Sony WF-1000XM4 True Wireless Headphones w/ ANC
Product Gallery
Product Overview
WF-1000XM4 are Sony's flagship true wireless headphones with active noise cancellation. They are notably smaller and lighter than the previous generation while offering long battery life, more comfortable fit, and wireless charging.
Thanks to a more ergonomic design, the earbuds are each 10% smaller than the M3 model; the charging case is, according to Sony, a whopping 40% smaller. At the same time, the WF-1000XM4 maintain IPX4 water resistance rating.
For their ANC, the WF-1000XM4 come with dual noise-sensing microphones per ear, one feed-forward, one feed-back, for superior noise cancelling performance. Naturally, ambient sound control is included. They also support Speak-to-Chat that automatically pauses the music and lets in ambient sound.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Excellent ANC
- Dedicated DSEE Extreme sound enhancement engine
- Long battery life
Cons
- Nothing in particular
What external reviewers found***
External score 83% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Good call quality
- Excellent sound quality
Cons
- Poor call quality
- No adjustable EQ
- No NFC
- Not as effective as the WF-1000XM3
- No Dolby Atmos support
Price Comparison
Specifications
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.2
Construction
Colors
Silver, Black
Drivers
6 mm
Form Factor
True Wireless Earphones
Headphone Type
Dynamic headphones
Magnet
High-power neodymium magnets
Dimensions
Weight
7.3 g
Function
Bluetooth Codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC
Bluetooth Profiles
A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Fast Charging
5 minute for 60 minutes of play time
Noise Cancellation
Active noise cancellation
Weather Resistance
IPX4 water resistance
Wireless Charging
Qi wireless charging
Performance
Battery Life
Music playback: 8 hours ANC on / 12 hours ANC off + 2x charges from case
Charging Time
1.5 hours
Production
Debut
2021-06-08
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Launch Comparison
Clear List
3rd-Party Review Videos
External Reviews
androidauthority[1]
Reviewer score 84%The Sony WF-1000XM4 are truly one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can buy. These ‘buds have the audio chops we've come to expect from Sony, and the hardware will last a good long time. You'll want it to last as long as possible, as the $279 price point is sure to eat up a good chunk of your headphone budget. Apple users may benefit from the smooth integrations as well thanks to the H1 chip.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Comfortable fit
- Excellent noise-cancelling
- Good battery life
Cons
- Not great for calls
digitaltrends[2]
Reviewer score 90%Sony has taken the already superb WF-1000XM3 and made meaningful improvements across the board. When fully charged, Sony claims eight hours of play time with ANC turned on and an impressive 12 hours when it's turned off. Android users get something that has been a rarity on wireless earbuds: The ability to trigger Alexa or Google Assistant by simply speaking their wake words.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Excellent battery life
- Good call quality
Cons
- Not as effective as the WF-1000XM3
laptopmag[3]
Reviewer score 87%The Sony WF-1000XM4 is rated for eight hours of battery life with an additional two charges from the case. With the ANC disabled, the estimated battery life jumps to 12 hours. Thanks to the Integrated Processor V1 chip and Bluetooth 5.2, movie and video watchers can expect much lower latency when watching content.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Long-lasting active noise cancelling
- Long battery life
- Comfortable fit
- Good call quality
Cons
- No wireless charging case
nextpit[4]
Reviewer score 84%The Sony WF-1000XM4 is technically and acoustically sound. In addition to the passive attenuation thanks to its foam earplugs, Sony also relies on its new V1 processor to send out even more precise and latency-free anti-noise. There's a transparency mode too, which can be enabled automatically if you so desire.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Active Noise Cancellation
- Good battery life
Cons
- No quick-charging
- No transparency mode
pcmag[5]
Reviewer score 87%Sony's WF-1000XM4 earphones outshine the Apple AirPods Pro, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and most other true wireless models. The ANC here has little to no effect on audio playback, which is important. The drivers are capable of subwoofer rumble, but can be tamed to more accurate levels with the app's EQ.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Solid audio clarity and definition
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- No wireless charging
- No adjustable EQ
rtings[6]
Reviewer score 43%The Sony WF-1000XM4 are great for sports and fitness. They have a comfortable fit and over 10 hours of continuous battery life. The integrated mic has a disappointing recording quality, so your voice sounds thin and muffled. They aren't suitable for wireless gaming due to their incompatibility with PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Very consistent audio delivery
- Comfortable, breathable fit
- Over 10 hours of continuous battery life
Cons
- High audio latency
- No stability fins
t3[7]
