Sony WF-1000XM4 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – with Charging Case – Optimised for Alexa and the Google Assistant – with Built-in Mic for Phone Calls – Reliable Bluetooth Connection, Black
Noise Isolation Earbud Tips
Soft and elastic Noise Isolation Earbud Tips improve adhesion to the ear canal to insulate sound, reduce noise and ensure a more stable fit.
Exceptional sound quality, without wires
Enjoy crystal clear sound with High-Resolution Audio Wireless thanks to our LDAC technology.
Real-time restoration of all your compressed files
DSEE Extreme uses artificial intelligence to upscale your digital music files for richer listening.
Smarter talking, smarter listening
Want to have a chat? Speak-to-Chat pauses your music and lets in ambient sound as soon as you speak.
Enjoy sound tailored to suit your environment
Adaptive Sound Control senses where you are and adjusts the ambient sound to suit the situation.
Superior call quality, even in noisy situations
Precise Voice Pickup Technology picks up your voice clearly for hands-free calls wherever you are.
Superb listening just got easier
Find your perfect fit
The Sony | Headphones Connect app helps you find the ideal size of Noise Isolation Earbud Tips to ensure maximum sound quality and minimum noise.
Perfect for watching shows on your smartphone
The advanced wireless connection precisely syncs what you see with what you hear for better viewing.
Water resistant for everyday use
An IPX4 water resistance rating means splashes and sweat won’t stop you from moving to your music.
Listen all day, charge in minutes
Enjoy 8 hours of charge plus 16 more with the case. Get 60 minutes of music on a 5-minute charge.**
Charge up cable-free with Qi technology
Enjoy easy wireless charging with Qi charging pads and compatible smartphones like Xperia 1 III.
Eliminating plastic waste for a better world
The WF-1000XM4’s plastic-free packaging is produced using 99% recycled and sustainable materials.
Designed to complement your style
Smaller size, uncompromising quality
We redesigned the internal layout to make these headphones 10% smaller than the previous generation, without compromising on sound quality or battery life. At just 7.3 grams, they’re light enough to wear all day. The charging case is 40% smaller yet still gives you 16 hours of on-the-go charge.
How these compare with other Sony wireless headphones
 WF-1000XM4 |  WF-1000XM3 |  WF-SP800N |  WF-XB700 | |
| Noise cancelling | Industry-leading NC with V1* | Digital NC with QN1e | Digital NC | No |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours | Up to 24 hours | Up to 18 hours | Up to 18 hours |
| Wireless charging Qi | Yes | No | No | No |
| Water resistant | IPX4 water resistance | No | IP55 water & dust resistance | IPX4 water resistance |
| Built-in mic for phone calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Precise Voice Pickup Tech. | Yes | No | No | No |
| Voice assistant | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri | Google Assistant, Siri |
| Hi-Res Audio Wireless | Yes | No | No | No |
| 360 Reality Audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Weight: | 41 g |
| Size: | One Size |
| Dimensions: | 3 x 2 x 2.3 cm; 41 Grams |
| Model: | WF-1000XM4 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | 2 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 3 x 2 x 2.3 cm; 41 Grams |
| Size: | One Size |
They take a little while to get used to, but once you use them for a few days, you will love them!
One drawback, left one seems to work only when you use right one as well. (right one on its own works)
A bit odd
Bought for a recent holiday abroad. Could not bare to hear screaming children so bought these. I was not disappointed at all. They work perfectly and completely cancel out the awful noises of children. Highly recommend.
I love my Sony ear buds but they are not perfect. The sound is great and with the software its very easy to customise to your preferred listening experience. The noise cancelling is very good even without the noise cancelling off you get good disconnect from outside noises with he very nice soft earbud tips. There are a couple of annoying issues. Firstly on occasion the sound will just stop, it’s actually stopping the video on YouTube and you have to press play again. This function doesn’t always work by tapping the earbud so you have to do it on your device. Sometimes the music/sound is in mono instead of stereo, I’ve found that holding/touching both earbuds while they’re in your ears will reset it to stereo. This doesn’t always work first time. Other than that I really love the quality of these buds, great carry/charging case, good quality materials and the sound is super.
Excellent sound quality, battery life and the active noise cancellation is remarkably good in most situations. I have used these on airplanes and they drown out the vast majority of the background noise.
They sound great and work really well but only lasted 15 months. Very disappointing considering how much I paid for them. These were to replace a pair of Bang and Olufsen bluetooth earphones which I kept as spares for long trips etc and I’m having to go back to them as they’ve outlived these Sony ones.
These headphones are great, the noise cancelling works really well, they are comfortable. The battery life is excellent, I have them paired to both my laptop and phone. The sound quality is very good, it is easy to turn noise cancelling on or off quickly.
Exceptional sound quality but, for me, the on bud controls seem intermittent, might be my fat fingers though.
I especially like the ambient sound function that keeps you aware of your surroundings. This is important when I walk down country lane where there are a lot of tractors.
I dislike the junk back, forward and play again controls that, for me, might as well not be there and I use the iPhone controls to do these functions, if I was a runner it would really get on my nerves.
Buy these ear buds for their sound quality over anything else.
These have a foam ear piece a bit like foam ear plugs so they stay in your ear very efficiently and block outside sounds really well, without the noise cancelling even on. The downside of this is that they are not the comfiest ear buds for long use as they can give a bit of ear fatigue. They come with 3 sizes of foam tips, but personally, I could have done with a smaller option.
The sound quality, in my opinion, is very clear and slightly bass heavy, which I prefer. There is an equaliser in the app to adjust this if needed.
The app is fairly easy to use and allows some personalisation to the controls on the actual ear buds, although this is somewhat limited. I use play/pause on my left and can toggle between “ambient mode”, “off” and “noise cancelling” on the right. I also like that if you put your palm or finger on the bud for a few seconds, it will silence your audio and turn up the ambience so that you can talk and listen to somebody if needed.
I think these look very sleek and stylish in the ear and I like the charging case.
I’d love a bit more personalisation in the controls, ie being able to do different gestures to have more controls rather than just basic on either ear.
Battery life is very good the build quality of the buds and the case appears robust. I’ve also been told that the microphone is very clear for phone calls.
I just love the sound quality of these! If you have small ears or are looking for ones you’ll be wearing most of the day, these may not be the ones for you. But if you’re after an immersive experience with high quality sound, these are my choice.
The sound quality is outstanding, nice amount of bass and the app provided for different option in terms of sound as well as customising.
Talk through is excellent so you don’t have to take them out to have a conversation. Yes it feels a bit odd at first but once you’re confident you are shouting you can chat easily. You can change the sitting to whether turn this off (I found it activates if I cough which is ideal if I know I’m somewhere I won’t be talking) or you can change the amount of time is stays active.
Noise cancellation is very good! Remember these are ear buds, they will never match over ear headphones (I recommend the over ear versions of these whether you go hard on the M5’s or get a great deal on the M3’s – I have the latter and they remain my favourite to block the world out and disappear into great sounding music!)
They do however turn the volume right down on chatter around you. I bought these for the office where there can be upwards of 8 people talking together or on the phone – we do have someone who lacks awareness of their own volume but these buds heavily reduce this noise.
You may heard a bit when the music goes quite or in between tracks but even on the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 they do do this. So go at these knowing you’ll hear a little something and you’ll be right.
The buds themselves are big. I have small ears (I’m female) and they fit and feel great. I thought they’d feel heavy or cumbersome but they didn’t. I’ve considered the new M5’s but as I don’t have problem I don’t need that solution (albeit if just LOVE to have them because they are going to be great!)
You get three sizes of tips. I wear two different sizes having one ear canal a bit bigger.
You just make sure you twist them in (gently, no need to ram them!) to get them to ‘lock’ and that will support comfort and noise cancellation.
The holder keeps the buds charged, it’s nice and small, so would fit in your jeans pocket for example, and not look like you have something extremely bulky in there. I like that the ear buds grab magnetically into the case and also when you close it it has that reassuring magnetic snap. There is a light on the case to show you the charging level as well. This can also be viewed within the app.
In terms of the app, this is brilliant and stable, as is the connection between my iPhone and the ear buds. The app offers everything you would expect in terms of information regarding the charge of the buds and the case as well as the ability to change from noise cancelling to ambient sound or two neither of these.
In summary, Sony know exactly what they are doing and whether you go for the M4 or another version such as the M5. I have no doubt you will not be disappointed.
Like many suggested, this is possible the best value for money you pay compared with others available in similar price categories.
Only issue I have seen is the fitting, feel a bit bulky and loose. This is the reason I am not giving a 5 star. However, the Sound quality is just fantastic but can’t figure out why volume button does to go up or down.
When in ears I need to refit them after few minutes and occasionally my ears get a bit itchy time to time.
During first few times they weren’t very comfortable but after months I’m perfectly used to everything and they are definitely keepers.
Premium feel, distinct design.
Sony app could easily provide more useful features but still they are packed with useful features. I particularly like wind noise suppression.
My only concern is about charging case which should have on the inside of it’s top cover some soft protective lining. The bare plastic surface apparently can be in contact with earphones and does some gradual scrubbing damage to the touch sensors of both earbuds. The absence of such pads or soft coating inside tells me that Sony obviously hasn’t tested this product for long time enough or they deliberately ignored it and simply released it for sale. Noticeable change of the touch surface happened within just few months.
I’m happy with the product so far but if above damage will progress over the time to the point of compromised usability then it will be my last Sony product ever.
