Sony WF-1000XM4 True Wireless Earphone Review

Sony is one of the world’s leading brands when it comes to personal audio, and regularly produces high quality wireless headphones, earphones and true wireless earphones. The company has also developed the LDAC Bluetooth codec, which allows higher rates of data transfer over Bluetooth for better audio quality with high-resolution audio streams and files. Sony’s latest product combines all its expertise in this area; The WF-1000XM4 True Wireless Earphones promise flagship-grade sound quality, among other key features.

19,990, the successor to the Sony WF-1000XM4 WF-1000XM3, and promises an even more capable and feature-filled listening experience. In addition to active noise cancellation, mobile app support, and wireless charging, the WF-1000XM4 supports the LDAC Bluetooth codec which promises superior sound quality with compatible source devices. Is this the best pair of true wireless earphones you can buy right now? Find out in this review.

Sony WF-1000XM4 supports SBC and AAC codecs in addition to LDAC

All the Specs and Features You’d Expect on the Sony WF-1000XM4

Some of the leading true wireless earphones such as Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 And the Sony WF-1000XM3 are significantly larger than the most affordable and mid-range options, and the Sony WF-1000XM4 is an equally big pair. One reason for this is the Sony V1 integrated processor, which powers active noise cancellation and LDAC Bluetooth codec support.

Although slightly smaller than the XM3, the XM4 earpieces are noticeably larger. They stay in place in your ears with the help of silicone ear tips alone. The earpieces stuck somewhat precariously to my ears, and tended to move around a bit with everyday use, especially when I was on the go. However, the noise isolation remained good enough to ensure effective active noise cancellation, and I had no issues with comfort or the ability to use these earphones for long periods of time.

The Sony WF-1000XM4’s earpieces are made of plastic, but they have a nice finish and a small metal accent on each that houses one of the external microphones. A second external microphone is on the top of each earpiece, and a third microphone is placed inside to assist with ANC. The round part on the outside of the earpiece is touch-sensitive thanks to customizable controls, and the insides have proximity sensors that detect when they’re worn or turned off to automatically play and pause music. Or they can be turned off when not in use. ,

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earpiece is rated IPX4 for water resistance. My review unit came in an ‘eco-friendly’ recyclable package. I found three pairs of foam ear tips in the package, but Sony has confirmed that units sold in India will have three pairs of silicone ear tips instead of the box, which is a bit disappointing as foam tips usually offer better noise isolating. Huh. , I was separately provided with a pair of silicone ear tips by Sony for this review, which will be meant to match the buyers’ experience.

Touch controls on the Sony WF-1000XM4 are customizable via the Sony Headphone Connect app, though it’s limited to a function set rather than allowing users to select individual gestures and actions. The sets are assigned to each earpiece individually, and can be changed based on your preferences. There’s a set for ambient sound controls that cycle between listening mode with active noise cancellation and single-tap and quick focus mode with continuous press. A second set enables playback and voice assistant controls, and finally, a third set gives you volume control.

I had the ambient sound control activated on the left earpiece and the playback control on the right, but the need to choose between two sets of three was a bit frustrating. I would also have been able to control the volume directly from the headset.

The charging case of the Sony WF-1000XM4 matches the color and texture of the earpiece. It is not too big which makes it pocketable and easy to carry around. There’s a USB Type-C port on the back for charging, and a status indicator light just below the lid. The charging case also supports Qi wireless charging.

The earpieces on the Sony WF-1000XM4 feature 6mm dynamic drivers that support a frequency response range of 20-40,000Hz with the LDAC codec (20-20,000Hz frequency range among other codecs) and streaming bitrates of up to 990kbps. For connectivity, the earphones use Bluetooth 5.2 with support for SBC, AAC and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. There’s also support for Google Fast Pair, enabling quick pairing with Android smartphones by linking the headset to a Google account.

Sony’s Headphone Connect acts as a companion app for the WF-1000XM4 earphones, allowing you to customize controls, change equalizer settings, and check the battery level of the earpiece and charging case. You can also change other things like 360 ​​Reality audio settings, speak-to-chat, DSEE audio mode, voice assistant preferences, auto power-off and more.

