Sony could release a cheaper version of its WH-1000XM4 headphones, according to leaks

Sony is reportedly planning a refreshed, more affordable take on its six-year-old **WH-1000XM4** wireless noise-canceling headphones, according to leaks covered by The Verge. The move would come after Sony shipped its premium **The Collexion** headphones in May at **$650**, and points to a cheaper direction for the **1000X** line as soon as next month.

The leaked product is framed as a refresh of the existing **WH-1000XM4** platform rather than a clean-sheet redesign. Reporting says it should deliver similar performance and specs to the current model while targeting a lower price. That implies continuity in the core product mechanics buyers already associate with the line: wireless delivery and active noise canceling, without a public claim of new architecture or benchmark gains.

For engineers and builders who care about listening setups, field testing, or long sessions with ANC on, a cheaper **1000X**-class option matters because the line’s reputation sits on known performance rather than a brand-new SKU. A lower entry price with similar specs would make a proven noise-canceling profile easier to justify for lab, travel, or remote work kits where premium audio spend is hard to defend.

Market context is split. In May, Sony pushed the high end with **The Collexion** at **$650**. Next month’s reported plan goes the other way: a more affordable refresh of a six-year-old model inside the same **1000X** family. That is a two-track strategy—flagship status at the top, broader reach through a cost-down refresh of an established wireless ANC product—rather than only chasing the most expensive segment.

What to watch next is whether Sony confirms a lower price for a **WH-1000XM4** refresh with similar performance and specs, and how that SKU sits against both **The Collexion** and the rest of the **1000X** range when it ships. Until then, treat the story as leak-level: a cheaper wireless noise-canceling refresh of a six-year-old model, not a fully specified launch.