Sony WF-1000xm4 – Review

Intro

The Sony company has been producing quality earbuds for its customers for many, many years, and the WF-1000XM4 model, although it has been on the market for a few years now, is among the best earbuds you can buy if you want a quality product at an affordable cost.

If you are looking for earbuds, we recommend our article: Best Bluetooth Earbuds.

Package

The Sony WF-1000XM4s feature a minimal gray package that gives the impression of being a small egg carton, but is in fact made to give a novel feel to the consumer. The first impact might be off-putting, but once you open the package you find yourself, along with the earbuds, a USB-C charging cable and two pairs of extra grommets to adjust the size when wearing them.

Unlike traditional Bluetooth headsets, it is the package case itself that has small holes where to place the grommets, preventing them from falling out or getting lost easily.

Design

Those who have already used the Sony WF-1000XM3s will know very well how one of the most significant shortcomings was the size of the case, with the new XM4 model the size has been reduced by 40%, a value that perfectly renders the idea of the aesthetic change of course that the company wanted to give the product.

The lid has magnets, like the earbuds themselves, allowing the case to hold all components perfectly, preventing them from slipping easily. The case also highlights a small LED that notifies charging status, which is also very useful for understanding Bluetooth pairing.

The earbuds aesthetically have been reduced by 10 percent compared to the XM3 model, but they have also changed shape, now being more rounded on the outside and displaying a particularly eye-catching microphone that has the ability to reduce wind interference.

The headphones internally are flat, and thanks to the polyurethane grommets they turn out to be very comfortable to wear. The spongy structure of the grommets provides excellent insulation.

Specifications

DIMENSIONS	3 x 2 x 2.3 cm Earphones, 4 x 6.9 x 3 cm Case
WEIGHT	Buds 7.3g, Case 41g
BATTERY LIFE	8 Hours Music & 24 Hours with Case
RECHARGE TIME	1 hour of music with 5 minutes of charging time in the case
EARPLUGS	3 S,M,L
BUTTONS	Touch Control
POSITIONING	In-ear
CONNECTION	Wireless, Bluetooth 5.2

The Sony WF-1000XM4 come as true wireless in-ear headphones, have a 6 millimeter driver, and thanks to high-power neodymium magnets are a guarantee for reliability and convenience.

Frequency response ranges from 20 Hz to 40 KHz and supports formats such as SBC, AAC, DSEE Extreme and LDAC.

The design allows for waterproofing with IPX4 certification, and the battery of presents with an 8-hour battery life with active noise cancellation. A Bluetooth 5.2, wireless charging and a total weight of 41 grams complete the data sheet.

As can be seen from the data, the hardware and software compartment of these earbuds is excellent, the potential is remarkable, even considering the continuous updates provided. Thanks to the V1 processor, which has the ability to take full advantage of DSEE Extreme technology, compressed files can be played in real time without uncertainty, ensuring consistent listening quality at all times.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-30 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Features

One of the most important features of these earphones is definitelyANC (Active Noise Cancellation), the quality of which is definitely above average and allows for much cleaner low frequencies than the previous generation model.

The ambient noise suppression mode is excellently implemented; the user can switch between ambient sound off and ambient on using only touch controls.

Bluetooth headphones also feature Quick Attention, this allows you to prioritize ambient sounds by simply placing your finger on the earpiece, effectively continuing to listen to music in the background.

Adaptive sound is another interesting feature of these Sony headphones, thanks to the dedicated sensor the earbuds will adapt to motion, static or freeze conditions and start music when you are performing specific actions.

With the Sony-developed app, Sony Headphones Connect, it is possible to control both iOS and Android song equalization. With preset profiles, you can choose the best EQ for what you are listening to. Once basic features are set up these can be controlled by touch, as much as volume and phone calls.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-30 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Verdict – Pros & Cons

Reading the review it would seem that the Sony WF-1000XM4 have no critical issues, in fact some weaknesses may make them unsuitable for some consumers.

What We Like	What We Don’t Like
AUDIO MUSIC FANTASTIC
IPX4	HIGH PRICE
EXCELLENT NOISE CANCELLATION	NO SWITCH BETWEEN 2 DEVICES
3 MEN INCLUDED	AUDIO VOICE LESS GOOD THAN MUSIC
FAST CHARGING (WITH CASE)
OVERALL QUALITY
360 REALITY AUDIO

Autonomy

The near-perfect balance of these Sony in-ear headphones is also evident in battery consumption. On a single charge, 6 to 8 hours of continuous listening with ANC on can be done, considering an average quality music track with 990 kbps.

Charging the earbuds for 10 munits, thanks to fast charging, provides an additional two hours of listening time, which is outstanding considering other in-ear headphones on the market.

By using the charging base, even 24 hours of battery life can be achieved, which is more than enough for any kind of activity.

Comfort

There is no doubt that the ergonomics of the earbuds are excellent, in addition to the extremely soft and comfortable grommets, the user experience is truly pleasant. Bluetooth 5.2 connection makes content enjoyment always fast, and most importantly, the overall stability never has any uncertainties. Putting on or removing the earbuds, the V1 processor will immediately begin synchronization, making the user experience on the level of the more emblazoned AirPods and the Apple ecosystem.

Sensors, located at the rear, handle movement flawlessly, starting and stopping playback at the most opportune times and not randomly.

Certainly the rounded shape might be particularly intrusive to many users, but in reality you will not feel any uncomfortable sensation while wearing the earbuds.

Audio quality

Even from the data sheet, analyzing the frequencies of use (20 Hz – 40 KHz) it is easy to see that the overall audio quality is top notch. The level of instrument detail and an almost rare balance for in-ear headphones make this product an almost obvious solution for those who want to appreciate low tones but do not want to miss the higher tones.

The presence of spatial audio makes for a very impressive listening experience, a feature available only on compatible platform es apps such as Apple Music or Tidal. But while the audio potential was obvious from the data sheet, the presence of a dedicated equalizer was by no means taken for granted.

Thanks to the official app, you can adjust audio profiles, greatly improving equalization while listening to music, watching a movie, or talking on the phone.

These qualities are also complemented by a top-notch ANC and Ambient Sound mode, which can be activated using the touch on the earphones.

Those who choose the Sony WF-1000XM4 will certainly not be disappointed with the audio quality, features and 6mm driver offer everything one needs for entertainment and work listening.

The microphone also performs above average, providing natural sound and suppressing ambient noise very well.

Cost

Sony’s Bluetooth earbuds were launched on the market at a price of 250 euros, although costs in recent months have risen significantly, at the time of writing this review you can find them on the most famous eCommerce at a cost around 200 euros.

If at 250 euros the Sony WF-1000XM4 earphones are already a good buy, at 200 euros they actually become the best possible solution for a pair of noise-canceling in-ear headphones.

Ultimo aggiornamento 2023-09-30 / Link di affiliazione / Immagini da Amazon Product Advertising API

Conclusions

The Sony company seldom makes mistakes in the development of Bluetooth headsets, again with the WF-1000XM4 it has done a quality job. Both from a technical point of view, with BT 5.2, 6 millimeter drivers and lots of interesting features, and from a structural point of view, it has created a balanced product.

Although some users may not like such an extroverted design, once you wear the earbuds it will be hard to detach yourself from them.And so, from our point of view, it is fitting that these bluetooth earbuds are among the best earbuds on the market.