In the quiet season of consumer gadgets, Sony has released the WH-1000XM4 in India at Rs. 29,990, a headset that looks almost identical to the one it succeeds. Its refinements are subtle, the kind a listener discovers through the body and the ear rather than the eye. Measured against the rivals that had caught up to its predecessor, it restores Sony's claim to the top of the wireless listening world, though the reviewer's verdict reminds us that every gain comes with a trade, and that a fine instrument is only as good as the sources that can feed it.
Sony WH-1000XM4 Review: Refined Comfort, Strong Noise Cancelling and Detailed Sound at Rs. 29,990
The silence felt real and believable, not like being in a vacuum
Mark
Sony barely changed how this looks. Why does the review treat it as a big deal?
Mimi
Because the changes are underneath and in small touches. Noise cancelling is improved through the algorithm, there's speak-to-chat, and the finish is nicer. The reviewer says the sound, noise cancelling and overall feel are noticeably better.
Mark
How does it compare with Bose?
Mimi
The reviewer says the XM3 was overtaken by the Bose 700, and the XM4 brings Sony back on par.
Luke
Worth noting that's one reviewer's judgment, not a measured test. The piece gives no decibel figures or side-by-side data.
Mark
And the battery?
Mimi
About 28 hours with noise cancelling and LDAC on, against a claimed 30. It's ahead of the Shure Aonic 50 and Bose 700.
Luke
Fair, but that's one unit under one set of conditions. Also, the claim that it's the best by a long shot is an opinion, as the review itself is.
Mark
What's the catch for buyers?
Mimi
No aptX. LDAC covers most Android phones, but Apple computers support AAC and aptX, not LDAC.
Luke
And the review doesn't say how many buyers that affects, so we can't size the drawback.
El Pulso
- A familiar design hides a quiet challenge: rivals had caught up to the XM3, and Sony needed a answer that looked like nothing new but sounded like a comeback.
- Noise cancelling now sits level with Bose's flagship, shutting out ceiling fans and air conditioners so thoroughly that the silence feels deliberate rather than empty.
- Speak-to-chat arrives as the headline feature, pausing music the moment a voice is heard, though it occasionally mistakes a singing listener for someone trying to talk.
- The drawback is already visible: missing aptX and LDAC's narrow device reach leave Apple computer owners and non-Android users with a less complete experience.
- Battery life lands near 28 hours with full noise cancelling, just short of the advertised 30, and the verdict settles at 4.5 out of 5.
In the quiet season of consumer gadgets, Sony has released the WH-1000XM4 in India at Rs. 29,990, a headset that looks almost identical to the one it succeeds. Its refinements are subtle, the kind a listener discovers through the body and the ear rather than the eye. Measured against the rivals that had caught up to its predecessor, it restores Sony's claim to the top of the wireless listening world, though the reviewer's verdict reminds us that every gain comes with a trade, and that a fine instrument is only as good as the sources that can feed it.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 arrives in India at Rs. 29,990, and at first glance it is hard to tell apart from the headphones it replaces. The headband and ear cups are a little slimmer, the gaps are tighter, and the surface has a softer, velvety finish. The reviewer found the fit unchanged, and considered that a virtue, since the XM3 was already one of the most comfortable full-size headphones available.
The XM3 had been widely praised in 2018 as the first pair to genuinely challenge Bose on noise cancelling. By 2020, improving rivals made it look dated, and the XM4 is Sony's answer, the new flagship of its wireless line. Most of the layout returns, with the same buttons, ports, sensors and quick attention mode. The new headline feature is speak-to-chat, which pauses the music and lets ambient sound in whenever you start talking. It worked every time, though it sometimes triggered during singing, and it can be switched off in the companion app.
Inside, the headphones keep the QN1 processor and gain a tweaked noise cancelling algorithm. They support SBC, AAC and LDAC, but not aptX, a gap the reviewer felt mattered little except on Apple computers. Sound is where the reviewer grew most enthusiastic, calling it brilliant, especially over LDAC with high-resolution tracks. Its detail rivals the Shure Aonic 50, which is more analytical, while the Sony offers more drive and a signature that adapts to each song.
