Sony WF-1000XM4 Earbuds: The New ANC King

So we got the new-and-improved 4th-generation which offers a much-needed redesign to make things a bit more compact. Previously, they weren’t the best-looking earbuds despite being amazing and beloved. Sony shrunk the massive size of the previous-gen XM3 earbuds by 10% and the carrying case by 40%. Which is a great thing as their look can now match their sound.

The new design gives you better ways to enjoy your music/media. You got bone-conducting sensors, memory foam ear tips in 3 sizes, and retaining its IPX4 dust/water resistance (good enough to handle a shower, rain, & more not to be completely submerged in liquid). All within their matte finish w/ super-slightly textured feel to them. And the Gold button-like which appears to be part of the magnetic audio driver system adds a nice industrial touch to it.

Both the earbuds & carrying case are a lot smaller in size.

Having missed out on the previous models, I can’t say how these fit compared to the other Sony buds. These XM4s are pretty comfortable – for both short & long periods of time. It did take me a little bit to get used to getting them just right w/ the new ear tips. But once I did and got the right seal, it is the best. Don’t worry, you can verify the fit via the Sony Headphones Connect app. The touchpads are quite responsive as well as mics to hear any Google Assistant commands w/ ease.

Read Next: Jabra Elite 85t Earbuds Review

Now for the sound department, no surprise that Sony has been killing it on all of their audio products. And these are no different from their XM4 headphones. With them being a bit smaller, there’s a lot of things inside of these buds for audio quality & noise-canceling abilities.

It is armed w/ a kitchen sink of features to make these buds hard to beat. It has Sony’s new Integrated Processor V1 to power its ANC abilities, 2 beam-forming mics, noise-isolating eartips, magnetic 6mm drivers, SBC/AAC/LDAC codec sound profiles as well as Dolby Atmos + Sony’s 360 Reality Audio support.

As far as music, I rocked out over the course of 3 weeks w/ different genres but mostly older hip-hop. I tested these w/ the samples from one of the sonic wonders known as Ghostface Killah’s Supreme Clientele album, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly, Nipsey Hustle, Maxwell, Coldplay, & some Alexander O’ Neal. I got great clarity, a great bass that is heavy but not overwhelming, crisp vocals, & great overall audio performance w/o any real hitches or hiccups. The only thing you could ask for is a multi-point Bluetooth connection.

Now about the XM4s blocking noise, it’s really great. The 2 mics & new V1 chip really show Sony’s superiority in the ANC department. Now it’s not to the point of blocking out 100% of outside noise but headphone-level. While still being able to cycle through modes like Ambient Mode and ANC on or off. Just as long as you got the buds in properly w/ a good seal. As far as the mics go, you got close to AirPods Pro-quality in regards to taking calls. The beamforming mics & bone-conducting sensors do a pretty good job.

These are now the best battery life on any noise-canceling earbuds

Among everything else they’re excelling in, they’re also besting the competition in another area to make these hard to beat. The XM4 earbuds are also the new battery kings for ANC earbuds. You get a solid 8 hours w/ ANC on and 12 hours w/ ANC off while everyone else is getting a max of 5 hours w/ ANC and 10 hours of non-ANC buds.

However, combining ANC & LDAC streaming can drop the battery life down to around 5 hours of juice so keep that in mind. You got Quick Charge present here that gives you 60 minutes of juice in 5 minutes but they will take an hour and a half to charge fully. And also, the charging case supports wireless charging as well. So you’re completely covered on the battery side of things.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds just dethroned the previous best in class ANC earbuds.

The state of the top earbuds is getting good & competitive. Despite being an earbuds standard, Apple’s AirPods Pro is like 2 years old w/ a refresh due out this year or next. We previously crowned the Jabra Elite 85ts the best ANC earbuds and if you’ve read this review in its entirety, they’ve been dethroned by these Sony WF-1000XM4s.

While the sound quality can be debated by one’s personal preference, Sony’s technological innovations bring us ANC abilities & battery life at the current time of writing this can’t be beaten. Of course, you’re gonna have to pay a bit of a premium for these standout features w/ a $278 price tag. But if you’re seeking the best of the best right now, look no further than these XM4 earbuds.