds would not. Instead, Sony was most likely "targeting the first six months of next year" for its flagships.
Given that the first story proved to be exactly correct when Sony announced two new LinkBuds models, and that the second story was from the same source, we're inclined to think that the prediction of a launch in the first half of 2025 is probably sound too. And another leak on Chinese social media site Weibo said that Sony wants to synchronize the update cycles for the two flagships, which again would mean a 2025 launch, since that's when the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds will hit two years and be due an update, under Sony's usual cadence.
So that ties right in line with the leak of the Sony WH-1000XM6 in the FCC's database, with a confidentiality date of July 2025. This suggests a launch on or after that month, though it's obviously possible that the schedule may change – and Sony could also announce it a while before it actually goes on sale.
However, it's worth noting that the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds haven't had any kind of leak like this at all, so whether they're still due at the same time remains a mystery.
The Sony watchers at The Walkman Blog spotted a new wireless Sony headset code in import documents before this. It has the product code YY2984, and according to the blog it "could be" one of the XM6 models. Then again, it's simply listing some kind of wireless headset with a plastic shell, so it could be anything.
When the current models were about three months from release they showed up in FCC regulatory filings; it looks like these models won't launch quite so early, unless something surprising happens. It seems that it'll be a summer refresh for our list of the best Sony headphones.
Sony WH-1000XM6: what we know so far
The FCC leak gives us a few limited peeks at what to expect from the Sony WH-1000XM6. For a start, it looks like the design will be updated with a new hinge, which is welcome – the XM5 had several complaints online about the hinge breaking over time.
It also looks like the Bluetooth version is updated to version 5.3, which means there's potential for it to support Bluetooth LE Audio or Auracast. However, it doesn't mean they definitely will support these things, just that the hardware is capable of it.
That's basically it so far – but hopefully more will come.
Sony's WH-1000XM6: what we'd like to see
Bose-beating noise cancellation: Sony has gone from being a total leader here to being merely very good. Bose's latest noise cancelling headphones have exceptional ANC that beats Sony, so let's see if Sony can reclaim the crown.
Better battery life: Sony has basically dictated the average for this for years now, hitting 30 hours consistently. But when the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless and Cambridge Audio P100 can hit 60 hours, Sony should really offer us more. I'm not holding my breath for this, though.
Water resistance: This is something that's increasingly common among rivals, and it would be nice to see some official IP ratings.
The return of the fold: The XM5's revised design made the headphones less portable, which was a surprise – they could return to our list of the best travel headphones with this tweak. The headband could do with a bit more padding too, while I'm complaining.
Dolby Atmos spatial audio: No doubt Sony's 360 Reality Audio will be here again, but with Dolby Atmos supported by several music services and – even more importantly, all the big movie services, we'd love to see support here. Especially if it comes with Dolby's own head-tracking, which is excellent on the Sonos Ace and LG Tone Free T90S.
USB-C audio: Easy true hi-res audio from phones and laptops? Many of the best wireless headphones offer this, but Bose doesn't, so Sony can get one up on its old rival.