Noise cancelling now stands level with Bose's best, and the reviewer found the silence natural rather than hollow. Battery life reached about 28 hours with ANC and LDAC on. The verdict is 4.5 out of 5, with the missing aptX and LDAC's limited reach as the main caveats for buyers.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 goes on sale in India at Rs. 29,990, and from a few feet away you would struggle to tell it from the headphones it replaces. The headband and ear cups are slightly slimmer. The gaps between the cups and the band have been reduced, and the band curves a little more finely. The surface has a more velvety finish, which helps with the swipe controls on the right ear cup. Gadgets 360's reviewer found that none of this changes how the headphones feel on the head, and treats that as a good thing, since the line was already among the most comfortable and best-built full-size options.
The XM3 arrived in 2018 and was widely regarded as one of the best wireless noise cancelling headphones. In the reviewer's opinion it was the first pair, from Sony or anyone else, to genuinely challenge Bose on noise cancellation. By 2020, improving rivals had made it look dated. The XM4 is Sony's answer and the new flagship of its wireless range.
The layout carries over. There are two physical buttons on the left, one for power and one customisable. The 3.5mm socket is on the left and the USB Type-C port on the right. An NFC sensor sits on the left cup, and the gesture zone is on the right. The proximity sensors inside the cups return, as does quick attention mode, where a hand on the right cup lowers the music and lets in ambient sound. The main new feature is speak-to-chat. When you talk, the headphones pause the music and switch on ambient sound. It worked reliably every time, though it sometimes triggered when the reviewer sang along, and it can be switched off in the Sony Headphones Connect app. Sony says the gesture controls are improved, but the reviewer noticed no difference beyond the nicer texture.
The customisable button can toggle noise cancellation and hear-through modes, which the reviewer preferred, or call Google Assistant or Alexa. Holding a tap on the gesture sensor summons the phone's default assistant. The app has become somewhat more complicated through updates without gaining much value. It still covers firmware updates, equaliser settings, noise cancellation and hear-through intensity, adaptive sound controls, and battery and codec readouts, which keeps it among the better companion apps.
Inside, the XM4 uses the same QN1 processor as the XM3, with Sony saying the noise cancellation algorithm has been tweaked. It has 40mm dynamic drivers with a 4-40,000Hz frequency response and Bluetooth 5. It supports SBC, AAC and LDAC but not Qualcomm aptX. The reviewer says that matters little given LDAC, except with devices like Apple computers, which support AAC and aptX but not LDAC. The box holds a hard case, a USB Type-C charging cable, a stereo cable for wired listening and an airplane adapter. Battery life ran about 28 hours with noise cancellation on and LDAC in use, under the claimed 30 hours but ahead of the Shure Aonic 50 and Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.
On sound, the reviewer calls the XM4 brilliant. It does best over LDAC, which most modern Android phones support, and is decent over AAC. Any source sounds good, but high-resolution music is where it stands out. Testing on Tidal Masters, the reviewer played Change For Me by Brasstracks, Superstition by Stevie Wonder and Baba O'Riley by The Who. In the first, the opening synth bass showed clear interplay between channels, and Samm Henshaw's vocals and the saxophone riffs came forward at the right moments. Baba O'Riley showed off the soundstage, and Superstition the width and imaging. No part of the frequency range dominated. Detail was largely on par with the Shure Aonic 50, which the reviewer counts among favourite audiophile wireless headsets. The Shure is more precise and analytical, while the Sony is a little less revealing but has more drive and a signature that seems to adapt to each track. Spotify took away a little detail, though Opposite Ways by Brasstracks still sounded distinct.
The reviewer says the XM3's noise cancelling lead had been overtaken by the Bose 700, and the XM4 puts Sony back on par. Ceiling fans and air conditioners were practically shut out, and the effect was noticeable outdoors. The silence did not feel like a vacuum. Hear-through intensity is adjustable, which few brands offer, and call quality was good at both ends. The verdict is 4.5 out of 5, with design and value at 4 and audio and battery at 4.5. The only listed con is the missing aptX, a gap that matters because LDAC is not widely supported beyond Android phones.
Citas Notables
The XM4 is a notably better pair of headphones than the XM3, and is well priced for what's on offer.— Gadgets 360 reviewer (paraphrased)
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