Few products are perfect, but the Sony WH-1000XM4 might just be among the chosen few.
By every possible metric, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are a wonderful pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones – and they’re our pick for the best headphones of 2020. They deliver exactly what they promise and then some thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support. While they haven’t seen a massive overhaul aesthetically from the Sony WH-1000XM3 that was released back in 2018, the WH-1000XM4 pack in a number of new improvements like DSEE Extreme audio upscaling and multipoint pairing that should be real crowd pleasers. On top of the adjustments listed above, the Sony WH-1000XM4 support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format that enables spatial audio on stereo headphones plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. The unfortunate bit there, though, is that it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so your Hi-Res Audio support mileage may vary. Thanks to their comfy feel and great noise cancellation, we completely recommend them for travelers, however they’re not great for workout enthusiasts who need a secure fit and water-resistance – or business people who need the best-in-class microphone. For nearly everyone else, however, these are the best headphones you can buy (so far) this year. The Sony WH-1000XM4 were announced on August 6 2020 and are Sony’s flagship headphones for the time being, sitting above the mid-range Sony WH-CH710N and true wireless Sony WF-1000XM3. In terms of price, you’re looking at $349.99 / £349 / AU$549 — which is exactly what the Sony WH-1000XM3 launched in 2018 in the US, and £50 in the UK. That puts the Sony WH-1000XM4 in the same price range as the Bose Noise-Cancelling 700 Headphones that come in at $339.99/ £349.95 / AU$599.95, and slightly less than the more upscale Bowers and Wilkins PX7 that cost $399.99 / £349 / AU$600. Though the Sony WH-100XM4 have added a slew of new components inside the headphones themselves, there’s not a major difference between them and their predecessors in terms of aesthetics. In fact, put them next to each other and you’d have a hard time telling the 1000XM3 from the 1000XM4. That’s not the end of the world, though, as the design of the 1000XM3 is refined and subtle, allowing it to blend in on subway stations, planes and offices without drawing any attention. In terms of materials, you’re mostly looking at a high-quality plastic build with supple pleather padding. The result is a product that feels mostly durable while remaining extremely comfortable to wear for an extended period of time. Around the outside of the earcups you’ll find two physical control buttons for power/pairing and a button that cycles through noise-cancelling modes, as well as a 3.5mm aux. jack and a USB-C port for charging. The outer part of the earcups act as a touch-capacitive control panel that can be used to play, pause or skip music, and raise or lower the volume. Inside the headphones is where the magic happens, though. Sony has swapped out the old system-on-a-chip (SoC) for a new one that promises better noise cancellation. Key to that, of course, is the Sony QNe1 Processor that constantly samples ambient audio to reactively adjust the level of noise cancellation. It’s an ingenious setup and design that separates it from the one-size-fits-all noise cancelling algorithm from other manufacturers. The bad news here, however, is that the Sony WH-1000XM4 aren’t water-friendly — they’re not splash-proof, water-proof or even very water-resistant. Sony recommends keeping them dry and far away from any source of water that might damage them. That sounds like common sense — and fairly easy to achieve — but that does limit the places you can bring them: if you’re looking for a pair of workout or outdoor headphones, these aren’t them. The Sony WH-1000XM3 were feature-rich upon release, full of inventive control schemes and intelligent applications of their noise cancellation technology.
