WF-1000XM4 in the test: in-ear high-flyers from Sony
The best in-ear headphones
KEF
Details about the test
Per
Very clear and precise sound
High resolution
against
Complicated relationship
Chunky transport box
Sony
Details about the test
Per
good sound
Great noise cancellation
against
Only three sizes of eartips
Samsung
Details about the test
Per
First class sound
Active noise cancellation
against
Somewhat fiddly operation
Restrictions for iOS users
Samsung
Details about the test
Per
Outstanding sound quality
Useful automatic functions
JBL audio
Details about the test
Per
Clear and precise sound
Battery life of almost 8 hours
against
Touch operation reacts very sensitively
jabra
Details about the test
Per
good sound
Long battery life (7.5 hours)
against
Only three pairs of essays
Angry
Details about the test
Per
good sound
Very effective noise canceling
against
Press continuously
Few replacement ear pads
beyerdynamic
Details about the test
Per
Top processed
Great, detailed sound
against
Slightly short battery life (6 hours 19 minutes)
LG Electronics
Details about the test
Per
Balanced sound
Good battery life (6 hours 50 minutes)
Complete list: The best in-ear headphones
Compared to their predecessors, the WF-1000XM4 are smaller and chubby. Sony has also tightened the wearing comfort: the plugs sit very comfortably in the ear thanks to foam attachments. This also applies to a lot of movement, for example when users jog to a driving beat. In addition, the WF-1000XM4 are protected against drops of water and sweat (protection level IPX4). There is a touch field on each side, which can be used to pause the music or adjust the volume. You can use the free “Sony Headphones Connect” smartphone app (for Android and iOS) to determine which functions can be controlled via the small areas. The controls on the earphones work well, the control panels implement the commands quickly. If desired, the in-ears can pause playback when they are removed. They can be set to interrupt the current track and amplify outside noise as soon as the user is talking. Sony fans are familiar with this so-called speak-to-chat function from the WH-1000XM4 headband headphones. With the small earplugs, however, this extra is less rude than with the big brothers. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to keep the true wireless headphones in their ears during a conversation.
The touch surfaces on the outside are of a comfortable size.
Smart noise cancellation
Even smarter than the voice functions is the noise canceling of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Inside the plugs are microphones that capture the ambient noise – the headphones reproduce exactly opposite sound waves. The wave overlay on the ears provides calm. Due to the new noise-cancelling processor, the Sony in-ears work more effectively than their predecessors – and also than the competition from Apple and Bose. The noise of trains, colleagues chatting or children playing effectively make the true wireless headphones quieter. The real magic happens in connection with the app: noise-canceling profiles can be created via it, which are based on movements or GPS locations (if activated). For example, the noise suppression switches off automatically as soon as the music fan goes jogging with the headphones. In the test, motion detection worked very reliably with a delay of a few seconds.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 detects whether you are sitting, walking, jogging or riding the train and adjusts the noise canceling accordingly.
This is what the Sony WF-1000XM4 sound like
Good: The noise canceling has no effect on the sound quality and is free from side effects such as self-noise. The Sony WF-1000XM4 always delivered a very clean and balanced sound in the test. Especially the quite powerful basses please. Artists sing, scream or speak unadulterated through the small 6 millimeter drivers of the in-ears. They also line up ahead of the Apple AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds in terms of sound. If desired, the sound can be adjusted to suit your preferences. This is easily done with the help of sliders in the Sony app.
Activate 360 Reality Audio via the Sony app. There are four streaming services to choose from, scan your ear to set it up.
The new Sony in-ears offer surround sound playback under the 360 Reality Audio banner. With the help of this extra, it should feel as if you are sitting in the recording studio during the recording. In order for this to work, the music lover takes photos of his listeners with the help of his smartphone and the Sony app, because their anatomy plays an important role in spatial sound perception. More specifically, the ear cups affect how an instrument or vocal sounds depending on its position. However, if you listen to music through headphones, this influence does not apply. The sound reaches the ear canals almost unaffected by the outer ears. This makes it almost impossible to tell whether a sound is coming from the front or the back. With the help of the photos, the app reconstructs the sound influence on the ears and thus creates a spatial impression that comes closer to reality. This requires special recordings that are not available on every music streaming service. You can choose from the Hi-Res service Tidal and 360 by Deezer.
The charging case is appealing with its handy size.
Sony has also improved the battery. The WF-1000XM4 played a whopping ten hours and 36 minutes with a load of music and even with the noise cancellation activated. With that, it even overtakes the good KEF Mu3 (nine hours and 18 minutes). Charging is also quick, so after just ten minutes in the charging socket, juice can be recharged for two hours and 43 minutes. The small box can be charged with the supplied USB-C cable as well as wirelessly with a wireless charger – great. An LED on the front shows the charging status. The charging box now fits easily in your pocket, it is around 40 percent smaller than the WF-1000XM3. Thus, Sony has also cleaned up the second point of criticism.
good sound
Great noise cancellation
Only three sizes of eartips
Sony WF-1000XM4 review: conclusion
The WF-1000XM4 have a handy charging box and sit comfortably in the ears thanks to their more compact shape and foam attachments. The clever noise canceling is not new, but works very effectively and adapts to every situation. Music fans can enjoy their favorite titles undisturbed, which the Sony headphones reproduce precisely and powerfully. The pure and balanced sound makes even the biggest competitors, Apple and Bose, look old. As the icing on the cake, there is the spatial sound 360 Audio Reality. But it comes with an aftertaste: the selection of customized titles is rather small. The price is around 230 euros (as of February 2022). Test grade: 1.5
