Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth the upgrade from the Wavefun Wave Pro X?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Sony WH-1000XM4 actually scores 14.3 points below the Wavefun Wave Pro X, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. It loses ground on value (9.0 to 4.2) and calls (7.5 to 6.1). On paper it adds active noise cancelling. Worth checking: battery life goes 100 h to 38 h and bluetooth goes 6.0 to 5.0. One caution: this steps down a line tier (Wave Pro X to WH-1000XM4), and base models usually trade away tier features - check the codec and ANC rows above before trusting the score gap alone. And it costs $185 more for a lower score, which is hard to justify on the data alone. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound8.58.0
- Noise cancelling8.08.2
- Battery9.58.5
- Calls7.56.1
- Value9.04.2
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | Wave Pro X | WH-1000XM4 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 100 h | 38 h | |
| Active noise cancelling | No | Yes | |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.0 | |
| Battery life (ANC on) | 60 h | 30 h | |
| Drivers per side | 2 | 1 | |
| Wireless charging | Yes | No | |
| Driver | 2× 40 mm dynamic | 40 mm dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz - 20 kHz | 4 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "Wave Pro X 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.