Description
- ACTIVE NOISE CANCELLATION: Premium noise canceling with Dual Noise Sensor technology
- LONG BATTERY LIFE: Up to 30-hour battery life with quick charging (10 min charge for 5 hours of playback)
- TOUCH SENSOR CONTROLS: Pause play skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant, and answer phone calls.
- SPEAK-TO-CHAT: Automatically reduces volume during conversations
- SUPERIOR CALL QUALITY: Precise voice pick up combines five built-in microphones with advanced audio signal for clear calls
- WEARING DETECTION: Pauses playback when headphones are removed
- MULTIPOINT CONNECTION: Seamless multiple-device pairing
David Diskin –
3.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT for Music — BAD for Calls, Teams, etc
Because I do so many meetings over Teams (I’m a professional software trainer), I thought it would be time to finally invest in a really good headset. Up until now, I’d been using a $50 over-ear set by MPOW with a really nice boom mic. It was great, but it wasn’t wireless, certainly wasn’t portable, and didn’t have the audio quality I’d want when listening to music.I thought that by splurging more than $300 on a Sony product I’d get something that was beyond all of my expectations. I was almost right, but so very wrong in other ways.CASE: Let’s start here. The case is as slim as can be, very high-quality build, looks nice, feels nice, keeps everything protected. Excellent design here with one flaw: you can’t really charge the headphones while they’re snug in the case; they don’t fold up the right way.APP: To use most of the features, Sony requires you to download an app to your smartphone. That wasn’t a big deal and the app was easy to figure out. It crashed twice on me (once during the first setup, again the next day). It offered some location-based services but I declined and it never asked me again. It wanted me to sign up for a free trial of some 360° music service — not sure what that is, but I skipped it. I was disappointed that there wasn’t a PC version of the app. For example, if I needed to switch which device the headphones were connected to, I can only do that from my phone — that means my phone always has to be one of the two devices. There’s no way to control the advanced features, or the equalizer, from the PC.PAIRING: Bluetooth pairing was hit or miss, over and over again. If I were only pairing to my phone, I think it would be fine. But I wanted to also pair it to my desktop and laptop. The device supports pairing to two devices at the same time — which was great — but nearly every time I wanted to switch devices I had to literally turn off bluetooth so the headset would “let go”. Other times, upon reconnecting, the mic wouldn’t work. Once, which turned out to be the final straw for me, was when I could not get the headset to work in Teams no matter what I tried, even though it worked fine a few hours earlier. (For context: I literally train employees and other trainers on how to use Teams, so I very much know what I’m doing.)SOUND QUALITY: Let me say that the sound quality IS exceptional. I had a blast listening to all my favorite songs streaming from my phone or laptop. I really can’t understate the quality, base and treble. And the ANC (active noise cancelling) was AMAZING. I could be sitting right next to a whole house fan and not hear it. I was blown away.RANGE: Twice during the day I tried walking around while on a call. It wasn’t until I went downstairs that anyone said the quality of my voice had dropped. If I was less than 25 feet from the device, everything was great.BATTERY LIFE: After a day of use it was down to about 50% and that impressed me. Then I watched TV and ate dinner and later that evening I put on the headphones and realized that the battery dropped to 10%. I thought the system had an auto-off feature but something didn’t quite work.CHARGING: So after my surprise drop in battery, I plugged it into my desktop with a USB C cable I already had. A little light on the headset turned red. When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to learn that the headphones were still at 10%. Apparently the USB C cable I use to charge my mouse won’t charge the headphones. I guess you need to use the cable it ships with? I’m not sure what the deal was here, but that was pretty annoying.CONTROLS: I found the touch/gesture controls to be mostly intuitive. Pro Tip: If you swipe up and hold your finger, the volume slowly increments up. Once, however, I accidentally hung up a Teams call when I was trying to adjust the volume. I love the feature that let’s me hear ambient sound by cupping my hear — super cool. Tap the power button to hear the battery level — very nice touch! However, there’s one extremely important flaw in the controls that I was shocked to discover. THERE IS NO MUTE BUTTON. The ONLY way to mute your mic during a call (Teams, phone, Zoom, etc) is to use the mute button on the desktop/phone. The headset, whose very first bullet is “clear hands-free calling”, has five built-in microphones, and a dedicated gesture to use Alexa… doesn’t have a damn mute button. Sadly, the successor to this (the 1000XM5) has the same flaw.Individually, the issues I raised wouldn’t be enough for me to return the headset or give it a low rating. But for a $350 purchase, I expect it to be able to do what it says correctly. I expect a mute button. I expect it to power off when not in use. I expect any generic USB cable to work. I expect to be able to join a meeting without fussing with bluetooth.I’d totally keep this if all I wanted it for was to listen to music.
30 people found this helpful
Kennah –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love
I had previously bought the Apple Airpods Max secondhand and they turned out to be fake so i got these on Prime Day and i couldn’t be happier! The noise cancelling is amazing and i love the feature that allows you to hear everything for safety. However, i do find it annoying that i cannot turn off the feature that makes them pause when i talk.
JWH –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) works great!
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) works great! Put on the headphones, turn on the power and it’s like the aircraft engines have turned off – the low rumble is just gone. Entertainment doesn’t have to be turned as loud in order to hear it clearly.The best thing about the Sony is that it can be used “wired” into airline entertainment, rather than having always to rely on finicky BlueTooth. The Sony comes with a two-prong adapter to fit the airlines two-prong plug holes, but the adapter isn’t necessary (at least on United Airliness 787 aircraft). It appeared to me the two-prong aircraft sockets were made up of 3.5mm and a 2.5mm holes. (I didn’t have a 2.5mm plug, so I can’t swear to that.) The Sony jack was 3.5mm and it worked well plugging it into the other, 3.5mm, socket – complete stereo worked. From testing at home I’d say the wired configuration provides slightly better sound than through BlueTooth, also. Wired appears to provide better power usage, too; I used it on a 17-hour flight for three movies, I think, and arrived with the power level at 80% from starting at 90%.It does require a bit of a learning curve, so I wouldn’t expect a newbie like me to pull it out of the box for the first time while on the aircraft and expect it to be satisfying. This is my first ANC device in maybe 10 years and that first experience wasn’t successful, so it took me awhile to try again. Basically, hold the power button for two seconds to turn it on, hold it for seven seconds to pair with BlueTooth. You can get by without the Sony headphones app, but without it you won’t know the battery charge level or be able to change sound profiles; I want to hear dialog better, so I have bass present, but not overwhelmingly so. Interestingly, you can pair the headphones with two devices at the same time, while other ANC earbuds just switch fast between two different connections. Both appear to work okay and allow you to listen to your cellphone music or the aircraft entertainment. Sony has short little movies that walked me through headphone settings.That’s a lot of “pro,” but there are a few “cons.” Over-ear headsets are bulky and have to be carried in already stuffed carry-on luggage. Some people don’t like the pressure of over-ear headsets on their ears. That’s about it, though, and if you’ve bought them at all then these issues don’t sneak up on you. I’ve had them for a month or so now so I can’t speak to their sturdiness or long-term reliability, but they do appear to be sturdy and the case protects them.What would I like to see improved? Not much, for over-ear ANC headsets. If I could find a set of wired ANC earbuds I’d surely try them to cut down on the bulk, but they’d have to work very well to provide the same sense of isolation I get from over-ear headsets. As things are, this Sony is definitely a “buy.”
3 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Daily drivers
Had a set of XM3s that I used so much they were falling apart and the right earcup started to die, was debating if these would even be an upgrade and if I should stick with a new set of the cheaper 3’s, looking back I feel stupid. Better battery life, better noise cancelation (specifically with fans from what I’ve noticed it), just as comfortable, the sound quality was as good if not better (hard to compare with the ones that were falling apart). The only issue I had was out of the box the were giving me a slight pressure headache when worn for long periods of time from the clamp force, but it has relaxed quite a bit over time.
Mockingbird –
5.0 out of 5 stars
They work, are lightweight, have a good sound, and fold up amazingly small
Everybody knows these are terrific headphones for travel, but also just for listening. I have some less lofty noise-canceling headphones but the price for these got low and I decided “why not?”Have used them in airplanes, trains, and noisy locations in buildings. They are great.The noise cancelling is great, and really isolates you from the surrounding. Do not walk down the street or drive with the noise cancelling on full. You will slip into your own world obvious of the surroundings. That said, it is great when you want to concentrate!The noise cancelling may be tuned down according to your needs. There is a nifty app for your phone that does many interesting things as well. This is a cool technological product. I have no issues with the stop-noise-cancelling-when talking feature. The controls are slick and easy to master, took me about three minutes to master.If you travel in noisy vehicles, trains, planes, busses, and boats this is a great bargain. The newer model is supposedly better, but this one is so sweet I feel no need to upgrade.
Haoyuan Dong –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I don’t quite like this product
First I thought the SONY‘s headphones designed for women should be white, although this model is labeled as ‘silver’. I assumed it was a color difference in the website images and didn’t pay much attention on it. However, when I received this product, my first impression was, why is it this color? It looks somewhat dull and not as bright as white.Another aspect I’m dissatisfied with is that when using it to make calls, the person on the other end always has trouble hearing what I’m saying, with the background noise overpowering my voice. I can’t understand why such a well-established product would have this issue.
TayneTayne –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best headphones I’ve ever owned but -1 star for several minor usability issues
As of about three years ago, I was an earbuds guy. The wireless over-hear headphones I had tried previously never could approximate the kind of audio immersion you get when you wedge little speakers directly into your ear canals. I never found over-hear headphone noise cancellation to work that well – often, turning it on would create more noise than it cancelled, compromising audio quality and, well, just sucking generally. Not to mention the inconsistent and typically non-intuitive affordances for powering on/off, pairing, and controlling playback on these things.But then I picked up a pair of Sony’s WH-H900N noise cancelling wireless headphones. I basically fell in love with them on day one and used the heck out of them over the past 3 years. So, now I’m an over-ear headphones guy. Specifically, THIS line of over-ear headphones that Sony is putting out.I still love my H900Ns. But we all know that in tech a lot can change in 3 years time. In fact, I was about to upgrade to the WH-1000XM3s a few months ago but held off after learning about the imminent release of the M4s. So I waited. Then I pre-ordered. Yesterday, I received them.I’ve now had about 24 hours to toy around with them and I’m already prepared to say that these are clearly the best headphones I’ve ever owned. Which is to say: They’re everything I love about my WH-900Ns, but better:- They’re noticeably lighter, and based on about 5 hours of use I’m convinced they’re more comfortable to wear- Sound quality is significantly better. I didn’t actually expect this amount of improvement, but it’s definitely noticeable at both low and high end. Separation of layers is particularly amazing: vocals shine with total clarity, heavy bass tracks shake and vibrate my skull without any noticeable distortion; high-hats and snares are crisp and clear. Very happy with this so far, which i should mention is just using the default settings with songs downloaded from Spotify. I’m looking forward to optimizing further with custom equalizer settings in the sound connect app.- Small thing but the semi-hardshell case with dedicated accessory storage (pictured) is really nice to have (900Ns just came with a bag…)- Clarity of phone calls – both input and output (i.e., the mic works well) – is excellent. This is key as I plan to use these to listen to music and take meetings while WFH for the foreseeable future. The 900Ns were also very good in this regard, but the ability to connect to both my work computer and my mobile device simultaneously will really help me out during the work week.CONNECTING TO TWO DEVICES SIMULTANEOUSLYOne of the issues is figuring out how to connect to these things to two devices at the same time. Given that this is a new and much-anticipated feature, I would have thought Sony would have thought to make it crystal clear to new users how to actually do this. Maybe I missed it, but I couldn’t find instructions for how to do this. Here are the steps I discovered through trial and error that allowed me to simultaneously connect to both my iPhone and Mac Mini:1. You may have to enable the feature from within the Headphones mobile app. For me, it was disabled. See photo I uploaded showing the relevant part of the application.2. You need to first pair the headphones to each device separately before it is possible to connect to them simultaneously. As far as I can tell, there is no way to put the headphones in pairing mode when they’re connected to a device.3. Then, when the headphones are connected to one of the devices, you should be able to connect your second device to the headphones using the second device’s bluetooth preferences.4. If the second device successfully connects, you’ll hear a voice notification through the headphones: “Bluetooth device 2 connected”. You’ll also see two devices listed under the “Status” tab of the Headphones Connect application.Not a big deal, but seems silly that something like the above wasn’t just in Sony’s own documentation.OTHER MINOR GRIEVANCES AND NITPICKSIt seems that the only way to get the most out of these is to use them with your Android or iOS device. This is because a lot of functionality – such as the ability to customize sound – is only available on iOS/Android devices with the Sony Headphones Connect application. The iOS app is decidedly intended for use on iPhones – it only runs in portrait orientation, making it a pain to use on my iPad (which I almost always use in landscape orientation). But the worst thing about this is that I can’t customize anything when listening on a MacOS device, which these days is a lot of the time. Fortunately, these sound excellent even with the default settings – just wish the capabilities of these headphones wasn’t dependent on which device I was using them with.Final minor grievance (for now) is this adaptive sound control feature that Sony got me to try out. It requires location sharing and by default fires annoying and surprisingly frequent notifications on my iPhone about how it’s apparently adapting to my ambient environment. I figured out how to mute the notifications but still need to figure out how to shut the feature off entirely, which I frankly have had enough of. My advice is to opt out of this feature when you first set your headphones up. Very disruptive with totally unclear benefits.FINAL WORD (FOR NOW)Again, best headphones I’ve ever owned, and I’m very happy with my purchase. But the minor issues I describe above, combined with the high cost of these things, were enough to knock a star off my rating. Buyer beware 🙂
383 people found this helpful
Dennis –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound, but several issues make it a no-go for me. Sticking with my Bose QC 35 Series I
I have owned the Bose QC 35 series I (the originals) for four years now, and just recently replaced the ear pads since they finally deteriorated. I figured after four years there has to be some serious improvements in noise cancelling technology, and since the WH-1000XM3 model got so many good reviews I figured these would be awesome. So I pre-ordered them.I pulled them out of the box and followed the very quick connect process of downloading the app and using it to pair to my phone. It downloaded a firmware update automatically while I fiddled around with some settings briefly and listened to some music. Super easy, awesome.The sound is very impressive. Punchy kick drum (I listen mostly to rock/metal) and nice bright sound. I quickly settled on a slightly customized version of the included Bright preset.But things quickly went downhill from there.After using the headphones for a bit, the touch controls became frankly annoying and easily susceptible to mistakes (I triggered track skips multiple times just by removing and putting the headphones back on). The volume adjustment is especially tedious…if you want to raise or lower the volume significantly you have to swipe it up or down a large number of times because the volume adjustment is done in small increments. With the Bose QC 35 and its dedicated buttons, you just quickly push the buttons. Simple.I spent about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to pair the headphones with my laptop, reading the guide in the app and doing some web searching, thinking it must be provided by one of the two dedicated buttons like on the Bose QE 35s. Nope. It must be done with the app. In fact, everything has to be done with the app except whatever you have the custom button configured to do, and the power. On the Bose I just have to slide the power button, and it goes into pairing mode. Simple.The above are honestly smaller issues that you could probably put up with since the sound these produce is so good. However, the deal breaker for me was when I connected them with the included wire to the controller on my Roku Ultra to enjoy some TV time after a long day. I always watch movies and TV with headphones. To my horror they produced a clearly audible hissing sound that is incredibly distracting. I turned them off and on again, disconnected and reconnected the cable. No change, still the hissing sound. My Bose don’t produce this sound. Ugh.After listening to them for a couple hours I had a slight headache and felt fatigued, almost nauseous. I know some people are affected differently by the noise cancelling technology, but I don’t get this from my Bose, even after listening to them all day.Additionally, speaking of noise cancelling, I compared my Bose QC 35s to these, and I couldn’t tell the difference between the noise cancelling. They sound the same to me. :shrug: I’m sure you could tell the difference with laboratory equipment though.All-in-all the sound these produce is really good, and the noise cancelling is great (although I can’t tell the difference from my Bose QC 35 Series I). But they have 1) lots of annoyances in the touch controls instead of dedicated buttons, 2) the fact that the app is required to do everything (including pairing) except turning them off and activating the custom button, 3) the hissing on the wired connection to my Roku Ultra, and 4) the fatiguing after listening to them.I’ll be returning them.
