It's been almost three years since the launch of the original Sony WH-1000XM5s, which still remain one of the best headphones. But there might be new evidence to suggest a refresh is in the cards — and they could be launching as soon as this year based on a regulatory filing.
Evidence of the Sony WH-1000XM6 stems from a leaked Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing, first reported by The Walkman Blog. Not only does the filing give insightful details about new pair of headphones, but it also may signal a potential release window for later this summer.
Images of the new product highlight major design changes, like removable earcups and a new "inverted F-Antenna," which purportedly bumps the gain up from 1.6 dBi to 2.91 dBi.
But it's not all different, as the leaked filing does show the XM6 bearing the same Mediatek SoC, as well as having the same 30mm driver inside. Of course, these revelations are still steeped in unknowns, so wait from an official announcement from Sony before getting excited.
XM6 release date speculation
One thing the leaked documents denotes is a potential launch window for the XM6 headphones. The filing notes a short term confidentiality clause that ends on July 22, 2025. This doesn't quite mean that's when you can expect to see the XM6, it's just relaying that more details might get announced following this date.
Sony also could theoretically launch the XM6s in next year. The device as listed on the FCC filing describes it as an "engineering prototype," which doesn't bode too well for those itching to get their hands on the latest pair of Sony headphones. You'd expect it to be in pre-production phase by now, but it's still unclear.
It's important to note that the XM5 were also similarly labeled as an engineering prototype when its FCC filing first leaked. In fact, the FCC filing has leaked almost every major Sony headphones and earbuds launch, including the XM4 and XM3 series, and they typically are a good indicator on when to expect the hardware launch.
But if we followed Sony's previous launch strategy, which saw the XM4s releasing in August 2020 and the XM5s in May 2022, that would mean the XM6s are well past their potential arrival date. This could be a positive indicator for those longing for a 2025 release of these upgraded XM6 headphones. Time will only tell.
Our first look at the Sony XM6
Although it could very well change upon its official debut, this might be our first look at the next WH-1000XM series headphones out of Sony. The leaked FCC filing denotes several key changes to the headphones, describing it as a "Wireless Noise Cancelling Stereo Headset."
At the forefront of these design changes are a new set of removeable earcups that might lean into Sony's fashion guise, first highlighted on its refreshed LinkBuds Open. These come equipped with removable silicon add-ons that transform the colorway on the buds, and we might be seeing something similar on the new XM6 headphones.
It's unclear if these removeable earcups use magnets or clips, but they do offer a complete diversion from the original XM5 design. These appear more rounded and smooth as opposed to the XM5's more egg-like shape. If the leaks are to be believed, updated padding would be a welcome change.
There's also a new "Inverted-F Antenna," which bumps up the gain from 1.6 dBi to 2.91 dBi and replaces the previously-used chip antenna. The battery on the XM6 will remain the same, offering 3.8V as was on offer on the XM5, and it's set to potentially carry over the same Mediatek SoC with Bluetooth 5.3.
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