Great design, long battery life
The WH-1000XM4 looks like its predecessor, but is technically a bit further.
Sony automatically pauses
Control is essentially by tapping and swiping with your fingers, the earcups are designed as touchpads. On the right side, vertical swiping changes the volume, horizontal swiping takes you to the next or previous music track. The music stops with a tap of the finger, and this is also used to answer calls. Hold your hand on the right ear cup and the Sony headphones turn down the music volume and direct calls through to you. What’s new is that the WH-1000XM4 can now automatically pause the music and forward calls as soon as you say something – for example to order a coffee. Sony calls this “speak-to-chat”. Everyone has to decide for themselves to what extent it is appropriately polite to keep the headphones on during conversations.
The noise canceling of the Sony WH-1000XM4 can be adjusted and automated in the Sony Headphone app. The headphones then automatically set the desired mode, for example at work or on the train.
This is how noise canceling works
In addition, the Sony specifically mixes in the voice frequencies of the outside noise, so that announcements on the platform, for example, remain understandable. Other ANC headphones can do this too, but the Sony can also automate this in the app: the app recognizes whether you are sitting or walking, whether you are on a plane or in a café. Accordingly, it switches to appropriate modes with the noise canceling and transparency settings you have stored. With a slight delay, it worked pretty well in the test. For noise cancellation, Sony uses a new chip in the WH-1000XM4 (Noise Canceling Processor QN1), which dampens ambient noise even more sensitively with 700 control steps per second. This was also shown in the test, with the XM4 model higher frequencies and speech penetrate even less than with the predecessors.
The Sony app uses photos to adapt the sound to the user and their ear. However, you still have to book the appointment with the hairdresser yourself.
New features in the Headphones app
A new feature in the app is the ability to assign specific settings to different locations. When the user reaches their workplace, the headphones automatically switch to the appropriate mode. Or on your favorite bench in the park or in the train lounge – a practical extra. What is new is the optimization for “360 Reality Audio”, a surround sound process specially designed for headphones. The app uses photos to capture the anatomy of the user’s ears. They play a crucial role in spatial sound perception. One and the same voice sounds different depending on the position – different from the front than from behind, because the ear cups influence the sound. In the case of headphone playback, this possibility of differentiation does not apply, as the sound travels almost unaffected from the auricles directly into the auditory canals. In order to give the headphone sound a more realistic spatial impression, the app adjusts the sound accordingly – sound events that you should locate behind you, as opposed to noise sources far to the side or directly in front of you. The crucial catch: The feature requires appropriate recordings, which not every streaming platform offers. If it does, the result sounds fascinatingly clear, authentic and much less like headphones than usual.
Sony WH-1000XM4 great sound
Little has changed in the basic sound tuning of the Sony WH-1000XM4. It sounds warmer and more powerful than the original version, but not overly bass-heavy, but always precise. In addition, there are neutral mids with unadulterated voices and a great fine resolution without cymbals and hissing. Users can sensitively change the sound to taste in the app. Class!
Sony WH-1000XM4 review: conclusion
Even the predecessors of the Sony WH-1000XM4 convinced frequent travelers with great sound and effective noise cancellation. The current model builds on this seamlessly. Little has changed in terms of structure and sound quality, both of which were already great. The additional possibilities in combination with the app are practical, “360 Reality Audio” is fascinating – but does not work with all streaming services. The long battery life is extremely good. test grade: 1.8. In the meantime, the price has even changed: instead of around 380 euros at the beginning, the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones only cost just under 270 euros (as of February 2022).