Have purchased many Sony headphones over the years – the quality, in respect to build and sound is great, and never seems to disappoint.
They are a comfortable set of in-ear headphones, with three differing sizes of buds to make sure that you get the best fit.
The sound quality is great, as per norm for the high end Sony products. The noise cancelling is good and on par with many other sets out there – but with the excellent fit – this increases the noise isolation.
The controls are responsive and programmable via the excellent Sony App. It allow you to customise many areas of the device – including the EQ so that you can get the sound that you like.
The call quality and pass through audio is excellent!
The charging case is small and compact and wired or wireless chargeable to suit your needs.
The main thing is though that they are very very comfortable to wear without that “hot” feeling you get from some units.
Another plus, in my view is that Sony have gone towards recyclable packaging – no plastics here! Win win!
The only minor – and it is minor quibble is that the unit took around 40 minutes to do a system update when I purchased them. This is the longest ever that I have experienced. I thought, at one point, there was an issued with my mobile phone or buds- but when checking the on screen instructions, it stated that updates on Android takes approx. 30 mins and 60 mins on iPhone. Not a deal breaker – I just went and made a coffee!
Overall – another great product that follows the usual quality from Sony!
The WF-1000XM4 headphones incorporate Sony’s V1 HD processor, a new driver unit, and innovative noise-cancelling eartips. This results in a pair of headphones that offer stellar noise cancellation. It can filter out sounds from ticking clocks, dishwashers, buzzing lightbulbs, humming TVs, and even the revving of motorbikes. With these headphones on, you can escape into your own world of music, no matter where you are.
In addition to exceptional noise cancellation, these headphones shine in terms of sound quality. Sony’s DSEE Extreme and LDAC technologies ensure that you’re experiencing the highest quality of wireless audio possible. The bass is powerful, clear, and thumping, yet it doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the sound profile. The treble is balanced, with rich mid-tones and vocals. These headphones allow for a truly immersive listening experience, treating you to the finest details of your favourite tracks.
A handy feature is the ‘speak to chat’ setting that automatically halts music when you talk, allowing you to engage in conversation without needing to remove the headphones. Moreover, the proximity sensor and accelerometers provide adaptive playback and intuitively detect when the headphones are on or off. These smart features add to the ease of use, making these headphones not just a tool, but a part of your lifestyle.
Another strength of the WF-1000XM4 headphones lies in their battery life. The integrated lithium-ion battery ensures up to 24 hours of music enjoyment (with noise cancelling) on a single charge, which is a blessing for audiophiles and casual listeners alike. Even better, the quick charge function lets you get an additional 60 minutes of playtime with just 5 minutes of charging.
Some users might have concerns regarding the fit, due to the relatively larger size of the buds. However, despite their size, they sit comfortably in your ears without any discomfort, even during extended usage. The headphones look sleek and unobtrusive, perfectly suitable for wearing in public spaces.
The WF-1000XM4 is not without its minor drawbacks. Some users have reported occasional issues with the software, where one earbud might go to sleep during playback. This is a minor inconvenience, as it is quickly resolved with a tap, and it is expected to be fixed with future firmware updates.
Comfort might also be a point of contention for some, as a few users have experienced discomfort with prolonged usage, even though others found the headphones quite comfortable. It’s worth noting that comfort can be highly subjective and depends on individual ear shape and sensitivity.
Pros:
1. Industry-leading noise cancellation.
2. Exceptional sound quality.
3. Speak-to-chat and other smart features.
4. Impressive 24-hour battery life and quick charge capability.
5. Generally comfortable and stylish design.
Cons:
1. Occasional software hiccups, though likely to be resolved with future updates.
2. Comfort might vary significantly among users.
In conclusion, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 headphones are a testament to Sony’s innovation and commitment to quality. Their industry-leading noise cancellation, sound quality, and battery life, coupled with smart features and a sleek design, make them a superb choice for anyone looking to elevate their audio experience. Despite minor drawbacks, these headphones are a commendable addition to the wireless headphone market and come highly recommended.
The fit of the earbuds takes getting used to, however. The tips are somewhat blunter and firmer than those included with other brands, and accidentally going too large made one of my outer ears hurt until I swapped that tip for a size smaller than the other. Since then they have felt fine.
The only thing that slightly irritates me about these from a technical standpoint is that I wasn’t able to use Google assistant control directly through the earbuds while being able to use either bud independently. Hopefully a software update will solve that one so, in future, I don’t have to choose which convenience I prefer.
All in all an excellent set of earbuds but a couple aspects stop them from being perfect.
I have no gripes with the earbuds themselves, they fit amazingly and there’s even a bit in the Sony Headphone software where it can detect whether the eartips create a proper seal within your ear or not. The noise cancelling is outstanding; perhaps a little too good as my family often struggles to get my attention while I am wearing them with Noise cancelling on. The ambient sound is also very useful, great for being able to keep both earbuds in while also hearing your surroundings.
I cannot fault Sony for the current delay in repair, the issue is with the seller and their apparent lack in customer service when it comes to the request of Invoices.
I can’t argue with the sound quality & noise cancelling. I’m no audio engineer and these and the Jabra’s sound as good as each other, as far I’m concerned. These may even have better bass. I really like that they give you an equaliser to play with, Jabra’s did not.
I’ve also had no problems with fit or comfort, as some others have. Although, the memory foam isn’t quite as comfy as the regular buds on the Jabra.
The 2 niggles I’ve found are connectivity and control. If I connect them to my laptop, one of the ear pieces will drop for a split second, quite often. Sometimes one of them might disconnect completely and have to restart. This does not happen when connected to my phone, unless it’s buried in clothing.
The controls on the ear pieces are touch pads, not mechanical buttons (as with the Jabra’s), so it’s easy to touch them accidentally has I faff about with hats and glasses.
Overall I’m happy with them though, would recommend.
I am so impressed with the quality of the sound and noise cancellation. It’s the first time I buy this type of earbuds and it’s better than my headphones. Unfortunately they are too big for my ears so they fell often and I chose to return them.
Fit: These come with foam style tips, three different sizes. I feel like they fit and seal well.
Battery: Haven’t run out yet but I usually only use them for 4-5hrs at a time at most at which point they get to 75%-ish battery life.
Case: USB-C and wireless charging, the case also has strong magnets so your earphones won’t fall out when opening.
App: No issues installing and pairing. Allows you to change the touch controls, EQ, noise reduction etc.
Noise Cancellation: In my opinion better than Samsung Buds or Bose QC, but I think that’s due to the foam tips and better fit. Also comes with a neat mute music and turn on ambient sound if you start talking.
Sound: The default sound out the box without EQ is typical Sony signature, lot’s of bass with recessed mids. It supports LDAC (make sure you enable in bluetooth settings if your on Android).
The EQ in their app has a 5 band (plus a “clear bass” setting) which makes them very versatile.
I use the following settings,
400 – 0
1k – 3
2.5k – 5
6.3k – 3
16k – 2
Clear Bass – -1
Overall thoughts on the sound is that it’s one of the better (if not best) pair of wireless earphones I have used, in part thanks to their software. Bass on default is a bit much for me (bassheads rejoice!) but at -1/-2 I find it punchy without being overbearing. These handle high mids and highs very well, no sibilance heard.
Conclusion: Bit pricey but these have all the features you would expect from the cost. Very comfortable for prolonged use and the sound is excellent. Would recommend if on sale or if cost isn’t an issue.
They are comfy, look great and stay in my ears.
Noise cancelling is excellent for a pair of buds.
The only issue being intermittent connectivity occasionally in either the left or right.
A little more detail.
I am impressed with these earbuds but new users beware, the EQ in the app absolutely needs messed with to get the sound you want! Out of the box the response is flat; very little bass, flat mids and tinny highs. BUT once you start messing with the EQ you can dial in a great sound, either for audiophiles, people who just want bass or a nice balanced sound. I’ve added a screenshot of my preference so far but it is subjective.
In terms of fit, these are the best I’ve ever had. They are airtight with the large tips and don’t fall out of my ears.
The design is sleek and has a premium feel, with a lovely matte finish and understated metal accents that add that little bit more to the aesthetic without being over the top.
Noise cancelling is excellent, only dropping a star in this area as the fit has to be perfect for it to be at it’s best. If you’re looking for true noise cancelling, over ear headphones are still your best bet.
Now for why I dropped a star overall. I’ve found the left or right bud will drop out intermittently. It’s few and far between, but can be frustrating as I have to take the affected bud out and reinsert it – therefore having to mess to get the aforementioned airtight fit.
A minor issue which may be due to my selection of Sound Quality prioritisation over connection stability (which allows me to enable LDAC – the best for Bluetooth high quality audio playback). Either way worth bearing in mind before you purchase.
I would absolutely recommend these buds at the current price!
Great sound, graphic equaliser on the app, and I like the controls especially “quick attention” which turns your music and noise cancelling down briefly if you want to listen to a train announcement or something.
I really hate the ear tips though and will be replacing them. They are foam rather than silicone and I find they get grubby quicker. The small is also way too big for me meaning they don’t stay in my ears securely. Currently I have swapped tips with the XS ones from my Loop Engage earplugs and they work perfectly.
Premium sound, Noise cancelling is so good . However they hurt my ears and bought as recommended spinfot 360 medical grade silicone tips .. This did not help alot … Having previously owned the galaxy buds plus that have a rubber cushion towards the ear the Sony buds really hurt.. But I’ll keep them because the sound is top tie
Awesome earbuds. Comfy and secure, although can take a bit of wiggling to get them to fit. There’s definitely a knack to it!