You can set the earphones to prioritize sound quality over connection stability or vice versa, depending on your usage preferences. Overall, it’s an excellent app that allows a lot of control over the earphones and its features, apart from pushing firmware updates to the headset as and when they become available.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 has touch controls, which can be customized via the Sony Headphones Connect app

The battery life of the Sony WF-1000XM4 isn’t exceptional, but it’s pretty decent considering its features and specifications. I was able to use the earpiece for about six hours on a single charge with mixed use (Sony claims eight hours), which included listening to music and audiobooks as well as taking calls, usually with active noise with cancellation. The charging case added two full charges to the earpiece, for a total battery life of about 18 hours per charge cycle. It’s possible to fully charge the case with a 10W charger in about 90 minutes, and wireless charging naturally takes longer.

Good sound quality and ANC on the Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony over-ear headphones like WH-1000XM4 It’s been class-leading for a while, but the company’s true wireless range hasn’t been as impressive as competitors from Apple and Samsung in the premium segment. The WF-1000XM4 represents a major change in that trend, and puts Sony firmly in the competition among the best in the true wireless audio segment.

The main point that makes the Sony WF-1000XM4 special is its support for the LDAC Bluetooth codec, which is a rare specification for true wireless earphones. In addition, Sony has overcome many of the problems of older products with connection stability, making the use of LDAC as intuitive and natural as the more stable AAC codec, even over long distances. This meant that there was a small but noticeable improvement in sound quality when using the earphones with an Android smartphone compared to the iPhone.

Listening to Hold On (Sub Focus Remix) by Rusko on Apple Music with the LDAC codec at 990kbps, I was immediately impressed with the sound quality on offer. The earphones’ sonic signature is designed around the typical listening profile of the everyday consumer, so it’s well-crafted for this aggressive dubstep track. This made for a distinct bias towards lower frequencies, which translated into a tight and aggressive bass response that brought out the best in the track.

Lots of detail could also be heard, taking advantage of the high-resolution audio stream from Apple Music. With Butterflies by Skrillex, vocals sounded clean and striking, playing well with the deep attack of the lows. Faded instrumental elements and subtle background vocals sounded distinctive and catchy, especially at medium to high volumes.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 was able to keep pace with the fastest and most diverse tracks of all genres, adapting to different genres almost effortlessly. The excellent sample-based Frankie Sinatra WF-1000XM4 by Avalanche sounded much better than any other true wireless headset I’ve used recently. This pair of earphones didn’t completely impress with the busy, rapidly changing styles of the track. Everything was held together harmoniously, with a detailed and energetic sound signature defining the pleasant listening experience I had.

Each earpiece on the Sony WF-1000XM4 has three microphones for ANC and voice pick-up

Active noise cancellation on the Sony WF-1000XM4 was pretty good as expected, helped by an effective noise-isolating seal from the ear tips. Turning on the ANC made an immediate difference in noise levels, which I was able to hear both indoors and out. These earphones were particularly good at damping down wind noise and thunder outside in urban areas.

The noise-canceling effectiveness also meant that I was able to keep the audio volume at a safe level, even in noisy environments. That said, I’ve experienced slightly better active noise cancellation with competing products like the Apple AirPods Pro.

The hear-through mode sounded natural enough, but it’s not quite as clean apple airpods pro, Speak-to-chat worked well, but it is also very sensitive to soft speech, which can be annoying if there is a tendency to sing along to music, and this sensitivity cannot be adjusted in any way. Is. The voice assistant functionality worked well with both Google Assistant and Siri, and Quick Attention mode is an intuitive way to quickly listen to your surroundings, even when ANC is on and audio is playing.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 did well with phone calls and audiobooks—both focused on voice and speech—and I had no trouble grasping or understanding, even in some noisy environments. As mentioned earlier, connectivity was stable even when operating the LDAC codec, at a distance of around 3-4 metres.

Decision

The Sony WF-1000XM4 is a flagship true wireless headset in every sense, and has one key factor that sets it apart from other products in this segment – LDAC Bluetooth codec support. This makes it particularly well suited to be used with Android smartphones, and the sound quality on offer is really the best you can get with this form factor. Good active noise cancellation, a functional app, and useful features like speak-to-chat, quick attention mode, and voice assistant support help make it a capable true wireless headset.

However, if you’re using an iPhone, you’ll be better served airpods pro Save the slight difference in sound signature, for a number of reasons, including better connectivity and active noise cancellation, and sound that’s practically as good with the AAC codec.