1,916 people found this helpful
C StribsC Stribs –
5.0 out of 5 stars
1000 hr review
Alright, So I have put alot of time into these 1000xm4s over the last three months. These headphones are fantastic! However it took me about 50-100 hours to get used to them. I’ll explain. So I have owned cheap “noise canceling” TAO Tonic $40 black friday special wireless headphones and I had good wired $200 Sennheiser 599 open ear headphones. My previous experiences with headphones were to get the most out of the audio or to cancel out noise I needed to near max out sound volume and reach deafening thresholds. After listening to these headphones I started to realize I needed to change the way I was using them. First of all the app is nice. You can adjust the EQ to custom or use a preset EQ setting. I chose to turn off the speak-to-chat feature as it would easily pick up my voice if I was singing along or even if i made any loud audible sound while moving around or working out. Anyways, getting back on track I found that I could listen to music, podcasts, Netflix, ect. at a very low level and hear everything perfectly. I have been so use to staying up at a 80-90% volume level from my previous headphones that I was alittle sad that the 80-90% level on this headset didn’t sound as loud as my older headphones. Simply put these bad boys do such a great job at noise canceling that you can clearly hear audio at very low levels. You may not feel a lot of punchy bass with them (it’s there though) howevere, you also won’t hear any sound distortion when bumped up to max levels. Also, these Sonys will automatically and continuously track your environment and adjust noise canceling or ambient sounds accordingly; like if you’re laying in bed or get up to a walk around, or sitting is a white noise environment like a plane. Its pretty awesome and will probably protect your hearing, but sadly it will not save your bank account. If you plan on using these for working out they will be a solid option. Again, I haven’t heard any distortion while working out on a treadmill, bike, or rowing machine. Since they are closed ear/cup style they may get warm on your head. I always get a q-tip out and swipe off the sweat condensation that accumulates inside the left ear cup on the plastic ear sensor after workouts (I dont know if this is recommended). I haven’t had any issues with them slipping off my head either. The hand and swipe gestures take a little time to get used to however, once you get them down they work well. The hand placement/cover over the right headphone is a cool feature. If in noise cancelling mode it will quickly open up to ambient sound allowing you to quickly and temporarily converse with someone. If you dont want to use that feature you could always leave the speak to chat feature on and it will aggressively switch anytime it picks up speech or laud noises. Along with your purchase of the headphones you receive a nice hard-ish carrying case, charger brick, usb-C cable, and a aux cord. I’ve used the aux cord quite a bit with my Nintendo switch and it does a great job. Also, the 1000xm4s are very forgiving if you forget to plug them in when running low on power. In 10mins I can quick charge them to last about 10-hours. I think the specs say 3-hours for a 100% charge but I swear I had my headphones fully charged in about 1-hour. They are dual voltage which has been great for traveling abroad. Lastly, you can connect up to two Bluetooth devices which at time. Honestly I didn’t think I would even need this feature. However I found out it is very convenient for seamlessly swapping devices or receiving notifications from my phone/watch while connected to my laptop or when I’m bluetooth connected to my switch and i get a phone call. Overall, they are a great pair of headphones but you will take a hit to bank account. I picked up a open box Amazon return which knocked off over $100 on the price and the headphones came without any issues. If you see these on a decent sale I would scoop up a pair. Also if you want more of a punchy bass type headphones I would also recommend XBN-900N which I tested out shortly and you can tell they are more focused on bass bumping. I believe they are significantly cheaper new but don’t have all of the same features.
32 people found this helpful
xnpate –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beast Headphones, solid Noise-cancelling/ beautiful sound/ Comfort.. But don’t pay full price.
Last several months I’ve spent studying for MCAT, and as it neared the exam I needed more time away from distractions and due to the pandemic sneaking away to my local libraries wasn’t an option as I could only be there for an hour or two tops, I needed NC headphones being at home. Typically anytime I saw anything NC the WH1000 series was the way to go, as advised by the tech world and audiophiles. I had found a good deal on Airpods Pro and during Prime Day Deals found these. I was shocked to find the latest Sony headphones discounted $50 and bundled with $25 Amazon GC as well. The reason I mention Airpods is because I personally have seen many comparisons. I’ll break down as much as I can below, I don’t consider myself an audiophile.Pros:When it comes to sound and listening to music with the Sonys hands-down best thing I’ve listened to and gives like new life to music. These are built really nicely and cushioned really well up top and around the ears. Oh man boy are they lightweight!. Some heat around my ears after using them for a bit, and they press on my glasses (but they’re crappy glasses that I have problems with beforehand anyway) so they press in my ears/head.Battery: Lasts me several uses on one charge, meaning I can use them a good 4-5 days before wanting to charge them. Sometimes I can get a couple hours in and still not even lose 10% of battery life. (when compared to Airpods, no question Sonys better). When not used for a period of time they will automatically shut off so even better.Case: Nice holds your cords and headphones nicely. It’s not a hard case though so I’d be careful shoving them into tight spaces against things.While i mentioned the cables… Sony needs to make the charging cable longer it’s INCREDIBLY short.Cons:Touch controls: The lack of buttons to control Play/Pause, Volume, kind of sucks for me. At first it seems fun and intriguing. But over the course of using them, I find myself swiping and hearing the feedback that something is being activated but actually wont happen. There are moments when I’m stretching or resting my behind my head and arm knicks the touch control and pauses the music. And this is weird because the touchpad can be really sensitive like in that example, but other times wont register I’m trying to activate the controls. Volume should absolutely just be a wheel, pause/play skip features as touch I’d be okay with.Dual connection: I haven’t had much use of this, at first I had my laptop and iPhone connected. Now Idk if my problem is due to my older computer with older Bluetooth, but my sound went silent on my headphones. I haven’t connected them back to my laptop since. But I think ideally this would be great to be connected to your phone/computer and get notifications. There is a delay between activating playback from one device to the next.Mic: Friends have told me my voice sounds artificial with Sonys and prefer if I wear my Airpods to communicate if I want to use headphones.Noise-CancellingTo anyone who wants a comparison between Airpods Pro and these. If I hadn’t had Airpods Pro right before purchasing these I’d have nothing poor to say about the Sony’s NC. Airpods as they go in the ear already help with dulling sound before activating NC. The biggest issue I have in my house is the droning of my AC and Fans. Airpods make them disappear and sound like a light breeze or wind without all the mechanical droning from noise machinery. Sonys do a good job for those sounds for me, but not as well as the Airpods. HOWEVER, this is before any music or sound playing. Once you have something playing with the Sonys the world is gone and that’s about half-ish volume. I find myself speaking louder at times not even being able to realize my brother is talking right next to me. I don’t necessarily have the same effect with Airpods. And you don’t have to worry about fit.ConnectivityI’ve heard that with Android getting the XM4 connected is quick, but even with iPhone it’s simply connecting another Bluetooth device. (compared to airpods obviously the apple interface is as simple as opening your headphone case)AppPretty easy to follow interface, readily updates. If you like experimenting with equalizer settings then you’ll have fun. I’ve heard people complain it being complicated, but without messing with anything except turning off a setting that pauses audio when talking. You can leave everything as is and really not need it after the initial setup and for updates.Final thoughts if you have the money I’d go for these they’re wonderful, but I don’t think these warrant the full price TBH. The touch controls can be finicky, but if you want quality sound/NC/Comfort/Fit this is it. Anyone seeing this right during the holidays with BlackFriday/Christmas/Cyberdeals whatever; I was shocked seeing these brand new Sonys discounted to the same price as the XM3 on Amazon, I’d look for these and nab them when discounted.
3 people found this helpful
A –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super happy with these
I bought them new during sale for about $190 and so far no complaints. They are comfortable, light, great sound, great ANC during flight. Exactly what I was looking for.I have the old, wired noise canceling Bose headphones – they still work well, but the Sony are better – I would say like 20% better – ANC wise and 10% sound quality wise…I am still using both, but slowly moving to Sony only…
Katie Kaisaki –
5.0 out of 5 stars
So pretty!!
It came in a very nice box that was well wrapped, and all of the products were inside and accurate to the images of the headphones! They sound great, feel/fit great, and look great! Not too heavy at all!The value was worth it, and it connected to Bluetooth very well.
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sound Paradise, Software Hell
These headphones sound absolutely incredible… Once you download the app and figure out how to turn off the incredibly annoying ‘extra’ features such as randomly pausing your music constantly because you farted or something.-1 because all the extra features should be optional, not forced upon you and it massively effects the actual functionally
M.G. Solis –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great audio quality but…
The headphones for the ANC alone are worth it, I haven’t had to turn up the volume to dangerous levels on an airplane since I’ve got them.The sony app is a but lackluster, but not terrible. The one thing I would really appreciate is to not have to sign-up for another random app for each device that connects to my phone, but I digress…Going back to the headphones. The pads are nice and they don’t feel like they’re crushing your head. My only complaint is with the placement of the sensor inside the headphone that rest right on top of your left ear when in use. Overtime there’s going to be a pretty good chance that is going to scratch your ear, specially if you use them for listening to music while working or other similar situations.For that alone I would give them a 79/100 instead of a more appropriate 88-92/100.
One person found this helpful
Alan Christianson –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent noise cancelling
I love putting these on when there’s background noise and then turning them on. The noise (depending on what type) just disappears. Things like loud HVAC/fans, traffic noise, etc. are eliminated. I just tried these on an airplane and the difference is amazing; I’ll always wear these when flying going forward. When listening to music, the sound is great, and these are quite comfortable.
One person found this helpful
Davidicus Rex –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great sound, noise cancellation & comfort; TERRIBLE connectivity
We have owned two of this model (one for four years, the other for two years), with one set being used with our home theatre and the other with tv & receiver in game room. The noise cancellation is excellent, even compared with three Bose models I’ve owned for many years. The sound is very good, good balance, bass, clarity. And, comfort is excellent – even watching one or more movies in theatre over several hours – with light weight, good cushioning and adjustable headset.BUT (A BIG BUT), the connectivity is terrible – worse than any other Bluetooth device (mult iPads, iOS and Android devices, earbuds and headphones, several TVs and sound systems). Once paired, every few weeks either / both headphones lose connection and must be re-paired. Pairing is a nightmare, not simply blind pairing, but it inevitably takes repeated (10, 20, 30 or more) attempts before the headphones will find the transmitter. All other devices in the room (theatre or game room) and any adjacent rooms must be off and/or Bluetooth disabled. Following the same prescribed and typical pairing steps (as with any device), it will simply fail to connect over and over and over until (with no change insteps) it finally connects – and then works well until it loses / forgets connection in a few weeks. Both headsets, different rooms and equipment consistently exhibit the poor connectivity. And, we are using in very basic mode _ each is connected to one and only one device.If I could go back I would have purchased another product / mfr / model. A shame this really sours an otherwise great product. I would not recommend the product.
Mike –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond anything I could have imagined…if noise distracts, buy back your productivity!
I have used active noise canceling technology in protective ear muffs, and I have had some ear buds that were passive noise canceling, so I kind of thought I had an idea what these where going to be like. Nothing could prepare me for my first impression, and we’ll every subsequent impression.My wife does telemedicine from home, and soon we plan to add another dedicated office, but for right now we share a room. The distraction of having a constant conversation in the background has driven me to feel like a nomad – wandering from flat spot to flat spot. The laptop isn’t an issue, but the scanner, 32” monitor, keyboard, keypad, paperwork,etc…well you get the point. So I found a 17” led up in the attic…no go, for the record don’t ever get used to one size monitor than essentially try to get use to one 1/4th that size. I tried listening to music with my passive ear buds, finally I used my protective muffs that I have for mowing, shooting, anything loud and it sort of worked but those try to defeat harmful noise levels. I tried wearing earbuds playing music underneath the muffs and while that worked, my ears however felt like they had been in a vice.Well that leads me to these, while these are more costly than anything I ever have purchased for audio – other than my home theater equipment. Let me say now I’m case I am being wordy, these are worth every penny.I can be attached to both my iPhone and laptop, so I can get feedback from my computer or listen to audio and still here when I get an alert on my phone. When I wish, the head phones do not require any actual music or anything. I literally feel like I am alone in a “cone of silence” for those familiar with the old Get Smart episodes. If my wife or any other family member needs me it is easier to text me than to call out to me. While that is a little inconvenient, my ability to concentrate has increased multi-fold which has also allowed my productivity to feeling a pure joy rather than the stress of always feeling like you need to do more.These are also light, and have no issue navigating by size 8 head. The app setup for these is wild. I have done moldable ear plugs, but I never dreamed I would take a selfie and then snap shots of each ear to customize the sound. The other fascinating thing happened completely by accident, I was listening to a presentation online but needed to work on dinner. I thought I paused the pc and joined on the phone. But evidently I never stopped the pc and hearing audio I didn’t worry about anything. Well I realized that my pc was communicating with the Sony app and the app was evidently acting like a radio repeater…I was out of range of my office but set my phone out of the way where it won’t get wet, dropped or anything else. It was only when I tried to stop the presentation did I realize what had occurred. I now use this all the time and have subsequently learned to pause/play with the controls. Lastly, and this will completely give away the secret that I never read instructions…I could not figure out how to connect a phone call. I used the buttons like I do on my other Bluetooth earbuds, but that didn’t work. I felt stupid when I learned all that I had to do was tap the center of the right muff.I know this is a lot of money, and While it is rare for productivity be literally monetized unless you are on commission, I can tell you that these allow for peace in total chaos…oh, if I had these 20 years ago when our second child was colicky🙂.I normally buy black by default, grey if black isn’t available, but my wife encouraged me to try the blue. While I am color blind, I still see color, amd like the blue…my wife also likes the color which is way more important. I am starting to sense that I will be buying another pair of these for my wife because when she is charting on her EMR distractions are awful.
3 people found this helpful
Ikenstein –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional Sound Quality
As someone who loves bass-heavy genres like house music and hip hop, I was on the lookout for a good pair of headphones.I decided to go with these Sony headphones, and I can confidently say they are truly worthy of the sound I crave. Not only do they deliver incredible bass, but they are also incredibly comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions.If you’re considering an upgrade or just looking for a solid pair of headphones, I highly recommend checking these out.
Jay F. –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everything you’d want, except…
First and foremost – I LOVE these headphones. I’d been trying to decide between these, the XM5’s, and the Airpods Maxes, but after trying the Airpods, I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.Let’s talk about portability – for people who are always out and about like myself and are looking for a highly portable pair of headphones that deliver crisp, clean audio, this should be your only pick. The XM5’s and Airpods don’t fold up as tight as these guys, which makes traveling with them a pain in the cheeks.Sound quality is superb, but without using the EQ in Sony’s app, it can sound a little muddy. I tuned my EQ to my liking, and now it’s perfect, but still – it shouldn’t require some manual tuning for music to sound clear and concise.Nevertheless, if you’re in the market for a pair of headphones that will blow your socks off anywhere you may go, purchase confidently.-Λ
One person found this helpful
Lena –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Headphones
I love these so much!!! The sound quality is great and they’re super easy to use. The battery lasts so long. The black looks super cool and I honestly wear them as an accessory sometimes. They do hurt the top of my head a little bit if I wear them for more than an hour, but if I take them off for a minute it’s fine.
