Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones: But Do They Sound Good? 

It's kind of interesting how wired and wireless headphones have become two different animals. To me wired headphones are high end appliances that allow you to indulge in fine details in your music. You can hear a performer's foot lightly tapping on the stage, or the texture of a violin bow. Wireless headphones are all about freedom and comfort. I can truly relax without dealing with an annoying wire, I can get up and walk around, I can answer phone calls seamlessly.

I’ve reconciled with the fact that my Bose qc35 aren’t going to be super music friendly but I like listening to podcasts and RU-vid videos. I have some monitor headphones for my pc rig. Appreciate your honest reviews!

Love the different approach and insight here! It's nice watching an XM4 video without having to hear all the specs listed out 🙌

It's ridiculous how people review these headphones and just say that they sound... GOOD!

XM3 user here. Not enough of an audiophile to know whether there are sound deficiencies, but I do have the same issue with the headband. I can do about 3 or 4 hours in them (lots of Zoom calls) before they start to hurt. I am super, super glad that they kept the same look with the XM4’s - I think they look super sharp.

Spot on for the sound quality. EQ the highs up also changed everything for me. Clearly the wired "audiophiles" headphones are much better, but here we're talking wireless/BT when you're away from the wires and DAC, in this "commercial" category they do a good job and please the 98%-ish of people who are not audiophiles. LDAC helps a little but doesn't do miracles against the sound signature. Sennheiser equivalents may have better sound depending on what you like but they have their drawbacks as well. Bluetooth, battery life and portability are too much of a limitation to make great sounding cans, but those are overall good for their purpose and it's still better than nothing.

I just wanna say that this was one of the most useful and pleasant reviews I've watched. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I was expecting much more extensive coverage of the sound quality topic for XM4, especially that you tell us at the beginning that this is not an headphone review on wear, quality, feel, etc. Non the less, thanks for the effort.

Wow really surprised it wasn’t too comfortable for you because these hands down are the MOST comfortable headphones I’ve EVER had and they sound amazing. At the normal settings the bass was way too reserved for me but I was able to edit the settings and raise it up and WOW do they have some bass on em xD. They sound amazing and on top of all that the noise canceling best I’ve ever had as well as all the features and customization available in the app. Hands down a must buy for me I was kinda skeptical at first spending 350$ on them but so glad I did now

Watching this with my new xm4s on my head :)

I really like your reviews of contemporary tech. Just for reference: what are the wired headphones you show sitting on your desk?

I am very happy you made a headphone review, yours are really great!

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for the great review 😺👍

Thanks for this review! I've been looking for this kind of review that focuses on sound quality and of course for me who loves music.

Can you make a video about good headphones (non-audiophile, budget) for glasses wearers? You seem to be the best person to ask!

Finally, someone commented about the headband! Man, I've watched tons of reviews about the WH-1000XM4 before I've decided to purchase mine, and no single soul talked about this! I've been using mine for the last two days, and since the first time using it I have already noticed this issue. After about one hour of use, I start to feel kinda discomfort, and then I need to change the position of the headband a little bit. The earpads are really comfortable, and I have no complaints about them though. It isn't the top-notch sound quality as an audiophile would like, but for its convenience, practicality, and great ANC, for the average consumer (like myself), it is a really great headphone! Greetings from Brazil.

I have the WF-1000XM3s and the same app. I can relate to your experience! I have clear bass set at -2 (some music I prefer with -3 but overall I found this a good compromise) and 15.6KHz at +2. I adjusted some of the other bands as well. Also, their head band is not too narrow. ;)

Nice review. Has anybody ever told you your voice is similar to Mordecai from the Regular Show?

With my XM2's, the comfort definitely comes after the headband is broken in a little bit. Needs some time to soften up.

Love your Apple reviews Colin, got to say your style is just great for reviewing these headfones which I bought a couple weeks back, use theses now for Zoom VOIP calls not as good as the Bose 700 I was using but I enjoy The music far more

I would love it if you could make a review of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 - maybe one day. All the best

Am glad you made a video on these am planning on ordering a pair next week although the wife is putting them away for Christmas 🙄 in the stocking! 😂

Thank you for the honest review ✌️

Wow! Just the video l was looking for.

I love watching things that i cant afford

As an older guy, I find it odd when headphones are referred to as, "cans." As for the Bose: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose!"

I've just bought these on sale, adjusted the EQ and now they sound pretty great.

Nailed it about Consumer sound for Bose. I own NC700's and am very satisfied

I have that older pair of Sony Noise Cancelling cans and I honestly love the way they sound, something about their sound signature and style is fantastic, particularly in how immersive and spacious they feel. How would you compare the XM4s in terms of sound to that older pair you showed in the video?

