While Sony has reigned supreme when it comes to active noise-cancelling over the ear headphones for the past few years, it has not enjoyed as much success when it comes to its TWS flagship. With the WF 1000XM4, Sony is vying for the crown.
When compared with its last gen, there are some big changes. Most notable is how compact Sony has made the XM4s. The XM3s were bulky — both the earbuds as well as the charging case — and that prompted me to not carry them along. The sheer size made it uncomfortable to wear for any reasonable amount of time. But that’s changed and how! The XM4s pack the best noise cancelling in the industry in a form factor that is easily pocketable and forgiving on your ears. The memory foam tips make a huge difference when it comes to how comfortable and snug the earbuds are.
On the inside, the V1 processor from Sony that powers these buds ensure that battery drain is less. We were able to consistently get upto 24 hours of battery life (earbuds and charging case combined). The Sony WF-1000XM4 can use the SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs and that means it has support for high-res audio built-in. Sound quality is top-notch too. The bass and mids are a little more pronounced, but I suppose that’s what most people tend to appreciate. Regardless, it isn’t something you can’t alter in the equalizer on the Sony Connect App. The WF-1000XM4 is now the best that the world of TWS active noise-cancelling headphones has to offer. While there are other products that may be better on one or two parameters, the overall package that the XM4 offers is hard to beat