Second quality is genuinely superb. Great depth of field, nicely balanced and not too tiring on the ears – which can be a problem with such revealing quality of sound.
My only real complaint is the utter failing of the noise cancelling below about 100Hz. This may not be a problem for many people, but I suffer from extremely sensitive hearing and these do literally nothing to cut out low-end rumble of engines and power transformers or nearby pylons (25Hz to 60Hz). Noise cancelling seems to get better over 100Hz and is superb from 200Hz upwards. This seems to be a common problem with noise cancelling headphones of all types though (the exception being QuietOn – but they’re for sleeping send don’t play music).
Buy these for their superb audio quality, decent fit and not the low-end noise cancelling.
BATTERY LIFE 5/5 – The battery is really good. I walk into town with these on, walk around the shops for a bit, go to the gym then walk home and they still have over 50% battery remaining plus the charge on the case. I use these daily and I honestly charge them about once a week.
SOUND QUALITY 3/5 – I may have been a little harsh here but the sound quality is reasonable. Probably still one of the better earbuds on the market but they do have some issues. There is a high pitched whiny whistly sound when people speak in videos which I haven’t been able to get rid of no matter what I try and it is always there – sometimes worse than others. This doesn’t seem to be present in music, just in videos where people speak. They are also a little tinny at times but for their size, they have pretty impressive bass and maximum volume.
FIT – I know some people aren’t particularly a fan of have they fit in the ears. They aren’t contoured, the ear canal essentially just holds them in place without them resting on the outer ear. This doesn’t particularly affect me in any way, they don’t get loose or anything but if I do something like strain in the gym, they move and create a gap so sound from outside leaks in.
BUGS – The sounds cuts out on a semi-frequent basis. Sometimes it is one earbud, sometimes it is both, sometimes for half a second, sometimes for a few seconds, sometimes only a couple of times in a day and sometimes 4-5 times a minute. It also varies between just completely cutting out or making a high pitched squeak with static sound which can be loud and hurt the ear a little.
Overall I give these a 4/5 because they excel in some areas but in some others it could be improved.
The battery life is best in market as far as I could tell. 8 hours + 16 more with case.
The case wirelessly charges which is a nice wee extra.
Everything sounds great. EQ in app is a great bonus. The noise cancellation is superb. Maybe struggles a tiny bit at lower volumes in cafe spaces with lots of clinking.
I tend not to use the ambient noise mode. Been getting a lot of hiss from it when it pump in surrounding environmental audio to the mix. I’ve seen suggestions that lowering the mic sensitivity can fix this issue, however I can’t spy a bit in the phone app that lets me alter this setting.
These are technically a premium option, but if you pick them up on a deal (mine were 150), they’re pretty much a steal. It seems 50 will get you an OK pair of wireless buds these days, but I think I’m ultimately more content to have spent a bit extra and have found my self safe in the knowledge that I’ll unlikely find myself wanting to replace these anytime soon.
Soooooo, now the problem. It seems to me that Sony have given very little consideration to the design ergonomics of these ear buds. They appear to have little to no contouring to the human ear at all, most ear bud designs are shaped in such a way that they nestle neatly inside the ear but these don’t, they rely pretty much entirely on the tips (which are memory foam which is great although after just a few months have already started to perish with daily use) to hold the whole bud in the ear. I find myself constantly readjusting them to get them comfortable. The ear buds themselves are quite bulky and heavy by current standards which doesn’t help. It’s almost as if Sony have given barely any consideration to the design which is a real shame because if they got the design and comfort right these ear buds would be the full package. I put up with the frankly bad design because the sound quality is pretty much unbeatable.
I bought these to replace my WF-1000XM3 earbuds. These provide excellent sound quality and noise cancelling. Absoluty perfect for drowning out background noise on flights and public transort. The case is smallenough to slip in to a pocket and holds a decent amount of charge. Only criticism is the case lid feel a little flimsy but I’ve been using daily and not had any issues. Personally, they don’t feel as comfortable as the WF-1000XM3 but that might just be the shape of my ears.
I have had these earphones for a while now, and they’re better than i could have ever expected, the ear buttons are completely customisable to what you want, the Ambient sound is really good and really clear, if you have you music down low you can still hear conversations. and the noise cancelling just blocks out the world, one press and the world turns into a silent dream, the quality of them is too, really good! it comes with a free subscription to certain “high quality music streaming apps” but Spotify works exactly the same, so personally I wouldn’t bother with these other apps, just stick with what you already have, but who am i to tell you what to do.
the charge is pretty impressive to, lasting ages I never have to worry about charging them, lasted 6 hours on a long drive no problems no discomfort and the wireless charging is really quick and a nice feature. i spent a lot of time researching different earbuds, from galaxy to air pod to beats…. and i have absolutely no regrets with these buds. plus they look really good
the goggle assistant is good, when i do speak to text it works really well and it reads back messages with just a press of a button, they’re very user friendly and the app that comes with it is also great. i would recommend these all day.
and if you’re a bit low on cash, the models below are also really great.
As good as The WX-1000MX3. I say this because I cannot spot any difference, I swap from headphones inner ear to over the top all the time.
Probably more secure in the ear than the xm3, but then depends on the buds you’re using..
They’re OK..
These are probably amongst one of the best purchases I have ever made! If you like the sound of your music to be crystal clear- and I mean crystal clear- push the boat out and buy these. I did some research before buying and I’m glad I did, as they are OUTSTANDING quality Bluetooth headphones. I have yet to test them in wind and while walking but the fit is superb and I have no doubt they will be more than up to the task. You can download the Sony headphones all to optimise the sound experience too. These headphones make me want to sit and stream from Amazon Music all day they are that good! Go get them!!
Okay, these are incredible. I previously owned some mifo 05’s. They were great for a mid-range budget wireless earbud. After 5 years they stopped charging and so I upgraded their replacements with these.
The noise cancelling on these is freakish. You can op to have noise cancelling enabled or ambient noise on. How it does that is next level magic. Just… I’m… HOW??
The sound quality is supreme as you could expect for some 200 sony’s. There’s nothing more to add than that. They’re sony. They were always going to perform to the highest quality, guaranteed.
They fit perfect, they feel secure and they’re not as big as I thought they might be. I love them.
The only problem I have ever had with them is they cannot be cleaned. Which means if you get earwax in the headphones they can stop working which is shocking really. In trying to clean them they ended up breaking and I immediately bought new ones so they cant be that bad.
My pair of 1000MX3s were playing up a bit so I upgraded to these.
I find these to be more comfortable in the ears, with slightly better sound quality and noice cancellation. It’s not a huge jump though in my opinion, so probably wouldn’t be worth the upgrade alone if my old pair was still working properly.
I’ve been using these for a month and had no problems with Bluetooth disconnection issues at all – much better than the M3s and the battery has seems to be much improved.
Only issue I have is with the supplied tips getting stuck in ears when removing buds – this is very annoying as I didn’t have this problem with the old pair.
Overall though, I’m happy with these and would recommend them.
I do like Sony kit and these are no exception. Expensive, yes but you get what you pay for. Usually with Sony stuff the quality is second to none but they lack features of some cheaper makes, these have all the bells and whistles included. They connect to my phone and PC everytime. They are very easy to set up and the sound quality is brilliant. Noise cancelling works perfectly and is easy to change if you need to hear the back ground sounds ( fire alarms etc ). The control from the headphones is a bit fiddly sometimes if you don’t touch the right part of the case when in use. I’ve paused playback when adjusting the fit in my ear but you do get used to it. The only downside for me is the fit of the in ear tips. I have big holes in my ear and I’ve never had a headphone that doesn’t drop out. These are still a bit loose in my ear but with a bit of fiddling about I get them to stay in. I’ve ordered some bigger foam tips to try. Overall these are the best in ear headphones I’ve had. Yes you can buy more expensive ones that maybe better but for a 60+ year old with tinnitus these stop the wooshing in my head and have great sound quality for music and movies. Brilliant.
Eagerly awaited to receive wireless earbuds and had to send back per review points below.
+ sound is probably best in market for price.
+ maybe too much bass for some.
+ achievements for use per app was a nice touch.
+ hi res LDAP
+ small compact case
+ looks nice albeit larger than basic cheap earbuds
+ 3 size foam earbuds provided to meet most shaped ear canals s/m/l
+ equaliser and bass boost are great and noise cancellation works well. Mostly due to foam earbuds
+ best sound quality out there for the price
Bluetooth remained stable but disconnected on one side very rarely
-foam earbuds appear to maybe near replacing sooner than silicon but provide better noise cancellation. Maybe why Sony went with this approach.
– I have small ear holes and the small size is too big. I needed XS which is not included.
– earbuds are slightly heavy, due to all the tech included
Would be great if they had find location of earbuds or case form app in case you lose them. Strange that the battery on one side went down faster than the other. Had to turn them off from app, not sure if they have auto shutdown after time lapse.
I bought two pairs (for myself and my wife) when a great deal popped up. They fitted me fine but my wife could not get them to sit in her ears AT ALL, we tried all the tips but had to send them back (Bose Sportbuds fitted much better). In summary…a 5* review key things to keep in mind….
– Challenging fit – they might be fine, but be ready to send them back.. I would not buy them as a gift for someone who has not tried them on.
