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The design of the upcoming Sony WH-1000XM5 has been confirmed via a few leaked photos posted on Reddit by user ‘Chez5160’, alongside some potentially disappointing specs when confirmed to the current revision, the WH-1000XM5. Release dates and rumors about the Sony WH000XM5 have been floating around for months at this point, but this is the first concrete, legit-looking imagery of the headset we’ve seen so far.
The Sony WH-1000XM4’s have enjoyed a reputation of being one of the best ANC headphones out there, tussling with the Bose 700s for the top spot for a few years now. If these images are to be believed, we might be seeing a reduction in battery life by 10 hours, which might give Bose the upper hand in the aforementioned perpetual battle. Let’s have a look at what we can see from this packaging.
Sony WH-1000XM5 new design
From these images, we can see that the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have a redesigned headband and yoke. Sony appears to have opted for a slimmer, more Bose-esque look here as the earcups are more separate from the pivot. Additionally, the headband looks to be far thinner, which casts doubts on the comfort of the WH-1000XM5. This has already been noted by some Redditors in the comments section of the original post.
Sony WH-1000XM5 Battery life
Comfort concerns aside, the main issue noted by many is the considerably lower battery life of the WH-1000XM5s compared the XM4s. The battery life appears to have been slashed by a huge 25%, going from an industry-leading 40 hours to an industry-underwhelming 30. Some have speculated that the reduction in battery life might be due to improved noise-cancellation and the implementation of 360 Reality Audio, which gives the audio a surround sound sort of vibe.
Regardless of the specs, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones will probably be a huge success and will capitalize on Sony’s current reputation in the audio space. We are very excited and will be keeping you updated over the coming weeks.
