Sony’s flagship headphones just got a few noteworthy repairability upgrades. Alongside the new QN3 chip delivering an upgraded ANC experience, Sony appears to have made a deliberate effort to design the WH-1000XM6 with repair in mind.
That’s right, I said deliberate. The clearest signal that Sony is taking repair seriously is the release of a service manual for 2022’s WH-1000XM5, a document they’ve actually dubbed the “Right to Repair Manual.” That’s a pretty big hint. Unfortunately, the same website currently lists exactly zero replacement parts to support those repairs. And the XM6 doesn’t yet have a repair manual available, something Apple has begun to deliver routinely on launch day. But hey, baby steps are better than no steps at all, right?
The hardware changes in the XM6 further support this intentional shift toward repairability. The most important improvement? The consumable lithium polymer battery inside the XM6 is no longer secured with double-sided adhesive (itself a consumable component). Instead, the battery is neatly housed and secured with two screws. Simple, effective, reusable: this is exactly the kind of battery retention solution we’ve been championing for years.
Other subtle signs of repair-friendly design are scattered throughout the interior. Take the modular driver mid-plate, for instance: it enables straightforward replacement without having to wrestle with glue or risk damaging additional components if the driver fails.
The USB-C port (another common failure point over time) is not only modular but now readily accessible. The XM5 also featured a modular USB-C port, but it was buried under multiple layers. Same story with the audio jack and button board: both are modular, both are easy to reach, and both represent a clear improvement over the XM5’s more buried design.
The headband, unfortunately, didn’t see much improvement. While it’s still easier to remove than earlier versions, the waste involved in replacing the entire fabric-covered module feels excessive. With the engineering talent Sony has, we’re confident they can do better than tossing out an entire assembly, especially given the mix of metals and plastics likely headed for landfill.
Despite growing momentum behind Right to Repair laws worldwide, we’ve seen Sony’s high-end earbuds devolve from highly repairable to downright repair-hostile in just a couple of generations.
So it’s genuinely refreshing to see Sony release replacement parts for the older WH-1000XM3 and follow up with a repair manual for the XM5. How about that XM6 manual? A full selection of replacement parts? Bringing a similar design philosophy back to the earbud line?
Until then, check out this cool CT scan explorer (want help knowing what to look for? We’ve got an explainer for that).
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