– Amazing sound quality – I had Bose QC-20 wired ANCs before these and I now realise I was living in the audio dark ages. The ANC is not quite as “active” as the Bose’s which are great as they work well with clever “loose” fit. But if you get the Sony’s properly sealed in your ears (use the App to test) the ANC / sound quality is amazing in home/urban environments. I have not had a chance to fly with them yet.
– the eartips they came with are quite firm – I needed the large size and a good shove into my ears to get a seal – problem solved with some memory foam tips (SonicFoam SF2)
– The app is pretty good, allowing control of ANC, equalizer, touch controls and voice assisant – note that you cannot have voice assistant enabled unless one bud is set to control playback (there are three options – volume, ANC/ambient and playback)
– I thought the ANC was not working after a couple of days – but it’s just the fit. Unlike my old Boses, you have to get a seal on the ear tip to get the full effect. Use the app to test you have a good fit.
– Microphone audio quality for calls is OK – in a quiet environment they are usable for calls but not as good as my Jabra boom mic. They don’t seem to have very good ambient noise cancelling – using them to make a call on a london street the person I spoke with said they struggled to hear me, but I have not tested again.
– the charge case is nice and small – easy to carry in a pocket and the magetic closure and bud retention is nice and firm.
– battery life is great so far.
I got them for 90 less than the Bose QCs Earbuds (at the time) so it was a no-brainer, but I am curious whether the ANC+fit combo of the Bose’s is better.
Very good sound quality, keeps firm in ears even while running, long BT range and reliable connection, long battery life. Though one side always drains more battery than other due to playback control feature. Not a big problem, you can disable it or switch to opposite earpiece to even out battery life. Had to buy another small silicone eartips to fit my ears. Overall I’m very happy of this purchase.
Noise cancellation is the best I’ve ever had, used them in the tube during time in London and reduced the noise to basically nothing. When using the feature in a quiet environment you can hear no static etc and that’s even when I have fans going.
I find the foam eartips rather comfy. I found the small the best fit for my ears so it’s just playing already with what’s best.
Sometimes wish they would play louder, feel like I’ve had cheaper earphones with louder playback sound but maybe that’s a sacrifice for better sound quality?
Would definitely recommend, but maybe wait for a sale..!
These were amazing headphone definitely to two in my opinion, but they wouldn’t stay in my ears, so I would say get them but if your ears at on the smaller side you might need Comply foam tips to go with them
Just as good as the reviews say. But they need to be really tight in your ear. That can be uncomfortable at times. Nice and small case a big plus. However think I will get another brand when I can.
The noise cancelling is ok on these, although not as good as the over ear version, which I can understand. These are great for the gym as stay put better than others I’ve tried with fab sound quality. However, even a slight breeze sounds like an aircraft taking off and blots out the music, so not great for outdoors. And they can get uncomfortable after about 30-40mins in my ears. Could just be I have odd shaped ears lol. Have to say I haven’t worked out the controls yet.
Having had several before, including my previous Bose ones, I’ll compare
GOOD
-Battery is really good, it also charges quickly, and the wireless charging is a fantastic feature, very convenient.
-Noise noise cancelling is amazing for earphones, impressive.
-Sound quality is also great for wireless earphones, not as bassy as the Bose but you can change that in the app settings.
-Another impressive thing is that you can change the equalizer and settings and it records into the earphones themselves, I mean if you switch from laptop to phone to Walkman then the settings will not change, this is great because for example I cant change equalizer on my Walkman with wireless. Really a huge advantage over Bose.
-I find this to have more detail than the Bose ones.
-The connection is also impressive, I had trouble with the Bose ones that sometimes I would put into the case and one earbud wouldn’t charge, never happened with these ones.
-Another advantage you can use just one earbud if you want.
-Touch buttons is also nice, I must say I had trouble with this at the beginning, it takes some getting used to, but I think they updated the firmware and improved this, because I remember it being bad last year.
-You can quickly swap between devices, lets suppose I’m on my laptop, I get my phone, chose the Bluetooth connection and its done, connects in 2 seconds, this wouldn’t be the case with Bose which had trouble pairing if it was already paired on another device.
-LDAC quality, which my Bose didn’t have
-USB-C
BAD
-These are not very loud, unless you have modern music in CD quality, then you might struggle, I had issues with some vinyl rips not being loud enough, Bose is much louder
-I still haven’t figured out how to switch off and on without putting them in the case.
-Volume using touch buttons is not as easy as with a slider or button
-If you use noise cancelling and you go for a run, you will hear every foot step, this is not the best for sports, I just switch off the noise cancelling every time I go for a run but its not convenient because I have my touch button for the volume, so to change the noise cancelling I have to pair with my phone, go to the app, and do it there, its cumbersome.
-Little issue when I drop the volume down, sometimes it just continues to drop until minimum, must be a bug.
– I wish it had sound check, I know that’s asking too much but it would be perfect, and for the price they ask, why not.
CONCLUSION
Great earphones, make sure you get a proper seal and play around with the app
Not worth it for the original price, get it on sale
I don’t that issue here, these earbuds fit very securely and stay put during exercise. Noise cancelling on these earbuds is near perfect, I can walk down the street with heavy traffic or with wind and not hear a thing. They far outshine the 85ts in this respect.
Sound quality is amazing, better still after tweaking the equaliser with suggestions on reddit. I’ve had a brief play with Sony’s 360 reality audio and I’m not convinced it adds much, but I don’t have a Tidal or Deezer subscription to truly test it.
I have two gripes: firstly there’s no way to switch the earbuds on or off aside from placing them back into/removing them from the case. This might seem fairly normal however if I’m exercising without the case I like to be able to switch them off and place them into my pocket, pulling them back out and powering on when needed. I could do this with the 85ts but my only option here is to leave them on and connected to my phone while in my pocket. The app does allow me to power off the earbuds but then I can’t power them back on without placing them into and removing from the case.
Secondly, the controls on the earbuds are slightly restrictive. You can choose to have the buttons cycle through ambient noise/noise cancellation/off, playback control or volume control – only two of these three can be used at a time (one per earbud, obviously). However the 85ts could do all three by allowing volume control through holding down either button. The app here doesn’t allow you to change that function, so I have to change the volume manually on my phone. Slightly annoying. I’m sure Sony can easily change this with a firmware update.
Overall they’re an upgrade from the Jabra 85t in terms of fit, comfort, noise cancellation and overall sound quality. I’d highly recommend them.
The features are all very well thought out and perform exactly as described and better than I expected in a couple of cases. I was convinced that one feature could not work well in practice but, it works perfectly every time. The ambient mode is excellent, you can leave them in to converse or hear announcements. I was very impressed by how well they isolate speech from ambient noise and enhance it if you choose to have it focus on voices. The ANC allows me to listen to music at the volume I want rather than having to raise it loud to hear over ambient noise. It is not quite as effective as full size ANC headphones but not far off.
I found them instantly comfortable, I can wear them all day. Most of the most popular and easy to obtain ear tips fit them.
Comfort- sent the first set of WFs back- stock buds seriously a pain in my ear and inadequate seal. The ANC was poor, I wondered if faulty and reordered. Then I read about Non standard buds – tried Comply 360s- I dont rate the ANC, and also not a reassuring fit with the Comply buds but then I tried Sonicfoam buds (10 pairs for less than the price of 3 pairs of complys). They are much more comfortable and ANC seems ok but not as good as WHs.
Sound quality- both sound amazing but WH’s are clearly more entertaining for the more open stage effect.
Volume – I occasionally wish I could turn up volume on WFs, no issue with WHs
Controls, wish the WFs could have both ambient and volume option not one or the other.
Battery on WHs is superb – runs for days but the WFs battery life is more inconvenient. These would be a pain on a long haul flight needing to recharge. Definitely WHs for longer flights/ ANC.
Lots of EQ options on the app and also customizing options for the WFbuds.
Prefer WHs based on sound comfort convenience, just so hot! ( guess that’s sign they are a good seal)
I bought these as they seem to get positive reviews regarding their fit. Generally they seem OK but do become a slight pain after prolonged use. Sound quality is extremely good for this type of headphone but you do need to make sure they are fitted correctly. The noise cancellation is OK but not all enveloping like a pair of closed headphones would be. You can still hear quite a lot of ambient noise but the music does take front and centre. Overall I like these buds but if noise cancellation is the big draw I’d stick to over ear headphones.
Battery life seems good but I have only had them a few months.
I did drop one and it bounced back up enough for me to catch it ! Still works, so build quality seems OK.
These are expensive but for fit and sound quality I’d pay a little more.
Love these earphones from Sony but they are flawed, great fit,great tips if you don’t like silicone,but under EU regulations the volume is capped to unreasonable low levels, your paying 200+ for earphones that cannot go louder than say a 50.00 cheap pair alternatives,for me this is an issue and think as Amazon is selling these directly I think they should inform customers of the volume cap,I and many more people are partly deaf and require a higher volume usage but yet we as adults are not allowed to make our own choices to override the safety cap, EU is treating us all like kids, why should people with hearing disabilities not be allowed to enjoy music like the rest of the population,my advice is order earphones from a distributor from Canada or USA who don’t have the EU nanny states telling you what you can and cannot do
I’ll start by saying I’ve found it impossible to leave Sennheiser as other earphone audio quality has been inferior. I’ve tried Sony before and been disappointed in the bass.
As soon as I heard the audio I was a fan. High, mid, low all pop, the sound was instantly my favourite I’ve heard not just on bluetooth but one of my favourites across all headphones.
