European prices for Sony’s WF-1000XM5 have leaked, and you’re not going to like it

We’re excited about the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds, but rumors are suggesting that they’re going to cost more than their predecessors. The upcoming headphones are the successor to Sony’s best true wireless earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM4, which have been a blockbuster hit and deservedly so. 

But while we think their successors are going to be even better, it looks like they’re going to cost more – as much as 15% more, in fact. The news comes via Notebookcheck.net, which has what appears to be the final European pricing for the buds. That’s coming in at €319.99, a hefty increase from the €279 recommended retail price of the outgoing earbuds. If the same increase is happening elsewhere, that works out as $319 in the US and £287 in the UK.

This isn’t unique to Sony, I know. But it’d be nice if people’s wages were going up as rapidly as the cost of products seems to be. The good news is that these new Sony earbuds are expected to be so good that you won’t regret buying them, whatever you end up paying.

Opinion: Why we’re excited about the Sony WF-1000XM5 true wireless earbuds

In short, they’re replacing the best wireless earbuds you can buy. And it looks like the changes that are coming are actually useful ones. The earbuds will have redesigned drivers as part of an overhaul to make the WF-1000XM5s considerably smaller, lighter and more comfortable. In comparison to the WF-1000XM4s, which come in at 7.3g, these will reportedly weigh 5.9g.

They should sound better too, which is just one of the three massive upgrades that we love. Sony’s putting in two new proprietary chips to support high-resolution audio and Sony’s own DSEE Extreme audio tech. And they’ll make you sound better as well, thanks to improved microphones.

Reports also indicate that the Sony WF-1000XM5s will have more stamina. The battery case is getting an additional battery to extend the life of your earbuds when you’re away from mains power, and it reportedly charges enough for an hour of music in just three minutes. A full charge from flat is pretty speedy too, coming in at two hours. 

If the price for all of that seems a little steep, hang on. I’m writing this in the UK where the WF-1000XM4s are down to just £179 in some retailers, which is nearly 30% off the recommended retail price. You won’t get deals like that on the new earbuds immediately, but Sony’s such a big firm and sells products in such big numbers that you won’t have to wait too long for retailers to discount them (hopefully). 

And if you’re not too fussy about the new features, once the new model drops there’s likely going to be a fire sale on WF-1000XM4s as retailers shift their old stock – so you should be able to bag yourself a brilliant bargain on one of the best headphones.