I love the make that you are giving to us the settings

Great and honest review. I have a Sony H900N and I want an upgrade but you make me think twice to go for it. Thanks

Great video! I got a question though, if I use my xm4 on my walkman, will the eq settings applied to the headphones directly or it has to go through the Sony app?

I bought mine already and keeping it for 5 years before upgrading! I got the xtra base N1 it got broken!

could you recommend your equaliser settings for them?

I was extremely surprised at the sound quality from the WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds. I'm an avid airpod pro user and I'll be the first to say that music sounds so much better on the Sony's. I won't ditch my airpods but I really like the Sony's. Ive been interested in XM3's now in hopes that the price will come down now that the XM4's have been released.

I'd really like to know how the microphone isolation compares to the QC35. I haven't seen much in the way of microphone isolation. I bought my wife a pair of QC35's as a gift, and she loves them, but people can still hear her typing and they can hear the light rail that passes our home during the day. I don't get the same complaints about my MX3's.

Would you mind sharing your preferred EQ settings you spoke of? Thanks!

Great review. I've wanted someone to talk about music quality but no one has until now. The Momentum 3's are running $300 or less now, what are your thoughts about a match up between the XM4's and the Momentum 3's? I want to listen to music on my iPhone, should I wait for the Apple Studio's or go with something else - just based on music quality (codecs are very confusing). I prefer a more faithful music reproduction to artificially enhanced lows, mid ranges or highs.

Just got my pair of XM4s, first impressions they sound great. After EQ, even better. However, looking back to something like my M50s which I had tossed aside for some time now, they don't sound that much better. So yeah I agree, unless you were looking for wireless headphones specifically and don't already have a pair, the XM4s aren't the best bet. For me though, I'm happy.. My M50s cable is damaged, headband and earcups fraying and is overall just looks like its holding on for dear life at this point. The XM4s were a great wireless replacement; not compliment as my only headphones from now on.

Great review! I own the previous cans, can you suggest a great dance EQ . I want bass with crisp highs. Thank you.

It would be great if you could do a review of Beoplay h95’s! In comparisons to what you’ve listened too

Thanks for a review, It was nice to listen it. I have one side comment. Many reviewers forget to mention which codec are being used while testing. Sony are really bad with SBC codec or quite OK with Apple's AAC, with LDAC though it is completely different story, sound becoming more crisp, bass not so exhausting and everything is more balanced with little advantage of highs and bass though. I think is hard to expect something much better from Bluetooth listening than Sony's with LDAC.

I have had a pair of XM3s for a year. By far the best sounding NC headphones I’ve used. After several pairs of Bose (which I kept losing on planes,remember those?) it was a revelation. The hot spot on your head is a reminder that you’ve been using your headphones too long and need to make a cup of tea.

I got mine for Christmas and love them. I have only charged them once since Christmas 🎄 and it’s the 8th of January.

It's a good looking headphone, a couple more millimetres on the headband width wouldn't hurt it. Love your headphone content Colin!

My Sennheiser PXC 550 (original model, not the 'II') almost seem underrated imo. Am I overlooking something? I value "flat" frequency response with when considering ANC wireless cans and this is the bet pair I've found. My friend has entrusted me with finding him an upgrade to his Bose QC35 and I'm biased to just suggest getting my pair, the PXC550's. Thoughts?

I'am meticulous about sound and i like your review because you understand that sound is subjective matter and you have that intelligence to distinguish different point of views (audiophiles and normal people)

Your review confirms my preference for xm4. It is not for older kind of music. And I have a big head and I like the bands. Cans?!

What camera are you using?!😮 so crisp!

Thank you for the great video. Since you showed the Sony MDR-100ABN in the video - could you comment on whether upgrading from those to the 1000XM4 would be worth the money? You say that the 100ABN are more comfortable, but what about sound quality and noise cancelling?

I have the same issue with the headband. My easy fix was to wrap velcro tape (soft side/rough side kind) very tightly around the center (soft side out) then double wrapped velcro tape on the right end of the headband as well as the left.

thankfully I have no issues with comfort...I can forget these are on my head...and have done that lol. love these headphones....stoked for the upcoming wf xm4s

You should get your hands on a pair of the AudioQuest Nighthawks if you want a bizarre headphone adventure. The bass is monsterous, yet, all the detail is there in crystal clarity. It's strange, but yet an oddly relaxing pair of headphones you can wear all day without getting fatigued.

I also get the soreness, and I also do the moving around to the back and front to lessen the weird sore feel, I’m glad I’m not alone. I was wondering is the width was the problem and that actually helps.

