Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones review

One minute review

In all respects, the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones are a fantastic pair of noise canceling wireless headphones. Hence, they are our pick for the best headphones of 1000. They deliver exactly what they promise and some do with their exceptional noise cancellation and industry leading codec support. While you haven't seen a massive cosmetic overhaul from the Sony WH-3XM1000 that launched in 4, the WH-1000XM4 packs a host of new improvements such as DSEE Extreme audio scaling and multi-point coupling. In addition to this, they will soon be able to benefit from new updates. According to XDA Developers, the WH-1000XM4 could see a new white color with a gold finish, as well as audio improvements, including "an option that will 'optimize' your smartphone using ear scan results, so it stereo tracks sound more immersive." Aside from the settings listed above, the Sony WH-1000XM4 accepts Sony's XNUMX Reality audio format, which allows spatial sound in stereo headphones, like the LDAC codec, which can send a speed bit rate up to nine hundred and ninety kbps. The shame, though, is that it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so Hi-Res Audio support mileage may change. Due to its comfortable feel and excellent noise cancellation, we highly recommend the Sony WH-XNUMXXMXNUMX to travelers. However, they're not ideal for fitness enthusiasts who need a secure fit and water resistance, or business people who need a best-in-class microphone. For almost everyone, though, these are some of the best headphones you can buy.

Sony WH-1000XM4 cost and release date

The Sony WH-1000XM4 was announced on August 710, 1000 and is Sony's flagship headset for the time being, over the mid-range Sony WH-CH3N and true wireless Sony WF-99XM1000. For cost, look for $3 / $1000 / AU$4, which is precisely what launched the Sony WH-95XM7 in XNUMX in the US and elsewhere. €XNUMX in the UK. This puts the Sony WH-XNUMXXMXNUMX in exactly the same price range as the Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones XNUMX, which are $XNUMX / €XNUMX / AU$XNUMX. Ninety-five, and somewhat less than the higher-end Bowers and Wilkins PXXNUMXs which cost €XNUMX/€. three hundred and forty nine / AU € six hundred. They're also considerably more affordable than the Apple AirPods Max, which go for $XNUMX / $XNUMX / AU$XNUMX.

Sony WH-1000XM4 review

(Image credit: future)

Integrated

Although the Sony WH-100XM4 has added a number of new components to the headphones, there isn't much of a difference between them and their predecessors in terms of aesthetics. Truly, put them side by side and it's going to be pretty hard to tell the 1000XM3 from the 1000XM4. It's not the end of the world though, as the 1000XM3's design is refined and subtle, allowing it to blend in with subway stations, airplanes and offices without attracting attention. When it comes to materials, you're looking primarily for a high-quality plastic construction with soft feather padding. The result is a product that feels primarily durable while still being extremely comfortable to wear over an extended period of time. On the outside of the headphones you'll find two physical control buttons for power/pairing and a button that cycles through noise-canceling modes, like a 2mm assist. socket and a USB-C port for charging. The outer part of the headphones acts as a capacitive touchscreen control panel that can be used to play, slow down or skip music and increase or decrease the volume. On headphones, this is where the magic happens. Sony has replaced the old System on Chip (SoC) with a new one that promises better noise cancellation. The key to this, of course, is the Sony QNe1 processor that continuously samples ambient audio to reactively adjust the level of noise cancellation. It's a clever configuration and design that sets it apart from other manufacturers' unique noise reduction algorithm. The bad news here, though, is that the Sony WH-1000XM4s aren't waterproof: they're not splash-proof, waterproof, or even highly waterproof. Sony advises keeping them dry and away from any source of water that could damage them. Sounds logical, and fairly easy to do, but it limits where you can take them - if you're looking for two headphones for exercise or the outdoors, these aren't them.

Sony WH-1000XM4 review

(Image credit: future)

Features

The Sony WH-1000XM3s were feature-packed from the start, packed with clever control schemes and clever applications of their noise-canceling technology. Everything great about the WH-1000XM3 headphones has carried over to the new successors to the WH-1000XM4, and with each and every new tip. These are not just gimmicks, they are useful additions that really do work as advertised. So let's start with the new stuff. First, and perhaps most importantly, Sony has perfected its wireless noise reduction approach. Like any good design, it's so subtle that you might not notice it at first (such was the strength of the preceding system, anyway). But with the newcomers WH-1000XM4, you get a much greater sense of noise cancellation in the midrange, those kinds of areas where you get a kind of low-end hum that you might attribute to a fan or air. air-conditioning unit, or roaring engine. It's never completely stealthy, but it's remarkably stealthy, and once the actual sound hits the cans, you can't feel the outside world in the slightest. While strong winds can always cause a bit of weird noise, this is one of the best (if not the best) noise-canceling systems we've heard out of two wireless headphones. These noise cancellation modes are smart too: with your permission, the WH-1000XM4 headphones can know where you are using geotagging access and apply your preferred level of noise cancellation or ambient sound transfer depending on where you are. . So at home you might prefer a completely noise-free mode, while at the office you might want voices to be heard. When the feature is on, the Sony headphones will emit a small tone when they reach one of your defined locations and will tick up or down noise canceling accordingly. While GPS requirements mean you won't be able to navigate a journey underground, you can preset your station or travel hub in the accompanying Headphones Connect app and have it turn on the noise reduction setting, preferably over the ground before descending. The best features of the new WH-1000XM4 are those that lend themselves to convenience. They are sumes simple and effective. A sensor in the headphones will recognize when you take the headphones off and pause music accordingly, automatically restarting playback when you replace them. If they stop for a few minutes (with a delay of your choice), they will automatically turn off to save battery power. A new multipoint connection allows the headset to connect to 2 devices at the same time, intelligently switching between the 2 according to the requirements of each device, for example, to send a notification or answer a call. Most impressive is the new Chat feature to chat. When this option is enabled, the headset microphone will intelligently recognize when you've started to chat and pause your music while ambient noise from the cans increases. It will let you chat naturally without removing your headphones, with a brief rest once you stop chatting before restarting music playback. It's a double-edged sword though, as it's almost too effective: if you decide to start a song and sing along to your tracks with the feature on, it will pause your track and end the session. Karaoke

Sony WH-1000XM4 review

(Image credit: future)

Audio quality

Sony uses the same 1000mm drivers in the WH-4XM1000 as in the WH-3XM1000, so in terms of tone and mix, there's not much to separate the WH-4XM1000 from the WH-3XM2 headphones that came before it. It's a warm, balanced sound that works well to deliver a wide soundstage when needed and details that can pierce powerful bass performance. On the noise reduction front, Sony employs its Dual Noise Sensor technology, using two microphones in each earcup to absorb sound and analyze it with the QN1 noise-canceling processor. This allows the headphones to adjust their noise canceling response negligibly quickly, at over 1000 times per second. It's impressively powerful and never gets in your tracks. While aptX HD support would have been welcome, Sony's LDAC codec, featured here, does a good job with devices that accept it, transmitting a lot of detail wirelessly. The introduction of DSEE Extreme, an artificial intelligence-based process that seeks to restore detail in lossy compressed formats, brings clarity to even the lowest-quality formats and files you can put on the WH-4XMXNUMX. Sony is also continuing to push its XNUMX Reality Audio offering, which is its immersive local audio format, putting you in the middle of a surround sound mix, and that's still impressive, even though access to its library is limited. A few streaming services, and catalog development has been slow. As always, we tested the headphones with a mix of streaming services, file formats, and spoken word clips, and the…

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