Sony WH-1000XM4 has been officially launched after months of speculation and leaks around the specifications of the noise-canceling headphones of the fourth generation.
The successor to Sony WH-1000XM3 – as we as of now believe are the best headphones in 2020 – has even better noise reduction, smart sensors and support for Bluetooth 5.
According to Sony, the new headphones offer “all the much-loved technology” from the WH-1000XM3, but have “in addition intelligent functionality that allows you to control and personalize the music, improve noise reduction and adjust background sounds automatically.”
These improvements have not led to a price jump in most regions compared to their predecessors. Sony WH-1000XM4 is available in black and silver, and has a suggested retail price of 4000 kroner (the same as WH-1000XM3 cost at launch in its time.)
We have tested the new headphones, and can reveal right away: we are in love.
Better noise reduction
The new Sony WH-1000XM4 is quite similar to its predecessor in terms of appearance, but on the inside, a lot has happened.
Sony says the WH-1000XM4 delivers the company’s “best-ever noise reduction ever, reducing noise in both high and mid-range”.
Each side of the headphones has two built-in microphones that capture sounds in the surrounding environment and provide noise reduction processing “in real time.”
As with the WH-1000XM4, it senses a functionality called adaptive sound control where you are, and adjusts the noise reduction accordingly. Sony explains that “over time, adaptive sound control will learn to recognize frequently visited areas, such as work, the gym or your favorite cafe, and will tailor the sound to suit your situation.”
If you need to talk, a new so-called Speak-to-Chat functionality will be used, which means that you can simply start the conversation, and the headphones will automatically stop the music and let background sounds flow through the earphones – very nice if you have it hurry.
Your voice will be picked up pretty accurately, whether it be when you activate Speak-to-Chat, or if you pick up a phone. Sony says that their new Precise Voice technology uses “audio signal processing” to capture voices clearly and precisely.
You can also place your right hand over the side of the headphones if you for a moment want to hear the sound outside, which can be useful if, for example, you are on the train and something is announced over the PA system.
Another new and neat functionality in the Sony WH-1000XM4 is that the headphones understand when they are in use. This means that the earbuds automatically stop the music you play when they are taken off, thanks to a built-in proximity sensor and two accelerometers.
Sony says that this functionality helps with battery life – but with 30 hours of playing time with noise reduction turned on, the XM4 watches should be able to last the week for most people.
Upscaling the sound
We think the Sony WH-1000XM3 has been among the very best headphones for two years in a row now, and it seems that the WH-1000XM4 may sound even better.
Partly because Sony’s Edge AI technology is designed to “rebuild sound lost during digital compression, for a faithful experience.”
According to Sony, this works by analyzing the music in real time and the headphones recognize “instruments, music genres and individual elements in each song to restore the sound levels.”
This can act as a counterweight to some of the sound quality that is lost when using a wireless connection instead of cable.
In the same way as with the XM3 models, the XM4 has so-called 360 Reality Audio, Sony’s proprietary sound format, which is described as an “immersive sound experience”, and will help make the music sound as if it is coming from all sides.
There is also more functionality on the stairs. Sony says that it will have the opportunity to pair the headphones with several devices via a firmware update in the future.
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