Comfort/ergonomics wise I rate them just “ok”. The ear canal fit is decent but they’re quite top heavy and feel like they want to fall out if it wasn’t for the snug ear canal fit. I did a quick not too jiggly run on a treadmill and they held up (with some position adjusting). Comfort wise again just ok, not particularly comfortable. In these respect my Sennheiser Momentums are better.
Microphone is ok – not tested in noises places like the street but it sounds apparently quite tinny – this is in comparison to a wired pair of earphones with the mic on the wire though. I’m guessing the mic is no worse than other wireless earbuds.
However I’ll be keeping them for the excellent audio even if comfort and secure fit could be better.
The earbuds also benefit from passive cancellation/ isolation through the memory foam tips – which unfortunately can lead to discomfort and insecurity in-ear. They never felt particularly comfortable or secure, and I was cautious even wearing them whilst walking at a steady pace. Furthermore, in relation to some issues I found that walking, chewing and taking phone calls through the earphones resulted in a metallic resonance/ tinny sound.
The battery life was great and super convenient, and I didn’t find that using the ANC drained too much of the battery, as long as you keep the earphone case topped up every now and then. Charging is quick too. I believe the case is compatible with wireless charging – which is a great bonus convenience for those who prefer this method of charging.
Bluetooth connection was reliable and consistent, I never encountered any glitches or faults in this area – apart from a couple of occasions where I faced a couple of seconds delay for the earbud to recognise placement/adjustment within my ear before connecting to my phone.
The app was very user-friendly with plenty of options to customise the scaling and degree ANC, and the touch controls. I liked the customisability of the sound equaliser – I STRONGLY recommend to create a custom EQ. as soon as possible because from the box the earphone’s sound is rather weak, quiet, flat and muddy. I was very disappointed with the bass and tone until I adjusted the eq in the app, even so it’s still not the best sound quality in the price range.
The touchpad on the earbuds was a little fickle – sometimes requiring more pressure than is preferred to register a touch on the specific spot – which was not ideal considering the comfort and size issues I had with these earphones.
Overall, I’m of mixed opinions with these earphones. ANC, again is great, and the primary buying point of these earphones if you can tolerate the comfort/fit and adjust the EQ for sound quality.
Initially when I tried them I was not impressed, this was until I found that you need to find the correct fit ear tips to produce a air tight fit in your ear canal, I found the medium buds to fit my ears best, I also found that my old sony (wired) buds ear tips fitted well on to these buds and worked just as well (if not better). There is a sony app you can download for IOS (I don’t have an android device) that can help you ensure that the ear tips are a closed and tight fit.
Once a tight fitting ear tip is found, the sound comes alive, bass is amazing for such a tiny bud (play around with the Sony App where you can modify the acoustics of incoming audio), and general all round sound is very impressive (treble, middle etc). To be clear this is a bud headphone, you will not get the full expansive sound stage that a full over ear headset will give you, however I found these buds very engaging and a joy to listen to.
I also tried these on my Macbook Pro for MS Teams meetings over bluetooth, you have to be mindful on the sound codec used for the microphone, I installed Bluetooth Explorer from the Apple developer site to enforce a higher codec to be used. Microphone usage in a MS Teams is reported to be slightly “echo like” but perfectly audible from the other side. Believe these is also a paid for applet (search the web) that can enforce the codec usage.
Noise cancelling is very effective, though I actually find the default fit (with noise cancelling off) blocks out a large percentage of external noise. The “ambient” sound option is also great in case you need to have more awareness of your surroundings and works quite well in terms of still being able to have a normal conversation with the earbuds playing music or just blocking out majority of unwanted noise.
There’s only a few pairs of headphones that are at this level of performance and in line with this price range. I’m going to be comparing these directly with last generations XM3s though, as I feel that while those headphones had a few flaws that stopped them being perfect, the sound and noise cancelling they produced was top tier.
Starting with the case, they’ve finally got it right this time with the XM4. It’s smaller, much smaller, and easier to pocket. There’s no gold finish on the lid anymore, which is a good thing as while it looked really nice on the XM3s, it would get marked up pretty badly after just one trip in a bag. In contrast, the new case is matt black and has so far held up very nicely. The new case also features wireless charging this time round, something that was missing from the XM3s.
Moving on to the headphones themselves, there’s also been some big changes there. The buds feel different this time round, almost like memory foam. It’s really nice. The shape of the headphones has changed for the better, instead of having part of the bud sticking out and towards your mouth, the XM4s aim to keep everything in the general area of the ear opening. The result here is that the XM4s feel much better when wearing something like a beanie. The overall comfort and secured fit is just simply better here with the XM4s.
Noise Cancelling is next, and oh boy I wasn’t expecting it to be this good. I’ve got a pair of the larger over ear XM3s, and a pair of Bose 700’s, and I was shocked at just how close these come to being on par with those! The big boys still reign supreme, these are still tiny headphones after all, but it’s way closer than I’d have thought. This places them well ahead of the XM3 in ear headphones in ANC, and even further ahead of the likes of the Air Pods Pro, which were already slightly behind the XM3’s. There is actually one area or example where the ANC on the XM4 in ear headphones actually beats out my XM3 over ear and Bose 700s, surprisingly. Whenever I’m on a bus, the ANC does a fantastic job blocking out people and engine noise, but one thing that happens from time to time is when the bus hits a bump on the road, the windows will shake, and the pressure changes in the air will actually cause the headphones to make this kind of thud sound, like tapping on a speaker dome. The XM4’s seem not to be affected by this, and while they don’t quite block the same amount of roaring engine sound (I must stress again, they get close), they can sometimes make those bumpy journeys less annoying thanks to not having this thudding sound issue. The wind noise suppression feature is also present here, and has seen a decent improvement. On the XM3s, both in and over ear, when this option is toggled on, the effectiveness of the ANC is reduced slightly, but it pretty much blocks out most wind noise, unless it’s extreme. On the XM4s though, when this setting is enabled, there’s isn’t really much of a change to the effectiveness of the ANC unless there is wind actively hitting them, at which point the ANC adjusts to compensate for the wind, it’s really well done. Using ANC doesn’t seem to have any noticeable impact on the quality of the music with the XM4s, the sound balance and signature of the sound remain untouched, at least to my ears.
Sound Quality once again has taken a step in the right direction. The sound is quite “Sony like”. If you use Sony headphones already, you’ll recognise the signature here. The XM4s demonstrate quite a few advantages over the XM3s, and even the XM3 over ear headphones too! When comparing with the In ear XM3s, the music is clearer, crisper, and has just a nice level of low end. When I first got these, they actually seemed a little boomy on tracks with more base, it could on some occasions be a little overbearing in my opinion. To my surprise, a firmware update was released that actually altered the default sound of the headphones, and the low end is now spot on.
Now the over ear XM3s still have the advantage in terms of quality, and of course they can reach greater volumes, but the XM4s actually have an advantage over the XM3 over ear headphones, and of course over the in ear XM3s, too. This advantage comes thanks to the new hardware inside, and what it allows you to do via the APP. The app is still the same, it’s reliable, quick, and auto detects whichever Sony headphones you are connected with. When you hook up the XM4s, you’re going to notice right away that not only do these have LDAC on supported handsets, they also support AAC. The over ear XM3s didn’t support AAC, meaning if you didn’t have LDAC, you were getting booted down to the old BC connection, which isn’t so great. The headphones made up for it by using their up-scaling. The down side was that if you used LDAC, or Up-scaling, you wouldn’t be able to use any of the other features, such as the positional sound settings or the EQ. The XM4s will now only allow you to use AAC, it will allow you to any combination of features in the app. You can have the AAC connection, with up-scaling, AND have a custom EQ active. You can finally use a custom EQ with LDAC too.
Ambient Sound has seen some improvement here too I feel. It’s not as big a leap as the audio quality, or ANC, but it’s improved none the less. The sound that’s piping through to the headphones now feels a little more full, whereas it could sometimes feel a little hollow in the past versions. If I’ve been using ambient sound for a few minutes and haven’t resumed my music, I’ll start to forget I’m even wearing the headphones. The focus on voice option is still there, and it does a nice job in the office of blocking out the air conditioning, yet leaving my teams voices come through quite well.
The last thing I wanted to mention was call quality. These do a better job on calls than both the in ear and over ear XM3s. The XM4s pick out the voice better, and it comes through cleaner on the other side. However, in noisy environments, they can struggle a bit, and I find myself sometimes having to cup my hand round one of them and speaking louder in order for me to be heard. On the other end, I can end up sounding a bit robotic as the headphones struggle to separate my voice from the environment. The Pixel buds are still King when it comes to calls for me, and I’d put the air pods 2nd place behind those. Calls on the XM4s are better than before, and it’s a decent experience in quiet to moderate environments, but being on a busy street, or on a bus, it’s a bit of a different story.
If you’re looking for a pair of in-ear headphones right now, the XM4s are the ones you should be getting. The sound, features, app, battery life and wireless performance are all first class. Highly recommended.
Pros:
– Sound quality.
– Premium design.
– Headphones & case quality (premium product feel).
– Case is small, easy to keep in the pockets.
– Great bass (overall V sound).
– The Latest Bluetooth 5.2.
– Quite stable connection with phone (*Samsung S21).
– LDAC support.
Cons:
– Size and therefore, hard to fit in ears, constantly require adjusting in ears otherwise they will fall, a lot, during the first day of usage, they fell under a bus (literally), to the bowl with food and other places, considering their price, this poor fit will give you anxiety every single day.
