Over-Ear
Austrian Audio HI-X20
Not yet scored
$200
Full review dataAustrian Audio HI-X20 vs Sony WH-1000XM4: which should you buy?
Specs, scores and condensed review verdicts for the Austrian Audio HI-X20 vs Sony WH-1000XM4, side by side. Where a product has no HearWiki score yet, not enough reviews have been aggregated to rate it.
Over-Ear
Sony WH-1000XM4
86Outstanding
$300
Full review dataScore breakdown
Each axis is a 0–10 blend of what reviewers scored, not a lab measurement.
Sony WH-1000XM4 leads on 6 of 7 measures.
- Austrian Audio HI-X20
- Sony WH-1000XM4
HearWiki score
-
86
Sound
-
9.0
Noise cancelling
-
9.0
Battery
-
8.0
Calls
-
8.0
Value
-
8.0
Price (USD)
$200
$300
Generation & platform
The scores rank quality. This is the other question: is the newer one actually newer technology, or the same platform in a new shell?
Half a step newer
Austrian Audio HI-X20 (2025) against Sony WH-1000XM4 (2020). The Sony WH-1000XM4 edges ahead on platform, but only just: ANC type Adaptive against None.
- HI-X2020255 yr newer
- WH-1000XM42020
What differsHI-X20WH-1000XM4
- ANC type
- None
- Adaptive
Platform
Specifications
HI-X20WH-1000XM4
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Over-Ear
- Price (USD)
- $200
- $300
- HearWiki score
- Not scored
- 86
- Released
- 2025
- 2020
- Driver
- 44 mm dynamic
- 40 mm dynamic
- Driver type
- dynamic
- dynamic
- Driver size
- 44 mm
- 40 mm
- Drivers per side
- 1
- 1
- Frequency response
- -
- 4 Hz - 40 kHz
- Sound signature
- bright
- -
- Impedance
- -
- 16 Ω
- Sensitivity
- -
- 105 dB/mW
- Bluetooth
- -
- 5.0
- Codecs
- -
- SBC, AAC, LDAC
- Multipoint pairing
- -
- Yes
- Battery life
- -
- 38 h
- Battery life (ANC on)
- -
- 30 h
- Full charge time
- -
- 180 min
- Quick charge
- -
- 10 min → 5 h
- Wireless charging
- -
- No
- Active noise cancelling
- -
- Yes
- ANC type
- -
- adaptive
- Transparency mode
- -
- Yes
- Companion app
- -
- Yes
- Custom EQ
- -
- Yes
- Wear detection
- -
- Yes
- Controls
- -
- touch
- Voice assistant
- -
- Alexa, Google Assistant
- Weight
- 300 g
- 254 g
- Water resistance
- -
- none
- Foldable
- Yes
- -
- Detachable cable
- Yes
- -
- USB-C
- -
- Yes
- Pad material
- protein-leather
- -
- Clamp force
- 300 g
- -
- Connector
- 2.5 mm balanced
- -
- Microphones
- -
- 2
What reviewers said
Austrian Audio HI-X20
No summary yet - we haven't aggregated enough reviews.
Sony WH-1000XM4
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are premium wireless over-ears that blend top-tier adaptive noise cancellation with a well-balanced, detailed sound signature. They offer a lengthy 30-hour battery, LDAC support, and a comfortable, lightweight build that still holds up well against newer competitors. With handy features like multipoint pairing, touch controls, and a quick charge function, they remain a versatile choice for daily use and travel.
- Pro:Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Pro:Detailed, accurate audio with LDAC support
- Pro:Comfortable and lightweight for long sessions
- Con:No dedicated aptX codec support
- Con:Touch controls can be finicky for some users
- Con:Plastic build feels less premium than price suggests
Summaries are AI-condensed and paraphrased from published reviews and specs - not original hands-on testing. More on our method.
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