Sony WH-1000XM4 Review (noise cancelling headphone)

[Billy Budapest]

Apple Fan Boy. Apple should sell over engineered to military. They won't even have to raise the price.

Not a fan boy. Just check out the iFixit tear down. You’ll be impressed. Take a look at steps 16-18 below:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/AirPods+Max+Teardown/139369

 

[soundwave76]

I audiotioned these and other competitors as well and ended up with Bose N700. They sound quite pleasant. Hope they will be measured in the future!

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Not a fan boy. Just check out the iFixit tear down. You’ll be impressed. Take a look at steps 16-18 below:

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/AirPods+Max+Teardown/139369

. Apple product so complex and sturdy it takes 100 steps for a pathlogist to examine the hinge. Oh my, they use torx 1-4 to unassemble. GM and Ford figured that trick decades ago.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Overall, I am going to recommend the Sony WH-1000MX4 if you apply equalization. Without it, the active mode would barely get a nod from me as well.

Very interesting, and these are some of the most expensive and highest-rated headphones in the segment.

Do you have a way to test the headphones with Bluetooth? Some reviewers of BT headphones with wired connections have reported that the wired connection never sounds as good as over BT. Even just a quick subjective A/B might shed some light on major difference vs. no/little difference.

Excited to see more BT over-ear reviews. I'm rooting for the Anker Q20 ($43) or Q30, because while the ANC and comfort may be better in Sony and Bose models, I suspect the raw sound quality may not be that much better.

 

[Sancus]

I mean, these headphones were designed for travel and out-of-the-home usage, so I'm not sure the passive mode performance means anything at all. In addition, in those types of noisy environments the noise canceling improves your noise floor so much that it's a major factor in overall sound quality in my opinion.

It seems like they've done a fairly good job considering those uses, though I'd believe the QC35/NC700 Bose may sound better. I haven't heard these newer Sony ones but I preferred the QC35 to the last generation Sony ones.

 

[amirm]

Do you have a way to test the headphones with Bluetooth? Some reviewers of BT headphones with wired connections have reported that the wired connection never sounds as good as over BT. Even just a quick subjective A/B might shed some light on major difference vs. no/little difference.

It is the same thing I tested: passive vs active mode in the review.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I use headphones only for convenience. Good spin speakers and good correction (Anthem) are pleasant regardless of db. I found this out after purchase decisions generated (mostly) by this site. I coveted Anthem Room Correction and purchased Mrx 520 despite Amir review. Before the objective reviews under this site, headphones were preferred.

 

[Billy Budapest]

. Apple product so complex and sturdy it takes 100 steps for a pathlogist to examine the hinge. Oh my, they use torx 1-4 to unassemble. GM and Ford figured that trick decades ago.

Give it a rest.

 

[pavuol]

Some detailed teardowns available (52audio / EN recap, gearcoupon).
Battery seems to be relatively easy to replace (cover screwed, connector used instead of soldering), with some tinkering with glued thermal sensor though.

Spoiler

PS: Amir, so as a former Sony employee (or consultant ?, doesn't matter), how much would you charge them if they wanted to add your EQ presets in the nearest mobile app update?

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Give it a rest.

Yes "Master.".

 

[xarkkon]

Interesting review! But not sure how useful this will be to most current users of the product. I'd say that taking the passive approach towards these speakers is probably not the right way. Anyone who buys these is going to be using it wireless, whether with ANC on or not. These are on the go headphones and bluetooth will be the prime functionality. I doubt 99% of the people who bought them will be using it passive (which you did mention).

With that in mind, comparing the power vs. the other headphones you've reviewed so far is probably apples and oranges. I recognise that you don't have any other bluetooth benchmarks at the moment and don't have the ability to make the right call regarding the internal amplifier.

Once the Bose and Airpod Maxes are in with the reviews done, it might be worth re-looking at the data again to see how bluetooth headphones stack up against each other on the power front.

Another thought is that most of these headphones come with their own EQ software. Might be worth including a look at those in the review as well. Users of these products again will probably just rely entirely on the company-provided EQ which forms part of the value package one is paying for.

 

[MenloBob]

I wear the xm3s in the back of out church for running the covid livestream and they almost completely mask the pipe organ 150ft away. Enough that the audio processing delay of 180ms isn't noticeable. I had to wear a different set this week and it was almost unbearable hearing the live and delayed sound together. So the NC is very effective.