– ANC is good only after changing tips, additional cost.
– App can be annoying, poor interface, you want to tap and change something, you will change the page you are looking at, not that option, Sony seems to be unaware of the interface issue for a long time.
– Battery life provided by the manufacturer is very, very misleading, don’t expect half of what you will see on the official site (max 8h? Probably at the lowest volume, is this “fair” data?).
– Quick attention feature is pointless, unless you never cough, then it’s ok.
– Foam tips can be irritating to the skin with a bit of sweat, if this will be your gym headset, maybe not be the best choice.
Overall I can recommend these headphones, especially if you are looking for good quality sound and plan to use them indoors, could be a fantastic choice to disconnect from the office noise at work.
The other buds I use are the Anker Liberty Pro 3s. These are also an excellent option and are considerably cheaper. They also have an great app to go with them. They have good ANC and a very clear sound to them, I would also absolutely recommend them. However the Sony Wf-1000xm4 buds, provide a wonderful warmth and clarity to the tone, that the Liberty Pros do not have, indeed I have yet to experience anything close to Sony’s warm and clear signature sound the same way from any other manufacturer. So they will always rate as No1 for me as long as this quality along with everything else I’ve mentioned is kept to the same high standard. In my opinion, buy them, you won’t be disappointed. (obviously ensure to use the right eartips for a good seal and to get the best sound quality).
Highly Recommended
I even tried out some cheap silicon ear tips and expensive Comply 200s, in the Sonys. These felt softer, and extended my endurance out to ~40 minutes, from 20 minutes of so. But still the expanding pressure built up (in my ear canals), making them too uncomfortable. I just couldn’t look forwards to putting them in. Which is also a process too slow to take an incoming phone call. Having to squeeze the tips, then hold the buds in place for 10 seconds or so, to re-expand for a good fit.
ANC: on this front, these Sony WF1000XM4s are only equally as impressive as the Bose QC buds. Both were able to totally mask loud conversation and TV in the same room, with the aid of some quiet music. While the Jabra 85T’s had negligible noise cancelling and fitted too loose to stay in place reliably. Both Sony and Bose buds are far better against mid to high frequency noises than my Bose QC35ii (over ear) headphones. Though they’re less effective against wall penetrating engine noises and such than the much bigger headphones.
Size: The Sonys are much smaller than the Bose buds, with a more pocketable case about half the size! Hinge on that feels a little more flimsy, but the catch on the Bose case stuck too much. Size made little difference to me when actually wearing them, though.
Bluetooth: is where the Sony magic really happens. They always just connected to my phone(s) and PC. Where the Bose were more awkward and sometimes flaky. These Sonys appeared to have <50ms latency, even when connected to my desktop PC using an old 4.0 dongle. I don't even understand how that's possible!? And it contradicts RTing's >200ms finding. But I couldn’t reliably discern any lag between shooting a hitscan gun in Overwatch, and hearing the sound. Whereas both my Bose headphones have a jarring delay that’s unplayable. Obviously lip-sync is never a problem either.
User Interface: is good on the Sonys, and partly customisable, with 3 separate sets of controls assignable between the two buds. Not as flexible as the Jabra’s fine grained customisation, but far superior to the Bose’s weird setup. Bose chose to add a swipe gesture for volume, on the right, which doesn’t make all that much sense when all phones have volume rockers.
App: was fine, not quite perfectly laid out. Plenty of customisations. Helpful for checking the fit of the tips. Didn’t have any of the niche services to make use of the the gimmicky personal ear acoustics analysis.
Sound: Solid, very enjoyable music reproduction, when worn properly. The fully customisable 5 band EQ with various pre-sets and favourites meant that reviewer’s complains about their sound being naturally “dark” are moot. The default was fine anyway, in my opinion. No distinct edge over the Bose, but better than the Jabra’s more fragile digital sound, in my opinion.
Bed: I bought all of these with the initial hope that one might be useable as noise blocking for sleep. With the benefit of gentle white noise to drown out my slight tinnitus that stops me using plain plugs. Problem is I’m a side sleeper, and all the buds stuck out to much to go flat against a pillow.
Even making a gap between two pillows worked less well than with my QC over-ear headphones, ironically. Buds just disturb the ear more when knocked and make more rustling noise. However, I didn’t manage to produce any accidental button activations on any of the buds. Unlike Linus (Tech Tips) claimed later with his Sony’s.
Conclusion: with you have 200 to spend and like in-ear head-phones, get these buds! If you can get used to the fit, they’ll be great for commuting, noisy offices, gym or whatever, I expect. Sadly not viable for this home-bod, so I’ll sadly be selling mine on.
I checked out many reviews and these were the number one or within the top five ( depending on the reviewers personal bias). some preferred bass, or treble, some preferred different style, etc.
They are a brilliant allrounder – They don’t pretend to be masters of everything – but are brilliant at what they can do
Audiophiles – Look else where
These seeking excellent phone clarity – look elsewhere
Those seeking style – look else where ( these buds stick out like a sore thumb)
Those looking to take these into the shower- look elsewhere ( why would you want to take ear buds into the shower anyway)
The music is sound clear and crisp. You also have wsome customisation options
The speaker and mic is excellent, were little external noise getting through to the listener whilst talking, and no dropped calls
The weight is ok, I like to have some weight, so I know it has not dropped from my ear
They have manual control overides on the app, so you have some level of customisation
The points sony might like to address:
The price is seriously to high at 250, maybe 199.00 might be a better price point
They do not support multipoint bluetooth connection
The do not support programmable multitap /press and long hold
Not sure about the touch controls, and they can be a bit awkward to handle, but once they’re in (with a decent seal) these issues pale into insignificance.
I purchased these after using the over ear XM4s – which I was very impressed with. These will now semi-replace my Air Pod Pros. In a nutshell, the Sony XM4s blow them out of the water in terms of sound quality. I wanted to briefly mention some positive points before mentioning what I didn’t like.
POSITIVES
-Well designed ear buds, high build quality.
-Sound is incredible and bass rich- the best sounding Ear Buds I’ve ever used!
-Noice cancelling is top- works well on the train and has adaptive features.
-Set of 3 sized ear pieces to choose from (made from foam).
-App functionality is good.
NEGATIVES
-I didn’t really like the eco-friendly packaging. I’m all for being eco-friendly, but shipping a premium set of ear buds in a cardboard box and wafer thin paper felt a little cheap.
-The case lid hinge is a little flimsy (although I did like the open ‘lock’ to prevent the lid from shutting).
-May not suit smaller ears (found them to be a little uncomfortable after 2 hours, but this is subjective).
-Personally find some of the touch controls on the headphones a little hit-and-miss (and end up using my watch/phone to control instead).
I’ll mentioned the following, not as a negative, but for information. These will NOT play well with the Nintendo Switch. I’ve tried them with both the Switch and Switch Lite (which now both support BT headsets). There is considerable audio lag and crackling. I believe this is because the ear buds use BT 5.2 and the Switch is 5.0. This was almost a deal breaker for me as I actually purchased them for this purpose (and to use as my sole set of ear buds). But the sound quality is so great I’ve decided to keep them for music/commutes.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend. Just be sure they work with your device (am sure most will be fine!). They’re not a gaming set of ear buds, but for music and movies, they will outperform anything on the market.
Sorry apple fanboys, but to me the difference between these and the AirPods Pros is night and day.
Sound : Win SONY – The sound quality is far superior to the Apples. Oh that BASS, it’s sublime
Noise Cancelling : Win SONY – it’s incredible, nothing gets through, sorry apple you can’t complete here. The Sony outclass the Apple offering in every way.
Fit and comfort : WIN Apple – I am a bit disappointed that I have to readjust the SONYs intermittently because they cause fatigue in my ears. My AirPods Pros never caused this, and I could wear them for hours without feeling a thing. The SONY’s I have to adjust them quite a bit to get a comfortable fit. (As a side not, those who are complaining that the noise cancelling and sound are not very good, are you putting them in upside-down in your ears. I did at first and was sorely disappointed. The copper nub goes at the bottom!!!.
Eco System :
This is far more subjective than anything else!
If you are in the Apple Eco System : WIN Apple – the AirPods Pro integrate perfectly as you would expect. The connection is seamless with all apple products. Whether this be an iPhone or Mac. The sound is consistent whatever apple device you are using. The ability to switch between sound modes is simple whatever Apple OS you are using is great! The seamless transition between iOS and MacOS devices is fantastic. However if you are using an Android device the user experience is far more limited and possibly very disappointing. The SONYs cannot compete here. When using with the companion app on iOS devices there is very little difference. However, when using with a MacOS device (Big Sur) such as a MacBook you will encounter problems. Sound has a habit of reducing volume for no reason requiring you to adjust the volume control to restore volume to previous levels. This only seems to happen when watching videos in Safari. You also have an inability to select the voice assistant when connected to a Mac. If you have selected Alexa or Google Assistant, you will get an error message when contacted to a Mac.
Android Eco System – WIN SONY – The SONYs are the outright winner here, the seamless integration into this operating system is second to none. The sound quality far exceeds that of the Apple offering. The SONY companion app is far more optimised for Android that iOS.
Verdict: If you are looking for pure sound quality (which most people are) then go with the SONYs, if you have an apple product and are wanting the close knit integration into that eco system (seamless and beautiful UI) then go with the AirPods! All I will say is that the sound quality of the SONYs is second to none that I have tested. The SONYs are exemplary and quality in their sound, bass, build quality, battery life.
