Emily Martin 
Mar 06, 2024
The world of efficient wireless earphones is so vast to explore and take out the most befitting from there.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earphones proved victorious in face of the Apple’s skyrocketing popularity within the earbuds' domain as Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro have been overshadowing the presence of other brands in the market.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earphones are the upgraded version of its preceding WF-1000XM3 model.
Design and exterior
These in-ear earphones are recyclable and eco-friendly as they are made of recycled paper, which reflects the manufacturer’s gesture towards the well-being of the environment.
The packaging of its charging case is 40% smaller than that of its preceding WF-1000XM3. The case has magnets inside to keep the earbuds in place.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds come in two colour variants: Black and Silver.
The earbuds have a rounded and a little less bulky look than the WF-1000XM3. Also, there's a circular copper accent on each earpiece with a microphone placed in the centre.
As they come with three differently-sized pairs of ears, these earphones are very comfortable for every type of ear.
Their lightweight fit doesn't enter your ear very deeply, and their foam design ensures a better seal than that of silicone ear tips, blocking at least some of the sound reaching your eardrum.
Controls and sound profile
They offer many of the same features as their predecessors, such as active noise cancelling (ANC), support for Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature, and an in-app graphic EQ.
While their ANC does an impressive job of blocking disturbing background noise, they can be connected to two devices at a time, supporting multi-device pairing with seamless functioning.
When directly compared to the 1000XM3s, you will definitely notice the slightly richer bass, but not to the extent where it starts hurting.
These finely tuned earphones handle the mid-frequencies better than their younger variant and offer more detailed, and high-quality sound.
Coming with presets for sound customisation, these earbuds also support Google Fast Pair and Windows 10 Swift Pair to quickly pair with compatible devices.
With them, Sony also offers three mics in each earpiece to amplify its traditional qualities like active noise-cancelling, call quality, and interaction with voice assistants.
The feed-forward and feedback mics take in your voice directionally from the mouth. Interestingly, the feed-forward mics automatically get muted when they detect unfavourable conditions like harsh noises and wind.
Another reason for its resounding success is the V1 processor that Sony has featured in WF-1000XM4. It plays a vital role in ensuring greater performance out of the earphones without consuming much power.
Battery life
These buds have a great battery performance. They last roughly 10 hours off a single charge, longer than the eight advertised hours, while the total battery life is around 30.9 hours.
With a USB-C charging port, the battery takes 1.3 hours to be recharged, and it also enables users to enjoy music while charging the earbuds.
Their case also gives extra charges, although the battery life can differ as per the usage. Unlike the Beats Solo Pro Wireless, they're equipped with an auto-off timer to save power. You can use one earbud while leaving the other to be charged in the case.
