WIRELESS HEADPHONES
Huge technological advances and keen competition add up to a real bonanza for the buyer in this sector
Sony WH-1000XM4 £279
These advanced over-ears represented such a significant step forward for Sony when they featured on these pages last year that we’re not at all surprised they’re here again this year.
That’s not to say Sony has sat on its laurels: you can now specify these noise-cancellers in Midnight Blue and Silent White as well as Silver or Black.
Fit is very comfortable and there’s just enough pressure to grip your ears and get a solid seal around them without the headphones feeling too loose – although we wouldn’t recommend using them during exercise.
You’ll need to run Sony’s NC Optimiser (via the ‘Custom’ button) before you use the headphones for the first time. It optimises the noise-cancelling based on factors such as the shape of your face and whether or not you wear glasses.
Among the headline features here is an advanced DSEE Extreme sound processor that attempts to upscale compressed music to near hi-res quality, and an artificial intelligence technology called Edge-ai. This was developed with the help of Sony Music Studios Tokyo to analyse music in real-time to reproduce a more accurate sound, more faithful to the original track.
There’s no aptx or aptx HD support, but the Sonys are compatible with the company’s own LDAC technology, which allows you to stream high-quality audio wirelessly from a compatible source. You can also switch between two Bluetooth-connected devices. Battery life is among the best in class, with a full charge lasting up to 38 hours.
These headphones offer a hugely impressive noise-cancelling performance. You feel isolated from the outside world, leaving you free to enjoy the music. And that music sounds sweet indeed. There’s a wide soundfield and a huge amount of detail as well as unusually high (at this price) levels of composure and confidence, especially when it comes to lower frequencies. You won’t want for power, punch or a sense of poise, either.
Play Ramin Djawadi’s cover of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army and the clarity and definition of the strings really shines through. There’s an especially enjoyable smoothness in the treble too.
Timing and dynamics are equally impressive, the headphones communicating dynamic shifts with ease. Their sense of enthusiasm, pace and agility also means they’re as happy charging through The xx’s I Dare You as they are getting to grips with the complexities of Radiohead’s 15 Step. The WH-1000XM4S are supremely comfortable, carry useful features and, more importantly, give you impressive sound quality for the money.