Can you share your manual EQ settings for the XM4 on the companion app

I was really hoping he'd talking about the supported codecs and the DSEE Extreme upscaling since this is a video about sound quality.

the equalizer is a really nice thing that i think more headphones should have

Im deciding between buying the XM4 or the MDR-1AM2, very different headphones but, talking about sound quality which do you prefer?

What I want to hear is how much it sounds better over the XM3 with LDAC Bluetooth codec connection.

Just made the move from my QC35 to the XM4s... I actually really enjoy both pairs - my QC’s were absolute beasts as I used them since the day they came out .. I use them for travel ~100K miles a year, movies, music etc.... Really curious to see how the XM’s hold up to extensive travel and the beating I typically put my stuff through!

Hey, can you please share your EQ settings with us? Would be so helpful. Thanks very much!

Thanks for the review. The feature about comfort especially rings true for me. I've had these for a week and definitely appreciate the review

Alright, I’m currently watching this with my couple hour old Sony WH-1000xm4’s, and let me tell you what I think. The noise canceling is super super good with outside noises, like a loud fan, cars on the street, and birds chirping. The ambient sound doesn’t sound too good though. It definitely makes things around you louder, but It doesn’t sound insanely real. It sounds like everything has a voice filter, and in the best words I can think of, muffled. I think as for comfort, they sit perfectly on your head, and depending on what I was doing, (sitting, standing, walking, ETC) I didn’t feel the need to adjust them. I think head size is super important though. For people with smaller heads, these headphones may feel a little small, but not to the point where they fall off. For people with larger sized heads, I think the squeeze if perfect, and in no way is it too tight. Overall, I think if your looking for a good quality, wireless noise canceling headphones, I would definitely recommend you these headphones.👍

Your sound preference seems similar to mine. What are your ideal headphones? I'd love to get a pair that's "perfect" to you because I think there's a great chance that they'd sound really good to me, as well.

As a stupid question, I've been looking to replace my Sony MDR-7506 at my home studio (closet) and have been wondering of these are a good option because you can bring down the bass in the companion app. Is this a possibility? Or just stick with the MDR-7506s?

I think this is the first review that talked about the pressure spot on top of the head the Sony's cause! That is the reason I returned the XM3's for the QC35 II's. I don't think the QC's sound amazing and the Sony does edge them out with NC. Before 2020 happened, I used to take the bus (about 45 minutes) to and from work in the MN winter. Comfort and the QC's not shutting off after 30 seconds outside if it is below freezing were what drove me to the QC's, even though I really wanted to like the Sony's.

This headphones really put you into another dimension. Im using my XM4 for a week, and just one thing is bad on it, and thats the case for it, also microphones can be better for phone calls, but Im mostly not using it

What about the MIC? worthy for meetings and calls? confused between XM4 and Microsoft Headphones 2

I appreciate you mentioning what settings you changed on the EQ to improve the sound. For some reason a LOT of reviewers just say "after adjusting the EQ they're much better" without any elaboration lol Anyway, the WH-1000XM3 have the worst UX of any headphones I've ever used, I hope they improved it with the new XM4 Issues: -Have to hold down the power button for ~10 seconds to turn them on -Doesn't remember noise cancelling settings. Whenever you turn them on, NC is on. This means you have to press a button to cycle through 3 settings to get to normal non-NC mode every time you use them -Can't pair to multiple devices simultaneously & can't charge and listen -Touch controls were very unresponsive & more of a gimmick than a useable feature -Sound quality was fine, but not $100+ better than my old Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2s In the end I went with the Master & Dynamic MH40 Wireless for

Great video! Tackling the issue of if it actually sounds good was so helpful! I am less tempted to get these and I can save some money. For my situation I don't need world class noise canceling. I would prefer overall better audio quality.

Just tried your sound suggestions I like it

After i had setting the custom EQ Apps, i feel better

Does the xm4 have the same issue as the xm3 that when it is to cold the touch pad messes up or is that fixed, I live in sweden and it is cold here half of the year soooo don't really want that issue for that price

I have the 1000x M4 now. I know what you mean by the 'pain' caused by the headband. It sort of feels like a little fire has been set on top of your head.

What kind of headphones were those hanging on the wall to your right? Are they audiophile quality? How is the bass?🎵

wow, finally someone who actually knows what they're talking about instead of just following the trend.

Interested by the comparison between wireless and wired (which I think you say is better).

Not one reviewer is talking about the XM4 hissing noise issue on either ear cup. I had to RMA mine and there are tons of posts on Reddit and Sony forums about this. I can't believe not one RU-vidr got a dud, there are people currently on their third pair, it's crazy.