 

[PenguinMusic]

Hi,

People and reviews keep telling us that this headphone offers the best sound you can get.
I listened to it and id not like it. At all...
I am somewhat "glad" that this test confirms that it is not as good as reviewers are telling me.

But what I also notice in these headphones test is following.
The conclusion is almost each time the same : not recommended with no EQ. Recommended with EQ.
So, the thing is quite easy: get a 20 dollars headphone, EQ it the right way and you'll get a soiund that will be as good as any 1000 dollars headphone.

I don't have a device that allows EQ at the moment, but I will consider one given those repreated conclusions...
Still, I am unsure I will sell my Oppo PM-1 and trade it off for Sony headphone...

Regards.

 

[Doodski]

People and reviews keep telling us that this headphone offers the best sound you can get.
I listened to it and id not like it. At all...
I am somewhat "glad" that this test confirms that it is not as good as reviewers are telling me.

I've never heard a Sony headphone that I liked other than some old cassette Walkman headphones offered in the 80's and 90's.

 

[amirm]

PS: Amir, so as a former Sony employee (or consultant ?, doesn't matter), how much would you charge them if they wanted to add your EQ presets in the nearest mobile app update?

I was employee. There would be no charge.

 

[amirm]

So, the thing is quite easy: get a 20 dollars headphone, EQ it the right way and you'll get a soiund that will be as good as any 1000 dollars headphone.

I have said nothing about a $1000 headphone. What I tell you is if with equalization the response can be extremely good.

 

[PenguinMusic]

I have said nothing about a $1000 headphone. What I tell you is if with equalization the response can be extremely good.

Hi amirm,

Just to make it clear : that was not meant as a criticism Quite the opposite. It is somewhat refreshing to read reviews where reviewers have not buried their heads under the price tag and praise everything that costs a lot and despise the rest.

But I may have understood the measurements and conclusions all wrong when I am under the impression that, from all the test in headphones, the conclusion is about the same : no EQ, no good ; EQ it and they're recommended.

So me, I am still waiting for the headphone that will get good recommendation as it comes out of it's box. So far I think there's been only one that yourself would have considered listening to as it came ootb. But if memory serves well, it was not specially cheap !

Regards.

 

[Tortie]

If you dissemble this headphone you'll find the problem is in the ear capsules. I once took apart a pair of an earlier version Sony wireless headphone because I intended to experiment with dampening material. There's literally no acoustic space behind the drivers. After I unscrewed the driver boards from the earcups I was surprised to see there was literally a couple milometers behind the drivers and the plastic cups. The circuitry is split between the two earcups and crammed in there along with the rechargeable battery. Sony leans heavily on their proprietary DSP technology to compensate for the acoustic limitations of the ear capss.

I lined the plastic interior of both ear cups behind the drivers with 3M micropore tap. Then I put the headphones on in active mode and the sound was absolutely awful. It was clear to me then that the DSP was specifically tuned by Sony based on the OEM design and that my little tape experiment was not meshing with the DSP.

My Sony headphones will occasionally distort during bassy music. I can hear plastic vibrating and this was long before I took them apart. Sony places a layer of plastic between the rear of the drivers and the outer housing. It's screwed into the driver harness assembly and there's about a 2-3mm air gap inbetween it and the back of the drivers. That's essentially the accoustic space. Then there's a larger air gap behind this plastic barrier and the outer ear cup housing. This double-barrier scheme is probably intended to help passively reduce outside noise. I think the plastic directly behind the driver vibrates at times.

 

[infinitesymphony]

But I may have understood the measurements and conclusions all wrong when I am under the impression that, from all the test in headphones, the conclusion is about the same : no EQ, no good ; EQ it and they're recommended.

So me, I am still waiting for the headphone that will get good recommendation as it comes out of it's box. So far I think there's been only one that yourself would have considered listening to as it came ootb. But if memory serves well, it was not specially cheap !

AKG K371 fared pretty well even without EQ.

 

[buz]

I have the previous generation (WH-1000MX3). I find them to be the most comfortable headphones I've tried. Lightweight, soft pads. For movies and a little music on long flights they're pretty great.

I have the previous one still (xm2) and while I don't mind the comfort, they get very hot after a while (so much so that I use them as ear warmer in winter and ANC in ears in summer) . I assume it is similar with xm3 and 4 seeing that shape looks very similar.