Discover the ultimate review of the Sony WF-1000XM4 Headphone, focusing on its exceptional sound quality. Dive into this comprehensive analysis of these wireless earbuds to uncover their cutting-edge features, advanced noise-canceling technology, and immersive audio experience. Find out why the Sony WF-1000XM4 is considered a top choice for audiophiles and music enthusiasts looking for unparalleled sound quality in a compact form. Experience audio excellence with this in-depth review of the Sony WF-1000XM4 headphones.
The TWS earphones from Sony, namely the WF-1000XM4, have been available for some time and have garnered a significant following. The earbuds have received ample recognition for their audio excellence and impressive noise-canceling capabilities, quickly establishing themselves as an industry standard. Our previous year’s review echoed these sentiments, with my colleague expressing satisfaction with his experience with the earbuds.
Design and comfort
The WF-1000XM4 continues Sony’s tradition of oddly shaped earbuds. They have a strange globular design with steampunk gold vents for the microphones. It’s certainly distinctive but whether it’s attractive is something for you to decide.
Large touch-sensitive areas on the outer shell of the earbuds allow for gesture activation with a simple light touch, which is a significant improvement over the need to prod one’s ears that is common with most other earbuds.
On the inner side of the earbuds are the optical proximity sensors that detect when the earbuds are placed inside your ears and play/pause the audio accordingly. Speaking of which, does anyone want to see a magic trick?
The position of the sensors on the back is such that if the earbuds are placed on a surface in a certain way, it will obstruct the sensor and cause the earbuds to assume that they are back inside the ears. I have frequently returned to discover that the audio was still playing even though I had taken the earbuds off and put them on the desk. It is certainly an error on Sony’s part.
Performance
Audio quality
The WF-1000XM4 use relatively small 6mm dynamic drivers. You get support for SBC, AAC, and LDAC along with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
The tonality of the WF-1000XM4 is biased towards warmth. There is a greater emphasis on the bass region and a de-emphasis on the treble region.
Compared to most Sony earbuds, the bass in these has a gentler rise which prevents overwhelming the sound with excessive bass. Instead, there’s a gradual bass shelf that begins in the upper bass region and extends into the lower octaves. This broader shelf prevents any specific area from becoming too boomy, resulting in a more consistent bass boost overall.
The mid-range exhibits a greater sense of equilibrium, particularly in the lower frequencies. This results in male vocals sounding impartial and resonant, with a slight touch of residual warmth from the amplified bass. However, the mid-range does experience a slight reduction in the higher end as it transitions into the treble, which can cause female vocals, percussion, and string instruments to be less prominent in the mix.
Microphone
The WF-1000XM4 have above-average microphone performance. The audio sounds reasonably natural in a quiet room and remains audible even in a noisy environment. This is one area where wired earbuds definitely do have a commanding lead still but the WF-1000XM4 do a decent job and should be fine if you make a lot of voice calls.
Noise-canceling
Sony has come to be known for its exceptional digital noise-canceling performance and the WF-1000XM4 are no exception. Despite their diminutive stature, the earbuds do a fantastic job of blocking out most of the noise around you.
The WF-1000XM4 boasts a significantly more extensive noise filter compared to other earbuds on the market that are less expensive but also claim to have similar capabilities. Unlike cheaper models that only address low frequencies, the WF-1000XM4 efficiently handles all ambient noise audio spectrum, including mids and higher frequencies. As a result, the WF-1000XM4 provides much better control over ambient noise.
The WF-1000XM4 falls short in terms of transparency mode quality, referred to as Ambient Sound by Sony. It sounds somewhat artificial and tinny in comparison to other options available, like the AirPods Pro. Even the OnePlus Buds Pro offer a more realistic transparency mode when compared.
Latency
The WF-1000XM4 have good latency performance for video content. There is an extremely minor delay, which most people won’t be able to notice, and is easy to adjust to even if you are sensitive to it as your brain bridges the gap over time.
While gaming, the latency is more noticeable so it’s not quite ideal unless it’s casual stuff. For more serious gaming you are always better off with wired audio, especially if you also need to use the mic.
Connectivity and reliability
During my testing, the WF-1000XM4 was largely dependable. I did not encounter any connection issues and the audio did not drop when testing with SBC and AAC codecs.
LDAC can exhibit some variability. Although 330kbps and 660kbps functioned without any problems, 990kbps sometimes resulted in significant sound dips, necessitating a drop to at least 660kbps. The strange part, however, was that this did not occur every time, as there were instances when playing at 990kbps caused no problems whatsoever.
During my 2020 review of the WH-1000XM4, I observed a recurring problem with LDAC, which appears to be a consistent issue with Sony products, despite it being a Sony codec. This problem will only affect you if you prefer to manually set the bitrate to 990kbps; if you leave it on auto, then you won’t encounter any problems.
Battery Life
The WF-1000XM4 headphones are advertised to have a battery life of up to 8 hours when using ANC for audio playback. However, during my test with the higher-demanding LDAC set to 990kbps, I was only able to achieve 6 hours of continuous playback. This falls short of Sony’s claim but is still relatively decent compared to other similar products available.
Additionally, I conducted a test to determine the duration of the earbuds after a brief 10-minute charge from zero and they sustained for 2 hours, using the same settings as previously.
Conclusion
The WF-1000XM4 are a pair of high-quality wireless earbuds and continues to be a great option in 2022. They are certainly expensive but having tested a bunch of the cheaper options on the market today you are definitely getting what you pay for here. Key aspects such as the audio quality, the active noise canceling, the microphone quality, and even the battery life are head and shoulders above cheaper alternatives.
Sony could enhance the comfort of their WF-1000XM4 earbuds by offering more size options or a choice of silicone tips. The current stiff foam tips in limited sizes are the cause of the discomfort, which was also a concern with the previous WF-1000XM3 for different reasons. It’s not too much to ask for the price, and customers would appreciate the added comfort.
Additionally, there were some minor complaints, including occasional stuttering when using 990kbps LDAC and the transparency mode not sounding entirely natural.
Other than that, there are not many complaints to be made about the WF-1000XM4. They cost about $250, which is quite expensive, but I am confident in recommending them as a worthwhile investment.