Jason Brannock –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Solid For Out-of-Office
I left a lengthy review of the Jabra Evolve2 85 (E285) vs Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II (QC35II) vs Bose Noise Cancelling 700 (B700) vs Sony WH-1000XM4 (SX4) (in order of when I received them) for the E285. Since that review is out there, I’ll reduce this one only to E285 and SX4.Microphone and PlaybackThe E285 was notably better than the SX4, as evidenced by my recordings while drumming. It’s neck and neck as far as clarity of voice goes.Akin to the E285, the SX4 are quite good as far as pick-up goes. But unfortunately, they were a little too good (or simply worse at distinguishing background noise). A co-worker and I had a Zoom meeting with ourselves in the same closet (to maximize productivity), switching between the headsets. Whoever had the E285 could hear themselves through the headset. At first, I thought it was because of the function where you hear yourself through the headset. But alas, upon one of us leaving the room, the echo went away. This meant the SX4 was picking up the other’s voice! The main killer of the SX4 is that you have no way to mute yourself from the headset. As a pair of headphones to be used in the office, this is crucial. You never know when someone may decide to butt in your closet (or office, for most people) and shout “HHHHEEEYYYY!!”. In contrast, the E285 offers two ways to protect yourself from such intrusions – by raising the boom arm or by pressing the button on the boom arm, leaving you to look down simply in resignation at said co-worker without having disrupted the meeting. The one drawback with the E285 is that sometimes the first word or two don’t quite make it through, so you may develop a stutter of your introduction. “I’m Jason – oh – I’M JASON – oh you can hear me now? I’m Jason”. Good news is, you shan’t be soon forgotten. Despite this, it’s more favorable than not being able to mute myself, though I can understand disagreement with this point. Win for E285. Runner up is SX4.Audio Output – DISCLAIMER – I’m not an audiophileBoth associated apps come with decent equalizers (unlike Bose). Honestly, it was difficult to tell the difference between the E285 and SX4. I think the amount of bass you get is comparable, however I think the SX4 is capable of producing an ever-so-slightly louder sound. Win for SX4. Runner up is E285.BrandJabra: doesn’t require my location. Instead, it lets me know if I desire to give it my location, it will use it to locate my headphones. No, but thank you for giving me an actual choice!Sony: same as Jabra, though with a caveat. The SX4 offers more utility when given Location permission, which will be addressed later on. They were not pertinent to me, however, so my location remains an enigma for Sony and Jabra (and Bose). Tie between E285 and SX4.ANCWhen playing on a drumpad, the E285 did a noticeably better job than the other headsets. It sounds like the pad is being muffled (which is what I’m looking for), whereas the others don’t quite succeed. The E285 does a better job with impact noises (or maybe it’s just higher frequencies) than the other headsets, though the SX4 is perfectly satisfactory.In addition, the hear-through function of the E285 is awesome. It almost makes it sound like you’re not wearing them (tested at maximum hear-through). The SX4 has essentially the same feature, with an added “Focus on voice” option. I couldn’t tell a difference when that was on/off. Besides that, the SX4 didn’t do as good a job at allowing sound through as the E285. Win for E285. Runner up is SX4.ConnectivityThe E285 and SX4 have longer ranges than the QC35II. The E285, most of the time, reconnects automatically when coming back into range. Unfortunately, I don’t remember specifics about the SX4. SX4 and E285 have a 3.5 mm jack. Why doesn’t the B700? Because it sucks.Double-connection to my PC (independent of range): E285 is easier because it’s just plug-and-play, no downloads or “connecting”. The QC35II and SX4 are only Bluetooth, so you have to do the standard “add device”, etc. One annoying thing about the SX4 is you have to use the app to establish a Bluetooth connection to another device. Not a big deal, but for comparison’s sake, the E285 is better. An added feature of the Jabra is Jabra Direct, a software you can download to better manage your Jabra. It gives you a few more options and is worth using, in this writer’s humble opinion.Response time: The SX4 is the fastest, though we’re talking minute (not 60 seconds) differences. The E285 is on the cusp of being slow enough to be annoying, but not quite. The E285 and SX4 have the cool feature of pausing media when the headphones are removed from your skull. Again, the E285 feel lack-luster in comparison because they take approximately 4 M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-I seconds to pause, whereas the SX4 is half that time. For the E285, I’ve noticed the ear detection only works properly when playing music from your phone and not the PC. When using it with the PC, if I remove the headphones, the music will pause as it should. But it doesn’t resume when I put them back on. If I pause the music with the button, then remove the headset, it resumes. Again, cool feature, but needs work, especially when using it with the PC. So SX4 is better about ear detection (presumably because it’s laser-assisted).App connectivity: some issues with E285. Some issues with SX4. LOTS of issues with B700 (Bose Music). Unfortunately, apps are prone to some bugs every now and then. I can’t say which of the two (Sony/Jabra) had more, so neither bothered me much. Winner is SX4 (better media response time). Runner up is E285.Voice AssistantThe E285 and SX4 worked exactly as expected. No setup or anything, I just pushed the button and my assistant came up. The caveat for the E285 is you have to pull down the boom arm to use the feature (you can still press the action button with the boom arm up and have the assistant prompt, but because the arm is up, the microphone is off so it’s pointless). Tie between E285 and SX4.ControlsOn the E285, the buttons take up little surface area and are rather flat. Muting is done with the E285 by simply raising or lowering the boom mic. In contrast, the SX4 doesn’t have any way to mute yourself.After just a little use of the “touchless” controls (B700 and SX4), I can see their usefulness. It’s certainly easier to play/pause music and use the Voice Assistant (which is no easier to actually setup because Bose sucks). Changing volume is annoying because every click up/down requires an extra swipe. As debilitating as this is, one would not likely be changing by a bunch of increments at a time. After more use of the touchless controls, I much prefer the them over the physical ones. Win for SX4. Runner up is E285.Comfort and StyleComfort is pretty much a tie between E285 and SX4. I’ve worn both for hours and hours without any issue. But I prefer the style of the SX4 – it just feels more premium. Winner is SX4. Runner up is E285.ExtraThe E285 has the hear-through feature, which I really like because I use ANC only when there are sounds I actively don’t want to listen to, like from mine or my roommate’s drumming, running water, laundry, phone call, or pooping with the fan on. Other than those times, I want some awareness of my surroundings because there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get the attention of someone with headphones on (especially at work). In addition, the E285 and SX4 have ear detection (discussed previously). The E285 has a great way of handling multiple calls with its huge button on the right cuff. You can switch between two phone calls by putting one on hold and accept/end/reject calls using it. This is RARELY used, but it’s cool.IssuesThere’s some variability with functionality of the Google Assistant with the E285. At the very least, the action button on the arm activates the assistant. But sometimes the input for said assistant is on the phone rather than the arm. Most of the time it works as expected. I think the additional connection to the PC adds complexity that needs to be vetted out for seamless functionality for the E285.Final verdict, best to worst: E285, SX4 (killer – no mute function, worse hear-through), QC35II (killers – older BT connection, worse audio, poor ANC). Literally wouldn’t buy B700.UPDATE: It’s been several weeks since I returned all but the Jabra Evolve2 85 (I use it 3-10 hours every single day) and my final rating is four stars, same as the SX4. When the E285 works, it’s great. But it doesn’t work all the time, unfortunately. I can’t say the same for the SX4 since it was ultimately returned. I ended up choosing the E285 over the SX4 because it has an edge when it comes to office use, for one main reason – you can’t mute yourself on the SX4. But if muting yourself directly from your headset isn’t important to you and you’re not typically in a noisy environment during calls, then I would honestly recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4.
69 people found this helpful
TechPicky –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent noise cancelling, bluetooth range, sound very good, comfortable, horrible user controls
A disclaimer: I received this product as part of Amazon’s Vine program. While I didn’t pay for the item, the review is totally my personal, unbiased review. Neither Amazon, nor the vendor has influenced this review in any way.ProsExcellent noise cancellingVery good sound quality for all Bluetooth profiles (Listening to music, phone/video calls)Battery lifeExcellent Bluetooth rangeAutomatic voice detection to pause music and enter transparency modeConsTouch controls are simply awful!Dual Bluetooth device supportConstant beeps and noise cancelling turned off especially with “Detection of Actions” enabledVoice detection for stopping music and going into a transparency mode responds to almost any sound you make. A large breath, grunt, anything will trigger this feature.Rubs on the “helix” outer part of the ear on the left earSomewhat complex set up processOverall these are really excellent Bluetooth headphones. The noise cancellation is absolutely excellent. This is probably the best noise-cancelling headphone available. The Bluetooth range is also exceptional. Audio quality for music is also very good, and I expect most people will find them to be excellent. Phone/video call audio is also good receiving, and acceptable for the microphone. They have long battery life and charge quickly. They are relatively comfortable as well. The touch user controls are simply dreadful. There are many other features with a range of benefit.Comfort:They seem comfortable, and the ear pads are soft and plush. However after several hours the outside of my ears start to hurt from rubbing on the insides of the headphones (the area called helix on top of the ear rubs on the inside of the left ear around optical sensor area.) If at sometime we resume taking long international flights this could be an even larger issue.They are still comfortable though when wearing them with glasses. They ear pads are pliant enough to continue to make a good seal without painfully pushing them into your head.Bluetooth, Pairing, Multiple devices:These support 2 Bluetooth devices to be connected simultaneously. The Bose QC35 has had this feature for some time. I initially paired my iPhone X with the headphones. I then added a MacBook Pro from within the Connect app. I was then able to play music from the MacBook. I went back to the iPhone and tried to play something. It didn’t immediately play. In fact, it is rather finicky. Sometimes starting something with audio on the iPhone will cause audio to switch. Mostly it doesn’t if something is playing already on one device. Stopping the audio, waiting, and then starting the audio on the phone is a bit more reliable. Even if the source on one device is paused and not playing it may not switch back.This is a bit problematic though since the iPhone still thinks it is connected to a Bluetooth headphone, so the audio is still routed to the Sony WH-1000MX4, but isn’t played – so it goes no where. This works far more seamlessly on the Bose QC35. I actually found myself disabling this feature half the time.While the WH-1000MX4 does have voice announcements, it doesn’t speak the name of the device. It will say “Bluetooth device 1 connected,” whereas the Bose QC35 will speak “Joe’s iPhone.” Even more confusing is that device 1 and device 2 doesn’t always refer to the same device. Sometimes my iPhone is device 1 and other times it is device 2. The only way to really know is to go into the app where it will identify the device associated with device 1 and device 2.I added a 3rd Bluetooth device, again from the app. This works, but will disconnect one of the 2 already connected devices. It works pretty much like most Bluetooth devices. You disconnect at least one of the currently connected devices and then connect the new device. You can have multiple devices paired, but a maximum of 2 devices currently connected. You can see the list of devices within the Connect app.Bluetooth range is excellent. It would easily stay connected when going from one area of a reasonably large house to another. The range exceeds any other Bluetooth headphones.Sound Quality:Sound quality has to be the most subjective area to evaluate, yet one of the most important. Most people will find these really very good to excellent. For most these may well be the best sounding headphones they have ever had. Those more critical may find a few areas where they lack, but still they are excellent for noise cancelling headphones. Sound quality is probably one of the best aspects of these headphones.The sound quality when listening to high quality content was very enjoyable. Overall they are fairly well balanced, albeit a bit heavy on the low end, but not boomy or with obvious peaks in the response. More so they sound “warm.” The bass is noticeable, and quite deep. You will clearly hear the thump of a drum, but still somewhat tight. The deep bass on some of the Billie Eilish tracks is impressive. The bass is not so excessive though that it drowns out mid or high frequencies. Music sounds good with individual instruments clearly identified. Male and female vocals sound good and natural.The deep warm bass works well for movies and similar entertainment. These will likely work quite well for watching airplane entertainment. High frequencies are clear, and more smooth than harsh. They are balanced overall with a bit more low frequency emphasis that shifts the balance a bit.The iPhone app does have equalization settings, so it is possible to adjust to your personal preferences. I reviewed these set at flat, default setting.If one is going to compare these to audiophile headphones they will clearly notice differences. They will not replace examples of the best open or closed back audiophile headphones. They simply lack the detail, imaging and placement that those headphones present when paired with a quality DAC and headphone amplifier. That really isn’t a fair comparison though as these are noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones and they do a great job at that.I did listen through both Bluetooth with the AAC codec and wired with a quality external DAC while listening to high resolution content streamed from Tidal through a Master Quality Authenticated DAC. They do sound better with the same content played through a wired DAC than Bluetooth. The difference wasn’t as much was expected. Sony did a good job with Bluetooth. I also tried listening to them with the power off, as plain wired headphones. They didn’t sound that different, which is rather a good thing. The same experiment with Bose QC35s will have a totally different sound. Bose relies extensively on equalization to get their otherwise somewhat poor sounding headphones to sound good. Sony starts out with decent sounding drivers.I have not tried using the LDAC hi-resolution Bluetooth codec yet. This isn’t as easy as it would seem to use on either iOS or MacOS. You can’t simply use a high-resolution source to use it. You need to download and install the Sony Music Center app, then load the high-resolution content into that app to play. I’m not sure how to get it to work with a Mac at all. The better codec should sound better. To be fair, at least part of the problem is Apple in this case.I did try the DSEE Extreme feature. This supposedly improves the sound quality of low bit rate compressed content. I listened to some low bit rate MP3 files, and some standard streaming services, such as Amazon Prime music. It sounded different, I’m not sure I would say it sounded better. At least what I noticed was a boost in high frequencies. It made some of the squashed high frequency details more noticeable, but they still sounded highly compressed, and to some extent the compression artifacts became more noticeable. This may well be a personal choice, and likely varies over content, level of compression, and codecs used. The bottom line is that you really need to start with quality content.The 360 Reality Audio was a disappointment. I tried playing a variety of tracks in 360 Reality Audio on Tidal. I did this using the Tidal app on both iPhone and a Mac. I did link the Tidal app with the Sony app as part of the initial setup. I did notice a wider sound stage. It wasn’t like demos in a movie theater for Dolby Atmos or anything that dramatic. There was some front/rear placement depth. It was interesting to play with for a while. What I found though is that it just sounded strange. I played some of the same tracks on Tidal HiFi or MQA and to me they sounded much better, much more musical. Call me a purist, audiophile, or whatever, but I found the highly processed audio more annoying than enjoyable. It doesn’t replace the stereo imaging or placement that superb headphones can present as described above. Honestly overall these sound good enough without these audio tricks. Perhaps if there were some movie encoded with 360 Audio it would be better to enjoy special effects and less about musicality. It seems more of a gimmick than musical. By far the best quality was the same song in Master Quality on Tidal with an external DAC and the 3.5mm wired cable.Phone callsThe audio quality on phone and video calls has been excellent on the receiving side and is about as good as Bluetooth HFP profile gets. it is excellent for conversations. With the excellent noise cancellation these are excellent for long video calls. They will likely continue to be great for those forced to endure a noisy open office environment, or need to make phone calls in a noisy area such as an airport or train station.Phone call microphone:Overall I’ve had only a few complaints from those that I’ve in meetings or on calls with. Most people said I sounded fine. I was on one phone call with my iPhone and the person had difficulty understanding me and could hear me fine when I switched to the iPhone. They said I sounded “far away.” On a video call I had some people refer to the sound as “bubbly.” After switching to AirPod Pros and the sound improved.They seem to isolate ambient noise reasonably well, although I haven’t had extreme cases to try during working from home due to COVID-19. This is one area where Bose QC35 were awful. I don’t know if they match AirPod Pro for microphone beam forming, but so far they seem fine. These work for phone and video calls, but aren’t great.Noise cancellationThese are fantastic at noise cancellation. I haven’t been on an airplane with them, the real test, but these seem significantly better than the already excellent Bose QC35. At least around the house they block out the low frequency sounds that noise-cancelling headphones are best at. Around the house even a Ninja blender was mostly attenuated while I was on a conference call. My neighbor’s air conditioner that still can be heard with the Bose QC35 and AirPod Pros is completely gone with these. I was even using a really loud flooring saw and used these. I did still hear the saw, but not very loud, and I could still enjoy music while sawing flooring! Family talking is mostly gone during conference calls and entirely when playing music. I expect that these would be great in an open office environment or an airplane. Bose QC35 were the best I had used prior to these, and the Bose don’t work nearly as well, especially for voice. They have much better noise cancellation than Apple Air Pod Pro buds too. If your main reason for looking for headphones is noise cancellation, these are what you buy.One annoyance I had with the Bose QC35 headphones is if I wore glasses the sidepieces would create an acoustic leak and let some noise in. They still work, but especially on an airplane you would hear more air noise. I haven’t tried them on an airplane yet due to covid, but so far I don’t notice nearly as much difference as I did with the Bose with glasses.Battery:Sony claims 20 hours of battery life without defining what mode. Other headphones sometimes have decreased battery life with HFP (phone calls). These definitely exceed the rated battery life. With