Musically, the improved audio processing grunt translated into a far more precise and refined sound. I could practically feel her inhale and exhale. Listening to Diana Krall’s ‘Gentle Rain’, it was almost as if I was standing next to her as she sang. With Clear Bass enhancement on, equalisation tweaked and DSEE fired up, the sound felt nuanced and richly textured. Compressed audio can sound like it was recorded in a concrete lavatory at the bottom of a lake. With it enabled, highs and midrange detail in low to medium bitrate compressed and streamed audio magically returns. Sony calls it DSEE, or Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. It did an impressive job with the highly-rated WF-1000XM3 buds and made their audio sparkle. These babies are the ideal travel companionsĪnother welcome addition comes in the form of Sony’s audio upscaling tech. You can also choose adaptive noise cancelling, which is tweaked based on the noise environment you’re in, as well as your location (more on this later). With the rather excellent Sony headphone app, you use a slider control to dial in the amount of noise cancellation or ambient noise your ears require. On the noise-cancelling front, the XM4 ear-gear did a sterling job of killing ambient environmental noise. It was great in the XM3’s, and is now even better with the XM4 cans. AMBIENT SOUND CONTROL SONY XM4 SOFTWAREAlthough the XM4 uses the same QN1 silicon as the XM3’s, Sony has tweaked the software to improve noise cancelling and audio. AMBIENT SOUND CONTROL SONY XM4 BLUETOOTHThe Bluetooth radio and audio silicon have also been given more processing power. In fact, they still had juice leftover, so the XM4’s improved battery life makes them ideal for long haul air travellers. (I managed to get the XM3 cans to last flying from NZ to LA, and LA to Spain on a single charge). They also fast charge, with a mere 10 minutes of charging giving the user five hours of goodness. Software optimisations and thoughtful additions like the left ear cup sensor combine with a larger battery to give the XM4 a solid 30+ hours of use (or 38+ hours using a wired connection with active noise cancelling disabled). An example of this is the sensor in the left earpiece, which pauses audio if you take the XM4’s off. Most of the improvements with the XM4’s are hidden away under their metaphorical hood. The Sony ‘phones feature subtle design and sound enhancements Noise-cancelling and audio parameters are then optimised accordingly. As with the earlier model, holding down the Custom button switches the XM4 into calibration mode, which means they can detect air pressure, the shape of your noggin and if you’re wearing glasses. By default, it’ll switch between noise cancelling and the ambient sound modes, but you can tell it to do tasks such as firing up the Google Assistant (or Alexa). The NC/Ambient button is now labelled “custom.” This is because you can now choose the button’s function. On the controls front, the XM4’s button layout is unchanged from that used with the XM3 – with one exception. Both these small tweaks might not sound like a lot, but they do help to prevent one’s head from feeling as if it is stuck in a vice. Padding has also been trimmed off the top of their headband. Because of this, the XM4’s come with slightly larger earcups, along with softer memory-foam padding. That said, Sony has engineered several subtle tweaks to their design to improve wearability. They still come in black or silver, and like their older siblings, they come with a nifty carry case that has an inflight adaptor and cable bundled. Looks-wise, you’d be hard-pressed to tell one from the other. One of the best noise-cancelling cans around may now be even better, but just how much better than the XM3’s are they? The memorably named WH-1000XM4 2 headphones are superb In short, if you loved the XM3’s, you’ll probably be very impressed by the refinements incorporated into the XM4’s. The XM4 is more about improving on what was special with the XM3 headphones than radical re-invention. Sony has stuck with the sensible strategy of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Two years on, Sony is a force to be reckoned when it comes to earphones and earbuds, and now they’re back with the XM3’s successor, which Sony has creatively branded the WH-1000XM4 (kinda rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?) Despite the boring name, they’re cracking good cans. In the review, I asked, “Are these the perfect wireless headphones?” They quickly became a personal favourite thanks to their industrial-strength noise-cancelling and impressive audio. My go-to over-ear noise-cancelling cans, Sony’s WH-1000XM3 headphones scored a perfect 10/10 back in December 2018. Sony’s already legendary wireless headphones just got even better and PAT PILCHER’s ears are thanking him for it. Sony Wh-1000XM4 wireless headphones review
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