Sony could be preparing to bring back one of its most popular over-ear headphones with a price that could make the six-year-old cans surprisingly appealing.
Details of the potential re-release come from Dealabs, following an earlier leak from WinFuture’s Roland Quandt. According to the report, the WH-1000XM4Cs will retain largely the same hardware as the original model rather than introducing a substantial technical overhaul.
There is one notable downgrade, however: battery life is reportedly rated at 34 hours, compared with the 38 hours claimed for the original WH-1000XM4. It’s unclear from the leak what accounts for the reduction.
The headphones are expected to arrive in Platinum Silver, Black and Lavender. The latter would be a new addition to the range, as the original WH-1000XM4 wasn’t offered in that colour.
So why would Sony bring back a pair of headphones that first launched in 2020?
The answer appears to be price. Sony’s current flagship WH-1000XM6 starts at around $450, putting it firmly in premium territory. By comparison, the leaked WH-1000XM4C is reportedly set to cost €249.99 / £219.99.
There’s no confirmed US price yet. Still, converting those European prices suggests the headphones could arrive in the US for roughly $250. That would put the refreshed model around $200 below Sony’s current flagship. Therefore, it could have a strong position for buyers who don’t need the latest hardware.
Of course, the appeal depends on how much of the original WH-1000XM4 experience Sony carries over. The leaked information points towards largely unchanged hardware, so this doesn’t appear to be a replacement for the WH-1000XM6. Instead, it looks more like an attempt to keep an older design around at a considerably lower price.
According to the report, Sony plans to release the WH-1000XM4C on September 7. Therefore, we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out whether this unusual re-release becomes official.
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