the first charge they lasted almost a week of varied use. I used them for a multi-day virtual conference, and other meetings (combination of HFP and A2DP) for over 14 hours, and they still had 60% charge. Sony doesn’t specify any longer battery life with the wired cable. On the Bose I would plug the cable in when I would go to sleep on international flights, and Bose quoted 40 hours like that, so 20 hours isn’t fantastic. It is more than enough though. It will get you through the longest flight plus some other use. Almost any other use it should be more than enough. I used them over 10 hours straight one day and they were still around 70% charged.Charging:These charge with a USB-C connector. They come with a very short (about 6”) USB-A to C cable but no power supply. They charge relatively quickly (less than an hour from 20%, but I didn’t time it). You will need around a 10W power supply to get the fastest charging. I monitored the charge current from 20% capacity. They started at 0.44A or roughly 2.2W, which seemed reasonable for headphones. Then they jumped to 1.32A or about 6.66W, then to the maximum I saw was 1.8A or about 9 W! It is surprising that Sony pushed that much power into a headphone! The actually battery capacity has to be pretty large, so it apparently does use quite a bit of power. In most cases this is of no issue, they charge up quick. It can be an issue is if you are stuck trying to charge them in an airport or airplane port. They will also suck a lot out of a battery pack.User interface:This is the worst aspect of these headphones. The touch controls are simply dreadful, almost unusable. Simple buttons would have been much better. Even with practice it is almost impossible to master the gestures to go forward, backward, start/stop, and change the volume. Either it doesn’t register the touch, or it does the wrong thing. You try and turn the volume down and track changes. To be fair, they do have a volume control. The Air Pods Pro don’t and that is really annoying. Even with practice controls don’t work right.Some guidance: to change the volume, especially lower it, swipe down on the right ear as if you are petting it. Just swiping as if using a smartphone touch screen won’t work right. Swipe down from above the top just like petting it, and then it might change the volume. Changing tracks is even harder, and only seems to happen when trying to change the volume. Hitting the start stop button doesn’t seem to work, except of course when you try to adjust the headphone on your head and then it stops what you were listening to, and would likely hang up a call – be careful of that. I end up using controls on my phone or computer most times. Simple buttons would have been SO much better.Voice assistant:Setting up Alexa is not all that easy. Assuming the headphones are already set for Alexa, you already have the Alexa app installed and set up, and the headphones are already paired to the phone you still need to add the WH1000MX4 to Alexa. This takes going to the Alexa app, and adding the device. It will then want to pair with Bluetooth. I put the WH1000MX4 into pairing mode by using the almost hidden mode of holding the power button (rather than the app). It then showed it failed to connect, but it actually seemed to pair on the second attempt. If you were successful you will have a second pairing of the device as LE_-WH1000XM4, for a second Bluetooth Low Energy pairing.Then Alexa did work hands free (if enabled in the Alexa app). You could just say Alexa and it worked. You could ask Alexa what ever you normally would. It seemed to actually work better than the Echo Auto that also relies on the app. The response audio always has the first syllable of cut off though. This works fine for querying Alexa, or invoking Alexa content. It does NOT work for controlling other functions on the phone, even changing the volume. Telling Alexa to play won’t resume what was playing on the phone, it will resume what the Alexa app used last it seems. This may be iPhone limitations, but I will likely switch to Siri and see if that works better. It would be great if you could have all of them and just invoke the desired one with the appropriate wake word (Alexa, Hey Siri, OK Google). I haven’t tried other voice assistants with these yet.The automatic speak to chat feature is both great and annoying. At least with the sensitivity set to automatic it will detect voice quite well and stop the content you may be listening to, and allow ambient sound to be heard. This, when desired is far more convenient than Air Pods Pro where you have to hold be button for a few seconds to go into transparency mode. While you still can’t hear what someone says to you, at least when you reply to them, it immediately lets you hear them, and doesn’t take the seconds the Air Pods do. With AirPods you also need 2 actions to stop music and enter transparency mode. This mostly works. In the automatic mode it doesn’t need to actually be voice that triggers it. Anything like a grunt, large breath, anything it seems will trigger it. The slightest grunt or sound and they stopped the music and went into ambient mode. There is a low sensitivity mode that I haven’t tried yet. You will find this feature to be a love/hate relationship after a while. Even with the “Focus on Voice” feature enabled this still seems to be overly sensitive.Another feature is adaptive sound control. This is supposed to optimize the sound based on location, and detection of actions. This is likely useful when changing between an office, train station, etc. I haven’t evaluated that during a pandemic.As for automatic detection of actions, that can be very annoying. It was fine when sitting in one place. Initially I didn’t know why EVERY time I bent down the headphones would beep and go out of noise cancelling mode. Then resume playing normally. This is apparently the notification for detection of actions. This can be disabled in the app. If someone were to use these headphones in a gym or exercising this would be annoying as well. (Note: These are NOT sport headphones!) AppThe app is essential to setting up, using, adjusting, and updating the headphones. Sony even uses the app for pairing with the iPhone, which is unusual. The app allows configuring the many options available, equalization and more. You also use the app to optimize the headphones for the shape of your ears by taking a picture of your head and both ears. I went through the whole process.There are a lot of options in the app, and the layout is OK. It can be a bit confusing.The app does provide a lot of control and information. It shows battery level, and the current codec in use. This last part I really like, Apple typically doesn’t show these details. Many options can beyond simply being enabled or disabled from the app can also be further controlled.Case, accessoriesA nice rigid fabric coated and lined travel case is provided. It is similar in size to the Bose QC35. It appears that it would protect the headphones and hold up well with travel.A 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable is included. This allows using the headphones with a wired source, such as an airplane entertainment system. The cable does not have a microphone or controls and will not control and iPhone, iPad, or Mac or support calling. It is only a 3-conductor plug for stereo listening.While the Bose QC35 headphones come with an equivalent cable, the Bose QC25 cable, or the Amazon Basics alternative cable can be purchased that does allow using the QC35 for phone calls, and wired remote.Also included is a short USB-A to USB-C charge cable, no charger, and the old 2-pin airplane adapter.
583 people found this helpful
PixelPixel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comfort, noise canceling, and quality. UPDATE 13 Nov 2020
Download Sony Headphone Connect App, open box, turn on headphones (bottom of left headphone on/off switch), using Sony Connect App, connect and paired new headphones.- My headphones were 100% charged out of box.- Many features in Sony Connect App, matter of your preference and use. I do think the app is solid and useful for my use of these headphones.- My headphones firmware updated automatically -be patient, process took several minutes. Initial impression; very comfortable, really good noise canceling and sound quality.- Voice clarity on both ends is outstanding.- Easily connected two iPhones, my experience switching between them was seamless.- Used ear profile in-app feature to analyze my ear shape for 360 Reality Audio setup.- Able to connect to MacBook Pro (2020 version) directly via Bluetooth with no issues.UPDATE: >30 hours of iPhone X, 8, and Bluetooth MacBook Pro connection.- The phone call quality is awesome (you can hear- No video lag/latency on FT and Zoom calls.- I have found the connection at times can be a bit cumbersome when having two devices connected and receiving calls, it might be a setting or how I am picking up the call –directly from the phone or double-tapping on the headset.- Great noise suppression to the wind, outside city/road-noise, etc… No reported issues with other people on calls with me. Always told call quality was very crisp and clear… my experience, much better than Apple Airpod Pro for suppression of noise for callers on the other end.- I have also now used these headphones for Bluetooth connection to Nvidia Shield connected to my TV for over 16 hrs. Easy direct connection directly from Nvidia Bluetooth Settings. TV and Movie surround sound is great, you can hear the slightest sounds.Bose 700 vs. Sony WH-1000XM4- Seamless connection – prefer SONY- Comfort – prefer Sony- Headphone sound controls – prefer Bose. Sony touch control works ok but the Bose increase/decrease volume seems to work better on Sony- Noise-canceling for me, both performed in a similar way- Call quality, for me, both performed in a similar wayI Will continue to test and use Bose but the feel of the headset on my head is not as comfortable as Sony.UPDATE: Running 7.3 Update- Not sure if related but the initial bluetooth connection and subsequent connections are problematic;- I have had to reconnect several times via the app and my phone needs to be very close to the headset;- Once I am connected it has worked but I have had to repeat the process a few times now;- Additionally, after significant use, the touch controls are a nice feature but not ideal under some circumstances. For example, if you have a hoodie on, jacket with hood, etc… touch control is sensitive and fabric, cord, ect… will effect the touch controls.- I am running iphone X with latest iOS, should be receiving iphone 12 Pro this eve and will update with any new comments.UPDATE April 2020: been using these headphones for several months now. Running and walking are great however, the Touch Sensor Control is not ideal for me, especially when using while exercising. I find the controls/sensor unforgiving and one misstep can restart a song and or podcast, other than they continue to work very well.Used these headphones for a extended 12+ hrs flight and another 9 hour flight.. great noise canceling and sound. Hooked up directly to Qatar Qsuite entertainment system with provided cable, sound quality was excellent.
1,159 people found this helpful
s –
5.0 out of 5 stars
My review is effectively these should be xm 3.1 not 4 build but good otherwise.
about the same as the xm3. the pairing aspect is nice and was my reason to upgrade. I couldn’t take all the paring issues anymore, and having more control in my phone to move between all my computers was appreciated.The app does only pair to 2 devices, but it keeps a memory or list of the devices you have paired to (it is not easy to find this information online). I should probably make some youtube video. Having this management aspect makes these so much more usable. They should back-port this to xm3 as well even if only one device at a time software control is so helpful. I”m in software and have to switch computers and phones a lot.Otherwise, i the anc is superior to xm3, mildly so. For me the reason to upgrade is if you want excellent multiparing. Frankly it seems to just work better. Even single paring for me was always dicey on the xm3 there are some devices it just wouldn’t pair with. Not the case with these. The sound and anc aren’t really reasons to upgrade. they all sound fantastic.The lacking issue is still build quality. they look nice, but the qc 25/35 which i also own use metal in the hinges and i am certain will last longer from a build standpoint. I ‘ve pretty much taken the xm3 apart, they are all plastic, and you better be careful. That said these are so easy to work on. I have opened up my xm3’s replaced the battery and pads and they are still going strong at almost 3 years now. I upgraded because i literally use these every day, i actually sleep in them and the multiparing was wearing on me. Given how much they are used it was worth it for me.As long as these sony continue to make great anc headphones, and keep them serviceable i’ll continue to go sony. The tipping point is the sound vs bose. Don’t get me wrong bose gets a really bad rep in my opinion. They are not bad in any way and still have better build quality and calls. sure they are a bluetooth headphone. I have high end stuff too they don’t have that kind of detail. But you know what. These are the headphones i used. I don’t especially like being tethered to a computer. Anyway with bose the sound just isn’t as fun. For me when you using headpones with small speakers, you to tune warm unlike large receiver speakers. I could even say if your a bit older losing your ability to detect highs maybe then bose makes sense, or your tastes are more for a flat neutral. the sound bose is good. However that’s isn’t me at all if i want that i’ll have a chat with my wife. I don’t want boomy but i do want a warm sound that’s exciting. these are the best sounding bluetooth headphones with ANC i ‘ve heard and they are plenty good enough for me. I will pretty much continue to live in my xm4 now at my desk and when i am out use my xm3s. By the way i picked these on verizon for some insane deal. They were like 250 already. I’d wait for black friday. i was going to, but then that came up. 350’s a lot for this build quality, but if you haven’t used these and are on the fence amazon is good because of the return policy if you don’t like them. I really do think this is one of those rare great products, and i have had so much use out of my xm3. the pause /turn off when take off is also wonderful. I had that on my plantronics and am glad they added that here. The speak to chat feature is also nice. I like the low sensitivity mode.I have ultimately decided good anc is so worth it. I have way lower stress. Just the other day i was working at home, and there is all this construction going on i didn’t even notice it, and i could see how stressed out my wife was. I also have kids and dogs, I put these things on and I am like a bachelor. I use them everywhere card, yard worksconcentration, sleep. It’s just fantastic technology. Even if your working out and you are on some loud exercise equipment you can use these and save your ears and hear the tv. They aren’t waterproof, but i just put on a fan when i am working out to prevent sweating and that works great. I am also glad they aren’t water proof so i can easily replace the battery for 15 dollars. It has a freaking plug and doesn’t even need to be soldered. xm4 is the same. Get these. 🙂
21 people found this helpful
Daniel Meadows –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Bluetooth Headphones I’ve had so far…
I have purchased and used a variety of wireless, over-ear style headphones over the years, but the Sony WH-1000XM4 (XM4’s from here on), have provided a great experience so far! For simplicity’s sake, I will only directly mention the other Sony pair I currently own, the XB900N.Note:This review is after one full (out of the box) charge. They lasted almost exactly three days after fairly heavy use. Material used during this period varied from heavy rock to classical, audiobooks, and videos from YouTube. Sections in the review are in CAPS for organization, not emphasis.The Positive:+ SOUND is phenomenal on these. Out of the box, they were almost on par with other sets I had set equalizer preferences for. Once the equalizer profiles were created for the XM4’s, the music started sounding better than it ever has before through Bluetooth. These clearly favor a warm sound, and shine best when paired with bass heavy tracks, but all of my library has gotten some noticeable benefit from the XM4’s.Sound is different for everyone, but these seem better out of the box than most I’ve tried, and custom profiles are easy to create with the Sony app.+ CONNECTIVITY was extremely easy. I had already installed the Sony companion app for headphones from the XB pair I had used before. I have not had any dropped connections so far.+ BUILD QUALITY feels like a pretty big step up from the XB900N’s. Sturdy cans and a very soft headband are a nice combination. I’ve only had the XM4’s for three days but I feel they will hold up fairly well. Considering I’ve had the XB pair for over a year with no noticeable degradation, I have high expectations here. The XM4’s come with a great travel case too.The Neutral (still positive to me):1. CHARGING CORD is short. I like it because it is now the easiest charging cord to identify out of all the ones I currently use. The cord it is packaged with limits flexibility for charging locations, but is also perfectly functional for my needs.2. ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) function is good, almost too good. I have used these headphones a lot since I received them three days ago, and the first thing I noticed when I put them on- the ANC was overwhelming. I became somewhat queasy as soon as I turned them on. Once I opened the app I noticed there was a calibration tool for ANC. Once I went through that process, I no longer felt discomfort when using this feature. YMMV, but these block out most noise in my home, to the point it’s just music or the book I’m listening to. I’m still getting used to how strong the ANC actually is.3. BATTERY LIFE was pretty good, but may have been somewhat under 100% out of the box, despite the headphones declaring a full charge when activated. I did not time my usage, but I probably got around 18 to 20 hours on the initial charge. Some settings for music quality and DSEE (sound enhancement for some content) will lower battery life according to Sony’s companion app. It advised against using my settings for the best battery life experience. I appreciated but also ignored this advice. I know I won’t be getting the full battery life from it, but it sounds so good! I’m leaving this detail under neutral to see if I get the same- or better – performance from a true 100% charge. Edit: lasted about the same, maybe one additional hour. Still good for daily, heavy use.4. TOUCH CONTROLS are a big debate among users of Bluetooth headphones. I happen to like how responsive these are, but I’ve also really liked some other headphones out there that had good old fashioned dials and buttons. I don’t know which I prefer over the other, but the touch controls for the XM4’s are not bad.The Negatives:- These get pretty warm. Ultimately, it isn’t an issue to me because I wear glasses and they are still comfortable, just warm after longer sessions.Overall:The best Bluetooth headphones I’ve come across! Definitely worth the price on sale. The XM4’s do not disappoint and provide truly top-tier ANC functionality. My new favorite headphones for music and audiobooks on the go.Thank you for reading my review!Hopefully the XM4’s are finished recharging by now.Have a great day!
50 people found this helpful
Jason H –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Sounding but Relatively Dumb
These headphones sound great. I have been testing them against AirPods Max with my iPhone.Used, they are an exceptional value for this quality of sound. However after wearing them many hours I have decided to go with the AirPods Max as my primary pair, because they are extremely intuitive and the transparency mode is great for my house with noisy young children I still need to communicate with.The XM4’s attempts at being smart kust annoy me, like automatically turning off when I sneeze or sniff with a cold. The transparency mode amplifies annoying sounds like silverware falling in the sink. You can disable all of that, and are left with a great sounding headphone for the price.If it is within your budget the AirPods max will serve you far better if you, like me, like to wear headphones at all times. The only potential drawback of the APM other than the price is the weight, but I found them fine.I may keep these for travel, as they are light, the noise cancellation is excellent, and I wouldn’t be devastated if they were lost or stolen.Around the house I will use the Apple headphones. The usability of these two is not even close if you use an Iphone. The Apple APM are so inituitive you only have to remember to charge them. Then they just work and do exactly what you want – it’s uncanny.
