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Unreleased Sony WH-1000XM6 Headphones Appear in FCC Filing

jayryco said:
Companies should really try adopting new bluetooth standards faster. Bluetooth 6.0 is out, it has higher bandwidth and positional tracking - something headphones can really benefit from.
It's pretty lame that it takes them years to finally adopt a new standard by the time the next version basically out.

Next AirPod Pro's/Max NEED this.
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The Bluetooth 6 standard was finalized on paper at the end of August last year and controller modules that support the specification are just starting to trickle onto the market. I agree that it would be great to see a speedier implementation of new Bluetooth standards (which the A19 and M5 series chips will hopefully support alongside WiFi 7) but it's still a bit too early to expect Bluetooth 6 products.
 
Capeto said:
I must be the only person online who didn’t like this line. I have the XM3s and they’re fine; I got the XM5s but the audio quality was honestly bad for headphones that cost that much so I returned them.
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Kept my XM5 but agree on sound. Thought it was just me being picky.

Also the headband digs into my head. Had to get a cushioned band to put over it, problem solved.
 
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Competition is always welcomed as a consumer. Surprised they wont have lossless, didnt the Qualcomm bluetooth chip come out last year that allows that?
 
The noise cancelling seems to be better with every generation, but I've heard several people & reviewers think the audio quality has taken a step back with the XM5s. If nothing else, this will make the XM4s cheaper: still rocking my XM3s but would upgrade at the right price just for the ability to connect two devices.
 
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Not sure why bringing up new products with minor incremental improvements like Apple does. I bought the version 4 last year at a good price and they sound amazing.
But hey, need to produce more to sell more to please the shareholders. Always more…
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: August West
Still waiting for Apple to (actually) update the Pro Max. During long flights the XM5 just wears on you. The Max are definitely more comfortable IMO but I can't justify a purchase when they're a generation behind other Apple audio stuff.
 
I bought the xm5's during the holiday pricing ($289) which hurt to begin with. I was looking to move away from earbuds (JBL flexs, not bad but not the best) and get something more comfortable for the gym and casual use.

They sound amazing, but I just didn't use them enough to justify the price and my ears got insanely hot during workouts so back to the buds for now.

Also oddly enough, I own these which are 9 years old and they sound just like the xm5's (minus the ANC, usb-c, lighter form factor, etc.). I use them for mowing the lawn, etc. and only had to replace the earcups recently. Still trucking along but they do look silly on your head with how big the ear cups are.

Anyway, if the buds and the xb95's decide to croak maybe I will buy the xm5's hopefully at a better price when the 6's come out.
 
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First spotted by The Walkman Blog, the filing shows a diagram of the headphones, which appear to feature a new hinge that may or may not indicate a return to the folding design used in the XM4's.
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The hinge on the XM5 are a weak point as noted by the same Walkman blog. The XM4's are a litter better, but not by much.

Hope Sony reinforces them on the XM6

hinge.png
 
  • Wow
Reactions: icanhazmac
I been using my XM5 every day for the past 2.5 years and love them. Really comfortable and allow them to keep them on for hours, alternating between music and work calls.

Their default sound signature was a bit muddy for my liking, but it became a lot better after equalizing.
 
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robertosh said:
Are the new models good? I have a pair of XM3 which I bought new for a nice deal (180EUR). They are nice for office/conference usage but for music consumption I find them poor. Noise canceling is nice but impacts sound, also really uncomfortable for my head, stereo field is really narrow and too much low end. Maybe nice for hip-hop/dance, but for rock/metal they lack mid-range. I use the 99 Classics from Meze Audio at home and they are better in any possible way (unfortunately you need a headphone jack :D )
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It's a well-known secret that Sony is doing tick-tock strategy with 1000X headphones. Odd generations have bass boost, even gens have balanced sound.
 
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I love my XM5s and don't regret them at all (especially since the AirPods Max have a condensation issue where they fail at ~2 years, something my partner has experienced TWICE), but I wouldn't say they have "best in class" noise cancellation.

I think the Maxes are much better in that regard, and especially with transparency mode.

Again, I don't regret a thing, since I got these for $330 this summer. They're much more obvious than my AirPods Pro at work when I want people to leave me the **** alone lol.
 
I wish more headphones came with physical mute buttons on them. Most headphones I've found don't have physical mute buttons on the headphones so you have to mute or unmute yourself via the device (phone or laptop).

When WFH, it really hinders taking work calls from the toilet.
 
  • Haha
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Capeto said:
I must be the only person online who didn’t like this line. I have the XM3s and they’re fine; I got the XM5s but the audio quality was honestly bad for headphones that cost that much so I returned them.
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I thought the same when I first got them, but I finally found an EQ setting that sounded good and I love them now. Granted, the EQ I set is pretty extreme on the treble end – they were hella muddy before.
 
Still no lossless streams?

I love Sony's earbuds, the sound still is superior to Apple's but I'm finding myself returning to wired headphones for sound quality until wireless tech matches basic wired audio fidelity from the 1990s.

I know many don't care about sound quality and only focus on looks and portability. Just look at all the YouTube reviews of headphones that have zero mention of the sound quality. It's kind of funny given the core purpose of the product.

But for those of us who have finely tuned ears, muscians, former muscians, audio pros, or just passionate music heds, there still remains no legit wireless option for lossless in the Apple ecosystem that I'm aware of.
 
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rikscha said:
Can these be paired to multiple devices allowing a seamless switch.
Also, can you actually use them to make phone calls in louder environments - both didnt work with the XM3 and understand that subsequent models only introduced minor improvements.

Depending on your use case,
The Sony headphones irrespective of minor differences in NC or sound quality, need to stack up to the user experience of Airpod Max. They just beat any headphone if you have build an Apple ecosystem around you.
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It is dubious to compare the current Airpods Max with the old Sony XM3.

Because the current ones already offer Multipoint. You can listen to music on device A and take a call on device B in the next second. The music is pausing for the call and continues automatically.
Just like the music pauses automatically when the headphones are removed. Or when a hand is placed on the ear cup to briefly switch off the noise cancellation.

Of course, it is also possible to make calls in noisy environments with the XM5.


Well, for an Apple fanboy, integration into the Apple ecosystem is probably priceless. Everyone else also pays attention to the price and convenience functions that Apple doesn't offer or doesn't want to offer.
 
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Loved my WH-1000XM4 headset until it developed the screeching bug during ANC. Then it stopped charging. I use them wired now, but I REALLY miss ANC.

I'll check user reviews before I snag an updated model.
 
I own two of the XM4’s, WF & WH and I am very pleased with them. They sync up nicely to my A95 and overall just delightful to have. Yes they take ~5 seconds to connect to my iPhone, but the sound, battery life and overall quality are better, imo, compared to Apple’s cans and in ears. Keen on the XM6 to see if there’s going to be improvement ls done over the XM4’s
 
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Have an XM4. Upgraded to XM5. Felt the ANC was not as good. Returned the XM5. Waiting to see if the XM6 will be better.
 
I have two pairs of XM4's in the family, which I chose one, because the noise cancelling is top notch, and two, I chose (over the XM5's) because they have the folding hinging design, and fit perfectly in an Evergoods Cap 2 pounch (along with a Nintendo Switch to boot for those keeping track).
 
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A shame Apple pulled Headphone Accomodations for almost all headphones besides a few AirPos and Beats. I loved this feature with my old wired Sony headphones. 😢
 
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