TL;DR
- iFixit’s teardown of Sony’s latest flagship headphones reveals some welcome repairability improvements.
- The WH-1000XM6’s battery is secured with screws instead of adhesive, allowing for easier replacements.
- The headphone’s drivers, USB-C port, audio jack, and button board are also much easier to access.
Sony recently unveiled the WH-1000XM6, the highly anticipated successor to one of the best flagship headphones on the market. The new model brings several improvements over its predecessor, including a significantly faster QN3 processor, better ANC, enhanced voice call quality, longer battery life, and more. The XM6 also brings some welcome design changes. Sony has reintroduced the folding mechanism on the new model, which was omitted on the XM5. The company has also added detachable earpads for easier replacement and designed a completely new travel case. But that’s not all.
Sony has reportedly also redesigned the XM6’s insides, which could improve repairability. iFixit has spotted several upgrades that should make the flagship headphones easier to repair. Its teardown reveals that the lithium polymer battery powering the XM6 is secured in a plastic housing with two screws instead of double-sided adhesive, making replacements easy.
The modular plate housing the XM6’s drivers is also held down by Phillips-head screws and a rubber plug, allowing for straightforward disassembly. Sony has also made the modular USB-C port, audio jack, and button board much easier to access than they were on the XM5. You can check out how easy it is to pull the headphones apart in iFixit’s teardown below.
Although the company has yet to share a repair manual for the headphones, you can expect it to arrive soon. Sony has published one for the older model, and we don’t see why it won’t do the same for its latest flagship headphones.
As for replacement parts, Sony currently doesn’t offer any for the WH-1000XM6 or its predecessor. However, given that the company is actively making changes to improve the repairability of its headphones, there’s a chance it could start selling replacement parts soon.
What do you think of Sony’s decision to make its headphones easier to repair? Would these changes convince you to buy the WH-1000XM6 instead of a flagship headphone from a different brand? Let us know in the comments.
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