Sony WH-1000XM4 Review: What can the best noise-cancelling headphones do?

Soft ear pads, retractable ear cups, good battery life and one of the best noise cancelling systems: nothing has changed in the new WH-1000XM4 compared to its predecessor. The new model also looks the same on the outside. Two years later, however, Sony has added some important and good innovations.

I tested the WH-1000XM4 for a week in everyday life: In the office, on the train and at home.

Finally included: Auto Pause

Sony is introducing an important innovation with Auto Pause. Thanks to the proximity sensor in the left ear cup, the music stops automatically as soon as you remove the headphones from your ears.

The feature missing from the predecessor works as it should. As soon as you take the headphones off, the music stops. However, if you only remove one ear cup, the music continues to play. If you put the headphones around your neck, the music also stops and does not suddenly start again on its own. If you put the headphones back on your ears after the break, the music will continue to play where you left off. If you don't want the feature, you can deactivate it in the app.

The WH-1000XM4 switches off automatically after around ten minutes if no music is being played. The battery should therefore not run out unnoticed.

The problem with Multipoint

The WH-1000XM4 is capable of simple multipoint. This means that two playback devices can be connected to the headphones at the same time. You can connect your mobile and your laptop to the headphones

If you are listening to music on your mobile and someone calls you in Microsoft Teams on your laptop, the headphones automatically switch the signal source. This means you don't have to change the connection. The prerequisite for this is that both signal sources are active. This works for me in four out of five cases. In the fifth case, the music I was previously playing on my mobile suddenly starts up again. First I hear music and phone at the same time, then just music. My call partner can no longer be heard. On the whole, however, Multipoint works well.

On my HP laptop, I still have to select the headphones as a headset to be able to switch directly. In this setup, I have to switch the WH-1000XM4 first to get stereo sound. Otherwise, I can normally maintain two connections, one of which is active and plays music.

In the app, you can choose whether you want to activate Multipoint. However, once the function is activated, you will only have the SBC - standard Bluetooth codec. The better LDAC no longer works in this mode. This is suboptimal. Because, unlike its predecessor, the aptX codecs are no longer included.

The thing with Bluetooth: LDAC and AAC - aptX codecs gone

In contrast to the predecessor model, aptX and aptX HD are no longer included. Sony relies entirely on its own LDAC development. Not really a problem, as the Sony standard is better anyway and is included with every Android mobile from version 8.0. Unfortunately, LDAC only works as long as Multipoint is not activated. If Multipoint is switched on, you will only have the SBC codec. SBC is the lowest standard. And quite honestly: who wants the worst sound quality on their brand new headphones?

On request, Sony tells me that the company has opted for the certified LDAC Hi-Res codec to optimise the sound quality.

If you set multipoint, the headphones always connect to the first device selected first and then to the second about two seconds later. The headphone voice then says "Bluetooth device connected, Bluetooth second device connected" in a reassuring monotone. Competitor manufacturers, especially Bose, have had Multipoint for longer. For example, the much cheaper QuietComfort 35 II, which was launched on the market almost three years ago.

Call quality - judge for yourself

On several Microsoft Teams calls that I make with the WH-1000XM4, I am told that I cannot be heard well. I initially think it's due to the connection. According to Sony, the phone quality has been improved. However, I can always hear the other person well. The call quality is not good, especially when I have Multipoint activated - i.e. the mobile is connected to the headphones at the same time. I can hear the other person clearly, but the other person can only hear me very poorly. During a conversation with Multipoint activated, my colleague Kevin thinks I sound like I'm talking into a tin can. I deactivate Multipoint and now he can hear me better.

So that you can judge for yourself, I recorded myself with the headset microphone. First without multipoint, then with.

When making calls with the smartphone, the quality with Multipoint activated is not optimal either, but it is significantly better than in the video. I find the quality to be good without Multipoint. My colleague also understands me well on the train, even though it's quite loud around me. The ambient noise cancelling promised by Sony basically works.

Noise cancelling: really good

There's a major building site outside my flat at the moment - perfect for testing the noise cancelling. The predecessor of the XM4 performed best in the objective noise cancelling test conducted by the acoustics experts at Rocket Science: Sony delivered measurably the strongest noise suppression. Only the Bose Headphones 700 scored better in the team's subjective assessment.

