When sound only comes out of one side of your Sony WH-1000XM headphones, there are two very different possibilities. It might be a setting on your phone or in the app, which takes a minute to fix. Or it might be a hardware fault inside the headphones, most often a broken wire where the cable runs through the hinge.
This guide helps you tell which it is, starting with the free checks.
Free checks first
1. Check your phone's sound balance
Phones have an accessibility setting that shifts sound left or right, and a mono audio option. If the balance slider has been nudged to one side, one ear goes quiet.
- iPhone: Settings, then Accessibility, then Audio & Visual. Check the balance slider is in the middle and Mono Audio is off.
- Android: look under Accessibility for audio balance and mono audio. The exact menu varies by phone.
2. Try a different source
Play something else, from a different app, and if you can, connect the headphones to a different phone, tablet or laptop. If both sides work on another device, the fault is with the first device, not the headphones.
3. Restart and re-pair
Turn the headphones off and on. If that doesn't help, delete them from your phone's Bluetooth list and pair them again. Sony's own troubleshooting starts with these steps.
4. Reset the headphones
A reset clears a lot of software glitches. See how to reset Sony WH-1000XM4 or how to reset Sony WH-1000XM5. Then check for a firmware update in Sony's headphones app.
5. Try the audio cable
All three models have a headphone socket and came with a 3.5 mm cable. Plug the headphones into a device with the cable. If the same side is still silent through the cable, the problem is very likely inside the headphones: a wire, a connector or a driver. If both sides work through the cable, it's more likely a Bluetooth or software issue.
Is the hinge broken?
Look closely at both hinges. On every WH-1000XM model, the cable that carries sound to the second ear cup runs through a hinge. If a hinge or headband has cracked, that cable gets pulled and bent every time the headphones move, and eventually it breaks inside.
Signs it's the cable at the hinge:
- The sound cuts in and out when you move your head or flex the headband
- One side crackles before it goes completely quiet
- The hinge on that side is cracked, loose or creaking
- The headphones have been glued or taped at the hinge
If that sounds familiar, see Sony XM5 hinge broken, Sony XM4 hinge snapped or Sony XM3 headband cracked.
Other causes
- A failed driver. The speaker in one ear cup can fail. This usually happens without warning, rather than crackling first.
- A loose connector. Inside the ear cups, cables connect to the boards with small connectors. A knock can loosen one.
- Liquid or sweat damage. Moisture inside an ear cup can corrode the contacts.
- A board fault. Less common, but possible.
These can only be told apart by opening the headphones and testing them.
How it's repaired
If the cable through a broken hinge has failed, the repair is usually the hinge repair: replacing the broken hinge with a genuine Sony part where available, and repairing the damaged cable.
If the hinge is fine, the fault needs finding first. My Sony headphones repair (any fault) starts with a £4.99 assessment. I open them, find the fault, and quote before doing any work. If you go ahead, the £4.99 comes off the repair.
Questions people ask
Why is only one side of my Sony headphones working?
Most often it's a balance or mono setting on your phone, or a broken cable at the hinge. Check the settings and try another device first. If one side is still silent, especially through the audio cable, it's a hardware fault.
Can a broken wire in Sony headphones be fixed?
Usually, yes. The cable through the hinge can be repaired, and a broken hinge replaced at the same time.
Is no sound on one side covered by Sony's warranty?
An internal fault with no physical damage may be. A cable broken because a hinge cracked is often treated as damage. See Sony hinge broken: warranty and your consumer rights.
My sound cuts in and out on one side. Is that the same problem?
Often, yes. Intermittent sound that changes when you move is a classic sign of a cable starting to break, usually at the hinge. Getting it repaired early can stop it turning into a dead side.
My recommendation
Check the balance setting, try another device and do a reset. If one side is still silent, especially through the audio cable, look at the hinge. A cracked hinge with a dead side is a hinge repair. If the hinge is fine, it needs an assessment to find the fault.
If you'd like me to take a look, book my Sony headphones repair (any fault).