Some things are judged not by their newness but by how well they continue to serve us, and a pair of headphones released in 2020 has earned that quiet verdict from a reviewer who reaches for them daily. In the ongoing contest between the old and the new, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is being held up as still the finer instrument for wireless noise cancelling, its warmth and natural sound preferred over its successor's more processed character. Set against a temporary sale that brings it to $198, the argument becomes an invitation to consider value over novelty before the moment passes.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Remain the Best Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones, Says BGR Reviewer
The XM5 are an improvement in some ways, but I ended up going back.
Mark
Why does a four-year-old pair of headphones get a story at all?
Mimi
Because the price dropped to $198, which the reviewer says is the lowest ever for the XM4. Against a $350 retail price, that changes the question from whether they're good to whether they're a bargain.
Mark
And he prefers them to the newer XM5?
Mimi
Yes. He tested the XM5, which are $328 on sale, and went back to the XM4. He finds the older pair warmer and more natural with noise cancelling on.
Luke
That's one person's ear. He says the XM5 sound more processed, but that's a preference, not a measurement.
Mark
He says others agree, though.
Luke
He says user accounts online back him up. He doesn't give a number or a source, so I'd treat it as a general impression, not a finding.
Mimi
Fair, but it's also the kind of judgment from a reviewer who says he has tested hundreds of models, including Apple, Bose and JBL.
Mark
What about people who can't spend $198?
Mimi
He mentions the WH-CH720N at $93.99 with noise cancelling, and the WH-CH520 on-ear pair from $38 without it.
Luke
And the deadline is only his guess. He says it's unclear how long the sales last and thinks about the end of the week. Nothing here confirms that.
Le Pouls
- A reviewer's daily habit becomes a claim that the 2020 Sony WH-1000XM4 still beats its newer successor, the XM5, in sound and noise cancelling.
- The XM5 is judged a step backward in sound, with the reviewer pointing to online listener accounts that he reads as a broad feeling, though no survey backs it.
- A sale drops the XM4 from $350 to $198, the reviewer calls it the lowest price ever, and the XM5 sits at $328 against a $400 retail.
- Cheaper Sony options, the WH-CH720N at $93.99 and the WH-CH520 at $38, offer a fallback for buyers unwilling to spend on the top pick.
- The reviewer's best guess is that the deals vanish by week's end, leaving a short window for buyers to decide between old and new.
Some things are judged not by their newness but by how well they continue to serve us, and a pair of headphones released in 2020 has earned that quiet verdict from a reviewer who reaches for them daily. In the ongoing contest between the old and the new, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is being held up as still the finer instrument for wireless noise cancelling, its warmth and natural sound preferred over its successor's more processed character. Set against a temporary sale that brings it to $198, the argument becomes an invitation to consider value over novelty before the moment passes.
A pair of over-ear headphones released in August 2020 is still the one a BGR product tester reaches for every day. After evaluating hundreds of models for the site, he argues that Sony's WH-1000XM4 remain the best wireless noise cancelling headphones available, nearly four years after launch. His case rests on sound quality and active noise cancelling, which he calls arguably the best in the business. It is his personal judgment, grounded in his own testing and an earlier BGR review rather than any lab comparison.
Price gives the argument its urgency. The XM4 retail at $350, a sum he admits is steep for headphones, though far below Apple's AirPods Max. A sale has brought them to $198, which he describes as the lowest the model has ever sold for. The newer XM5, at $400 retail, are discounted to $328. He has tried those alongside headphones from Apple, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Soundcore and JBL. He grants the XM5 some improvements, yet he returned to the XM4.
His reason is how they sound. With noise cancelling on, the XM4 feel warmer and more natural to him, while the XM5 come across as more processed. He says many listeners online share this view, though he draws that from his own reading of their accounts rather than from any count.
For buyers who want to spend less, he points to two cheaper Sony models on sale. The WH-CH720N noise cancelling headphones fall to $93.99 from $150, with decent sound that he does not think matches the XM4. Those willing to forgo noise cancelling can start at $38 with the WH-CH520 on-ear headphones, among Sony's best sellers in that style.
He is unsure how long these prices will hold, and guesses the deals end by the end of the week. Anyone weighing the older XM4 against the newer XM5 has a short window to check prices before they change.
A pair of over-ear headphones released in August 2020 is still the pair a BGR product tester reaches for every day. That tester, who says he has evaluated hundreds of headphone models for the site, argues that Sony's WH-1000XM4 remain the best wireless noise cancelling headphones available, nearly four years after they launched.
The argument rests on two things: sound quality and active noise cancelling, which he calls arguably the best in the business. He says the XM4 also hold up on features and battery life. This is his opinion, built on his own testing and a review BGR published earlier, not a lab comparison.
The timing is tied to price. The XM4 carry a retail price of $350, which he acknowledges is a lot to spend on headphones, though well short of what Apple charges for its AirPods Max. A sale has dropped them to $198, which the piece describes as the lowest price ever for the model. The newer WH-1000XM5, which retail at $400, are on sale at $328.
The reviewer has tested more than Sony. He lists headphones from Apple, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, Soundcore and JBL, along with the XM5 itself. He says the XM5 improve on the older model in some ways, but he ended up going back to the XM4.
His reason is how they sound. With noise cancelling switched on, he finds the XM4 a bit warmer and more natural. The XM5, in his ear, sound somewhat more processed. He says he is not alone: he points to user accounts online from people who have tried both and describes a view among many listeners that the XM5 are a step backward in sound quality. That claim comes from his own reading of those accounts, and the piece cites no survey or count.
For readers who don't want to spend even $198, the piece points to two cheaper Sony models in the same sale. The WH-CH720N noise cancelling headphones are $93.99, down from $150. He says their sound is decent but not on par with the XM4, which he says should go without saying at that price. For those who can skip active noise cancelling, prices start at $38 for the WH-CH520 on-ear headphones, which he describes as one of Sony's best-selling on-ear models.
He says it is unclear how long the deals will last. His best guess is that they disappear by the end of the week. Anyone weighing the older XM4 against the newer XM5 has a short window to check current prices before the sale ends.
Citations marquantes
The reviewer finds the XM4 warmer and more natural with noise cancelling on, and the XM5 more processed.— BGR reviewer
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