It’s been nearly 3 years because Sony introduced the WH-1000XM5— its present front runner cordless earphones. And if a lately discovered Federal Communications Compensation (FCC) declaring is any type of sign, the wait on the XM5’s follower might quickly more than. The Walkman Blog Site found an FCC Label and Location document submitted by Sony on January 22, 2025 for a collection of earphonesbearing the model number YY2984 There’s no recommendation to “WH-1000XM6” and Sony’s inner earphone codes (YY1234) are consecutive in order of launch day, and not attached to kind or sort of item. So while the timing and the layout highly recommend the presence of the XM6, we can not claim for certain.

An FCC tag layout for a an unreleased collection of Sony earphones.

An FCC tag for a an unreleased collection of Sony earphones.
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If these remain in truth the WH-1000XM6, the layout indicate 2 brand-new style components that can differentiate these brand-new canisters from the XM5. One of the most apparent of these are the detachable ear pillows. On the XM5, the ear cushions can be replaced, however they aren’t developed to be quickly gotten rid of. Due to this, Sony selected to publish the FCC ID details on a semi-circular tag related to the earcup’s mesh grille. If you roll the side of the ear padding back a little bit, it’s simply noticeable.
On this brand-new FCC layout, the tag area gets on the inside of the earcup itself, and can just be accessed if you get rid of the ear padding. The layout does not demonstrate how the padding remains connected, though magnets have actually confirmed to be the technique of selection on several front runner designs, like the Apple AirPods Max, Sonos Ace, and Master & Dynamic MW75.
The much less apparent adjustment is the area where the headband fulfills the earcup.

When Sony launched the XM5, it deserted the fold-up/fold-flat style of the WH-1000XM4 for a fold-flat style with a covert inner yolk. This met some resistance from viewers that chose the older style. Yet the most significant concern with the XM5’s style is its longevity, not its absence of a 2nd layer. Reddit’s r/SonyHeadphones area obtains normal articles from customers sharing depressing pictures of their XM5, damaged at the factor where the headband slider fulfills the revolving earcup pivot.

Sony WH-1000XM5 right earcup layout (left) and the FCC layout for YY2984. Sony
It resembles Sony is sticking to the concealed yolk, however the illustration recommends an extra durable link, potentially with a folding joint. Sony utilized a comparable building on its ULT Wear headphones from 2024.
The Walkman Blog site thinks it has actually located proof for various other attributes, consisting of:
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Bluetooth variation is 5.3 (BR/EDR/LE), which can indicate LE Audio will certainly be sustained. That would certainly follow Sony’s current earbuds like the LinkBuds Open and LinkBuds Fit, both of which assistance LE Sound and Auracast.
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A boosted antenna style.
The record additionally recommends that the brand-new canisters will certainly obtain a May 2025 launch, based upon the privacy days located in the FCC papers. That would certainly follow the timing of the XM5 launch (May 2022).
In the meantime, nonetheless, we wait. Yet maintain your eyes peeled off: in between currently and May we’re most likely to obtain dripped pictures of these brand-new earphones whether they end up being the WH-1000XM6, or a few other Sony version.