We now have a good idea of what Sony's upcoming 10th anniversary headphones will look like before their expected launch tomorrow. Leaked image renders of what appears to be Sony's 1000X "The ColleXion" Edition have been shared online by OnLeaks and HotEUDeals, showing thicker leatherette padding and "generously sized" earcups compared to Sony's current WH-1000XM6 […]
Leaked images reveal Sony’s 10th anniversary ‘ColleXion’ headphones They’re expected to launch tomorrow, with a US price of $649.
They’re expected to launch tomorrow, with a US price of $649.
by Jess Weatherbed May 18, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC The headband certainly looks more pillowy than any of Sony’s current headphone models.
Images by HotEUDeals / OnLeaks Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.
We now have a good idea of what Sony’s upcoming 10th anniversary headphones will look like before their expected launch tomorrow. Leaked image renders of what appears to be Sony’s 1000X “The ColleXion” Edition have been shared online by OnLeaks and HotEUDeals , showing thicker leatherette padding and “generously sized” earcups compared to Sony’s current WH-1000XM6 series .
We knew to expect these headphones after the “ColleXion” name briefly appeared on Sony’s websites in April with an over-ear headphone model number of “WH-1000XX,” but that wasn’t accompanied by any images at the time. Now, not only can we see the full headphone design and its accessories, but information shared alongside the images corroborates the May 19th launch date and pricing. It says the ColleXion will be available for $649 in the US — $200 more than the XM6 flagships at launch.
For that higher price, you’re getting a choice of black or white color options and some premium-looking design elements, including color-matched metallic yokes that attach the headband to the headphone drivers. The buttons along the earcups are also more distinct, and the microphone grilles have been redesigned from the usual mesh cavities to larger holes that appear to punch directly through the earcup chassis.
The buttons might be metal, but its hard to tell in these leaked renders if its just a metallic plastic.
Images by HotEUDeals / OnLeaks Marketing slides from the leaked launch also include key specification details. Users can expect up to 24 hours of battery life, or up to 32 hours when ANC is disabled, according to HotEUDeals . That noise cancellation is powered by a V3 co-processor, alongside the QN3 processor that’s already used in the XM6. Sony has also reportedly partnered with three studios — Battery Studios, Sterling Sound, and Coast Mastering — that have mastered Grammy-winning records to help tune the ColleXion’s bespoke audio drivers.
I’d be tempted to swing this case around like a lightweight kettlebell.
Images by HotEUDeals / OnLeaks The launch includes a carry case for storing the headphones, which contains a USB-C cable for charging and a 3.5mm cable for wired playback. The case is a notable deviation from Sony’s previous designs — this one looks more like a handbag, featuring a built-in handle and a magnetic closure instead of the usual zipper. At least it doesn’t look like a bra (I’m looking at you, Apple AirPods Max .) Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
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