• Sony WH-1000XX The ColleXion all but confirmed
• Spotted on Hollywood star's head in NYC
• Seems to give a wink and nod to previous leaks

If there were 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 seems like the brand's 10th-anniversary super-premium headphones could be real.

They haven't been officially announced yet, but they seem to have shown up in public, all but guaranteeing a release is on the horizon.

Specifically, they were seen worn by F1 star Damson Idris, in several photographs which were shared by various fashion pages on X. Case in point:

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Over on the r/headphones Subreddit, audiophiles were quick to note that these aren't a known pair of headphones, with a Sony logo making it clear that these are the product of the Japanese brand, but several design differences from the likes of the WH-1000XM6.

It seems, then, that we're looking at Sony's as-yet-unannounced premium option. The pictures give us a look at a few key design features, including an interesting metal headband/hinge, an audio jack, some grilles and a carry case too. Thankfully, the latter looks a lot more sensible than the AirPods Max 2 'bra' case.

Tin-foil hat time

Ostensibly, this could be a simple leak. We occasionally hear cases of tech testers snapped with upcoming gadgets in public: companies do need to let their devices get real-world testing, after all.

But you probably don't use Hollywood stars to do said testing. The fact that it was Damson Idris who was spotted with the cans, in very professional-looking photographs, makes me think it wasn't a massive coincidence — and then there's the fact that an official Sony account replied to the above X post with the 'eyes' emoji, drawing attention to the whole thing rather than avoiding it.

My conspiracy theory (and that of most of the Reddit commenters)? Sony has started sending out the WH-1000XX The ColleXion headphones to certain people, in the hopes that they'll get pap-snapped with the cans to raise intrigue.

We've seen it before, with brands such as Beats giving its audio products to influential people, to tease the imminent launch of an exciting new device. Even if not true, and this was just a happy coincidence for the brand, Sony's clearly leaning into it.

The rumor mill says that these headphones will be announced on May 19. Since we're getting these 'candid' teases of the cans, that launch date is looking increasingly likely.

So far we've heard that these will be top-end cans selling for around €629 (about $740, £550, AU$1,030), that could have advanced ANC and audiophile-quality specs, but perhaps a worse battery and heavier weight than Sony's other headphones.

If the rumors are correct, we won't have long to go until we discover the truth in these whispers.

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Tom Bedford is a freelance contributor covering tech, entertainment and gaming. Beyond TechRadar, he has bylines on sites including GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Android Police, TechAdvisor, WhattoWatch and BGR. From 2019 to 2022 he was on the TechRadar team as the staff writer and then deputy editor for the mobile team.