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93The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a high-end wireless over-ear headphone with active noise cancellation, known for its excellent sound quality and comfort. It offers a 30-hour battery life and supports LDAC and AAC codecs.
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Image © SonySony WH-1000XM4
At a glance
- Brand
- Sony
- Type
- Over-Ear
- Fit
- -
- Connection
- Wireless
- Noise cancelling
- Yes
- Released
- 2020
Score breakdowngreat overall
Sound8.0
Noise cancelling8.2
Battery8.5
Calls6.1
Value4.2
The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a premium over-ear headphone with active noise cancellation, offering 30 hours of battery life, LDAC support, and a comfortable design, ranking #6 among headphones.
The HearWiki takeAI-condensed
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are premium wireless over-ear headphones that deliver outstanding active noise cancellation and balanced, detailed sound. They remain a top pick thanks to their comfortable fit, long battery life, and useful features like adaptive ANC, multipoint pairing, and touch controls. Despite being a few years old, they still compete strongly with newer flagships.
What works
- Excellent adaptive noise cancellation
- Rich, well-balanced audio with LDAC support
- Comfortable lightweight design for long sessions
- Multipoint pairing and Speak-to-Chat convenience
- Long battery life up to 30 hours with ANC
What doesn't
- No water resistance rating
- No wireless charging support
- Touch controls can be finicky for some users
- Build feels less premium than some rivals
Paraphrased from published reviews & specs - not an original hands-on test. Our AI disclosure.
Specifications
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic |
|---|---|
| Driver type | dynamic |
| Driver size | 40 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 |
| Frequency response | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
| Impedance | 16 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW |
Audio
| Driver | 40 mm dynamic |
|---|---|
| Driver type | dynamic |
| Driver size | 40 mm |
| Drivers per side | 1 |
| Frequency response | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
| Impedance | 16 Ω |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW |
Wireless
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
|---|---|
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Multipoint pairing | Yes |
Battery
| Battery life | 38 h |
|---|---|
| Battery life (ANC on) | 30 h |
| Full charge time | 180 min |
| Quick charge | 10 min → 5 h |
| Wireless charging | No |
Features
| 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 |
Design
| Weight | 254 g |
|---|---|
| Water resistance | none |
| USB-C | Yes |
Calls
| Microphones | 2 |
|---|
Where to buy
Retailers we matched to this exact model. Prices are periodic snapshots - the link always opens the retailer's current listing.
What the reviews said
3 source(s) feeding this product's score.
What YouTube reviewers say
Video reviews we found, each condensed to its verdict. They do feed the HearWiki score, at a measured weight below what a published written review carries.
The consensus
Positiveacross 3 videosReviewers agree the Sony WH-1000XM4 is a strong upgrade over its predecessor, with most praising the improved noise cancellation, multi-device Bluetooth support, and better call quality, while noting the design remains largely unchanged.
Reviewers liked
- Improved noise cancellation
- Multi-device Bluetooth support
- Better call quality
- Comfortable fit
- Useful wear detection
Reviewers flagged
- Design unchanged
- Speak-to-chat can be gimmicky or pause music unexpectedly
- Short charging cable
- 360 Reality Audio not widely available
7:38Sony WH-1000XM4 Review: The Final Form!
The reviewer praises the Sony WH-1000XM4 as an excellent update to the already-great XM3, focusing on meaningful improvements like multi-device support and slightly better noise cancellation. He finds the design unchanged but acceptable, and notes the new features like wear detection and speak-to-chat are useful or gimmicky depending on the user. Overall, he considers them his ideal headphones and highly recommends them.
PositiveWatch on YouTube
9:35Sony WH-1000XM4 Review | The Best Headphones Got Better
The reviewer finds the Sony WH-1000XM4 to be a worthy successor to the XM3, with key improvements in comfort, multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, and higher-frequency noise cancellation, while maintaining the same excellent sound quality and battery life. The overall verdict is that the best headphones have indeed gotten better, despite minor gripes like a short charging cable.
PositiveWatch on YouTube
7:38The BEST Noise Canceling Headphones! Sony WH-1000XM4
The reviewer is enthusiastic about the Sony WH-1000XM4, praising its improved noise cancellation, multi-device connectivity, and new features like wear detection and speak-to-chat. She finds the headphones comfortable and packed with useful settings, though she notes some features like 360 Reality Audio have limited availability. Overall, she considers it a strong upgrade over the previous model.
PositiveWatch on YouTube
Summaries are AI condensations of each video's own conclusion, not transcripts. Titles, thumbnails and view counts belong to their channels.
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Mentioned in articles
Where the Sony WH-1000XM4 comes up in our guides and explainers.
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- GuideBest Audiophile Headphones Under $500: Over-Ears and IEMsFind the best audiophile headphones under $500. We rank top over-ears and wired IEMs by score, covering sound, comfort, and value.
- GuideBest Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones: Top Picks RankedCompare the highest-scoring ANC over-ear headphones in the HearWiki database, from Sony and Sennheiser to Focal and Nothing, with scores, prices, and weaknesses.
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Where it sits in our rankings
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