Good deal – Sony WF-1000XM4 “5-star” true wireless headphones at €179.99

Let it be said: in the juicy market for high-end wireless headphones, Sony will not be overwhelmed. Faced with Apple, Sennheiser and other Devialets reassembled as ever, the WF-1000XM4 show a Japanese manufacturer still very lively.

It’s a near-faultless achievement that the new headphones achieve true-wireless premium from Sony. Good in everything, exceptional on the critical points of autonomy, sound reproduction quality and active noise reduction, the WF-1000XM4 set a new standard to beat in their category. Provided you are not resistant to truly in-ear headphones, they represent a completely obvious choice.

Strong points

• Exceptionally dynamic and precise sound.
• Spacious and natural soundstage.
• Extremely effective active noise reduction.
• Excellent comfort, very pleasant foam in the tips.
• Gargantuan autonomy for true wireless (9 hours with noise reduction, 12 hours without).
• Good hands-free kit.
• Compact storage case.
• Splash protection (IPX4).
• Wide range of advanced features (including fast pairing on Android and Windows 10).

Weak points

• The extreme bass lacks a bit of depth.
• Volume control from headphones possible, but impractical.

Alternatively

Let’s be honest, we weren’t expecting Apple’s new headphones at this level. The AirPods Pro retain the legendary convenience of use of AirPods “just plain” (provided of course that we are already immersed in the Apple ecosystem), and add to that a very impressive noise reduction – without forgetting either make a considerable leap in the quality of sound reproduction. At the time of this test, they are simply among the very best headphones true-wireless available on the market, alongside the Sony WF-1000XM3.