Sony WF-1000XM4

Midget gems

Sony’s buds play it by ear

EARBUDS ❘ £244 from Amazon www.snipca.com/39008

FITNESS WATCH ❘ £129 from Amazon www.snipca.com/39009

Sony’s latest active noise-cancelling earbuds don’t come cheap, but they have a new design that’s more compact and better looking than previous models. And the sleeker appearance is just the start of the improvements.

The noise-cancelling hardware inside does a great job of dampening the background noise around you. Also, the 6mm speaker drivers have been tweaked to improve low-end frequencies, so there’s significantly better bass tones than we’ve heard from Sony earbuds in the past. They also now work over Bluetooth 5.2.

The charging case can now be topped up wirelessly; Sony’s Digital Sound

SPECIFICATIONS

6mm dynamic drivers • Bluetooth 5.2 • USB-C cable • Wireless charging case • 40x67x30mm (HXDXW) • 41g • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/39008

Enhancement Engine (DSEE), which enhances lossy audio formats such as MP3 and AAC, has been upgraded; and the buds have an IPX4 rating for water resistance.

The Speak-to-chat feature is another great addition. This detects your voice and automatically pauses the music and noise cancelling, so you can have a conversation with someone without having to remove the buds. It also learns about the environments you tend to find yourself in and automatically switches noise-cancelling profiles to suit each one.

Sound quality is excellent, with crystal-clear vocals and powerful, full-bodied bass. We listened to a broad range of musical styles through these buds and no matter what type of music you like, they will play it superbly well.

The noise-cancelling feature isn’t quite as effective as on our favourite earbuds, the Bose Quietcomfort (£250 from www.snipca.com/39010), but it’s not far off, and these Sony buds are smaller and more discreet, if that’s important to you.

Excellent noise-cancelling earbuds in a small, discreet and comfortable design

VERDICT

Bose Quietcomfort £250 Even better noise-cancellation, but the buds are larger and protrude further out of your ears

ALTERNATIVE