Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth the upgrade from the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro Mkii?
Verdict
Clear upgrade
Going from the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 Pro Mkii to the Sony WH-1000XM4 buys you 16.0 points of HearWiki score - a clear step up that reviewers agree on rather than a marketing refresh. The gains are concentrated in sound (7.0 to 9.0) and value (6.5 to 8.0). On paper: active noise cancelling, weight 377 g to 254 g and multipoint pairing. Worth checking: driver size goes 45 mm to 40 mm. One caution: this steps down a line tier (DT 1770 Pro Mkii to WH-1000XM4), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. It's also $299 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. If your current pair is worn out or the gains line up with how you listen, this one is worth the money.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound7.09.0
- Value6.58.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | DT 1770 Pro Mkii | WH-1000XM4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Weight | 377 g | 254 g | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Driver size | 45 mm | 40 mm | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Controls | buttons | touch | |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-40kHz | 4 Hz - 40,000 Hz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "DT 1770 Pro Mkii to WH-1000XM4". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across over-ear and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.