9 people found this helpful
b –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than XM5
**Disclaimer: I bought mine used like new through AmazonI originally purchased the Sony XM5 because they were soooo highly rated in every article I read. I returned the XM5, got the XM4 and am so much happier. I’ll compare the XM4 to the XM5, Apple AirPods Max, and Bose QuietComfort 45 – just to help anyone choosing between them.**Noise Cancellation (4.5/5): the noise cancellation on the XM4 is crazy, almost comparable to the Apple AirPods Max. I gave the XM4 a 4.5 because I still think the Apple AirPods Max have the best noise cancellation, but the Sony XM4 is very close. I also like the fact that you can turn noise cancelling on/off with a button – which is a feature not available with the Bose QuietComfort 45. The noise cancellation is much better than the XM5 and less finicky. An issue with the XM5 is that the noise cancelling would just randomly turn on/off. Like if I paused a video for a little too long, the noise cancellation would just turn off Overall, I wouldn’t say I it blocks out all sound, but it’s close. I can hear the sound of people talking and music, but it’s quieter and I can’t make out the words. I definitely can’t have a conversation with them on. Also, the XM4 will pick up on when you’re talking to people and turn the noise cancelling off for you – but it does make a little announcement when it does that may be annoying or disruptive.**Sound Quality (4/5): the sound quality is great. Way better than the XM5, not as great as the Apple AirPods Max. I think the Apple headphones are just a little crisper. I think it’s cool that you can turn 360 sound on, but tbh I never really use it (XM5 also has this feature). The sound is clear, and I haven’t experienced any malfunctions/issues with the noise. When I had the XM5, they would just randomly sound muffled (like I was underwater) and, when that wasn’t happening, the sound quality was mediocre.**Comfort (5/5): the XM4s are REALLY comfy. I wear glasses with plastic frames and a lot of headphones just don’t work and are really uncomfy. The Apple AirPods Max were really uncomfortable with my glasses. Obviously, an easy solution is to just wear contacts, but I hate wearing my contacts for long periods of time – especially, when I study/do work. The XM5 were also pretty comfortable, but wouldn’t stay fixed when I adjusted them – they would slip and I would need to readjust them a lot. The XM4 completely cover my ear and the ear pads are soft. They don’t squeeze my head the way other headphones do and they don’t hurt any part of my ear. I will say that the headband part that rests on top of my head does kind of hurt my head after wearing them for almost 10 hours. Also, I have TMJ so sometimes wearing the headphones does cause my TMJ to flare up and I’ll switch to earbuds. But, I think overall these are the most comfortable headphones I have tried.**Product Quality (3.5/5): let’s be honest, they’re plastic and they feel plastic. They don’t feel like super high quality, but let me tell you that they feel way better quality than the XM5 – those felt like a barbie toy. I think the XM4 are sturdy and pretty durable. The Apple AirPods Max are also plastic, but do feel a little more high quality – but also, nothing spectacular.**Aesthetic (3.5/5): If the aesthetic is important to you, I would say they look fine. They’re a little bulky, but not terrible. Not as sleek as some others, but they don’t look ridiculous. If you’re really against a bulky look, then they may not be a great aesthetic match for you. I was worried they would be really clunky, but after getting them and wearing them for a bit, I really don’t think they look bad.**Connectivity (4/5): I only have Apple devices (iPhone, MacBook, etc.) and I think the connectivity is great with these products! When I got the XM5, they had so many connection issues. I wasn’t able to connect them to my laptop, they wouldn’t stay connected to my devices – it was a mess. I was really worried I would have the same issues with the XM4, but I have had no problems so far. I will say it was a little odd to have have to download the Sony Connect app and manage the headphone through that platform, but it’s user friendly and it’s kind of nice to have a control for them (it’s almost like a remote).**Battery Life (5/5): The battery life is insane. I’ve had them for 8 days and have not charged them yet – they still have about 40% charge left. They will turn off automatically to save battery life if you don’t use them for a certain amount of time, which I personally like.OVERALL (4.5/5): I think the XM4 are great headphones for a better price than the Apple AirPods Max. The Bose are apparently really similar, but I’ve never personally tried them. The XM4 is MUCH better than the XM5 in terms of quality and price. They’re comfy, great noise cancellation and sound quality, and have great battery life.
887 people found this helpful
BradleyBradley –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly a Worthy Successor to the WH1000xm3!
Honestly, there was a part of me that was worried that these headphones would not be the best pair to own after the issues that I experienced with the prior generation of them: the WH1000xm3. The main issue that I had? The build quality: the plastic around the headband snapped due to a flimsy connection, resulting in me having to tape both headbands together so that the headphones don’t fall apart on me. I tried several alternate brands to see if they would work, but they never came close to giving me the same level of satisfaction while wearing them as the WH1000xm3 did, even with the taped headband taken into account. So I decided that the best replacement for a Sony headphone was another Sony headphone, and I invested in the M4, which succeeded the M3 last year (as of this writing).My initial thoughts were as follows: the headphones were a definite improvement upon the originals, retaining what I liked most about the original headphones (largely the overall comfort) while also improving the headphones in other small ways (especially in regards to the special features-the M4 are way more feature-packed than the M3 were, incorporating many elements that are being found on most other headphones these days). My favorite thing that was fixed, however, was the sound quality. You see, the original sounded amazing, and honestly sounded better overall than the likes of Bose and Sennheiser, which I have tested as potential replacements for the Sony headphones. And that is despite the fact that the headphones have a relatively small 40mm driver inside, instead of a more traditional 50mm driver. However, the one minor issue I had with the M3 was that the low frequencies were heightened a bit more than I would have liked, making songs sound a bit bass-heavy even when the EQ was turned off (the only way I was able to fix this was by setting the EQ to ‘bright’, which isn’t ideal since the EQ does degrade the battery life). With the M4, Sony improves this by tuning down the low ends, resulting in the headphones having a very flat frequency response, which in turn results in every song having a much wider sound stage than the M3 did (and almost making them sound as good as the various open-back headphones I have tried, including the Sennheiser 650, which is my personal favorite open-back headphone).In terms of the special features, I think they were implemented quite well in these headphones. The noise cancelling is exceptional, much like it was on the M3, and the transparency mode is somehow even better than it was on the prior generation headphone, sounding a lot more natural and less tinny overall. The auto activation of transparency mode during conversations is fantastic, and enables me to talk to people naturally without ever having to remove the headphones from my ear. This also means that I don’t have to awkwardly tap my hand on the earcup with the M4, either. The DSEE Extreme audio enhancer really helps to make music sound a lot more full, even when using devices that don’t support the LDAC wireless standard. It isn’t as good as listening to lossless files wired, mind you, but it is still an amazing feature that helps to take advantage of the flat sound stage and frequency response of the headphone drivers.Now, this isn’t to say that these headphones don’t have issues, mind you. The auto-pause when removing the headphones from your ears is very much a gimmick, and doesn’t always pause the song (and may even resume the music before you have a chance to place the headphones back on your ear). Since the headphones use a light sensor to tell if you are wearing your headphones or not, it means even a simple shadow can cause the headphones to think that they are back on your ears and restart music playback. It is quite obnoxious, and it is best left out. Another, more minor issue is the touch controls. While I personally have no issue with them, I know that there are many people that don’t like them whatsoever. So I will just make a note that they are still here, and they work in much the same way as they did on the M3. Finally, I should mention that the flat soundstage, while amazing for my listening experience, may not be for everyone. Bassheads in particular would likely prefer extra pronunciation on the lower ranges. And while they will never be quite as bass-heavy as the Skullcandy or Beats line, the EQ can still bring the bass levels up quite a bit, using a ‘clear bass’ slider that reminds me of the slider on the Skullcandy Skullcrushers: raising the bass without causing distortion.Overall, the headphones turned out to be quite an exceptional pair, especially when it comes to listening to music during commutes. The great noise cancelling, beautiful audio, and fantastic transparency mode definitely make these headphones a winner in my book. And the app only helps to improve the flexibility of the headphones, allowing for many different features to be unlocked. And while these headphones certainly have some issues (no pair of headphones are perfect, after all), I think the benefits more than outweigh the issues for me, and put these at the top of my list of best closed-back headphones that I have worn. Hopefully Sony will continue to make amazing headphones like these in the ears to come.
180 people found this helpful
Brianna Paige –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for the casual user
I purchased these recently while they were on sale intending to use them while I work from home and listen to music, podcasts, or take a work call. They can dually connect to both my computer and phone as I often switch between the two as I’m working. But the switch is not as great or seamless as it could be, sometimes it struggles, causing me to miss something being said at the beginning of the meeting when crossing over from one Bluetooth connection to the other. Pausing whatever device is actively playing media, then switching starting a call, or playing a video on that second device is a lot more seamless this way. Upon first use I was actually surprised by how light the headphones were and how comfortable the padding on these were, but I will say after wearing them for nearly 8 hours, I did notice a little bit of soreness around the tops of my ears but it’s nothing compared to what ear buds feel like and what other headphones feel like only 2-3 hours. I cannot really speak on the audio quality as I’m not necessarily a huge expert in that area and I’m largely deaf in one of my ears so half of this pair of headphones is pretty much usless to me… none the less, it sounds great to me, great clear, crisp audio. And I will make note that coworkers that I had to speak on the phone with many times previously and always struggled to understand, regardless of if I have the call on private mode and turned all the way up, speakerphone, or earbuds. But with taking phone calls with these headphones I do not notice this same issue. To mention being largely deaf in one of my ears, these headphones do have a noise canceling features, and although I don’t need too much help in the noise canceling area… I can attest that I feel almost completely deaf with these headphones on. Even with other noise canceling headphones, I can hear myself typing on my keyboard, or the sound of resonance of my feet hitting the ground while walking with headphones on, but I do not experience those things with these headphones at all. And so far from about a week and a half of use, the battery life has been great so far, and I am seeming to get about a day and a half (~12 to 14 hours give or take) of battery life from one charge before I get the battery low message, that is when decide to charge mine, but I’m sure you’d still have a good amount of charge left. Also, the case that these headphones come in, and are stored in, is so amazing and such good quality. I always return them to their case after I’m done using them for the day, as the case is strong is really helps keep your headphones safe and protected. I have a habit of throwing my headphones into a bag if I feel like I may want them, but in that bag is also so many other things, and I never worry about my headphones because of how sturdy and strong the case for these are.
18 people found this helpful
Melissa Valarezo –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing quality
So happy with this purchase. I researched extensively and was between these and the Bose ones of comparable quality but these seemed to be a bit better in terms of the technology used etc. My only thing is that they feel a smidge loose on my head so if i were to lean back they’d likely start slipping, not that i need to lean back with them on. I also don’t wear these to the gym or anything. I wear these around the house, on airplanes, walking around cities, etc. the noise cancelling is excellent for planes and the ambient feature is excellent when on public transportation or walking around outside. The battery life is incredible, 30 hours. I actually love the touch screen aspect of the volume control etc. they’re very comfortable and can be worn for very extended periods of time. I’ve worn them for 9+ hours and have had no discomfort. That might be why they seem a bit loose though. Either way, so glad I made this investment, i can’t imagine listening to music any other way. For reference and context the headphones i was using prior were Bose in ear ones which are very uncomfortable for me but fine for the gym as well as skull candy over the ear headphones which in my opinion are not good but i wear them to the gym, but the sound quality is kinda garbage. I also listen to a lot of metal and it sounds great on these. You can customize how music sounds using the Sony app. Highly recommend these!
23 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
10/10 my favorite headphones
If you love listening to music like me, you can’t miss with these headphones. One of the best things to ever happen to my ears is being introduced to these headphones as the sound quality and material is the best out of any pair of headphones I’ve ever owned. They work exactly as they are marketed and I had 0 issues connecting or using the controls. 100% if you are looking to get some headphones you really get what you pay for with these. Just like any other product not limited to technology, take good care of them.
BEeze Millie –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great headphones on sale!
These have been out since 2020 and still rank in the top 5. Sony just brought out it’s 5000 series so got these for a deal and they sound great. Prime Day!
CarlyCarly –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better sound quality than I expected
I don’t do a ton of reviews but I loved these so much I had to come back to share how much I love them.They seem quite sturdy and I like the way they fit. The sound is nice. The noise canceling exceeded my expectations.
Stephen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for the money
I was tired of waiting for Apple to come out with a new set of headphones with USB C. Finally caved, didn’t want to wait anymore. For the money, these are an excellent option. Sounds great and has all the features you need.They are comfortable but I do catch myself wanting to take them off after 20-30 min.If apple comes out with an updated pair that’s USB C and foldable, I’d probably switch out immediately. Until then, these are my favorite.
Emily –
5.0 out of 5 stars
AMAZING
I put these bad boys on in a costco at 12:00pm and it went silent. I wanted a bit to order them as their price was a bit out of my range. I did order a used pair and honestly, I couldn’t find anything wrong with them. I use them daily and LOVE them. They work so well. When I am over stimulated I throw them on and they help just quiet everything. Sound quality is great and I love that you can adjust it in the app. If youre on the fence, get them!
Keith Ma –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Noise canceling and sound quality better than bose
These Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are so good at noise canceling, I’m starting to think they’ve transported me to another dimension—one where background noise just doesn’t exist. The moment I put them on, I’m in my own little world, and it’s glorious.Phone calls? Crystal clear. Alexa? Always ready to help. But the real magic happens when someone tries to talk to me while I’m wearing them. “Sorry, didn’t hear you!” has become my new favorite phrase. These headphones are my ultimate excuse to avoid unwanted conversations.The sound quality is top-notch, and the silver finish makes me feel like I’m wearing something straight out of a sci-fi movie. If you want to enjoy your music in peace, or just need an excuse to avoid small talk, these are the headphones for you!
CharlzCharlz –
4.0 out of 5 stars
😍😍😍
It has great noise cancelling and bass/sound quality. Idk about others but I actually thought the sound sounds better than 10000MX5. The bass is so much quieter on X5 and Im the type that loves to hear the bang of the bass for music and clarity of everything else is better on X4. It’s louder. and I’m not very sure how but the noise cancellation was much better for the X4 as well. I heard more noises cancelled on these than the X5. i bought 2 at the same time to compare since everyone is hyping the X5. Thought I’d drop my own review. They are very comfortable as well, I LOVEEE that you can fold it and the bag for it is also soo cute. It comes with a jack for when you’re in the airplane and want to use it to plug it in. I had the Beats headphone Im not sure which one. I bought it in 2019-2020 I believe the 2nd 😂 but it is soooo much better sound quality and comfortability wise and i forgot to mention the impeccable BATTERY LIFE
8 people found this helpful
daymon565 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
It was not an eargasm as others said it would be.
I do like what they look like, the buttons are slick as you can’t see any but can still actually changed through some things like sound level and skipping songs. The sound quality of course is great, they’re one of the best headphones/headsets probably in existence for the price. (Except for iems those will most likely be the best price to performance) Came in with 70% battery, charged it to 100% pretty fast. The noise cancellation is very good but for some reason to me it somewhat gives me a “headache” because it just feels weird inside my actual year by sound I guess. Sooner or later I’d have to guess that I’ll get used to it.
One person found this helpful
Jessie Richards –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good sound but difficulty connecting
The sound and noise cancellation is really good but I have a lot of issues connecting it to my phone and Mac. The touch controls on the side also mess up for some reason so I can’t change songs or pause without doing it from my phone which is really annoying. I was close to returning them multiple times because they wouldn’t connect when I would get FaceTimes or calls and I’d have to completely reset them which was so inconvenient. I’d say they’re good quality for the price but im not sure I would recommend them to everyone
Jose –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best headphones I’ve ever owned.
Amazing headphones. Best I’ve ever owned. Noise cancellation is amazing. Battery life is respectable, lasting a full day easily, and charge very quickly in about an hour.Only ‘issue’ is that they press on my ears pretty good, so I can’t use them for more than, say, 3 hours before they become a bit uncomfortable and I need to give my ears a break. The other is I live in hot Puerto Rico and I can sweat a bit because of these. Wouldn’t recommend them for working out, like I see others use at the gym; use any type of buds for working out instead. But these issues are inherent to over-ear headphones, so I can’t take points away. Full 5 stars, the best by far, if you will be in a nice cool environment and won’t be doing anything too active.
Noah P. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Issues with Active Noise Cancellation, but otherwise great
Active Noise Cancellation is a godsend. I’ve only been able to compare it to putting on glasses for the first time. It’s the single biggest quality of life improvement I’ve had in 10 years.That said, it struggles to adjust in my gym where there are strong fans. They seem to work quite well most of the time, until they make a failed attempt to readjust closer to the fans and actually produce/let through a lot of sound. I can move a meter and they will adjust correctly, but it’s a bit of a pain.EDIT: This one problem was fixed when I disabled Adaptive Noise Control in the app.
