Sony’s headphones, particularly the flagship XM line, have a devoted following. There’s good news for wireless earbud fans: it appears that the WF-1000XM5 will be available soon.
Every new release is eagerly anticipated, so here’s all we know so far about the WF-1000XM5 based on rumors, along with our expectations and hopes. They appear to have a new smaller and lighter design, some enhancements like new drivers, but no difference in battery life and a price rise.
When will the Sony WF-1000XM5 be released?
Sony has a tradition of releasing new flagship headphones in the summer, and earbuds every two years (see below). It usually takes place in August, although the most recent pair were released in June.
According to The Walkman Blog, the August release date appears to be a thing of the past, and we might be getting the XM5 any day now. The site indicates that the launch will take place between June 5th and 9th, however this was based on an anonymous statement that we now know was incorrect.
The FCC listing for the WF-1000XM5 has a short term confidentially end date of 22 August, however the WH-1000XM5 has a date of 8 August 2022, and they were publicly introduced on 12 May.
- XM4 – June 2021
- XM3 – August 2019
- XM2 – August 2017
How much will the Sony WF-1000XM5 cost?
Sony’s price is rather consistent. The WF-1000XM4 did, however, get a moderate price increase over the WF-1000XM3 at £250/US$280 (up from £220/$230).
I doubt Sony would raise the price this year, although it is plausible given considerations like as inflation. If it happens, I don’t foresee a surge as large as the last one.
According to information obtained by Roland Quandt, the European price will be €319.99. This is an increase from €279 and is over 15% more expensive. It is possible that the US and UK cost will be approximately $320 and £290, respectively.
What are the Sony WF-1000XM5 specs and new features?
We now have some information about the WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds, courtesy to leaked photographs and information from The Walkman Blog. Previous gadgets, such the XM4 earphones, have been leaked on the site.
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Unfortunately, we only have one shot of the earbuds from one side, and they have a slick plastic design, which might just be because they are a preproduction sample.
The key difference here is that the earbuds are smaller than the WF-1000XM4. According to the site, “much more,” and there appears to be no seam between the outer half and the main body, similar to the LinkBuds S.
The inside side looks to be curved rather than flat, presumably to improve earbud comfort and security. The proximity sensor on the inner side will remain to enable automatic playback.
Aside from a tactile dot (function unknown), an outer-facing microphone, and the knowledge that the WF-1000XM5 will feature touch sensitive panels on the outside, as expected, there are little additional facts to gather.
We may also expect them to include current technologies like active noise cancellation (ANC), Ambient Sound Control, DSEE Extreme, 360 Reality Audio, and others. The FFC listing verifies Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth LE (low energy), and while we’re expecting for Qualcomm aptX Lossless support, Sony may stay with its LDAC codec.
Images of the circuitry suggest that the earbuds may adopt a dual-driver configuration akin to the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. This is predicated on the fact that there are two contacts available, albeit the extra one might be used for anything else, especially if the more compact design does not allow for two drivers.
There are several slight design tweaks to the charging case. Sony appears to have rejected rumors of a square design, instead opting for a more rounded pebble-like curve.
It takes a keen eye to see that there are now two metal charging contact points inside where the earphones go, and that the LED has moved to the front.
Far more intriguing is that the case is listed at 230mAh rather than 140mAh, indicating that it has a larger battery and so should be able to charge the earphones more times before running out (depending on the size of the battery in the earbuds themselves). However, leaks (see below) indicate that it will remain at 24 hours.
A more recent leak from The Walkman Blog shows a reportedly Amazon comparison table comparing the WF-1000XM5 to various Sony earbuds such as the LinkBuds S.
There isn’t much to go on, however the earbuds will be 1.4g lighter per bud than the XM4 and the case will be 2g lighter. The glossy material that was assumed to be for a reference design has also found its way to the final device, while the contact area remains matt.
This is corroborated by WinFuture renderings, which include a first look at the silver colorway, resulting in a two-tone finish. The circular gold section is also a grille, rather than the target design found on the XM4.
The reduced weight is due to a smaller footprint, which may make them more comfortable for some users. However, it appears that battery life – at least generally – remains same from the XM4, indicating that there is no gain over the XM4. However, quick charging is faster, with three minutes in the case apparently providing one hour of playing.
The site has disclosed some fresh insights via a data sheet in a new WinFuture article. The earbuds will reportedly get new 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X drivers for “excellent audio quality” and “richer vocals.” Despite the 2023’s reduced size, this is significantly larger than the 6mm drivers on the XM4 earphones.
There are also two unique CPUs and twin feedback microphones on board. Each earbud includes three microphones for more precise ambient sound recording. Sony is integrating Precise Voice Pickup technology with Bone Conduction sensors to improve voice recognition and communications.
The data sheet also confirms an IPX4 water resistance certification, Bluetooth 5.3, Hi-Res Audio, DSEE Extreme, Multi-point connectors, and a 500mAh battery in the charging case. The overall battery life is claimed as 24 hours, which is the same as the XM4.
