Consensus
Unanimous accolades across the board. Most reviewers said the WH-1000XM4 edges out a close win over the Bose Headphone 700.
Average Overall Rating
★★★★★★★★★★
4.67 out of 5 stars (7 reviews)
Critics Reviews (Around the Web)
If you have $350 to spend on active noise-cancelling headphones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 get my highest recommendation. They deliver top-shelf noise cancellation, they’re comfortable to wear, they’re packed with features, and—most importantly—they sound fantastic. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars
– TechHive · Sep 11, 2020
Audio is loud, crisp, and simply fantastic. It is the best headset I have ever had on my head and I highly recommend them. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.95 out of 5 stars
– ZDNet · Aug 13, 2020
It's easy to make a case that these are the best all-around ANC headphones on the market. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars
– PC Magazine · Aug 6, 2020
For the same price as its previous flagship, Sony has delivered small but very useful improvements in the WH-1000XM4, which is enough to crown them as the new king of personal audio. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
5 out of 5 stars
– Digital Trends · Aug 6, 2020
The 1000XM4s live up to the strong reputation that Sony has built and offer more powerful noise-canceling capabilities than ever before. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.5 out of 5 stars
– The Verge · Aug 6, 2020
A refined design, improved audio and new features firmly plant WH-1000XM4 at the top of our best headphones list. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.7 out of 5 stars
– Engadget · Aug 6, 2020
It remains one of the top noise-canceling headphones, if not the top one out there, having the best combination of comfort, sound, performance and extra features. Read full review →★★★★★★★★★★
4.55 out of 5 stars
– CNET · Aug 6, 2020
Pros
- Proximity based auto play/pause
- LDAC codec support
- Terrific app experience
- Quick attention mode
- Speak-to-chat option
- Very long battery life
- Simple, reliable touch controls
- Top-tier noise cancellation with in-app adjustments
- Customizable EQ
- Simple, responsive on-ear controls
- Very comfortable
- Excellent sound quality
- Excellent noise canceling
- Very good call quality
- Bluetooth multi-device pairing
- Handy, customizable features
- Sony's best noise-canceling capabilities yet
- Powerful custom ANC
- Immersive sound with punchy bass
- Automatic pausing when you speak
- Multi-device connectivity
- Good battery life
- New Speak-to-Chat mode
- Upgraded Bluetooth system-on-chip
Cons
- Edge-AI upscaling doesn't add much
- Touch controls still have a learning curve
- You can't use LDAC with multipoint Bluetooth
- 360 Reality Audio requires a compatible music service
- Cable lacks inline remote
- No aptX or aptX HD
- USB-C port cannot be used for audio
- Cold-weather improvements are unproven
- Adaptive Sound Control requires location sharing
- Looks virtually the same as the previous model
Our Final Conclusion
Although only a minor upgrade over the WH-1000XM3, the new Sony WH-1000XM4 is the best wireless noise cancelling headphone of 2020.
Product Overview
August 13, 2020 - New Convenience Features & Improved Noise Cancellation Sony just released the new WH-1000XM4 wireless noise cancelling headphones for $349. Now in their the fourth-generation, the WH-1000XM4 succeed the highly regarded WH-1000XM3, considered by many the best noise cancelling headphones of 2019. The new WH-1000XM4 arrive with a near identical look, but with additional smart features that personalize and control music, improve industry-leading noise cancellation and adjust ambient sound automatically based on user preferences. Better Noise Cancellation With two... Read product announcement →
- MSRP:
- $349.99
- Type:
- Wireless Headphones
- Released:
- Aug 18, 2020