One person found this helpful
H. Ricks –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Get these…at the right price
I got these as a 2023 Christmas upgrade from the XB-900. I loved their sound quality (especially the bass of the XB-900), but it lacked conveniences that made it difficult to use those on a regular basis (being that I’m in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone/iPad/Mac and Apple TV). When they were around 30% off, it was a no-brainer.The ANC is still great. They may not be on the level of AirPods Max, but they’re just as good as the XM-500’s. The sound quality is more ‘balanced,’ so while you don’t get massive bass (like the XB series, Skullcrusher or Sony Ult), they can keep up.But my favorite aspects, coming from the XB900’s, are its ability to multi-pair between 2 devices. It was frustrating to have to go through a process just to switch devices. Granted, you have to use the app to enable them between devices, but that’s still better than having to go into bluetooth settings and unpair, then re-pair.Also, I like the play/pause gesture feature that weren’t on the XB900. While it wasn’t that much of a biggie (be it tap the cup to pause or pause on the app or device), it felt more natural to just take them off for it to pause your media. And, unlike some of Apple’s offerings, I like that you can create your own EQ settings than their stock settings.While it took some time to modify the settings for ANC/pass-through (based on work/home/travel environments), the experience when using is great.Overall…the XM-400’s are as good as the newer ‘flagship’ XM500 (almost forgot: they fold better…be around your neck or case). You’re getting great sound, great ANC, great battery life, decent build (albeit plastic) and great customization. But if you get these when on sale (especially around or under $230), you’re getting a premium device at a ‘Goldilocks’ price!My 3 cents…
One person found this helpful
MyHonest2Cents –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent noise canceling, everything else is ok
In passive mode, the sound quality is all over the place, resulting in some of the worst headphones I’ve ever used in this price bracket. In active mode, it’s… decent, with boomy, mildly unclean bass; acceptable mids; and messy but listenable highs. It is very responsive to EQ past sub-bass range, though you can crank up the already boomy mid-bass if that’s your thing and it can get pretty loud. At about 70–80% volume, the amp begins to distort, and at 100% volume the distortion is highly audible and really crunches the highs and muddies the bass. There is also a noticeable frequency response and volume difference between the cups, likely due to the indentation for the sensor array inside the left cup; if you aren’t listening for it, it is still noticeable sometimes, but it fades to the background if you are using the noise canceling or are otherwise occupied.The ambient sound feature does not pick up outside sounds very clearly. If you’re using the Sony | Headphones Connect app, you can enable a “voice mode” for ambient sound that cuts out the bass and boosts vocal range with EQ, but it cannot be turned on with the toggle buttons on the headphones themselves or when connected to PC, making it tedious to enable without the automatic switching feature that tracks your location and habits to enable it when it thinks you need it. The noise canceling however is truly top of its class and easily removes 80–90% of outside noise, and you can’t hear anything else if you’re playing something. I have noticed that the DSP appears to crank up the bass, either to compensate for the harder-to-remove low-end frequencies or to trick you into thinking the noise canceling is better than it really is in that range.The ear cup touch controls work fine and I have not had any mis-inputs, though volume up/down steps are too small. You can hold down the up/down slider instead of repeatedly sliding your finger, but the repeat delay is very long and it takes forever to adjust to what you want.The headphones are fairly adjustable to different head shapes, but if you have a reeeally big head/ears or lots of hair it may be difficult. The headband padding is a bit hard but the headphones are so light you can’t feel it. The closed cups have no ventilation so your ears stay warm, and I imagine it would get sweaty in warmer weather.The headphones can fold flat and can sit around your neck comfortably. The auto-pause when it detects you remove them, and the 15 minute auto-off means you don’t ever need to bother turning them off explicitly, just take them off your head and put them down. Their ability to fold also works great for stowing them, and you can fit them into any bag. The included carry case is a bit bulkier than it probably needs to be, but it’s still small enough to fit in even a medium sized purse, and it does have room for cables and small accessories.The mic quality is pretty bad and doesn’t pick up your voice well. What it does pick up well is everything around you. You’d think Sony’s engineers could have used the ambient sound mics to dampen outside noise while focusing on your voice, but it unfortunately doesn’t do that. Call sound quality in general takes a major dive due to the protocol it uses under the hood; it halves the sample rate and sounds like a cheap dollar store headset.The battery is massive; I charged it to 90% once I received it a few days ago and have not had to charge it since with daily listening. Rtings.com got 37 hours out of one charge, far past the advertised duration.Overall all of the features work to an acceptable level, except passive mode sound quality. If you are buying these for the battery longevity, small stowable size, ease of use, and noise isolation and canceling, they’re a great package. Great for traveling. Would not recommend for even casual listening, get a good closed back pair like the Hifiman HE-R9 + Bluemini R2R wireless dongle. If you need to make important calls or want headphones for conference calls or online meetings, these will work, but it won’t be pleasant—get a dedicated conference headset.If you really insist on these for more active listening situations, do yourself a favor and get the AutoEQ preset for them as a baseline, and tweak to your ears. I also recommend a -1dB loss on the left earcup to help offset the response difference, though it’s an approximation and not perfect and differences in track volume will make this obvious. With these changes, passive mode is at least bearable.
8 people found this helpful
Wood4all –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sony headphone upgrade
I will keep this short because their other extensive reviews on this headphone. I did receive in perfect condition and is an addition my Sony 3’s. I chose the 4 over the 5’s for 2 reason’s: confort and price. The mixed reviews on the 5’s comfort turned me off knowing my 3’s were perfect and the 4’s were the same. Sound quality is only a little better in my opinion than 3’s. I got these on sale on Amazon which also made the choice easier me as well. For my use and listening style which is pretty basic, I am very happy with my choice.
Jan Eric Welch –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect for Watching TV Without Disturbing Others!
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have been an absolute game-changer for me! I’m hard of hearing, so I usually need the TV volume louder than most people would prefer. With these headphones, I can watch TV at the volume that’s comfortable for me without bothering anyone else in the house.The sound quality is fantastic—clear and crisp—and the noise-canceling feature really helps me focus on what I’m watching without any distractions. They’re also super comfortable to wear for extended periods, which is great for binge-watching my favorite shows.If you’re looking for high-quality headphones that offer incredible sound and comfort, especially if you need to keep the volume up without disturbing others, I highly recommend these. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase!
One person found this helpful
Hugo Stiglitz –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind blowing noise cancellation
The noise cancellation is insane. The first time i turned them on i couldnt believe it. I was used to pretty weak NC, and these are supposed to be the best. What a differenceOne thing i hadnt thought of is that noise cancellation actually does make a big difference to sound quality while previously i didnt think it was that important. But because it gives you an almost silent environment, everything sounds better.I also love that it has LDAC support. The transmission rate is automatic and unfortunately rarely uses the highest quality, but you can force it with developer options on any android phone (look up a guide to do that). The connection is perfect on the lower settings and you can go 100ft away from your phone and itll still work fine. Its only at the highest setting that theres any issues, but IMO its still worth using if you have high res audio files. Its near indistinguishable from the sound quality of a wired connection at the point (and assuming youre not in a totally silent envionment with NC off.TThe only weak point is the frequency response, but its also personal preference. Its balanced but bass heavy which a lot of people like. I don’t. In my opinion it should be more neutral.When audio professionals mix and master music, they already put in as much bass as they can (in modern music) so there’s no need for headphones to add even more. They know what theyre doing so it makes no sense to me to try and “enhance” what doesnt need to be “enhanced”Unfortunately most consumers think more bass = better so headphone makers aren’t afraid to add more than is necessary especially when other manufacturers add a ton, meaning if you don’t as well people might say your product has weak bass, which isn’t the case at all
One person found this helpful
T. Mozilo –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent sound and voice call quality in a comfortable headset
These headphones are comfortable and deliver excellent sound quality. They work really well for phone calls as well. I love the feature that kicks in if I am listening to music or watching a video and I start to speak. The headphones automatically go from ANC mode to Hear Through mode and the music/video pauses. I can communicate with those around me and when finished, the headset returns me to the music/video and ANC mode. The fold flat and easily fit into my carry on bag with the included carry case. I’ve used these on flights and found them very comfortable. I am very happy with this purchase and can happily recommend them.
Pablo Cruise –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quality, sound, price
1MORE Sono flo= I bought this brand since new to wearing headphones on the plane but if you fly they are necessary. 1More was not bad at all for around $79. Sound not too bad but I lost them at the airport and bought these SONY. We all know SONY makes quality products, the XM4 are just that and sound is beautiful and blocks out ambient. At $199, last year’s model, they are priced for anyone who enjoys high end sound but likes a fair price. I do recommend to anyone who wants better than a starter set of head phones though some decent off brands. They don’t live up to SONY however.
Theraphosa –
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Bargain at this Price point
I’ve had these earphones for a month now and I feel like they are the best noise cancelling headphones I have ever owned. My previous ones were an older model Bose and then a comparable Sennheiser.My job requires that I do inspections in various industrial facilites.My initial work is about five hours in an office, but the decibel level is still around 70dB. At that level, the Sony WH-1000XM4 remove about 95% of the ambient noise. Music, computer videos and telephone conversations are excellent. These headphones are very good at that level.I next spend up to four hours inspecting out of the equipment floor. The noise level varies from around 78dB to 82dB. Not painfully loud, but it can cause short term hearing damage in short sessions, but 5hrs/day on a regular basis can permenantly affect your hearing. To give you a reference point, you would have to shout at someone standing about 3ft away for them to understand you. So it’s not jet engine loud, but it’s uncomfortable and in addition to hearing damage, long term exposure can raise your blood pressure and cause other negative effects on your physical and mental health. And yet, the level at which OSHA requires hearing protection is 85dB.All this is to say that I take sound cancellation seriously, and I also take my music seriously too. These earphones are great on both fronts. I’m very comfortable at work and I can listen to my playlists and don’t feel as if I have to turn up the volume to drown out the noise of the machinery. It’s really pretty cool.My total shift is about ten hours, and I feel no discomfort wearing these over my ears. I’m also bald, and there is plenty of padding on the band where it contacts the top of my head. I’m very happy with these, and even though I’ve spent more for earphones, I’ve never had a better pair for my needs.The only downside is that they are not great when using them to make phone calls in a loud enviroment. I honestly didn’t expect them to function great in that respect, but it would have been great if they did.The app has numerous ways to customize your experience. More than I actually use. The adaptive sound kept changing the noise cancellation as I moved, so I turned it off. The Speak to Chat feature could be handy, but I occasionally sing along with my music and it would switch off the cancellation. So I turned that feature off also.PROS:Very comfortable to wear for hours at a time.Very good sound cancellation.Love that they pause the playback when you remove the headphones.Great that just holding a hand over the right ear cup will turn off cancellation so you can have a conversation without removing your earphones.Very good music reproduction. Bass is not quite true, but if it was really pronounced, I could adjust the equalizer.The app is very good and has a lot of features, I was pleasantly surprised even though I don’t need or use many of them. It’s very helpful.Love the ability to stay connected to two devices at the same time. My phone and my computer work well with the earphones.Cons:Sometimes I wish they were a little more snug (maybe I have a small head?)The app is almost TOO helpful. It can take some trial and error to get everything set up as you like it.I would prefer a more tactile controls. These require that you sweep a finger over the outside of the ear cup for volume and track control. It’s actually very accurate, but I would still appreciate something that I could use while wearing gloves.Overall, these are a total win, and a bargain at the price. You could probably get something just a shade better, but it would be at a significantly higher price. These are perfect for me and my situation. I would defintely buy them again.
188 people found this helpful
A. Matthewson –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Audiophile Perspective
I got the MX4’s for use when driving and in a noisy office location while doing college work. I also listen to music and audiobooks/podcasts nearly all day, and it is not uncommon for me to have a pair of cans on for 8-12 hours daily. Moving forward, my main comparison is with the Senheiser HD599 ($200) and the HiFiman HE4XX’s ($150, plus $200 for a Schitt Modi/Magni DAC and AMP setup, coming to a total of $350 for all three pieces of hardware). My use case is pretty high-volume listening therefore, and my musical tastes go from Jazz, Pop and Trap to Classical, Folk, Acoustic, and Rock. Overall, I would definitely recommend the MX4’s IF you are needing the top-end noise cancelation, as the hype surrounding the NC performance is definitely more reality than fiction. It makes my commutes and listening experience in noisy environments, including an interstate, very enjoyable and less fatiguing. I also certainly enjoy the convenience and mobility of these headphones, and the battery life has been excellent thus far. However, if you do not need the absolute best noise cancelling, or maybe don’t care so much about mobility, then I would not recommend them due chiefly for the price and audio quality compromise. I shall elaborate, first with what I like:- Comfort (though for bigger ears it may be a little less so).- Build quality is good for a headphone in this price bracket, given the tech.- Noise cancelling is honestly unbelievable, though please note these are my very first pair of NC headphones.- Decent sound for what it is, with good battery life to boot.- Cool intelligent tech, though admittedly I do not use it at all (I keep NC on at all times and do not utilize the speech recognition feature).- Mobility.- Truly some great tech thrown in here, and I can see the R&D going to work, also fairly useful app.Cons:- Price.- Sound quality is lacking when compared to setups at this price point (though I hear it is the best sound quality when comparing to other NC cans), however more on this below.- Ears can become warm after a while.- This may be just me, but I have issues with ear pressure changes throughout the day and can cause a feeling of needing to – and not being able to – “pop” my ears, which is annoying and causes long-term comfort to be an issue for long sessions, forcing me to switch back to my faithful 599’s.To elaborate, I have HiFiman x Drop HE4XX’S, with a Schitt Modi/Magni stack DAC/AMP. This entire package cost me the same exact price as the MX4’s from Sony, and the sound quality is essentially night and day difference. Sound stage, separation, and dynamic sound range is definitely noticeably worse on the MX4’s, and there is significant bleed through the bass and mids in some songs. For reference I am listening on Tidal, with Master track quality. Even on my HE4XX’s, the bass is tighter and more responsive, and, while not a bass-havy pair of cans, provides a much more accurate and tight listening experience across all ranges. This is partially due to the open back versus closed back design, but again for the price, if you do not care about being so mobile, or perhaps work from home or are a student doing much of your work and homework from a home office or fixed location like myself, I would suggest looking elsewhere. If you travel all the time and absolutely cannot live without maximum portability and noise cancelling, then the MX4’s are the way to go. The sound quality is adequate (though I still grit my teeth when considering how much these cost compared to my true audiophile headphone set ups given the sound quality), especially when compared to other closed-back designs, and again the NC is absolutely insane. Another point is that firmware updates will hopefully keep improving on the already impressive and interesting tech inside these cans.All in all, I really do like the MX4’s, but due to the price, it makes me hard to recommend to someone who cares chiefly about sound quality first, and the convenience and portability/NC factors second. If this is the case, I’d say go to something with a better sound profile, and you will likely find yourself spending less with a better musical experience, and a recommendation off the top of my head would be the EXCELLENT Senheiser HD599’s (around $200 new on Amazon). Personally, if they would have saved on some R&D and kept the voice and calling features to a minimum but dropped the price, this would be a no-brainer for everyone, but I digress. If however, you need the solid NC and are excited about the mobility and convenience and the versatility that these cans can bring, and are okay with the compromise on sound quality as well as the steep asking price, I would say you would be hard-pressed to go anywhere else than the MX4’s. I am still debating on keeping these or not, as I have been spoiled with amazing sound experiences for the past 3-5 years now, and I find it hard to take a hit to my pocketbook like this when I could get a truly awe-inspiring pair of audiophile cans to use with my current setup for the same exact price, though the MX4’s are good enough to make it a hard decision which is itself a promising sign.Tldr; Should you buy the MX4’s? It depends, but I do like them, and you need to just consider your use case when making that decision. This is a lot of money to spend on a pair of headphones, and if sound quality plays a large part in your decision, you have some serious competition to look at. Would I say I recommend the MX4’s in general? Yes.
26 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Never Knew!
I had always heard about noise canceling headphones, but it never really experienced one, I guess because I was satisfied with your standard headphones that Covered the ears.Once I tried these on and hit the button to activate the noise canceling, I was blown away! I was sitting next to a truck that had its loud refrigeration machine going, and the headphones completely canceled the machine out. Amazing. And then I started to play my music and the stereo sound is EQ’d perfectly.My last pair of headphones were from the Raycon brand and it was cheaply built. The headphones start to tear away from the frame in about a year. I trust that Sony has a much better build so I’m sticking with it.
