Four years later, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are still my favorite headphones

Like the segway, the Sony WH-1000XM4 active noise canceling (ANC) headphones were ahead of their time. The difference — one of them became the preeminent standard among consumers, and the other is the segway.

Despite being four years old, the Sony WH-1000XM4 keep pace with the best of them. Sony’s former flagship headphones are comfortable and customizable. Due to the affordable price of the XM4, these years-old headphones hold the edge over the newer competition. Holiday shoppers should stop to consider the WH-1000XM4 at their current bargain price ($278 at Amazon).

What makes the Sony WH-1000XM4 so great?

The Sony WH-1000X4 bear all the hallmarks of more modern ANC headphones. Like the newer WH-1000XM5, the XM4 headphones have Ambient sound controls, 360 Reality Audio, ANC optimization, speak-to-chat, and custom EQ settings in the app. Both flagships let you prioritize sound quality or connection stability when streaming. Both also share a proximity sensor for auto-play/pause.

The older WH-1000XM4 also have ANC that’s almost on par with the WH-1000XM5. In fact, the WH-1000XM4 performs almost as well as the AirPods Max, but Apple takes the cake. What this means in practice: the Sony WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM4 will cancel out low-frequency sounds with similar effectiveness. The WH-1000XM5 pull ahead from the older cans when blocking out high frequencies, due to the denser ear pads. Apple’s headphones do a bit more to block out low-frequency sounds, so your plane’s engine won’t sound quite as loud. All this to say, any of these headphones are a great pick for frequent travelers.

Comfort is subjective, but as someone who wears glasses, I prefer the Sony WH-1000XM4. Sony stayed true to the success of the XM3 cans and retained an identical design between the third- and fourth-generation headphones. Unlike the WH-1000XM5, the WH-1000XM4 fold up for travel. Some other flagship headphones only fold flat, which doesn’t allow them to get all too compact.

Out of the box, the WH-1000XM4 sound quality is a bit suspect. By default, the headphones amplify high-frequency sounds above 3kHz more than most alternatives. I don’t see this as a dealbreaker because the Headphones Connect app makes it easy to EQ this away for a more pleasant effect.

You can stream music over a variety of Bluetooth codecs (SBC, AAC, and LDAC). Unlike some headphone manufacturers, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 also have a headphone jack for wired listening. While the WH-1000XM4 didn’t come with multipoint connectivity to boot, Sony released a firmware update that enabled it. Therefore, the XM4 and XM5 headphones both have this productivity-focused feature.

What’s missing from the WH-1000XM4?

Although I love my WH-1000XM4, some pitfalls make the headphones less future-proof than others. For one, the WH-1000XM4 use Bluetooth 5.0, while other headphones use Bluetooth 5.2 or later. This newer Bluetooth version supports LE Audio and the LC3 codec. LC3 is exciting because it’s a less demanding data transfer process that allows for higher-quality audio than SBC. LE Audio also means you can take advantage of Auracast. This allows you to receive certain audio streams right to your headphones. If you’re in a stadium and want to hear the announcer straight through your headphones, you’ll find this extremely useful.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 also have sub-par battery life. These days, it’s normal for top headphones to last between 30-60 hours with noise canceling enabled. In our testing, however, the WH-1000XM4 fall shy of 20 hours. This endurance was fine in 2020, but doesn’t pass muster today.

The headphone market has a stagnation problem

While it’s fun to sing the praises of my beloved Sony WH-1000XM4, this speaks to my concern about the over-ear headphone market at large. We haven’t seen as much innovation or risk-taking with headphones as we have with earbuds in the past few years. Headphones released years ago, like the star of this article, still top the charts among consumers. Meanwhile, earbuds from years ago are rarely recommended, or even available to buy for that matter.

Wireless earbuds have pushed the envelope further than their bulkier headphone counterparts. Take the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2: these headphones have Gemini Live integration. This feature enables natural conversations with Google’s AI in real time. Most impressive is that you can interrupt it mid-response and it will change course.

Of course, Google isn’t the only one to attempt this with its earbuds; it’s just received the most fanfare. The Nothing Ear feature ChatGPT integration, but the execution falls flat. Nothing’s earbuds lack the real-time response that Gemini Live champions. Nothing’s ChatGPT integration is hamstrung by its limited access to users’ devices. I’m fine with access limitations, but this comes at the expense of performance.

While the world is still going nuts for AI, there are other impressive advancements we’ve seen from earbuds that are absent from headphones. Find My features have improved leaps and bounds with wireless earbuds, leaving headphones in the dust. Many earbuds will emit a sound from them when searching, while many headphones (save for Sony and Apple’s) won’t. As someone who misplaces things within their cluttered studio, this external beeping is massively important to me.

We’ve also seen more impressive microphone advancements in wireless earbuds over the years. It seems that each generation leapfrogs the last. Wireless earbuds filter out background noise with ease. The improvements are particularly impressive with more budget-friendly options like the Nothing Ear. Your conversation buddy will hardly notice any background noise as you speak.

We also see more impressive durability with earbuds than with headphones. Companies often ensure their earbuds receive an impressive IP rating. Now, they’re going the extra mile of making the charging cases water-resistant too. Meanwhile, you’ll be hard-pressed to find headphones with an IP rating, save for the Fairbuds XL.

We’re also seeing design risks with earbuds that we don’t see in the headphone space. Earbuds are coming in all shapes and sizes these days. Heck, some even have holes in the middle of them. Meanwhile, at a glance, you could easily mistake one flagship pair of headphones for the next.

I’d like to see more headphones that include swappable earpads and headbands. These offerings could accommodate certain activities like working out, traveling, and relaxing. Headphones with vents that alter the frequency response on a dime would be great too. Yes, we’ve seen these features before, but I’d like to see the big players in headphone manufacturing take more risks. They’re doing so with their earbuds and seeing success, so why not with their headphones?

Are the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth buying today?

For now, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the best noise canceling headphones for most consumers. With these headphones, you get access to cutting-edge technology for less than $200. You get grade-A comfort, wired listening, and a host of customization options via the complimentary app. I have been reviewing headphones for a long time. I cannot stress enough what a good deal the WH-1000XM4 are for this price.

If you’re shopping around for Black Friday deals, please consider the WH-1000XM4. If you must get the latest and greatest, now is also the time to grab the Sony WH-1000XM5. They’re at their lowest price yet: $387 at Amazon. Even still, they’re $100 more than the previous generation, and for many, that doesn’t justify the promotion.

No matter what pair of headphones you decide to purchase, you can rest easy knowing they’ll likely still be top performers years from now. That is, until headphone manufacturers decide to take risks with more than their earbuds.

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