Sony WH-1000XM6: New certification indicates launch
The last Sony over-ear noise-canceling headphones were released in May 2022 – the WH-1000XM5. That will soon be three years ago, so it’s high time for the successor. And it’s slowly starting to look like it’s finally on the way. The Sony WH-1000XM6 have appeared in a certification from the American FCC authority with the model number YY2984. The accompanying images indicate removable ear pads as well as a redesigned hinge.
The removable ear pads could indicate a longer lifespan, as you could apparently simply buy replacement ear pads in the event of damage. Sony could also sell ear pads in different colors separately so that you can customize your WH-1000XM6.
The Sony WH-1000XM6 support Bluetooth 5.3, which may also include Bluetooth LE audio, the low energy version of the wireless standard. The chipset could be from MediaTek and support fast charging. The size of the speakers seems to be the same as the XM5.
An FCC certification also comes with a so-called confidentiality window, which expires on July 22, 2025. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Sony WH-1000XM6 will be announced at that time. It’s just the date when the FCC will release its photos of the headphones along with the manual. For comparison, Sony officially unveiled the XM5 13 weeks before the end of its confidentiality period with the FCC, so we expect something similar to happen this time. Since the end of the confidentiality period is a few weeks earlier this time, the official announcement could perhaps come as early as April.