RTW1979 –
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Immersive Sonic Oasis: Sony WH-1000XM4, The Epitome of Wireless Premium Noise Canceling
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are an absolute game-changer! As an avid music lover and tech enthusiast, I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect audio experience. These headphones have left me awe-inspired with their exceptional sound quality, impeccable noise cancellation, and luxurious comfort. It’s no wonder they have earned their rightful place as the leading headphones in the market.Let’s start with the audio quality. Sony has truly outdone themselves with the WH-1000XM4. The soundstage is incredibly immersive, allowing each instrument and vocal to shine through with remarkable clarity. The headphones deliver a balanced and precise audio reproduction, ensuring every note and beat is reproduced with stunning accuracy. Whether it’s the delicate strumming of an acoustic guitar or the thunderous bass of an EDM track, these headphones handle it all effortlessly, offering an unparalleled auditory experience.The noise cancellation technology on the WH-1000XM4 is nothing short of magical. Sony’s proprietary HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 is a marvel. It seamlessly blocks out external noise, immersing you in a world of pure music bliss. Whether you’re commuting on a noisy train, working in a bustling cafe, or simply seeking solace in a quiet environment, these headphones create an oasis of tranquility. The adaptive noise cancellation feature intelligently adjusts the level of suppression based on your surroundings, ensuring you remain undisturbed and focused on the music.Comfort is key, and Sony has nailed it with the WH-1000XM4. The plush ear cups and the ergonomic design provide a snug fit that can be worn for hours without any discomfort. The headband is adjustable and well-padded, further enhancing the overall comfort. Additionally, the headphones are surprisingly lightweight, making them perfect for long listening sessions or extended travels. Sony has truly prioritized user comfort and wearability, allowing you to enjoy your favorite tunes without any distractions.The WH-1000XM4 headphones are equipped with an array of smart features that elevate the overall experience. The touch-sensitive controls on the ear cups are intuitive and responsive, allowing you to adjust volume, skip tracks, and answer calls with a simple tap or swipe. The built-in voice assistant compatibility enables you to manage tasks effortlessly, simply using your voice. The battery life is outstanding, offering up to 30 hours of uninterrupted playtime, ensuring you never have to worry about running out of power on the go.Sony’s attention to detail extends to the design of these headphones as well. The sleek and minimalist aesthetics exude a sense of sophistication and elegance. The folding mechanism allows for easy portability, and the included carrying case ensures your headphones are protected when not in use. It’s evident that Sony has poured meticulous craftsmanship into every aspect of the WH-1000XM4, resulting in a visually stunning and premium product.In conclusion, the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Premium Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones are a true masterpiece. From the breathtaking sound quality and unrivaled noise cancellation to the remarkable comfort and smart features, these headphones have set a new standard for audio excellence. If you’re a discerning music lover or someone who values an immersive and tailored listening experience, investing in the WH-1000XM4 is an absolute no-brainer. Prepare to be captivated by the audio prowess of these headphones. Sony has truly outdone themselves, and I wholeheartedly give them a resounding five-star rating!Furthermore, as someone who has had the privilege of experiencing the first, second, and third generations of the Sony WH-1000XM headphones, I can confidently say that each iteration has improved upon its predecessor, making them akin to a fine wine that only gets better with age.Sony’s commitment to innovation and their willingness to continuously refine their flagship headphones is truly commendable. With each new generation, they have addressed any minor shortcomings and introduced groundbreaking enhancements that elevate the listening experience to new heights.From the original WH-1000XM to the WH-1000XM3, and now to the WH-1000XM4, Sony has consistently pushed the boundaries of audio technology. They have refined the sound signature, perfected the noise cancellation capabilities, and fine-tuned the overall user experience. It’s a testament to Sony’s dedication to delivering the best possible audio performance.The fact that each new iteration builds upon the strengths of its predecessors speaks volumes about Sony’s commitment to continuous improvement. They have managed to take an already exceptional product and refine it, creating a headphone series that is truly unrivaled in its class.In conclusion, as someone who has witnessed the evolution of the Sony WH-1000XM headphones from their inception, I am thrilled to see how they have evolved into the remarkable WH-1000XM4. These headphones are a testament to Sony’s relentless pursuit of perfection and their ability to create a product that transcends expectations. The WH-1000XM series is a shining example of how a product can improve over time, just like a fine wine that only gets better with age.
83 people found this helpful
Michael23 –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sony WH-1000XM4 vs. Bose 700 vs. Jabra Evolve2 65, mostly for Zoom meetings
I was looking for headphones for work and personal usage. I did a lot of research and it was clear that there was no one model that was best at everything. So, I prioritized what I was looking for (in rough order):1) physical comfort (nothing else really matters if they’re painful to wear)2) blocking out outside noise (household noise, cars passing by, leaf blowers, etc.)3) technical ease (i.e., easily connecting to both my phone and laptop)4) microphone quality (for phone calls and Zoom)5) sound quality for music (I tested with EDM and IDM music)6) cost (I was willing to pay more for quality as long as it wasn’t outrageous)7) battery life (not really important to me as long as it gets through the workday)After a lot of reading, I narrowed it down to five:Bose 700Sony WH-1000XM4Jabra Evolve2 65Jabra 85HJabra Evolve 75And I ultimately ordered the top 3.Here’s my review:Sony WH-1000XM4:- This was the clear winner for me: most comfortable, best at blocking out outside noise, excellent music quality, and easy to use- I appreciate how it automatically adjusts the noise canceling settings based on activity (sitting still, walking, etc.), and I had no trouble connecting it to my phone and computer at the same time- The biggest downside (other than the high price) is that it was definitely the worst microphone of the three. People on the other end were able to understand me, but when I listened to recordings it definitely sounded more muffled and less clear than with the other two headphonesthough its microphone quality isn’t great- It’s probably also worth mentioning that my brother tried these on and he found them uncomfortable because he has large ears, whereas the Bose 700 felt fine for himBose 700:- This was a close runner-up: good at blocking outside noise, comfortable enough (but I felt it squeezing my head more than the Sony), and good music quality (I even preferred it to the Sony for some songs, though in general I felt like the instruments were somehow a bit further away or flat compared to the Sony)- It gave me just a little trouble to connect to phone and computer at once but it was fine once I got it set up the first time- The microphone was noticeably better than the Sony’s but still not greatJabra Evolve2 65:- Surprisingly good music quality given its purpose as more of an office headset; but, given its protruding microphone arm, I was expecting significantly better mic quality than the other two when in fact I only found it to be a little better than the Bose- Fairly comfortable, but I preferred the way that the other two completely enclosed my ears rather than just squeezing against them as the Jabra did- Setup was easy and I appreciated the USB dongle to wirelessly connect it without fiddling with BluetoothSOME TAKEAWAYS:- Ultimately, I learned that all of these have pretty bad microphones, so you’ll need to get a dedicated microphone if you really care about recording sound quality- This is of course personal preference, but I still find my Jabra Elite Sport earbuds from 2018 to be more comfortable than all of these, and they surprisingly had just as good or better microphone quality than all of these fancier larger headphones. I’m able to wear the Sony or the Bose headphones for a few hours, but my ears still feel a bit tender when I take them off- I was quite surprised that the active noise canceling was fine for me on both the Bose and the Sony. I had tried a previous Bose model years ago and experienced a lot of painful pressure on my ears, so I was quite happy to discover that I rarely experienced that here. I’m not sure if the tech has just gotten better or if I’ve acclimated somehow, but consider giving the Bose or Sony a try even if you’ve had trouble with this in the pastDECISION:I ended up choosing the Sony WH-1000XM4, which are in most ways the best headphones I’ve ever used (with important caveats below). When I started my search, my top priority was how well they worked for Zoom calls. Music quality was a secondary concern. But after spending weeks with these headphones, I’m pretty blown away by how my music sounds, like new dimensions have been opened up. I recommend them, along with the Wavelet smartphone app for AutoEq equalization tuned to these headphones specifically. However, there are two glaring flaws you should know about:1) The microphone quality really isn’t great. When I’m in Zoom meetings, I set it to use my laptop’s built-in microphone instead since it sounds better.2) It does pair well with my laptop and smartphone at once. But, there are some quirks that are extremely annoying. Whenever one of the two disconnects, a voice loudly announces, “Bluetooth device disconnected.” So, say I’m listening to music on my phone or on a phone call—if my laptop falls asleep or I turn it off, my music or call will be interrupted with that useless announcement. Even worse, whenever you answer a phone call, it disconnects momentarily from the computer, so as soon as your phone call begins it makes that loud announcement and you miss the first few seconds of your call.Yes, you heard that right: If your laptop is on and the headphones are connected to it and your smartphone (which is supposed to be one of the best features), then every time you answer the phone the first few seconds of the call will be interrupted.So that’s why it loses one star. But truly, the music quality and noise-canceling are so great that I really like them anyway and am willing to work around this limitation. I sure wish Sony would release a firmware update though allowing us to disable that voice completely!
59 people found this helpful
Joanna Pixel –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great quality wireless headphones that don’t break your neck or the bank.
I absolutely love these! I commute on the train multiple days a week and really needed a good pair of wireless, noise cancelling headphones and looking at reviews these were it! I have always enjoyed the sound of the airpods max compared to other headsets I’ve tried but they’re way too big and heavy. These are perfect for people with smaller ears as the ear cups fit me perfectly without cutting into my neck like larger ones do. Super lightweight but the build quality is really solid and the plastic still feels expensive without adding too much weight. The carrying case really makes the product feel luxury and the app is incredible for customization especially on the type of noise cancellation and the pressure. Sound quality was even approved by my brother and dad who both know a lot more about sound and mixing than I do. Absolutely a great purchase!
aleeaaleea –
5.0 out of 5 stars
They’re excellent, simply put.
I got these on sale for $200. I was definitely hesitant to purchase at that price, but I am glad I did. The color is pretty, and neutral. It’s a taupe mushroom with a mauve undertone type of shade and I love it. The first thing I noticed right away was comfort. These go completely over my ears and are not super tight. For comparison my son has a pair of beats and they’re way too tight and way too small to be comfortable on me. These are much larger, looser and lighter, but in all the best ways. I think the sound quality is a great mixture of both clear and impactful. The battery life was excellent. I actually flew from PA to CA and back with these and I would buy them again in a heart beat. They had excellent noise cancelation. 2 of the 4 flights we took had screaming babies on them, and if you’re flying without headphones what are you even doing??? The touch controls are a little hard to get used to but you figure it out as you go. I do like that the sensor inside let’s the headphones know when they’ve been removed from your ear and pauses the music automatically. I will also say that I get why people wear headphones all the time. It really allowed me to sort of escape all the things around me that caused the anxiety I was feeling during travel. If you’re on the fence and you just wanted some normal random person to tell you they’re worth it without a bunch of terminology regarding electronics that you won’t understand -this is that review.
6 people found this helpful
tapu –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but be aware of quirks and limitations
UPDATE 11/11/20: With the release of firmware 2.0.7 these have become usable for conference calls on Windows 10. The issue with initial syllables getting cut-off appears to be fixed and overall I have reports when using Skype and Zoom from my co-workers is that I now sound as good as (or maybe even a bit better than) other co-workers using Bose NC 700 headphones. According to Sony’s release notes this firmware update is only supposed to address connection stability on Windows. I have increased my rating to 4 stars.UPDATE 10/30/20: No update from Sony on the microphone issue. My co-worker have asked that I use a different microphone as the microphone audio is quite poor. I’m outside the Amazon return window, but am currently working with Sony to hopefully get these at least exchanged if not returned.UPDATE: After a week, I am getting many complaints from people on the other end of my conference calls. Zoom / WebEx / etc. This is a serious issue that impacts me on a daily basis. I have put a case into Sony support and hoping they release a new firmware soon to fix the call quality.Below is my “evergreen” review which I will update whenever I have revised my opinion of these phones due to either new experiences or updated firmware, etc.Compared to my 2 year old Sony WH-H900N:Pros:+ More equalization options, including the ability to use the EQ with LDAC codec.+ Stronger ANC, particularly high-pitched whines and voices are significantly more attenuated by the XM4. Airplane or fan noise is not hugely different. Overall the ANC on the XM4 is superior.+ True multipoint connectivity allows you to connect the XM4 to two different devices simultaneously. Both AD2P and HSP profiles can be simultaneously connected to 2 different devices. The H900N can independently connect their AD2P and HSP profiles to two different devices which can allow music to be played on a PC while using a phone for voice calls, but it is tricky to connect/disconnect the correct profiles each time you power cycle the headphones. The XM4 are much improved on this front, although the priority switching is a bit dodgy in my opinion and takes a few seconds to detect and switch devices, so it’s easy to miss notifications or other brief sounds when multiply connected.+ The XM4 are better for making calls in noisy environments, although the overall quality is mediocre at best. Any halfway decent gaming headset or office headset will do a better job of capturing just your voice. I tested versus my Sennheiser G4ME One wired headset.+ (slightly) more compact travel case since the earcups both swivel and fold whereas the H900N only fold+ XM4 allows you to mix in a variable amount of ambient sound whereas the H900N has only 1 setting for ambient sound+ The WH-1000XM4 while improved, are still poor in windy situations, even when put into “wind” mode, which does help. I haven’t had a chance to compare the XM4 on a voice call in windy environments. The H900N are unusable in wind for phone calls, I have to switch to the handset.Cons:- The WH-1000XM4 have significantly less Bluetooth 4.0 range, I get crackling and break-up within 3 meters where the WH-H900N easily reach 10 meters. This is a big deal when working from home. With the H900N I could make a phone call from the kitchen with my computer in the office and be pretty confident that I could still speak and hear everything. With the XM4 I can’t leave my office without huge glitching. EDIT: I swapped out my BT4.0 adapter to a BT5.0 adapter on my desktop and with this, I can get ~20 meter range with my XM4, still not quite as good as the H900N gets with BT4, but acceptable for my uses.- Overall, WH-1000XM4 do not sound much better, in fact at default factory settings, the midrange is a bit muffled and bass response bloated versus older headphones, tweaking Clear Bass setting to -2 helps- The WH-1000XM4 ANC presents a low-level background hiss and a sucking sensation on the ears- The WH-1000XM4 do not support Qualcomm aptx codecs- The WH-1000XM4 have worse microphone quality when used in quiet environments.- Hold-hand-to-right-earcup-to-speak actually works better on the older headphones as Sony apparently wants you to use the deeply problematic speak-to-chat automatic feature insteadEqual:* Battery life is roughly the same, with ~24 hours for the older headphones versus ~30 hours for the newer* Bluetooth pairing is similarly slow on both headphones* Both support LDAC codec for high bitrate sound (although when in 2-device mode LDAC cannot be used)* Overall weight and comfort is similar, with the XM4 being a bit lighter* Ear heat is a problem with both headphones, slightly cooler on the XM4* Neither headphone can use the microphone when listening via wired connection, come on Sony!* Neither headphone can be used as a USB headset (even though the phones are recognized by Windows 10, they do not show up as an audio device)* Touch controls are essentially identical, in fact the H900N are actually a bit more responsive although perhaps I’ll get used to the XM4Personal Preference:* The style of the older headphones is a bit nicer in my opinion, and they are available in more colors* The newer XM4 use USB-C charging versus micro-usb for the older headphones. This should be a pro for the XM4 but the XM4 won’t charge on any of my USB-C PD chargers, so I have to either plug them into a port on my computer or find an old low-power phone charger to charge them. The H900N are less finicky about what charger they will accept.* The “silver” XM4 is really a grayish-beige which is pretty ugly, I wish I’d have bought boring basic black.Overall I am disappointed that these are not a bigger upgrade over my 3 year old headphones. I knew from various reviews that the H900N sounded better than the 1000XM, and 1000XM2, with reviews being a bit equivocal on the XM3. I was expecting the XM4 to blow the H900N away, but really they are barely better except for multipoint and ANC.
17 people found this helpful
L. Fields –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Sound!
I spent a lot of time researching these headphones and comparing them to others. The one thing holding me back was the price, but I bought them anyway.I am a music bass junky and these fit the bill perfectly. The sound is so clear and crisp and the noise cancellation is incredible. You don’t hear squat.The set up and connection was easy and connected to my Bluetooth right away. There’s an app you can use to customize sound settings and also a 3D Reality Audio feature of you feel like paying for it. The customization part of the app was a pain to figure out and it mostly had to do with the settings.The controls in the sides of the phones are easy to use. The only issue I have is pausing them. The touch doesn’t always work. When you take them off it pauses and will resume when you put them back on.It comes with a nice carrying case and a couple of cords for an audio jack and charging (C-charger).The only issue I’ve had is ear fatigue, but I also wear them for long periods of time, which is usually an hour plus. It’s nothing like ear fatigue you get with earbuds though.
