Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth the upgrade from the Shure Srh1540?
Verdict
Meaningful upgrade
The Sony WH-1000XM4 scores 6.0 points above the Shure Srh1540. That's a real improvement, though not the kind you'd notice on every track. The gains are concentrated in value (7.0 to 8.0). On paper: active noise cancelling, weight 286 g to 254 g and multipoint pairing. It's also $249 cheaper, which makes this an easy call. Worth doing if you're replacing anyway; harder to justify as a pure upgrade if what you have still works.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.09.0
- Value7.08.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Srh1540 | WH-1000XM4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Weight | 286 g | 254 g | |
| Multipoint pairing | No | Yes | |
| Drivers per side | 1 | 2 | |
| USB-C | No | Yes | |
| Frequency response | 5Hz-25kHz | 4 Hz - 40,000 Hz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Srh1540 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.