Two years ago, when Sony released the WF-1000XM3, it was applauded for its superior noise-canceling capabilities and improved sound quality and the competition in the earbuds space has also been cutthroat. This includes the likes of Apple’s AirPods Pro and Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds that came out during this period to beat Sony’s earbuds. Sony is back with a bang in the form of the new UGX 1 million ($279.99) WF-1000XM4 earbuds.
The WF-1000XM4 comes with even more powerful noise canceling that is as good as the over-ear headphones. Thanks to the new V1 chip integrated into the earbuds, the audio quality has been further improved. Other key features added include the IPX4 water and sweat resistance, wireless charging, and more.
V1 chip integrated into the 1000XM4s that bring their noise cancellation capabilities to levels never seen before in any earbuds. Most YouTube reviewers who have used the product have testified that they do a better job than the AirPods Pro and even slightly outperform Bose’s QuietComfort Earbuds at hushing nearby noise.
Design
The WF-1000XM4’s design looks nothing like its predecessors. Sony has moved away from the pill shape to a more subtle, all-matte style. They’re now smaller earbuds with a 10 percent downsizing, but it feels like more due to the sleeker overall design. The touch control area still exists and the most outstanding thing about these earbuds is the small, accented circular microphone inlet. Sony’s logo is now on the side of the buds, where few would ever spot it when you’re wearing them.
The carrying case of WF-1000XM4 has been reduced even more; it’s 40 percent smaller than the bulky case that came with the 1000XM3s. It is now comparable to cases found on the Airpods Pro and other competitors. The case has a USB-C port and supports wireless charging, and the earbuds magnetically latch into the case strongly and should stay seated unless you fumble the whole thing to the ground.
Last time around, Sony shipped six pairs of tips with the 1000XM3 buds — three silicone sizes and three foam-like tips. But with the WF-1000XM4s, Sony is going all-in on the memory foam approach with new “noise isolation ear tips.” So if you still prefer your silicone from the old earbuds don’t throw them away yet.
Operating Time
In day-to-day usage, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds will outlast all of their main noise-canceling competitors on a single charge. They’ll run for eight hours of continuous playback with NC enabled, an impressive jump from the five hours that the AirPods Pro, and Galaxy Buds Pro. Turn noise canceling off, and the new earbuds can keep running for up to 12 hours. The charging case can juice the buds two times, so you’re looking at a total playing time of around 24 hours (NC on) or 36 hours if you can do without it wherever you are.
Audio Formats
Sony is also beating Apple’s iPods Pro pants down when it comes to having a higher bit rate wireless audio to earbuds. The WF-1000XM4 buds fully support Sony’s own proprietary LDAC codec, which can transmit music tracks at up to 990kbps. This is currently the gold standard for Bluetooth audio, and though I’m sure it’ll prompt the usual “no one can tell the difference” debates, I’m glad to see LDAC show up in more portable form. 2021 is becoming the year of lossless music streaming, with Apple and Spotify both joining Amazon Music HD and Tidal.
LDAC has some impact on that otherwise exceptional battery life. If you’ve got noise cancellation active and are streaming LDAC, it drops to the typical five hours of continuous playback. That’s not bad when you consider how hard the buds are working under those conditions, but it’s a decrease all the same and removes one of the advantages the Sony buds have over the competition.
There is doubt that WF-1000XM4s are a triumph for Sony. These earbuds can’t match all the bells and whistles of Apple’s AirPods Pro, and the lack of multipoint continues to sting. But they’re in a class of their own where it counts most: noise cancellation and sound quality.
 WF-1000XM4 earbuds. Earbuds that came out during this period){kind=link}