Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Headphones Review

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are one of the most feature-packed, user-friendly and sonically gifted pairs of wireless earbuds we've ever come across. They're also one of the most affordable options, a good choice for anyone looking to get started with wireless headphones but who doesn't want to break the bank.

Packaging

The WF-1000XM4 are packed in a compact, minimal gray box that's 34 per cent smaller than the XM3 and is plastic free, which is great news for those who care about the environment. The charging case is also 40% smaller and the earbuds themselves are 10% slimmer than their predecessors, which should mean they'll fit in most pockets.

Considering their size, the WF-1000XM4 aren't as discreet as the Bose QuietComfort Series or Jabra 85t (our top picks), but they're still among the best on the market in terms of noise cancellation, and you'll find them to be a pleasure to use in most environments.

In terms of performance

The Sony WF-1000XM4 do a really excellent job of noise cancellation, which is largely thanks to the foam tips that come pre-installed on the earbuds. They seal very well to oddly shaped ears, and the isolation they offer is impressively effective. I'd say they do an even better job of blocking out outside sound than the previous generation of Sony earbuds, which is no small achievement for a pair that can cost so much money.

They also have a 'Speak to Chat' function that lets you pause music and talk to someone over the microphone without taking them out of your ears. That's a very handy feature if you work remotely or need to have conversations in a noisy environment.

Call Quality

The microphones are good, with a range of features designed to improve clarity and reduce background noise during calls. These include beam-forming and Precise Voice Pickup technology, plus a bone conduction sensor that stops the mics from picking up ambient sounds while you're talking. They also offer automatic wind noise reduction, which helps cut out swirls of sound that pass through the earbuds and into your ears, too.

Controls

To control the Sony WF-1000XM4 you'll need to download and install the Headphones Connect app, which is a free download from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. It's the control hub for the WF-1000XM4 and allows you to set up a variety of different customisation settings, including adjusting the volume, changing the voice assistant, or turning on/off active noise cancelling.

You can also change the earbud's control scheme or add new ones through the app. It's a relatively easy process, though it's worth reading the documentation to learn what you can do and which buttons do what.

Quick Attention

The left earbud has a touchpad that you can use to lower the music volume temporarily so that you can hear loudspeaker announcements in a public space, for example. It's a very useful feature, especially in busy environments like airports and trains where you may need to listen to the announcements at a low level for a short while before you can focus on your conversation.