Wow perfect video for me. I am still debating to get the XM4 but i still have the QC35, i have heard the XM3 in a shop and was not too impressed by comfort and sound was too boomy (but i did not play with EQ). I think a much better buy would be the earbuds Momentum True wireless 2 or the Sony WF-1000XM3 ones since they sound good too.

I have both xm3 and xm4, if you want sound go with wired but if you want the best wireless get the xm4 or if you on a budget get the XM3.

Have a question about the Sonys. When you EQ them does it save the settings on the headphones? For example if I use the app and make them sound brighter then connect them to a TV or a PC do they still sound bright? Or does the EQ only work when connected to a phone.

Wearing a pair of good old, wired of course DT770 pro's , as far a concept as can be... But must say anybody trying these will never regret! Also you can get them for like 130 bucks just anywhere, so there's a chance you'll find some kind of sale and get them for little over 100. The value is enormous!

I'm right there with the recommendations to go cabled. Give Grado a try - the $100 SR60i is the best sounding pair I've ever found, but it needs a good quality sound source. PC built in audio doesn't have enough signal damping (Q)

Would you say that someone coming from the XM3's should definitely not bother? Multi-device synching is intriguing, but everyone seems to say it's a hard argument sound-wise to upgrade.

Can you share your eq setting I. Happy with it so far

The volume on my XM4s goes quiter once I hit or go above 70% volume on my Samsung S10+, but when my XM4s are connected to something a different device, the Volume increases as normal and as expected. Is this an android-sony issue? Also I only notice this when using the SoundCloud app so wondering if it could be SoundCloud's fault 70% or 7/10 volume everything sounds normal. Sometimes I need louder so when I chanfe the volume to 80%, 90% or even max volume, the mids & highs remain the same volume but the lows (bass) changes slightly. Again, this when I my XM4s are connected to my Samsung S10+ and using the SoundCloud app.

got my today, few things you must do before using: from your app : optimize noise canceling (can also be done by holding down the "CUSTOM" button ) and atmospheric pressure, update the firmware (fixing the pairing issues with windows ). must always be ON when using else you get bad sound. good sound quality - switching from "audio technica m40x", light and comfortable , no pressure , no sweaty ears.

I think I have a problem with my Sony xm4, I just got them and today when I had them on and I tried to swipe to the next song the volume went down, so now when I swipe down or up the track changes and left to right the volume changes , how can I change that

I have a pair of Bose qc 35 mk 1s, the earcups are destroyed (I already replaced them once), and I started noticing some Bluetooth glitching and a high pitch sound here and there... really considering those xm4s as a replacement, but there seem to be so many sacrifices

So I used to own a pair of Beats Studio 3’s. I did enjoy them, but I felt the ANC was lacking, and that they were pretty bulky. The sound was good, but I just was ok with them. I tried AirPods Pro, and I loved everything about them...but they hurt my ears terribly. So I have a pair of AirPods 2 now, and while I love them and their convenience, they don’t isolate obviously and sometimes I want to just have me and the music. Enter the XM4. I had gotten rid of my Beats, and I was longing for a quality ANC set. This checks all the boxes for me. With the EQ control I can tune the sound to my taste, and the sound is miles better than I experienced with Beats. Plus I got them for well less than $350 plus tax. So, so far, so good. I just got a free trial of Tidal, so I’m gonna fiddle with the 360 Audio and check out some Hifi stuff.

Colin: @ 07:26 - what is the name of the headphones you have in your hand there?

Can you tell what should I get bose or Sony?

Really good review

Is there an EQ adjustment that can be made so that my MX4 Is very aggressive most high and low and basically punches me in the face?

Greatly Appreciated!!

I really agree with the comfort. The bose is superior on that part. I got that soreness too. Both on my head and ears. Xm4 is horrible in warm weather too. And yes, I have tried both.

I have seen people say wired is best but when I tried the wired connection to my Xperia xz1 compact phone the sound was pretty poor. I changed back to Bluetooth and it sounded much better. Could there be a settings issue when wired? you do seem to lose some functionality. It doesn't work with the headphone app when wired for starters.

9:00 Best Buy has a setup where the display has an integrated 3.5mm pin to plug into your phone. Also as someone who had QC35, I personally I recommend people who want functionality stick to those, but AUDIOPHILES should pony up the dough for the XM4s. I should my QCs for 100 bicks to soften the blow.

Oh yes, I had a Bowers & Wilkins P3 with a very narrow headband and that thing hurt, also behind my ears because on-ear+glasses, but never problems with my Sennheiser HD 650, Beyerdynamic T5p or Bowers & Wilkins PX.

5:30 My version has an adjustable headband. The flush fit around my ears allows me to loosen the headband very well. I think size matters? 😳