While we love the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds and Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones, they’re not quite as fun color-wise: Earbuds like the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are much nicer visually, and while this month’s AirPods Max update was a little disappointing, there’s no denying that Apple’s colors are nicer than Sony’s flagships. So it’s nice to see a new color option for both the in-ear and over-ear Sony flagships.
The new color is called Smoky Pink, and as you can see, it’s more of a pastel pink than a Barbie shade or the bright coral of the Pixel Buds Pro 2. That fits in with the other color options – Black, Midnight Blue, and Platinum Silver – which are all muted and understated.
Sony has put a handy video online showing you what pink looks like. The video is aimed at “all the girly girls!” But don’t let that scare you off.
Why Sony Thinks Pink
I’m being a little unkind here, because of course headphones are part of your overall look. This is especially true of over-ears, which can ruin an otherwise carefully coordinated fit: some headphone colors, especially the more beige ones, look more hospital-like than high fashion. And earbuds can overpower the look of your earrings.
Personally, I’d have liked to see some brighter options, but I suspect the market Sony is aiming for here is looking for something a little more subdued: if you’re traveling for work, you probably don’t want primary colors that read more kindergarten than business casual. I do prefer the colors of the AirPods Max a bit, but it’s still nice to move away from the black-and-beige binary of most of the best headphones.
Looks aside, both the buds and the over-ears are Sony’s flagship models, with some of the company’s best noise cancellation and sound quality ever. They’re not huge upgrades over their predecessors, but the over-ears are five-star headphones and among the best wireless headphones around; the in-ears are up against much more high-end competition among the best wireless earbuds, but we still find them “sonically special.”
The new smoke pink versions of the Sony WF-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM5 are available to buy now through usual retailers.