The last listeners Sony’s flagship wireless devices are here and the WF-1000XM4 has arrived in the hope that they will be the best on the market, surpassing Apple, Bose and many others.
In addition to a new more compact design, the Sony WF-1000XM4 has many new smart features such as ambient sound control and Speak-to-Chat audio detection.
Design and build
- Listeners 10% smaller
- 40% smaller case
- IP4X water resistance
If you remember the listeners Sony previews, you’ll see the XM4 introduce a new design. They left behind the oval shape of the WF-1000XM3, which was replaced by a circular helmet with a bulge on the side where the plug protrudes.
I tried the black model, but you can choose the silver model if you prefer, both with a gold accent. Importantly, they are 10% smaller than the previous generation and weigh 7.3g each.
I prefer the new shape (designed to fit the ear well), but there is listeners The smallest and lightest on the market, so if you have small ears you might find them a bit bulky. Three different sizes of plugs are included in the box, and they use memory foam material for a snug and snug fit.
In my experience, the headphones fit well in the ears, and although I have quite small ear canals, the small size of the plugs was sufficient. The XM4s never fell, not even while chasing my dog around the garden, which surprised me.
When you take the headphones off, sensors are used to automatically pause the music and then resume again when you put them back on.
On the outside, the headphones have tactile buttons which work great and while not very high protection, its IPX4 waterproofness should be good enough for most people, which means that they are resistant to splashes and perspiration.
As with the headphones, the case is also smaller, although in this case a lot more: 40%. It’s a cute little box with an LED on the front, a USB-C port on the back, and wireless charging. For me, removing and putting on the headphones was a snap.
Finally, it is acceptable to use environmentally friendly packaging, made from 99% recycled and sustainable materials. You won’t see any plastic.
Sound quality
- 6mm controllers
- LDAC with high resolution wireless audio
- DSEE Extreme
Sony has shown that size doesn’t matter when using 6mm drivers, although you can find listeners with controllers twice as big, if not bigger. However, what matters is what you do with it, because the sound of the WF-1000XM4 is impressive.
The company says they “reproduce dynamic sound despite their small size, and the high-compliance diaphragm reproduces a rich range of bass,” and I can’t question that given the quality of the sound.
Hidden under the quiet case is the technology that makes this possible, including Sony’s integrated V1 processor which, in part, reduces distortion.
The XM4s are compatible with the LDAC codec, which can transfer three times more data than conventional Bluetooth and enables high-resolution wireless audio.
You will need to connect them to a device that is also compatible with LDAC, although this is not difficult to do since it is available on mobiles with Android 8.0 or higher. For iPhone users, the XM4s also support AAC.
DSEE Extreme (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) technology means that the listeners can enhance compressed audio in real time.
i tried the listeners XM4 with various devices and audio sources and they just sound amazing on all of them. The audio quality is rich, clear and balanced.
Plus, they’re compatible with 360 Reality Audio, Sony’s spatial audio technology for an immersive listening experience. Keep in mind that for this you will need a service diffusion compatible such as Deezer or Tidal and the corresponding subscription.
The app can help you find the right take size by testing its fit and there is also an equalizer if you want to customize the sound.
Noise cancellation and smart features
- Ambient sound control
- Personalization galore
- Talk to chat
Sound quality is one thing, but a lot of people will want to buy the XM4s for active noise cancellation (ANC) and other smart features. And let me tell you, Sony didn’t hold back.
As Sony headphones have grown accustomed to us, the noise canceling technology is insanely good and arguably unbeatable. Unique listeners The wireless headphones I have tested that come close are the Bose QC Earbuds.
However, the WF-1000XM4 comes with a lot of additional smart features that set it apart from the crowd.
Of course, there are features like an ambient mode so you can hear the noise around you with an adjustable level (20 levels to choose from, if that wasn’t enough) and wind reduction in main mode, but it There is a lot more than we had already seen in the WH-1000XM4 helmets.
The main feature is ambient sound control and it allows you to automatically adjust your profile depending on where you are and what you are doing.
For example, the ambient sound will be improved when you start walking and noise cancellation when you stop. This is defined with actions like running or carrying.
Sony has also included specific locations that you can list, such as your office, a coffee shop you go to often, or the gym.
In the Headphone Connect app, you can save the locations of the detected locations or configure them from scratch from the map. And like a lot of things in the app, you can turn off actions or locations whenever you want and customize everything else as well.
Needless to say, the headphones are compatible with digital assistants (Alexa and Google), but there are a lot more smart features to talk about.
Speaking of “talking”, Speak-to-Chat stands out, with which listeners They can detect when you speak to pause music and switch to ambient mode if not enabled.
When talking to someone I know, I personally prefer to take off at least one headset, but I imagine this can be useful in situations like ordering coffee before going to take the train if you have your hands full and that it is difficult to remove a helmet. earphone.
Battery life and charge
- 24 hours with ANC
- Wireless charging case
- Listeners fast charge
One aspect that hasn’t been updated from the previous model is battery life, as Sony offers a total of 24 hours (8 hours for the headphones and an additional 16 hours for the charging case).
Though there is listeners These are pretty respectable numbers that last longer and, perhaps more importantly, better than Apple and Bose. And those numbers are with ANC as well, so if you turn it off the XM4 can last up to 36 hours.
In my experience, the battery life lasted quite a long time, even sometimes using only 10% for an hour with the ANC turned on.
As I said before, the case now offers Qi wireless charging, which makes it easier to charge them. Fast charging means you can have an hour of use with just five minutes of charging.
Price
As expected, listeners Sony flagships also have flagship prices. Priced at $ 280, they’re more expensive than their predecessors, but they compete with rivals like the Bose QC Earbuds or AirPods Pro.
You can buy them directly from the Sony website or other electronics stores like Amazon.
If you still have questions about which headphones to buy, don’t miss our selection of the best listeners wireless.
Verdict
You have to be able to afford it, but if you can, you won’t get better listeners wireless than the Sony WF-1000XM4. Although I can understand that iPhone users prefer AirPods Pro.
Even so, the XM4s are a good option regardless of what operating system your mobile is using. The new design is more compact and lighter, and that’s just the start.
In addition to incredible sound quality and noise cancellation, the XM4 offers more technology and smart features. Ambient sound control automatically switches between different modes as you move around or arrive at a specific location.
The V1 processor offers DSEE Extreme enhancement, wind reduction, and more, and also supports LDAC for high-resolution wireless audio and 360 Reality Audio spatial audio. The feature list is rounded out with Speak-to-Chat, ear detection and more.
Almost everything can be personalized through the app, so you can have whatever you want however you want, or just turn it off if you don’t want to use it.
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