Sony YY2959 Appears on Bluetooth SIG (Update WH-G900N)

Another Sony headset has appeared on Bluetooth SIG, the YY2959. So what could this be? At this moment I have no idea, but it seems to only support up to Bluetooth 5.0, which could indicate a lower end model. But more on that later.

Sony YY2950 shows up on the FCC (update)

I decided to group all the information about the YY2950 into one post, rather than have it combined with the Walkman devices post.  The top photo shows the label and outline of the charging case,  confirming we are looking at a WF headset.

New Sony Walman, ICX-1298 Spotted on Bluetooth SIG (update)

I know people have been asking about this new Walkman that was leaked a while ago, but until now, there was little evidence apart from photos that it existed. But we might have something more concrete now, a Bluetooth SIG listing.

Sony YY2950, YY1299B and YY1298B appear on Certification site (update 3)

Thanks to mirai160525 on Twitter for pointing this out. It looks like we have a few more wireless headphones/devices from Sony. Last month when I posted about the WI-C100, I speculated about the different missing codes for Sony's headphones, YY2950 to YY2956. Well it looks like one of those showed up, the YY2950.

Sony WF-C500 Teardown by 52Audio

52Audio has published their Sony WF-C500 teardown and with this model being a lower end device, there are some differences versus the other WF headsets from previous years. I will try to point some out, if anyone catches any others I missed, please leave them in the comments.

Sony YY2953 identified as Sony WF-L900

I wrote about Sony's YY2953 back in late August when is appeared on Korea's FCC. Back then we had no FCC listing but 3 days ago it finally appeared as a listing. Likewise the device appeared on Canada's certification website. So time to dive into the certifications to see what they reveal.

Sony WI-C100 (YY2957) spotted on the FCC (update #2)

Another wireless headset from Sony has appeared on the FCC, the WI-C100 (YY2957). The design looks to be similar to the WI-C200/C310 models, but the name, WI-C100, suggests that it could be positioned below the other models. But perhaps it replaces both those models when it releases.

Sony introduces the WF-C500 and WH-XB910N Wireless headsets

I was expecting Sony to unveil these next week, but it looks like they took the wraps off this week, so a nice surprise. These look to be quite decent pairs of wireless headsets specification wise, hopefully they will perform and sound just as good.

Sony YY2951 revealed as WH-XB910N

Source: @_snoopytech_

Thanks to a leak by twitter user _snooptech_, we have press photos of the upcoming WH-XB910N, or the YY2951. I originally posted about the YY2951 design back in July, but I did not know what model name it would take.

The design looks much better in the official photos, which shows a higher end plastic rather than the shiny plastic used on the prototype/pre-production model. I am embedding the tweet below with more photos.

Exclusive: Sony WH-XB910N Noise Cancelling Headphones first look pic.twitter.com/kJoI9b7cv8

— Snoopy (@_snoopytech_) September 23, 2021

As for price and availability, it looks like prices will be around 169 Euros, although I have seen it lower at around 155 euros on one retailer, with availablity slated to be around the 3rd week of October according to Axitech.

The retailer shows 2 colours, black (B) and blue (L), but from the photos from _snoopytech_, it looks like grey will be a third colour option. Indeed this seems to be confirmed even by Sony's own parts replacement website, Encompass, Grey and Blue. Perhaps only certain regions will get the Blue colour option.

Finally a quick reminder, the headset will be using the Mediatek MT2822S Bluetooth chipset like the WF-1000XM4, and should also feature dual noise cancellation microphones for NC. I suspect Sony might even mention that the WH-XB910N employs the new V1 Integrated processor as well since this is the MT2822S. Previous model had a driver size of 40mm, it will be interesting to see if this has changed or Sony will retain it for the new model.

We will also see LDAC, SBC and AAC support, DSEE Extreme and Sony's 360 Reality Audio. One thing I asked back in the original post, would Sony move production of the WH-XB900N from China to Vietnam? Well we now know they have and the WH-XB910N will be Vietnam made by an OEM for Sony. So would made in Vietnam put people off? Or it does not matter? For comparison the previous model was made in China.

Anyways, now we wait for a press release. Should be soon, I suspect first week of October

Sony WF-C500 Price revealed by Retailers

Two weeks I posted high resolution photos and full specifications of the new WF-C500. The retail listing also had a price, $79 USD, but Sony's own Rewards site showed 9999 points, pointing to a $99 price. Now with some new retail listings, it looks like we can expect a higher starting price and some details on retail availability.

Sony WF-C500 Leaked by retailer

I revealed the WF-C500 design back in July from certification documents, but such certification photos rarely do a device justice due to their lower quality and often using prototypes or pre-production devices. Fortunately for us, a major retailer's website (now removed), had the WF-C500 up as a listing and naturally I saved the photos and specs.

Sony V1 Integrated Processor: A deeper look

When Sony announced the WF-1000XM4 back in June, I was looking forward to seeing how Sony had improved the design and engineering in a teardown. In my main post, I did a quick teardown analysis of the device from the initial photos from Sony but this was not enough, but luckily a few days later the FCC report was finally available. The report labelled the Bluetooth IC and comparing it to Sony'press photos, it was clear the Mediatek MT2822 was the V1 chip. In that same post, I speculated that the V1 was a new chip integrating all the functions from the WF-1000M3, NC, flash memory and power management into one package. So was I close with my guess?

