Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones – Down by the Old Mainstream
For a rag that takes prides itself in obsessing over only the most esoteric gear, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are admittedly a mundane product to review. However, I’ve been craving silence after the constant din of COVID, the election and my wife, and the mainstream press consistently opines that these are the best ANC phones out there. They are, in any event, the best you can find at Best Buy, so I took the plunge.
Full Specifications are found on the Sony website
The $349 plastic-and-leatherette Sony WH-1000XM4 won’t win any awards for aesthetics; compared to comparably-priced metal-enhanced Masters & Dynamic or B&W, the Sony WH-1000XM4 seem rather dowdy and probably less durable. Comfort, however, is excellent (if not quite as class-leading as Bose)—the phones are lightweight, without undue clamping pressure. UI is intuitive and reliable—other than buttons for power and ANC mode, the most-used functions are controlled by touching the panels. Built-in smart technologies like automatic pause, proximity sensors, etc. are very impressive, as is 30-hour battery life. Microphone quality is flawless.
Noise cancelling on the Sony WH-1000XM4 is eerily good—these are a virtual isolation chamber into which none of the outside world can penetrate. That said, the ANC does veil the highest frequencies and compromises sound quality significantly—especially considering that the XM4 isolates very well in passive mode, unless you work in a foundry you’re best served with ANC de-activated.
So how do the Sony WH-1000XM4 sound? Pretty good for wireless, actually. Signature is generally balanced, with a rich-textured, slightly warm tonality; soundstage is wide and enveloping and stereo separation is excellent, with lots of air between performers. Presentation is lively—the (not half-bad) Bose NC-700 sound somewhat flat in comparison. Bass is well-sculpted but surprisingly muted in quantity—these are not thumpy Beats—there’s no bleed into the mids and the phones are coherent overall. Mids are forward, with good body and clarity, while high end is smooth though lacking some extension and realism; nuances like cymbals and piano keys some a bit synthetic. Source material sounds less compressed than most Bluetooth phones (Sony uses some sort of upscaling codec), but these overall lack the realism and timbral accuracy of good wired phones—<$300 models like Sennheiser HD600 OR KEF M500 etc. play on another level, albeit for an entirely different class of user. While missing micro-detail, the Sony WH-1000XM4 does avoid stridency at the extremes and were not fatiguing for extended listening.
Ultimately, these Sony WH-1000XM4 are something of a technological landmark. They are not, however, an audiophile tool and not the best pick for a music-first consumer. I’m also of the mind that the $349 SRP is a bit rich for their generic build and looks, although if you can find them discounted for Black Friday or whatever, they’re a very solid product within their limitations.
MY VERDICT
DISCLAIMER
Bought them myself.
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