John –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good sound, good NC…multipoint Bluetooth FAIL!
I’ve owned the Sony 1000XM3, H900N, and the Bose QC35 II. I couldn’t wait for the XM4 to come out because of the multipoint Bluetooth (I’ll get to that a little later). The sound is great once it’s been adjusted, and the noise cancelling in the XM4 is better than both the XM3 and the QC35 II. However, there are quite a few things that are very poorly implemented and basically unusable.Sound: A-First off the XM4, XM3, and H900N all have better and brighter sound than the QC35 II. Out of the box, the sound is a little dull and the mids / vocals are a little mushy. With the XM4, I needed to tweak it in the Headphones app using the EQ to get it to the place that I wanted it, but once it was there, it was great. A small but pleasing improvement in the XM4 is that the headphone voice announcements are at a much higher quality. The XM3 announcements are low fidelity and low bandwidth whereas the XM4 headphone voice is very crisp and hi-fi. Sony also replaced the high-pitched beep with a slightly longer but more pleasant sounding bell for feedback. However, I actually prefer the beep because it’s faster.Noise cancelling: A-When I first put on the XM4 and turned them on, I was surprised by the audible hiss from the noise cancelling. It wasn’t present with the XM3. I think this is because they have cranked up the noise cancelling in the XM4. I have air purifiers running in my house, and the XM4 does a better job of cancelling out the noise almost completely. The XM3 still has some leakage. The XM3 is just as good as the Bose in noise cancellation, and the XM4, though a little hissy and is a slightly bit better. The drawback to this is that it can feel like it’s creating a slight pressure in my head that increases over time.Multipoint Bluetooth: FThis was the feature I had been waiting for. The awesome noise cancellation and sound of the XM3, but with the ability to stream two devices at once. FAIL! I had been eagerly anticipating this and checking daily for the release of the XM4. I was so excited to get them…only to be sorely disappointed. Though the device will connect to two devices simultaneously, it actually DISCONNECTS when one of the two devices is activated. So it’s not true multipoint Bluetooth. Sony advertises that the multipoint Bluetooth is seamless. This is true if they mean you don’t have to press any buttons to disconnect from a device. However, the way it manages connections is very poor. I have to put the XM4 into pairing mode if I’ve connected to my phone in order for it to play audio from my computer. If I don’t do this, it doesn’t recognize that my computer is playing sound, and then doesn’t stream the sound. Even though it shows on my computer as connected, it doesn’t show up in my sound options as a device that I can use for audio. I have to turn them off, put them into pairing mode, and then reconnect in order to get the sound to play. If a call comes in on my phone, the headphones actually disconnect from the computer to switch to the call – and the headphone voice announces that they have disconnected, super annoying and not seamless. With the QC35 II, I could use both at the same time, with the phone being connected at the low-quality voice mode and my computer at the high quality music mode. They had 2 years to get the multipoint Bluetooth right and they totally failed. So it ends up that I have to turn the XM4 off and re-pair them just like I had to with the XM3. I’ve had to do this a number of times, and I haven’t quite figured out all the exact situations where I have to re-pair them. With the XM3, I knew if I wanted to switch devices, I would have to do it. But with the XM4, I haven’t put my finger on all of them just yet. At any rate, the switching of devices is very clunky and definitely not worth upgrading for. I have $40 headphones that implement multipoint Bluetooth better than the XM4. I’m stunned and disappointed that Sony hasn’t been able to get multipoint Bluetooth to work right.Comfort: ACompared to the XM3, the XM4 are slightly softer and a bit more comfortable right when I put them on. The XM3 are still pretty comfortable, but the earpads are definitely firmer and a little tighter.Controls: BI totally prefer the actual buttons on the QC35 II to the touch controls. Sometimes if I want to change the volume and I slide my finger at a slightly off-angle, it will skip tracks instead. It’s a small annoyance. On the plus side, the physical buttons do make a fairly audible click that travels through the headphone, whereas the touch controls are a little quieter.In-call: DOne thing the Bose QC35 II does is that when I’m on a call, it knows to automatically turn on ambient sound mode so I can hear myself talking. Neither the XM3 nor the XM4 figured out that this is a useful and great feature, so they don’t do it. If I want it, I have to press the button to switch to it, listen to the announcement, and then it comes on. Then when I’m done, I have to press the button and wait for it to go into NC off, ambient sound off, and then press the button again and wait for the announcement that the NC is once again activated. Super slow and awkward and unusable. So instead, I pull one of the earcups off my ear so I can hear myself speak. When I first was using the Sony’s for calls, I was finding that my voice was tired and my throat sore at the end of the day. Someone told me that I talked really loud when I was on the phone. I didn’t even know this because the headphones do a really great job of keeping outside sound out, so I was talking at a level so I could hear myself when I was wearing them. I asked Sony support about this, and the headphones just don’t do this. Fail.Auto-mute: FSony created a feature where the headphones will automatically mute the audio source if it detects that you’re talking. Nice in concept – terrible in practice. I just turned it off and left it off. If I’m listening to music and sneeze or make a noise, the headphones will interrupt what I’m listening to and mute it for the amount of time I’ve specified in the app – 15 seconds is the shortest amount of time. So I have to wait for it to unmute so that I can continue listening. What’s even more annoying is when I’m using the auxiliary cable in wired mode – again, this is because the multipoint Bluetooth implementation is such a pain and sucks, if I’m on a video conference and I have the headphones on to use the noise cancelling, if I talk, it mutes the audio stream for 15 seconds so I can’t hear what anyone in the conference is saying. So I then have to turn the headphones off in order to interact with the conference in any meaningful way.Miscellaneous:I don’t understand why Sony doesn’t just include a headphone cable with a microphone. With all the video-conferencing I do, and the terrible multipoint Bluetooth implementation, I end up using the auxiliary headphone cable a lot. It’s much faster and convenient for me to switch the plug from my computer to my phone rather than dealing with the horrible Bluetooth switching. The auxiliary cable Sony provides doesn’t have a microphone, so I have to hold my phone close to my mouth if I’m using the cable. I ended up buying an auxiliary cable with a microphone and some playback controls on it and it works great. Here’s another really poorly thought-out thing: upon pairing the new XM4 with the app, it gives me the opportunity to give feedback on the headphones. This is only upon the initial startup of the headphones. How on earth can I give meaningful feedback about the headphones on my first use? It took me to Sony’s site to do the survey, and I decided I would complete it later, only to discover that it had timed out, and now I’m not able to provide feedback through that mechanism.Conclusion:All the hype about multipoint Bluetooth is a big letdown with the real product. If that’s the reason you’re thinking about upgrading, don’t do it. The rest of it is pretty similar to the XM3. Some nice little features added, but nothing earth shattering. The new features on paper were everything that I wanted that was missing from the XM3. In practice, the XM4 implementation of these things just did not hit the mark. I soooo wanted to love these headphones, so that I could stop looking for headphones. As it stands, they totally weren’t worth the upgrade and I will most likely be sending these back. Sadly, they are not as advertised.
43 people found this helpful
Whirlaway –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mostly great
UPDATE #2: After returning the first set of these headphones, I ordered another set on Prime Day and have now had a little more than a month to try them out. Based on this experience so far, I’m raising the rating from 2 to 4 stars. Trying not to jinx things, but the new unit does not have the right earcup static issue that plagued the first set (and that a not insignificant number of users have complained about). I’m not sure whether one of the firmware updates addressed the issue or whether the first set had a hardware issue of some sort, but the new set has not had the issue.I now believe the “bluetooth stopping for no reason” issue noted in my prior update is not a defect, but the speak to chat feature, which stops the playback whenever it detects a human voice. I understand the point of this feature, but Sony should calibrate it better. As it is, even when set on low sensitivity and not to focus on voice, it still stops playback at even low human voice volumes. As a practical matter, this means you can’t sing or hum along to songs without having the playback constantly cut off. I’ve wound up disabling this feature.Other than that, the new headphones have been great — super noise cancelling and music quality, decent phone call quality (maybe not best in class but more than serviceable), and day-in, day-out comfortable. The only reason I didn’t rate them at 5 stars is that this set, like the previous one, has a very high default volume, such that sometimes when you turn the headphones on, the music will start blasting out at an uncomfortably high volume. (I think that if you use another set of headphones, as I sometimes do, the XM4 will forget its last volume setting.)UPDATED: I decided to mark these down from 3 to 2 stars because, in the last few days, the bluetooth has started to act buggy. Audio files simply stop playing for no apparent reason (in some cases, my music has stopped apparently because someone else with a bluetooth device gets within about 30 feet of me, but in other cases the music stops for no apparent reason at all). At other times, there are skips or pops. While the noise cancellation is fantastic, and I’m still thinking keeping them for this reason alone, I’m now more likely to return them — $350 is just too much money for these kinds of problems.These are great headphones — outstanding in many respects — but they have some issues that, given the $350 price, do not merit a 5-star review. I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, but decided on the lower rating given the very high price for this product.PROS:1) ANC — by far, these have the most effective noise cancellation of any ANC (or other) headphones I have used, including Bose. They drown out almost all ambient noise — including close lawn mowers, leaf blowers, revving car engines, etc. — even when you’re not playing music or listening to another kind of audio file. When playing music or an audio file, you are very much in your own world. I did have an issue at the beginning where I could hear a static-like sound when ANC was on but no audio was playing. A software or firmware update pretty much, but not entirely, eliminated the issue; it’s still noticeable from time to time, but at a very low volume, lower than the older set of wired Bose ANC headphones I still have. It’s no longer an issue for me; I think that this kind of noise is a “feature” of ANC headphones.2) Comfort — by far, these are the most comfortable set of headphones I have used. The ear pieces in particular are outstanding. I bought another brand of (much less expensive) headphones right before I got these and wrote a review in which I said those were very comfortable. However, I wound up returning those because, after about a week, they became quite uncomfortable. These Sony headphones, however, have withstood the test of time, seeming to become more comfortable as time goes on. I can comfortably wear these for hours.3) Music quality — excellent, what you would expect of Sony.4) Gesture controls — the gesture controls for turning music on / off, picking up a phone call, volume and next / previous song work quite well. I had a set of Sony 900 headphones prior to these, and the gesture controls work a little better on these.CONS:1) Default volume — for some reason, these headphones, like my prior Sony 900 headphones, seem to have a high default volume and there is no way in the Sony Headphones or Sony Music Center to change them (and there is also no native iPhone setting that works, either). The result is that, all too often, music comes blasting out at an uncomfortable, probably unhealthy volume when you put the headphones on and start playing music. Beside the Sony 900, none of the other (many) headphones I have used have had this issue. I have now become accustomed to checking the iPhone’s bluetooth volume when I put the headphones on, but all too frequently when the iPhone shows a low bluetooth volume, the volume resets itself to a much higher (almost max) volume when I actually start playing an audio file. I believe the problem must be related to the fact that all the settings for these headphones are run through the Headphones app and there is no control for default volume in that app; apparently, Sony sets a near-max default volume and doesn’t allow users to change it. It’s really quite annoying, and I may wind up returning these headphones for this reason. For $350, Sony could do a lot better on this metric.2) Phone call quality — meh. Some calls are good, others not so much. Nobody on the other end has complained about call quality. However, on my end, the other person often sounds distant, low volume, in a tunnel, etc. Every other set of wireless headphones I have used with phone call capability has been at least as good as these headphones, and some have been better. I read that the MX4 is supposed to have corrected the problems of the MX3 regarding phone call quality issues but, if that’s the case, I can only imagine how bad the MX3s were.3) Making you register with Sony in order to get updates — as noted above, I needed to do a software or firmware update to get rid of the static noise when ANC is turned on. However, to get software updates, Sony requires you to register with it (provide email, etc.). It is obnoxious of Sony to require users to provide this kind of personal information that it will then market and sell, and presumably also spam you with promotions, as a precondition to getting updates to fix the bugs in its (expensive) products — particularly where Sony has a history of data breach.Bottom line, these are mostly excellent headphones, and they are exceptional with regard to the primary purposes of noise cancelling headphones. However, they do have some problems that a $350 set of headphones should not have. I’m likely to keep them, but if the default volume issue noted above does not improve, I may well return them.
38 people found this helpful
Andrew Cousineau –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not everything I ever dreamed of…
I spent more on these headphones than I ever have on a pair of headphones before, so I was hoping that on top of the normal duties of a pair of headphones, that they would also wash my dishes and walk my dog for me ect. To be fair, they are probably the best headphones I’ve ever owned (which they should be as they’re like double the price of the last ‘expensive’ pair I bought), but they didn’t really wow me either.The noise cancelling and sound quality is generally fine. I’m a bassist, so if the bass is emphasized, I’m happy. I don’t really notice the bass to be particularly heavy. I can usually distinctly hear bass lines if I make a conscious effot, but they don’t tend to overpower (which I prefer, but I know a lot of people don’t). I haven’t messed around with the equalizer much so I can’t speak to that. My issue with the sound quality is in the ambient sound mode. The ambient sound mode makes the ambient sounds sound horrible. This is largely my first experience with noise cancelling, so I don’t have anything to compare it to, maybe we just don’t have the tech yet to amplify sounds and not make them sound tinney and horrible. But yeah, it legit sounds like I’m listening to the world through a tin can. As a result I rarely use the ambient sound mode (this mode has noise cancelling but allows for some noises to come through) and rather just use the noise cancelling mode when I want to be aware of my surroundings.These headphones have several annoying features that if I knew I’d dislike so much I would’ve gone for another pair of headphones. First, the touch controls. Apparently there are some people out there who like the touch controls, but are they really necessary when buttons exist? Touch controls only make sense when there is a screen you can look at or at least some sort of tactile cue that reassures you that you’re doing the thing you want to be doing. The two most important functions (on/off, and sound cancelling level) are controlled by real buttons, but pause, skip, and volume are all controlled by touch controls on the outside surface of the right headphone. Unless you are sitting perfectly still these are pretty much impossible to use and can result in unwanted pauses and skips. The #1 time I wear these is when I walk/run my dog. I cannot use the touch controls when I’m running and can occasionally use them while I’m walking, but they tend to be very imprecise. So to turn up the volume I have to do the motion like 3 times until I accidentally skip the song instead. This isn’t a rare problem where most of the time I can use them fine. This happens the vast majority of times I try to use the touch controls when I’m moving – I’m actually pleasantly surprised if I can do the correct gesture while walking. Some people may argue that I have failed to learn how to use the touch controls (I’ve had these headphones for 6+ months), but there really shouldn’t be a learning curve for being able to pause music – this is a design failure.I also wear these to the gym quite often. The other problem that I have with the touch controls is that I cannot do any sort of exercise with my arms overhead (pull ups, overhead press, ect.) with these on because my shoulder will touch the outside surface and pause or skip. I usually end up taking them off for my set.So, if you’re the least bit hesitant about the touch controls, I’d say check out your other options because if I knew they’d be this frustrating I would’ve bought different headphones.The second overall problem I have with these headphones is how much talking they do. So you’d think, turn them on and play music, right? No, its turn them on, it says “Power on”. Then it tells you “Bluetooth connected” – cool, good to know I can now turn on my music and listen… Unless I have a second device nearby and it says “Bluetooth second device connected”. Then (because I’m walking my dog away from my second device) it plays a sound to tell me that device has been disconnected. Then I change the noise cancelling level… “Ambient sound” which sounds bad so I press the button again… “Ambient Sound control off”. The robot talks so damn slow, it’s literally like a minute of messing around before I can just listen to my music. Y’all really couldn’t abbreviate any of this or make it talk faster? And if I want to change the noise cancelling level while listening to music or a podcast I best pause the song otherwise I’ll miss half of it listening to the robot tell me what I know I’m doing and can hear the difference between. This is all a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s enough to frustrate me. For a $300 pair of headphones I think I have the right to be impatient.Another minor thing that might not actually be the fault of the headphones is they have trouble with certain apps. Sometimes I’ll press play on my phone but it won’t play through the headphones for like 10 seconds or sometimes more (which is enough time to make me think something is wrong). Again, the headphones could be innocent here – they tend to work fine with the Apple Music app, but not the Apple Podcast app. I’m leaning towards blaming the app.Also the headphones generally comfy to wear. I have a small head, and they can fall off if I’m laying down but its not a huge issue.Overall, these are good headphones, but they have some design choices that make the headphones annoying to use which is frustrating for the price. If these break I won’t buy another pair and would likely look for ones that don’t have touch control, but I didn’t think these issues were enough of a problem to get a refund or anything.
17 people found this helpful