Sony WF-1000XM4
£249
How do you improve on arguably the best all-round true wireless earbuds on the market? Well, Sony decided to go back to the drawing board and design a brand-new pair – and the result is the WF-1000XM4. Turns out this was a very good decision.
These are one of the most featurepacked, user-friendly and sonically gifted pair of wireless earbuds we’ve ever tested. Despite being in the firing line of rivals such as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 (£279), Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds (£249) and Apple Airpods Pro (around £200 at the time of writing), they still steal the gong.
Sony has ditched the usual glossy box for recycling packaging made from a special blend of paper, and the compact case charges wirelessly as well as via USB-C, adding a further 16 hours of charge to the buds’ eight hours (with noise-cancelling and Bluetooth on).
These buds have a rounder body than their predecessors, the XM3, as well as new eartips, and we have no problems sliding the earbuds in and twisting them into place. We also find them comfortable over longer listening sessions.
The circular outer surface of each earpiece is a touchpad and, by using the Headphones Connect app, you can customise the functionality of each one. They can control volume and playback or switch between noise-cancelling and ambient sound modes through the usual combination of taps, presses and long holds – and the headphones are quick to respond to these actions.
Noise-cancelling is excellent, especially for a pair of wireless earbuds. In fact, you’ll struggle to find better noise cancellation at this level.
We’re keen to hear how the earbuds handle one of our favourite bass-heavy test tracks, Massive Attack’s Angel – and we’re blown away by the confidence with which the song is dispatched. Every element of that pulsing bassline is precisely deployed and dripping in texture. But there’s clarity across the frequency board too, as well as a sense of rhythmic precision that allows the Sonys to switch pace effortlessly. There’s also a level of detail that makes rival ’phones sound congested.
These headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality.