Sony WH-1000XM4 Review

While they don't match newer Sonys in sound, noise canceling, and call quality, the WH-1000XM4s remain a fantastic choice, offering near-flagship performance at a lower price.

Sound Quality

The audio is thumpy and powerful, making music feel bigger, bolder, and just more fun to listen to; it makes you want to groove. We were generally impressed with the clarity and detail, but it wasn't quite as good as the Sony XM5.

You'll definitely feel the thump, rumble, and boom in pop, country, and hip-hop tracks, but sometimes the lows can get a bit muddy, like in the bass-heavy hook of “Livin Life” by rapper Lord Sko. The XM5 offers better precision and more oomph.

The midrange is full and colorful, shining in stripped-down acoustic tracks. One tester described Joy Williams' “Front Porch” by saying, “The harmonies at 0:46 are beautifully layered; distinct yet perfectly blended. The guitar and violin are warm and rich but never overpower Williams' delicate lead vocal. This simple arrangement shows off what the headphones are capable of.” That said, the mids can sometimes get a little cloudy when a strong bass line kicks in. The highs are a bit hit or miss. Usually, there's plenty of detail and presence, but occasionally, they become either piercing or distanced.

The entire listening experience is customizable with the Sony | Sound Connect App. Here, you can elevate the lows with “Clear Bass”, customize the sound with the equializer (EQ), or improve audio quality with the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine ("DSEE"), among a slew of other options. More on that in User Experience.

Soundstage

Soundstage is all about how lifelike the music sounds. The WH-1000XM4 does a good job of giving each instrument its own space, but it's not like being front row at a live show.

The experience is more dimensional than anything you'll find below $100, but it still falls short of XM5 and other premium models. 360 Reality Audio can make the experience more immersive, but you'll have to stream from a subscription-based service like Deezer, Nugs.net, Amazon Music HD, or Tidal.

Frequency Response

We used the WH-1000XM4 with a head simulator and SoundCheck software to map its frequency response curve. You can see how it's tuned and whether it aligns with your musical tastes.

We use our Target Response curve as a benchmark for what we believe is the most enjoyable, genre-flexible tuning. The XM4 deviates, with boosted lows and highs, and a short dip in the upper mid-range. This gives it an energetic, in-your-face sound that many listeners enjoy, especially for pop, rock, alternative, hip-hop, and dance music. But the sound is far from the neutral, accurate reproduction that audiophiles value. Moreover, the midrange dip can sometimes leave vocals sounding a distanced.

Comfort and Fit

The XM4s are the kind of headphones your ears thank you for. They're comfy enough to wear all day, but the trade-off is a looser fit. Most testers who wore the XM4 could wear them for 8 hours straight without issue, even with thick-framed glasses and dangly earrings.

The 250-gram weight feels light, and the plush, breathable padding provides all-day comfort without causing sore spots or a sticky, sweaty mess. The fit is a little loose. So dancing or speed walking might cause them to fall. The XM5s address this issue with a stronger clamping force, making them more secure but less cozy.

Noise Cancellation

Considering the price point, the XM4 has outstanding noise-canceling capabilities. It isn't on par with newer generations of Sonys, but it's better than any budget option.

One tester said, “I think the noise blocking is good! I wore these on an airplane and they did a good job of decreasing the roaring engine and muting the harsh baby crying two rows ahead.”

The XM4 decreases sound by an average of 27 decibels, whereas the XM5 blocks 31 decibels. In the low to mid-frequency range, where city rumbles and office chatter hit, active noise canceling technology (ANC) does the heavy lifting, keeping common distractions at bay. At the high end of the range, where sirens hit, sound blocking results from the passive noise-isolating properties of earcups. So, we couldn't hear typing or coworkers talking, but we could softly hear microwave beeps.

Sometimes, the XM4 ANC causes a stuffy inner ear feeling, which is not uncommon but still uncomfortable. The in-app Atmospheric Pressure Optimizer and customizable ANC slider helped reduce this feeling, making the XM4 still a viable choice for those sensitive to ANC.

The customizable Ambient Sound mode allows you to be more aware of your surroundings. The technology sounds relatively natural and pleasant, but we still prefer conversations without the headphones on.

Ease of Use

The XM4 has tons of customization options to shape the audio just how you want it, but the touch controls can sometimes have a mind of their own.

Controls

The XM4 has a mix of button and touch controls; buttons for power and noise-canceling, touch for pausing and skipping tracks. The buttons are flawless, but the touch gestures are stubborn. There are smart controls, like Quick Attention Mode, Speak to Chat, and wearing detection, which pause the music when you place your palm over the earcup, speak, or take the headphones off. They simplify a multitasking life, but the Speak to Chat can get trigger-happy to noises besides your voice.

Customization

The Sony Sound Connect App provides the tools to fine-tune everything from sound to noise canceling for a customized experience. We tinkered with the adjustable EQ, enjoying the “excited” preset and the Clear Bass boost for extra oomph. There's also a hearing test that creates a personalized EQ. The DSEE notably improved the sound quality on the XM5s, less so with the XM4.

It has a slider to adjust the amount of ambient sound you hear. This app feature is easy to miss, but it's worth the search. There's also an Adaptive Sound Control that automatically switches between noise-canceling modes based on the environment.

Connectivity

The XM4 easily pairs with any PC/Android or Mac/iOS device. The connection is stable and never randomly cuts out or disconnects, as we've experienced with some cheaper competitors. Comparing our experience with the broader community, we found that most Amazon reviewers were satisfied with the connectivity.

The XM4 has Multipoint, allowing connection to two devices simultaneously, but it doesn't work smoothly. Switching audio between a phone, tablet, and laptop wasn't automatic and often required a manual fix in the app. It's a small inconvenience, but the WH-100XM5 handles it far more seamlessly.

Battery

The WH-100XM4 has a lengthy 35-hour battery that tops many competitors, including the XM5.

It's far from the 70+ hours of devices without ANC, but it strikes an excellent balance between power and performance. The headphones support passive playback and can be plugged in with the audio cable for uninterrupted playback.

Call Quality

The XM4 is a good choice for frequent callers, as long as you're not calling from a subway or jackhammer convention.

Calling from a subway is a tough challenge for any headphone, including the XM4. Voices sound fuzzy and background noise bleeds in, making conversations harder to follow.

Calling from a noisy, open office space is a familiar scenario for many users, and the XM4 does a solid job. Voices come through clearly, but so does all the clicking and clacking in the background.

Without any background interference, voices are easy to understand, with a touch of graininess.

We place a live calls in real-world settings for our call quality testing.

In quieter environments, the XM4 sounds excellent, but has a hint of graininess.

Should You Buy the Sony WH-100XM4?

The Sony WH-1000XM4 offers near-industry-leading sound quality, active noise cancellation, and comfort at a mid-range price. If you're not prepared for the $400+ plunge for the absolute best, the Sony XM4 gets you close.

What Other Wireless Headphones Should You Consider?