Sony YY2953 appears on Korean FCC

A new wireless headset from Sony is coming, the YY2953. Thanks to mirai160525 for bringing this to my attention. Little information here, except that it is made in Malaysia, so perhaps a mid to high end device.

Could the Sony WF-C500 (YY2952) and YY2951 be delayed?

There is a report from Nikkei Asia that Apple is moving Airpods 3 production out of Vietnam to China due to recent Covid-19 outbreaks in country. Two upcoming Sony wireless headphones will be produced in Vietnam, the YY2951 and YY2952 (WF-C500). The plant in question looks to be the Dong Van 4 plant in Vietnam according to the YY2951 certification documents with the manufacturer being ZDL. Could both of these new products be delayed?

Sony YY2951 and YY2952 (WF-C500) Leaked

First off, many thanks to aborne25 from twitter for providing the photos and information and second, it looks like these will be low to mid-level devices with both being manufactured in Vietnam.

Sony WF-1000XM4 firmware update, version 1.2.6

New firmware has been released by Sony for the WF-1000XM4. Lots of users on reddit have been reporting a weird problem where the noise cancellation would cut off. Not sure if this was also that "woosh" issue but from what I have read on reddit, this update seems to fix that issue.

Possible Sony WM1-Series successor spotted online (update)

This was posted on what looks to be some social media website in China. We can see the Walkman logo in the lower right corner of the device, clearly indicating this is a new Walkman device.

Sony WF-1000XM4 teardown by 52Audio

We finally have a full teardown of the new Sony WF-1000XM4, time to see what secrets it reveals. The teardown was performed by 52Audio.com. Prepare for a long post and lots of photos.

Sony WF-1000XM4 firmware update, version 1.1.5

Sony has released their first firmware update for the new WF-1000XM4. The version is now 1.1.5 and this update improves Bluetooth connection stability. Reading some reddit posts, it looks like some people have issues installing the firmware but I suspect this might be down to the earbuds powering down and the install failing.

Update instructions can be found here.

The most important thing is to keep the headphones turned ON and not have them turn off during the update. 

In the Sony | Headphones Connect app, set the Automatic Power Off function to Do not turn off. Once you have updated your headset, you can change this back to conserve battery when the headset is not in use. Make sure that both devices, phone/tablet and headset are fully charged.

If an update error message appears, press OK, insert the earbuds into the case and then take them out to restart them. Then restart the Sony | Headphones Connect app and try the update again.

With more and more people getting their hands on the new headset, more issues/bugs will show up and Sony will have more firmware updates. I would expect more improvements to connection stability and improvements as time passes.

As always post any update issues here or Reddit in the Sony subreddit or the headphones one.

     

Sony YY2951 shows up on Korean FCC (update 2)

Looks like Sony will have another wireless headset this year to complement the WF-1000XM4 and YY2952. Unknown what this is, could be a low end device, as it is made in Vietnam (see update).

Sony WF-1000XM4 now available on Amazon

The new WF-1000MX4s are available on Amazon. Certain regions have it out of stock, but Amazon says it is working on getting new stock. I do wonder how much stock Sony has shipped or provided to various retailers, most likely less than when the WF-1000XM3 shipped I would imagine.

Original Blended Material, Sony's future retail packaging material (update)

Sony Group Corporation and Sony Corporation have developed "Original Blended Material," an environmentally conscious and sustainable paper material made from bamboo, sugar cane fiber and post-consumer recycled paper, whose origins are specified.

Sony introduces the new WF-1000XM4

After many leaks, Sony has finally announced the new WF-1000MX4. Most of the details leaked, so rather than post the press release and specs again, I will go over some of the new things for me.

Sony WF-1000XM4 shows up on second retailer

Another day, another retail listing. This will probably be removed shortly but I have gathered all the information from it. The listing provides two new details, the driver size, still 6mm unfortunately and that Speak-to-Chat uses Sony's Precise Voice Pickup technology which uses 4 microphones for better voice quality.

Sony WF-1000XM4 shows up on Online Retailer, confirms 279 Euro price

A retail listing was inevitable, and it looks like Datart.sk was the first to post one. The listing confirms the 279 Euro retail price, but there is no availability date yet, but perhaps these could be available right after launch in some areas. I feel the listening will come down once I post this.

Sony WF-1000XM4 leaked in Product Video (update)

Sony's WF-1000XM4 has leaked in a product video on YouTube. The video has been taken down but is still up on reddit. I am embedding the video below.

Firmware Update to version 4.03.00 for NW-ZX500/NW-A100 series

 

The new update brings only security updates, up to May 2021. If you are updating your device for the first time, this update will include all previous updates as well. 

A new Sony wireless headset, the YY2952 has just been certified (update 3)

 A new headset from Sony has appeared on Korea's FCC, the YY2952. Very little information exists about it, except that it is manufactured in Vietnam. I believe only a few of Sony's headsets have been manufactured there, the rest in Malaysia, some in China. 