Sony claims to have improved noise cancelling by a further 15 per cent - whatever that means. In particular, the Japanese manufacturer wants to better reduce noise at high frequencies. The high frequencies were also what the Rocket Science team criticised about the XM3.

Rocket Science will also measure the WH-1000XM4 and compare it with the other headphones. I will publish the results in a separate article in the next few days.

I have the XM4s on in my home office while the road outside my flat is being torn up with jackhammers. I'm glad for the headphones. The headphones can't filter out the noise completely - high-pitched sounds in particular still come through. - But I can hardly hear anything at medium volume. On the train, I sometimes hear a few snatches of conversation from fellow travellers, but otherwise just music. Sony's cancelling definitely does its job.

I still have one problem with the cancelling: the first few times I put the headphones on, I feel nauseous. This has never happened to me before with noise-cancelling headphones. However, I really only felt nauseous the first few times until I got used to the strong cancelling.

What is the sound like?

Even the predecessor of the XM4 basically delivers very good sound. However, I was bothered by the fact that the previous model had quite a lot of bass. The successor also has a lot of bass, but I have the feeling that it has become a little less. On the other hand, the mids are now more present. Guitar pieces, piano and vocals are defined and clear to my ears - just as they should be.

In my ears, the WH-1000XM4 generally sounds a little less excited than its predecessor. I like a warm, clear and full sound. So the XM4 largely meets my taste. However, I sometimes have the feeling that certain tracks sound a little pressed. On the other hand, I like the treble better on the new model - it seems clearer to me.

Use the equaliser and eight presets in the Sony Headphones app to adjust the sound to your liking. Incidentally, the ANC did not have a negative effect on the sound to my ears and there is no noise even when listening to a podcast or quiet music.

You can also set the app so that the annoying jingle doesn't interrupt the music every time you switch to ANC mode.

The fridge experiment: passed

When it gets cold, certain electronic devices get into trouble. This includes the predecessor of the XM4. In winter, the touch control became unresponsive for several users. A question about this was asked by user dimschlukas in the announcement article.

Because the summery outside temperatures didn't allow a test, I put the headphones in the fridge for 45 minutes. I listen to music with cold ears, the touch control on the right earphone does what it should. Everything runs normally, the volume does not change and the controls only do what they are supposed to.

At the end: battery and wearing comfort

Like its predecessor, the XM4 offers 30 hours of battery life - which is normal to good compared to the competition. The 30 hours are with noise cancelling activated. That works for me. The headphones also have a quick-charging function: with just a few minutes of charging, you can listen to music for another two to three hours. A full charge takes around three hours.

Unfortunately, according to Sony, the battery is not replaceable - but at least the ear pads are.

Where the NC/Ambient button on the left ear cup was on the predecessor, Sony has now added a custom button. You can assign it in the app: Either with the ANC function, Google Assistant or Alexa.

If you want your music to stop without having to touch the headphones, you can activate the Speak-to-Chat function. The headphones will recognise your voice and stop the music as soon as you start speaking. Because I find it rude to talk to someone with headphones on, I only try this function once in the office. There, the music sometimes stops when my office colleagues speak too loudly. The sensitivity can be adjusted, but it didn't help me much. What's more, if you sing along to a song, the music also stops. Sony still needs to improve this option.

On the other hand, the XM4 is very comfortable, just like its predecessor. The ear pads have even become a little softer. I can wear the headphones for hours on end, even though I'm a fussy headphone wearer - the Sennheiser Momentum models are all too hard for me, for example, and after an hour at the latest they start to press on my skull.

Summarised: Great headphones, but expensive

The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a great pair of headphones. They can do almost everything really well. The only thing that bothers me is the multipoint thing, where you have to accept compromises in Bluetooth connectivity and phone quality.

But that's complaining on a high level. Because the headphones have all the rest under control: where competitor models can't be folded away for storage, are uncomfortable, have poor noise cancelling or the controls don't work as desired, the WH-1000XM4 comes up trumps - but it costs a lot.

Are the headphones worth the extra cost compared to their predecessor? The WH-1000XM4 is worth it for people who now have an older headphone model. Or for those who have the XM3 but now really want multipoint. <p