Go with the AirPods Pros if you value style over function. The sound OK, but integrate with iOS seamlessly. Otherwise your choice is clear; get the WF-1000XM4s.
These SONYs lose a point because they are not the most comfortable! Although this is subjective and your milage may vary.
UPDATE: Almost 1 year in
The ear tips are have been almost destroyed over the last year. The memory foam tips cannot compete with the silicon tips provided with the apple AirPods pros. My Apple AirPods are almost 2.5 years old and they look as good as new. The Sony offering with their memory foam eartips have disintegrated and are no longer useable. So I hear you say they have a 2 year guarantee and you can go back to Sony. We I tried that and was met by complete silence. They have not responded to my emails and even if you want to buy new ones they are continuously out of stock. I have no idea how much they cost either as they are not available to purchase through third party sellers such as amazon. Compare this to Apple who replaced my AirPods Pros (out of warranty) because they developed a buzz in the left ear.
Sony you may have had the upper hand once, but given the complete lack of customer service I can only conclude that if you are in the Apple ecosystem, get the AirPods Pros. Avoid the Sony’s if you want to use them for a protracted length of time.
Sorry apple fanboys, but to me the difference between these and the AirPods Pros is night and day.
Sound : Win SONY – The sound quality is far superior to the Apples. Oh that BASS, it’s sublime
Noise Cancelling : Win SONY – it’s incredible, nothing gets through, sorry apple you can’t complete here. The Sony outclass the Apple offering in every way.
Fit and comfort : WIN Apple – I am a bit disappointed that I have to readjust the SONYs intermittently because they cause fatigue in my ears. My AirPods Pros never caused this, and I could wear them for hours without feeling a thing. The SONY’s I have to adjust them quite a bit to get a comfortable fit. (As a side not, those who are complaining that the noise cancelling and sound are not very good, are you putting them in upside-down in your ears. I did at first and was sorely disappointed. The copper nub goes at the bottom!!!.
Eco System :
This is far more subjective than anything else!
If you are in the Apple Eco System : WIN Apple – the AirPods Pro integrate perfectly as you would expect. The connection is seamless with all apple products. Whether this be an iPhone or Mac. The sound is consistent whatever apple device you are using. The ability to switch between sound modes is simple whatever Apple OS you are using is great! The seamless transition between iOS and MacOS devices is fantastic. However if you are using an Android device the user experience is far more limited and possibly very disappointing. The SONYs cannot compete here. When using with the companion app on iOS devices there is very little difference. However, when using with a MacOS device (Big Sur) such as a MacBook you will encounter problems. Sound has a habit of reducing volume for no reason requiring you to adjust the volume control to restore volume to previous levels. This only seems to happen when watching videos in Safari. You also have an inability to select the voice assistant when connected to a Mac. If you have selected Alexa or Google Assistant, you will get an error message when contacted to a Mac.
Android Eco System – WIN SONY – The SONYs are the outright winner here, the seamless integration into this operating system is second to none. The sound quality far exceeds that of the Apple offering. The SONY companion app is far more optimised for Android that iOS.
Verdict: If you are looking for pure sound quality (which most people are) then go with the SONYs, if you have an apple product and are wanting the close knit integration into that eco system (seamless and beautiful UI) then go with the AirPods! All I will say is that the sound quality of the SONYs is second to none that I have tested. The SONYs are exemplary and quality in their sound, bass, build quality, battery life.
Go with the AirPods Pros if you value style over function. The sound OK, but integrate with iOS seamlessly. Otherwise your choice is clear; get the WF-1000XM4s.
These SONYs lose a point because they are not the most comfortable! Although this is subjective and your milage may vary.
How do I sum them up? It’s almost as if the mufflers have been taken off, the XM4 have a much wider sound stage, wonderful clarity and strong but not over powering bass. I have done like for like testing on all my favourite music tracks which stand out on headphones and every time the XM4 sound better than the XM3. I can also tell you the noise cancelling software works brilliantly, I stood next to my cooker extractor fan on full power and could not hear it when listening to music. I like the new eartips as they give a tighter fit in my ear and are very comfordable, I also like the convenience of wirless charging. The charging case is more than half the size of the XM3 and considerably lighter. Yes they do look like a case from a 50 pair of headphones, but unless you like to shout out ‘nick me I’m expensive’ I like the fact that they are understated. Without question where it counts you money will be well spent.
Once you get a good seal (see below) the Sony earbuds are great, noise cancelling is excellent, ambient mode really helpful and the Sony app even on the iPhone is great, intuitive and helpful. Integration with IOS is not as native as the Air pods but works really well. The battery case works really nicely, supports wireless charging and sits comfortably.
Ear tips – I struggled to get a seal that would pass the test on the app using the stock tips, and after much testing I found that my ears are slightly larger than most tips are designed for. A reddit post pointed me to the AZLA Xelastic ear tips available from Amazon as they come is much larger sizes, I found the ML size perfect, they seal well, pass the app seal test and are comfortable to wear. Would recommend these ear tips as they stopped me from returning the Sony ear buds and giving up on true wireless buds.
UPDATE- 4 months into owning these, the right ear bud cuts out complaining of low battery after 15mins of use from full charge, if i do a reset of the ear buds it shows the correct battery level, but after 15mins cuts out again with low battery warning. Sony / Amazon are giving me a full refund.
Like most audiophiles I have bough wired earphones by the boatload, and I tend to buy the top of the range from top brands, and I can’t knock any of them I purchased but there always seemed to be something missing, and the wires did irritate me, having said that I would never buy a mobile phone without a 3.5mm jack as I invested so much money in the wired ones and I am not prepared just to abandon them, as they are fine to wear round the house and garden but when I go out I like the convenience of wireless and the extra features they offer.
I have been a musician for more years than I care to remember and am also blessed with ‘perfect pitch’ so good quality audio is more important to me than most people I think, BUT perception of music is a very personal thing and of course can lead to many differing opinions, for instance some people like a very heavy base, others prefer a more balanced sound or enhanced treble.
The good thing with these is that there is an equaliser on the app and you can adjust the sound to your particular liking, I have never yet had any earphones, by any manufacturer, wired or wireless, over the head or in ear that have been fine straight out of the box and as such it is unfair to judge earphones like that before you ‘tweak’ them
to your liking, that is what the equaliser is there for anyway !
The same goes for TV’s, you cannot compare TV’s straight out of the box, they need to have the colour etc set up on each before you compare them.
I was taught very early on that when listening to music listen to the base (and I don’t mean turn it up so that is is thumping) and all the mid and treble notes will fall in line – that is how I listen to all music and was the best bit of advice I have ever received.
Out of the box the first thing you notice is that the charging case is smaller than the MX3, and although i had no problem with the previous case, it is nice to see this one is smaller, but even more important now is that you can wireless charge it – in these times, it is on most top end phones too.
I do know wireless charging is not as efficient as wired charging and will take longer, but I am not a fan of fast charging as it has a detrimental effect on the eventual battery life, I have sone device that are 10 year old and the battery still charges to 100%, that won’t happen if you fast charge all the time.
I think convenience out weight any negative side of wireless charging, especially after years of fiddling around with plugs and sockets, which can get damaged with prolonged use anyway.
On to the earphones themselves, they are smaller than the XM3’s and people may say they stick out a little, but I can’t see that when I am wearing them, and unless that are so huge, ugly and horrendous (whey are none of those by the way) who cares, they are meant to provide music to your ears.. that is the main function.
Also I am not going to try and compare them with other makes (other than they can’t look sillier than Apple’s offering, which still make me smile, and not in admiration either), or even give detailed technical test results on frequency response (I have been an electronics engineer/designer and done too much of that in my job – boring, it is like being the accountant of electronics !) and I feel others will do that anyway if you really want that, for me it is the ACTUAL sound that I hear that matters.. end of.
So how does it compare with its predecessor ?
Firstly pairing it with my phone was easy, it even tells you the status through the earbuds and it literally took 30 seconds.
You get 3 pairs of memory foam ear tips (Large, medium and small) which you really need to try out first, as it is best to squash them and put then in your ear before they start to expand again and that way they become a really snug fit – there is no way they will fall out once in, they definitely feel the most secure of any ear phones I have used.
I then tweaked the equaliser to the piece of music I always use to set it up, I am sure you also will have a song that you use as a standard too, and after I had played it 3 times and adjusted accordingly I was totally happy with the result.
I normally don’t play music for more than an hour at a time and after that time the earbuds were still comfortable and the sound was still excellent.
My next test was the noise cancelling, using my normal mode of transport (I am disabled) – the bus !
Chatting passengers and noisy kids on buses make me put my earphones in to play soothing music, and turning the Noise Cancelling was heaven, I was able to relax again they certainly are better than the MX3’s.
The touch controls are configurable in the app with the right earbud being able to pause (Tap once) and skip (Tap Twice) tracks.
Tapping the left earbud turns the noise cancellation on or off, whereas tapping twice will let you receive or end a call.
There are other things you can make it control, and things like 3 taps etc, but it is best to see the manual for those. otherwise this review will become longer than it needs to be.
It also has the ability to use Goggle Assistant or Alexa (I have the luxury of having both) which you select in the app and not only is that useful for ‘questions’ but I also use it to turn the kettle on when I am couple of minutes from home.
It did get the ‘showerproof test’ one day as I got caught in a downpour, after a quick dry on the outside of them with a microfibre cloth and you wouldn’t have known about the rain.