Reviewer score 86%Sony WF-1000XM4 are stunningly good true wireless earbuds. They can be outperformed by Bowers & Wilkins' PI7 – but those cost about 30% more. The app is stable, logical and useful – which makes it one of the very best around. With active noise-cancelling switched on, the Sonys are good for around eight hours of action.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent noise-cancelling
- Excellent battery life
- Excellent app
Cons
- Noise verges on witchcraft
- No app or touch controls
techradar[8]
Reviewer score 89%Sony WF-1000XM4 are wireless ANC earbuds with active noise-cancellation. Bluetooth 5.2 means simultaneous transmission to the left and right earbud. They are capable of switching from ‘ear-splitting’ to ‘almost silent’ and back again in an instant.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Class-leading active noise cancelling
- Excellent battery life
- Comfortable fit
Cons
- Fiddly to insert
theverge[9]
Reviewer score 75%You can use Sony's WF-1000XM4 over Bluetooth without clicking through any agreements. You can also opt into letting Sony collect data from your usage of the Headphones Connect app. Microphone performance is better than it was on the 1000XM3s, but it's still not as good as Apple's AirPods Pro or Samsung's Galaxy Buds Pro.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Good battery life
Cons
- No NFC
- No Dolby Atmos support
- No wireless charging
tomsguide[10]
Reviewer score 82%The Sony WF-1000XM4 is a sweet upgrade that packages elite sound, noise cancellation, and awesome features into a fancy design. This set of buds gives you up to 8 hours with ANC on, which can also be extended to 12 hours when switched off. Qi-enabled wireless charging comes part of the package too, though be mindful that the case gets extremely hot when using wireless charging.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Poor call quality
- No NFC
trustedreviews[11]
Reviewer score 96%The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the finest-sounding earbuds I’ve heard. They are as good, if not better, as a large swathe of full-sized headphones. Instruments have a natural quality to them, to the point where it sounds like you’re among the orchestra itself. The noise cancellation is truly the industry gold standard.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Sensational, musical presentation
- Excellent noise cancellation
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Noise cancellation could be better
whathifi[12]
Reviewer score 92%Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds are the best we've heard in this category. Full noise-cancelling is excellent, especially for a pair of wireless headphones. Bass notes are better defined and the overall sound is better balanced. Even the much-admired Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 struggle to match the Sonys.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Class-leading noise-cancelling
- Excellent battery life
- Excellent call quality
Cons
- No Bluetooth pairing
- No multi-device pairing
wired[13]
Reviewer score 84%Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds are among the best noise-canceling headphones on the market. The noise canceling itself is second to none, thanks to Sony's excellent signal processing. The included foam ear tips mold to your ears for a perfect fit as soon as you put them in.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Fantastic noise canceling
- Good battery life
- Easy to pair and set up
Cons
- Noise canceling isn’t as good as competitors
User Reviews
Comments
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References
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review: The one true AirPods killer. [androidauthority]. https://www.androidauthority.com/sony-wf-1000xm4-review-1238517/. 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review: Almost perfect wireless earbuds. [digitaltrends]. https://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4-review/. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds review. [laptopmag]. https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4-earbuds. 2021-07-03. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review: What goes in the ear, stays in the head. [nextpit]. https://www.nextpit.com/sony-wf-1000xm4-review. 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 Review. [pcmag]. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Headphones Review. [rtings]. https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/sony/wf-1000xm4-truly-wireless. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review: Sony’s best wireless earbuds yet. [t3]. https://www.t3.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4-review. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds review. [techradar]. https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4-wireless-earbuds. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review: a sonic triumph. [theverge]. https://www.theverge.com/22523584/sony-wf-1000xm4-wireless-earbuds-headphones-review. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review. [tomsguide]. https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4. 2021-06-23. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 Review. [trustedreviews]. https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ Sony WF-1000XM4 review. [whathifi]. https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-wf-1000xm4. 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
- ^ Review: Sony WF-1000XM4. [wired]. https://www.wired.com/review/sony-wf-1000xm4/. 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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