Firmware Update to Version 2.5.0 for WH-1000XM4

A new firmware has been released by Sony for the WH-1000XM4. The version is now 2.5.0. The update brings improvements to Bluetooth connection stability and hands-free call quality, along with the previous updates.

Should Sony release the WF-1000XM4 in white?

Sony's upcoming WF-1000XM4 leaked earlier this week, the colour options were not a surprise, black and silver, following the WF-1000XM3 and last year's WH-1000XM4.

Huge Sony WF-1000XM4 leak (update 2)

They say, when it rains, it pours. Huge leak again of the upcoming WF-1000XM4, thanks to mirai160525 from twitter. Make sure to give them a follow and like on twitter. No specifications yet, but I have a feeling those will leak soon as well.

Sony WF-1000XM4 full design leaked (update 3)

What do we have here? Looks like Sony's upcoming WF-1000XM4. The design matches the leaked retail box back from February of this year. This means that Hi-Res audio support is true, hopefully the 6hr of battery life was for LDAC playback. Unfortunately there were no specifications with the photos. These prototype photos will not do the headset justice since is it a prototype, but the design can now be fully visualized.

Sony WH-1000XM4 revealed in new Limited Edition Silent White (update)

Sony has unveiled the white colour option for the WH-1000XM4, called Silent White. It is a limited edition model. So far I have only seen it on Sony Asia's website, but hopefully it will be available in others regions. Video after the break.

Sony WF-1000XM3 and WF-SP800N Firmware update

The pulled firmware update from a few weeks back for the Sony WF-1000XM3 and WF-SP800N has finally arrived. The firmware versions are 3.1.2 for the WF-1000XM3 and version 1.1.0 for the WF-SP800N.

Sony WH-1000XM4 to be released in White (update 2)

There were rumours of a white version of the WH-1000XM4 before the release last year, information spotted in Sony's own app, but nothing was released. But now, it seems it will finally be released.  Spotted by justplayinghard and linuxct on twitter, the white design follows the same colour pattern as the silver model.

Sony SRS-XP500, SRS-XP700 Wirelesss speakers and LSPX-S3 Glass Speaker coming later this year (update 2)

So far very little information is out there for these 2 mystery speakers, they appear to be part of a new line of speakers, XP. I have identified 2 models, the SRS-XP500 and SRS-XB700, neither have appeared on the US FCC, only the Korean FCC (XP500) and E-ComM (XP500, XP700).

Did the WF-1000XM4 just pass through the FCC? (update 4)

So what do we have here, Sony YY2948. The model name gives nothing away, but that label photo looks awfully like a charging case for wireless earbuds. The model number is intentionally left out in the documents, but the product name remains "Wireless Noise Canceling Stereo Headset". 

Sneaky Sony, sneaky.

Sony to Launch new High end Android Walkman to replace WM1-Series?

There is a rumour that Sony is planning to replace the WM1-Series with a high end Android Walkman. The rumours stem from a video by Post76.hk which says that "Sony has told Japanese retailers that the WM1-Series will be discontinued". A discontinuation of a model does not guarantee that a new one will appear, both the WH-Series and WS-Series walkmans were discontinued and never received a new model. Regardless, a new high end Walkman is overdue but will it arrive this year or next?

Firmware Update to version 4.02.00 for NW-ZX500/NW-A100 series

Another month and another firmware update, this time only security updates which brings the security level to March 2021. This updates does also include all the past changes and updates below:

Sony introduces the SRS-XB13 wireless speaker

Sony introduces the SRS-XB13 - powerful EXTRA BASS sound in a compact speaker

• Compact speaker that packs plenty of punch and expansive sound
• Enjoy a speaker that is ready to go anywhere thanks to a multiway strap and durable design
• A long-lasting battery ensures your party doesn’t stop

Sony WF-1000XM4: All the facts and rumours

In case you missed it last week, Sony's WF-1000XM4 was leaked on Reddit. Rather than just keep updating the previous post, I decided to make a new one with more detail and information. If another big leak occurs in the future, I will make a separate post.

Sony WF-1000XM4 design leaked? (update 4)

Are we looking at the new design of the Sony WF-1000XM4? The above photo was posted on Reddit by user Key_Attention4766. The photo, posted on Imgur, is described as the "packaging box sleeve of the WF-1000XM4". So is this the real deal?

Firmware Update to version 4.01.00 for NW-ZX500/NW-A100 series

Sony has released another firmware update for the A and ZX-Series Walkmans. The update is for all models in the A and ZX range.

Here are the changes:

• Provides Security Updates (The security level displayed in the Settings menu will be as of January 2021)
• Improves general performance
  

Sony CES 2021 Preview (update)

 

CES is next week, and like all previous years, I will not be attending, so that is no different, but neither will any tech journalists. Sony's press conference will be held on Monday January 11th, 2021, at 5:00 PM local time. Here are the times for other time-zones:

• 20:00 New York, January 11th
• 02:00 Paris, January 12th
• 10:000 Tokyo, January 12th
• 12:00 Melbourne, January 12th