SONY WH-1000XM4

amazon SONY WH-1000XM4 reviews

The Sony WH-1000X series has always been the leading wireless Over-ear pair in many ways, especially ANC active noise cancellation, and this 4th version does not disappoint!

To see how successful the ANC Sony WH-1000X active noise-canceling headphones are, you have to count how many pairs of headphones on the market can reach the 4th consecutive life cycle like this product line, and I can confirm that this number is not much. The WH-1000XM4 released this year demonstrates all that the Japanese technology company’s latest, most valuable technology can do.

But to own this pair of headphones, users will also have to spend an amount of money, so the question is, is it worth it?

As usual, the box of the WH1000XM4 is still very large, which is right when this is a pair of Over-ear headphones with quite a few accessories inside.

So what accessories does it include? Indispensable is a carrying case with a zipper so that users can take the headset everywhere.

This box has a fairly scientific arrangement, not only to put the headset neatly into it but also to put all the accessories, including a 2-head 3.5mm cord, short USB Type-C charging cord, and music jack on the plane.

The WH1000XM4’s 3.5mm cord is of very good quality, not ‘market goods’ like cheap pairs of headphones, with the outer cover slotted to avoid dust.

What I like about the WH1000X series is that they do not have a very different design between generations, so we need to look at it to recognize it, almost creating a brand. And also to say, this is a beautiful design, mixing modernity and simplicity; if you have done it well from the beginning, why change?

Instead of talking too much about the general design, I will look for the differences compared to the previous version. The first point is the redesigned ear cushions, made of softer materials and able to hug the user’s ears better. That is one of the best Over-ear ear cushions I’ve experienced, with just enough pressure not to fall out, along with very good passive noise cancellation (physical noise cancellation) good! In conditions like a small cafe, I don’t have to turn on active noise cancellation with the WH1000XM4; almost all outside noise has been eliminated, which is great!

Next, we will find a small sensor that the previous generations did not have if we look closely at the headset inside. The proximity sensor gives the WH1000XM4 the ability to automatically cut off music every time it is removed from the ear.

The button system of the headset has not changed; only the ANC adjustment button has now been recorded as ‘Custom’ because the company allows users to change features or control noise resistance/Ambient Sound or call the virtual assistant. All other features such as music control, volume, receiving, and rejecting calls will be transferred to the touch area outside the cups.

So in terms of features, what’s new in the 4th version compared to the previous one? We’ll find out through downloading the Sony Headphones Connect app! Features that have not changed include the ability to turn on and off active noise cancellation, optimize noise cancellation through environmental pressure, adjust sound quality through EQ, and upgrade software. The differences include:

– The ability to increase sound quality through the new DSEE Extreme standard instead of DSEE HX, capable of increasing the bit-rate of the signal transmitted from the smartphone. That is a technology that Sony has developed for a long time; only WH1000XM4 owns this latest version.

– Turn on and off the automatic music break feature as we mentioned above.

– Adjusted the ability to connect two devices simultaneously, a new feature lacking in previous versions.

– New Speak-to-chat feature, allowing the headset to recognize where the user’s voice is, thereby turning off noise cancellation and turning on Ambient Sound to help us talk to the other person without having to remove the headset out. Experience shows that this feature works effectively, identical to what the company advertises.

Another feature that we haven’t talked about before is 360 Reality Audio. According to the information released by the company, this is a completely new music format, not other 3D simulation technologies on the market. I also tried the setup experience; first, we have to take a picture of our ear so that the software analyzes the ear shape to provide the best experience.

But it is a pity that 360 Reality Audio only supports two software. I have experienced a test file available online, and the 3D surround effect is very convincing. Still, to experience more, I hope the company adds more services, and there are free or low-cost services than today.

Without letting everyone wait any longer, we will go into the two main parts of the WH1000XM4: active noise cancellation and sound quality. It must be said that the passive noise cancellation of this pair of headphones is already quite good due to the upgraded ear cushions, so in many use cases, I find it quite good, no need to turn on active noise cancellation anymore. That is probably also a good thing to increase the usage time of the headset a lot (increase from 30 to 40 hours if no active noise cancellation is used).

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Therefore, active noise cancellation ANC will be for the loudest cases or need a completely quiet space. And every time it is activated, the WH1000XM4 is not surprising when it comes to very strong noise cancellation, almost blocking all outside sound. The sound of traffic, the sound of the fan spinning (I put the fan right next to the seat), and the voice of people are all eliminated thanks to the new pair of headphones’ ability to record 700 times per second; otherwise, they do not create annoying buzzing. Sony is one of the leaders in active noise cancellation, and the WH1000XM4 proves it once again.

Good active noise cancellation so we can enjoy the sound quality of the headphones, so how is the sound quality of the WH1000XM4? Overall, this pair of headphones goes in a slightly dark direction, pressing a little on the bass range to increase the thickness, but everything has enough balance between listening to all genres of music.

Although there is more than average, the bass of the WH1000XM4 does not ‘smash’ the user’s face from the first listening; instead, when listening, we will realize that this range is a bit better. The WH1000XM4 has a lot of sub-bass; when it feels like it is enveloping the user, there is a little echo due to the closed-back closed-back design, not really to the point of being too uncomfortable. In Cecile Corbel’s En La Mer, the drum sound appears quite thick, has good depth, does not break too quickly, but leaves an aftertaste to leave an impression on listeners longer.

With the bass slightly up, the mid sound must also be slightly back, not the most prominent sound range in the overall sound. The advantage of the mid-range from the WH1000XM4 is that it is quite natural, not too ‘colored’ or too electronic like Sony’s older generation products. As a pair of headphones aimed at everyone, perhaps the mid-range of the WH1000XM4 is reasonable to do so; when listening to Pop or Vocal music, the singer’s voice is still well performed. If you want to make the midrange more prominent – especially adding a bit of high-mid to serve soprano vocal songs, we still have an EQ option in the software.

With such a thick sound quality, it is necessary to have a strong enough treble range not to be ‘suffocated,’ too dark, and unbalanced. Treble of WH1000XM4 is enough to do this task thanks to its good brightness, ‘poking’ through the remaining two negative bands to reach the listener’s ears. For me, the treble can still be made thicker to ensure reverberation, and I do this thanks to the EQ built into the Sony Headphones Connect software, like how the high-mid part is adjusted.

Still the first choice

After evaluating the WH1000XM3 pair, I don’t know what Sony can do to make this product line even better. But until version 4, the company still found ‘small’ points to upgrade to make the product even more perfect, and according to actual evaluation, they are all upgrades we use every day.

To answer whether this pair of headphones is worth buying, the answer is definitely yes; this is, without a doubt – the best active noise canceling Over ear headphones on the market today. But of course, the thing to consider very carefully is that you will have to spend a lot of money to own it.