- Sony WH-1000XX The ColleXion almost confirmed
- Seen on the head of a Hollywood star in New York
- It appears to be a wink and a nod to previous leaks.
If there was any doubt that Sony was cooking up something special, it should now be dispelled. We’ve reported on ‘Sony WH-1000XX The ColleXion’ leaks before, and now it looks like the brand’s 10th anniversary super-premium headphones could be real.
They haven’t been officially announced yet, but they appear to have appeared in public, practically guaranteeing that a release is on the horizon.
Specifically, they were seen worn by F1 star Damson Idris, in several photographs that were shared by various fashion pages on X. Case in point:
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Damson Idris frolicking in New York pic.twitter.com/cPdXdoc574May 3, 2026
On the r/headphones subreddit, audiophiles quickly realized that these are not a familiar pair of headphones, with a Sony logo making it clear that they are the product of the Japanese brand, but rather several design differences from the WH-1000XM6.
So, it seems that we are looking at Sony’s premium option, not yet announced. The images give us a look at some key design features, including an interesting metal headband/hinge, an audio jack, some grilles, and also a carrying case. Fortunately, the latter seems much more sensible than the AirPods Max 2 ‘clip-on’ case.
Tin Foil Hat Time
Apparently, this could be a simple leak. We occasionally hear of cases of tech testers being photographed in public with upcoming devices – after all, companies need to allow their devices to be tested in the real world.
But you probably won’t use Hollywood stars to perform such tests. The fact that it was Damson Idris who was seen with the cans, in very professional-looking photos, makes me think it wasn’t much of a coincidence, and then there’s the fact that an official Sony account responded to the X post above with the “eyes” emoji, drawing attention to the whole thing rather than avoiding it.
My (and most Reddit commenters’) conspiracy theory? Sony has started shipping The ColleXion WH-1000XX headphones to certain people, hoping they’ll break their cans to generate intrigue.
We’ve seen it before, with brands like Beats handing out their audio products to influencers, to tease the imminent launch of an exciting new device. Even if it’s not true, and this was just a happy coincidence for the brand, Sony is clearly leaning into it.
Rumors say that these headphones will be announced on May 19. Since we’re getting these “candid” previews of the cans, that release date is looking more and more likely.
So far we’ve heard they’ll be high-end cans selling for around €629 (around $740, £550, AU$1,030), which could have advanced ANC and audiophile-grade specs, but perhaps a worse battery and heavier weight than Sony’s other headphones.
If the rumors are correct, it won’t be long until we discover the truth in these whispers.
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