I am sure I have left stuff out, but that’s what the manual is for so I thoroughly recommend that you read it at least once, yes, I know that is difficult for men, especially me, but it is amazing what you find out about what these earbuds can do by just a quick read and I have all my instruction manuals for everything catalogued and close by .. sad I know, but it is even easier than trying to look stuff up on the net, honestly.
My final conclusion is that the noise cancelling is about as good as it gets, as is the fit.
The sound, because it has a good equaliser, can be tailored to YOUR taste, be it classical or hip-hop etc.
For ME these are about as good as it gets, as it has the sound quality and all the functions I will probably ever need and although they are not cheap, they are the usual good Sony quality, so you know they will be reliable and last.
You can’t expect everyone to like everything, but if you wand a near perfect set of Bluetooth Earphones, these are the ones to try !
Sound quality is phenomenal for a pair of bluetooth earbuds. I had been using Airpods Pro for a while prior to this and the improvement over those was immediately noticeable with a wider soundstage and more clarity across the board.
However, the microphone quality at time of writing this review is not competitive with others in the market at the moment. I’m hoping improvements can be made via software updates but at this time it’s not the best with wind causing disruptions etc. where other brands have largely handled this or mitigated the issue. They’re *fine*, but others are better.
If you’re lucky enough to be going on a plane any time soon, or have a daily public transit commute, these are the perfect companion with best-in-class ANC (though maybe look at a proper set of ANC headphones as well). If you’re looking for a set to make a lot of calls on, you can find better.
Previously I used the Sony WH1000 XM2 over ear ANC headphones which have slightly better ANC and improved audio however for the size of these WF1000 XM4’s I would say their ANC is good.
I do feel the sound is a little flat with these despite having tinkered with the five band equaliser in the Sony headphones app.
I like their auto ambient sound setting if I talk as it saves me from having to press any buttons if someone talks to me at the gym.
The controls are a little meh and a tad cumbersome to use.
The biggest issue I’ve had with other in ear phones is that they keep falling out however these don’t ones are excellent. With the smallest ear tips on the earphones stay in my ear no matter what I do and for that reason alone I’m keeping them.
I would like them to be able to pair with more than just one device though.
Overall, they are good and if your budget stretches to 250 I’d get them however I do feel they are a tad overpriced. If they were 190 these would be perfectly priced.
The sound is richer, the comfort is greater, the fit is better (I often felt like the XM3s would wobble in my ears, they never fell out but it didn’t welcome confidence). Noise cancelling here is superb and natural. The case is way smaller than the XM3s, I actually like the case’s design less but it being that much smaller makes it a win overall too.
The only loss is 250 of my money. Gosh. But there’s simply no real compromises on display here. No real shortcomings. Most cruically, the sound quality on par with my over-ear XM3s, which I was not expecting.
I love these. My wallet aches but I will be using these for years to come.
I have to say they are sublimely comfortable (thats what lets the XM3s down IMHO) and the noise cancellation is a step (just a step mind) above the Momentums.
Sound quality is where they shine, they have rich base and shiny middles and highs. I was really impressed.
Are they better than the momentums? Maybe yeh, I will certainly be keeping them, they’re certainly more comfortable and stay in my ears better than the Sennheisers They have compliance tips (foam for those that don’t know) supplied as standard, so get a good seal and you’re away.
(the app will help, they lifted that brilliant feature apple have where they test the fit by playing noise and measuring the feedback)
The app works superbly well on my S21, I’ve not tried it on my iPhone, lets be honest it probably won’t be as seamless as a pair of AirPods (but if were still being honest AirPods are soooo over-rated, the sound quality would be barely acceptable if they cost 50 quid, certainly I haven’t used mine in an age) anyway, I’m going off message here somewhat…….
Long and short, if you can get them, they seem to have sold out real quickly, these are superb, buy them, try them, I think you’ll love them…… and if you don’t then amazon will give you all your cash back (ain’t they just the best?)
I have an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Connected up straight away I can’t listen to anything because they keep cutting out, Bluetooth keeps disconnecting. I have tried updating everything but there is no firmware for them today, which I was hoping for. Unfortunately these are too expensive to keep to see if there is. Looks like I could have had a faulty pair but these are going to have to be returned.
Update. They actually updated the firmware about two days after I sent them back. So I got another pair and these are fine. Rather have the silicone buds because I couldn’t get on with their foam ones but bought some comply ones. Which are well worth trying.
The fit is BY FAR the best of ANY earphone I’ve tried. The tips have perfect pressure to create a seal but not become sore – like the M3 model. The size of the unit sits in my ear perfectly – it doesn’t protrude like so many others – including the M3.
The case is MUCH smaller and MUCH lighter. It feels cheap because it’s so light, but also feels durable.
The sound is simply excellent – for a wireless earphone – significantly BETTER than my AirPods or M3. It’s musical and less ‘congested’ sound than before. With the right track, the bass defies physics, it’s really deep and impactful, which I never thought I’d say about a tiny wireless earphone – phenomenal work from Sony.
Noise cancellation is pretty much unchanged, that is to say VERY GOOD and way better than my AirPod Pros.
I feel this is the most perfect wireless earphones to date. If you buy from Amazon you have nothing to lose – you can just return them if you’re not delighted with them. If you don’t try them, you could be missing out on a genuinely phenomenal product.
Original review from Day 1:
Sony WF1000-M4 – Simple THE BEST wireless IEMs I’ve heard. Great job Sony!
Yes – they are a proper upgrade to the M3, in terms of:
– size; much smaller case
– sound; less V-shaped and more natural
– fit; tips are softer and more comfortable and they sit in my ear much better – don’t stick out as much as my M3s
– Even the build quality is significantly better (although the case is definitely not).
They pair nicely with my Ibasso DX300 using LDAC
.
I did have a problem with syncing to the Sony Headphone App, that is until I realised I needed to update the app. Once app was updated all was plain sailing.
Eco boxing is a step in the right direction.
The charging case is much smaller than the MX3 case and has a flatter bottom which makes for easer storage.
The MX4 are not a gradual improvement over the MX3, in all ways they are an evolution. They sound better, fit better, are more ergonomic, play hi-res music, and have far better noise canceling. If bit rate sound quality is important to you and you have files beyond MP3, and want true wireless, then the MX4 might address your needs.
During the first few hour of listening there was no dramatic change to the sound from driver burn in however whether it was the drivers loosening up or my brain adjusting to the sound the XM4 bass seemed to become a little fuller. Both the XM4 and my reference TWS Sennheiser CX400BT offer equalisers to let you tweak the frequency response to your preferences however the technical transient response and detail resolution remains better on the Sennheiser meaning the CX400BT sound is always that touch more realistic. So this round is a win for the Sennheiser even though its latency, with YouTube for example, is more noticeable.
Moving on to comfort and fit both XM4 and CX400BT fit securely, the Sony aided by its expanding foam ear tips anchoring them in your ear canal, however they also stick out noticeably so are more conspicuous and less easy to lie down with than smaller designs. The Sony profile means it can’t be pushed so far into your ear and it is also heavier so ultimately the Sennheiser wins for security of fit though the XM4 is definitely a step up from the XM3.
So again a win for the Sennheiser though neither are as low profile and easy to forget you’re wearing as Airpods pro style designs and smaller ears could struggle to accommodate the bulkier Sony particularly.
Considering the microphones both XM4 and CX400BT are similarly clear in quiet and noisy conditions.
Touch Controls on both are configurable and work reliably. Sony goes with all track pause and skip controls via the right earbud whereas the Sennheiser uses the more conventional format of a left touch for skip back and volume down and right touch for skip forward and volume up.
Moving on to ANC and ambient pass the Cx400 just has passive noise isolation rather than the active Noise Cancellation of its big brother the MTW2. From my previous best ANC test the XM3 and Liberty Air 2 Pro came out on top. ANC on the XM4 is similarly good and noticeably better at reducing higher frequencies as well as low. Happily it does not change the frequency response of music playback as on the Liberty Air 2 Pro for example.
The ambient mode is also much clearer and now class leading for earphones alongside the 1MORE ComfoBuds pro.There is some noticeable hiss but it is not too bothersome.
A new feature over the XM3 is the previously unique to Samsung speech activated operation that is very intuitive. As soon as you start talking, your music pauses and pass through is activated whereas on the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro it is someone else speaking rather than your speaking which triggers it. Ambient mode can also be activated by keeping a finger pressed to the left earphone, similar to the cupping your ear gesture on the XM4 headphones, as well as by tapping the left earphone.
So this round goes to the Sony which continues to offer the mosteffective ANC but now also includes the very useful speech activation of ambient mode.
As far as looks go both will divide opinion with the Sony’s rather chunky design and brass details against the Sennheiser’s rather austere look.
Clearly on price the Sennheiser CX400BT wins though the ANC MTW2 is around the same price as the Sony.
So to sum up if you want the best sound quality the CX400BT remains the wireless earbud to beat. It also fits more reassuringly in the ear than the Sony with its profiled nozzle and lighter body.
The Sony is the new ANC and ambient pass through king. It also sports fancy high res codecs, 360 sound and both google and Alexa assistant integration and while these may not offer such a compelling reason to upgrade for most people, it’s overall sound quality is a step up from the XM3 and now one of the best sounding TWS, though at a price, and comparable or better sound quality can be had for a lot less cash if one is happy to forego some of the Sony’s features.