Sony WH-1000XM6: Hinge defects still an issue according to user report
According to Sony, the WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones feature a much more robust build. Sony apparently tried to prevent the rather widespread hinge defects of the previous model by utilizing certain metal components. However, just weeks after the Sony WH-1000XM6 (from $448 on Amazon) official hit the market, a first customer has now shared a photo of a defective hinge on the new model.
To be more precise, the metal hinge has apparently separated from the plastic housing, potentially due to a break in the plastic base of the headphones. The Walkman Blog notes that the lower part of the hinge assembly is made entirely of plastic, without metal to reinforce its structural integrity. This is the section of the hinge where the Sony logo is located.
As the iFixit teardown video embedded below illustrates, this component can indeed be replaced individually and thus repaired, but Sony is not selling these corresponding spare parts yet. The replacement parts supplier Encompass already lists 53 different spare parts for the Sony WH-1000XM6, including the hinges, but these components are not in stock at the time of writing.
At least for now, affected headphones should still be covered by the manufacturer's warranty and thus repaired free of charge. It is currently unclear whether the Sony WH-1000XM6 will actually suffer from widespread hinge defects due to a design flaw, similar to the Sony WH-1000XM5. After all, this could be an isolated incident, and it took several months for this defect to become prevalent in the previous model.
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