There aren't many wireless headphones that are as eagerly anticipated as the Sony WH-1000XM6; and, going by a recent leak, the wait could finally be over. Following on from the Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM5, the sixth-generation over-ears might be about to land and take the fight to the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.
We saw a recent glimpse of the still-unconfirmed cans back in March courtesy of The Walkman Blog, showing filings that suggested the upcoming WH-1000XM6 would come in the same finishes as their predecessors and would ship to regions such as India and Japan.
This latest leak really fleshes out the picture. It once again comes from The Walkman Blog, with the site picking up a listing from Amazon Spain which shows the new Sony WH-1000XM6 described as "Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Noise Cancelling, High Resolution Sound" and a "Comfortable, Foldable design".
That last one's an interesting addition. A leaked marketing image suggests that the new Sony over-ears feature newly designed hinges that swivel horizontally and fold up, addressing an issue we had with the XM5 – that they didn't properly fold away. And those hinges might be stronger than the ones on the outgoing model – according to a dedicated Reddit thread, fragile hinges are a major bugbear for many WH-1000XM5 owners.
Elsewhere, the marketing image shows the WH-1000XM6 looking reasonably similar to their outgoing predecessors, once again sporting those 'cut-off' ear cups and a sliding adjustable headband which looks a little thicker and better adorned with padding than before.
The listing also seems to indicate the use of a new QN3 chip for upgraded sound alongside 30mm drivers and 12 noise-cancelling microphones, an increase from the nine found in the XM5. Battery life remains at around 30 hours, but there are suggestions of a three-minute quick-charging feature granting three hours of playtime if you're in a hurry.
There are still a few unanswered questions, such as what kind of Bluetooth codec support will be on offer and the cans' official IP rating, but one thing seems certain: the Sony WH-1000XM6's arrival is imminent.
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