Sony WF-1000XM4 Review – Better Than AirPods

The Sony WF-1000XM4 comes at a premium price tag of Rs. 19,990 in India. The earbuds are available in two different colour options: Black and Silver.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 packs the following items inside the box:

• Type-C Cable
• Ear Tips
• Documentation

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Before we talk more about the earbuds, let’s see what on-paper specs look like:

• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2
• Supported OS: Android and iOS
• Battery: 520mAh (approx)
• Weight: 41 gm

I was quite impressed with the first look of Sony WF-1000XM4. Sony has replaced the typical glossy box with one that is made from recycled materials and a unique combination of papers. This results in a smaller, more compact box.

Once you take out the WF-1000XM4 from its box, you’ll find a black charging case. Open the case and you’ll see two magnificent looking earbuds sitting in their place.

The headphones have a premium feel to them thanks to the matte finish on both earbuds, and the small colour accents done around the sensors and microphone. These have a common design for earbuds, and they fit perfectly in my ears; they are snug and secure, and I didn’t face any problem in running while wearing them.

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The outer surface of the earbuds has big touch-sensitive spots for gestures. These gestures can be activated by lightly touching them. The optical proximity sensors are located on the inner surface of the earbuds. These sensors can detect when the earbuds have been placed inside your ears and will either play the audio or pause it accordingly.

It is an interesting decision on Sony’s part to only include only foam ear tips with the WF-1000XM4. You will get three different sizes but no typical silicone tips this time. The foam ear tips were quite comfortable in my opinion.

It should not come as a surprise that the sound quality of the Sony WF-1000XM4 is quite impressive. The clarity of the low frequencies and the bass’s quality are both absolutely stunning. The level of detail in these earbuds is so good that it makes other earbuds sound congested.

In addition to the newly developed V1 chip for digital processing, Sony has revamped the 6mm drivers, and the result is a sound that even better than that of the Sony WF-1000XM3.

In comparison to other Sony earbuds, this model’s bass has a lesser intensity, so it doesn’t overpower the sound. The mid-range is noticeably more well-balanced, particularly in the lower ranges.

The WF-1000XM4 does a decent job when it comes to technical performance. Compared to other earbuds on the market, this one has a higher level of detail and resolution.

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The microphone performance is also better than average. The call quality is great in quiet environments and remains good even in noisy environments.

Known for their exceptional noise-cancelling performance, Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds are no exception. While the earbuds are small, they do a great deal to block out the outside world.

I can confidently say that Sony WF-1000XM4 is better than its predecessor, Sony WF-1000XM3. The latest model has more subtle details which sounds more informative. The bass notes are clearer and the sound as a whole is better balanced.

In terms of battery life, there’s nothing to worry about. In spite of the smaller case, Sony’s new XM4 buds have a similar battery life compared to the XM3.

Talking about audio playback, the WF-1000XM4’s battery life is claimed to last up to 8 hours with ANC turned on, and the case can provide an additional 16 hours of battery. That makes their battery life on a single charge better than that of all major competitors.

By disabling noise cancellation, the earbuds’ battery life can be further increased to 12 hours on a single charge or 24 hours when using the case. You can also get an hour of playtime out of a 5min quick charge.

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Through the use of the Sony Headphones Connect app, you will be able to monitor the remaining battery life of both the earbuds and the case. Additionally, the app will notify you when the case has less than a 30 per cent charge.

You can charge the case using the given USB Type-C cable or even through wireless charging using a Qi charging pad. It takes about 1.5 hours to fully charge the earbuds.

You can pair the Sony WF-1000XM4 with your phone via Bluetooth 5.2—which sounds normal, but it’s not. If your phone has a processor that works with this Bluetooth version, you will get a better battery life.

Headphones Connect app allows you to tweak the functionality of each earpiece’s touchpad.

By using the standard combination of taps, presses, and long holds, you can control the playback and volume of the audio, as well as toggle between ANC and ambient sound modes.

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There are a few adaptive sound modes along with equaliser settings. You have the option of using Google Assistant, Siri, Amazon Alexa, or the built-in voice assistant on your phone.

There are three microphones in each earbud to handle active noise cancellation, call quality, and voice assistant interaction. There is even a mode that automatically reduces wind noise, which works to eliminate whirls of noise that go in your ears through the earbuds.