Sony WF-1000XM4 quick review: Top-class earbuds with ANC

Sony WF-1000XM4 review:  As the demand for the premium true wireless (TWS) earbuds is growing in India, Japanese company Sony introduced top-class earbuds, WF-1000XM4, the latest addition to the truly wireless category in the critically acclaimed 1000X series,  ​in India that comes with a lot of interesting features in a bid to impress music enthusiasts in the country.

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Priced at Rs 19,990 in India, the newly launched WF-1000XM4 is available across Sony retail stores (Sony Center and Sony Exclusive), major electronic stores, and other e-commerce websites in India. The earbuds are available in silver and black colors and we used the silver color variant for more than two weeks. Here's what I think of this newly launched device from Sony.

The Sony WF-1000XM4, the successor to the WF-1000XM3, has performed very well during the review period. The earbuds come with active noise cancellation  (ANC), mobile app support, and wireless charging and support the LDAC Bluetooth codec which promises better sound quality with compatible source devices. 

If we talk about design, the light-weight WF-1000XM4 earbuds come with a different design as compared to its predecessor -- XM3 -- and that goes for the packaging as well. The good part is, Sonay has moved to simple, eco-friendly packaging. 

Also, WF-1000XM4 earbuds are quite large, however, I didn't feel any discomfort while using this review unit. Also, in case you're confused with size, You can find the right fit for your ears with the Sony | Headphones Connect App. The app takes you through a few simple measurements to find the ideal size of Noise Isolation earbud tips to ensure maximum sound quality and minimum outside noise.

The WF-1000XM4 have been designed to be smaller and lighter. Redesigned to be 10 per cent smaller than the previous generation, without compromising on sound quality or battery life and the charging case is 40 per cent smaller. 

The earbuds are lightweight, making them your perfect companion for long days out and about. The Sony WF-1000XM4 earpieces are rated IPX4 for water resistance. Whether you’re caught in light rain, these earbuds will have your back. Touch controls on the Sony WF-1000XM4 are customisable through the Sony Headphones Connect app. 

The charging case of the Sony WF-1000XM4 matches the colour and texture of the earpieces. It isn't too large which makes it pocketable and easy to carry around. There is a USB Type-C port at the back for charging, and a status indicator light on the front, just under the lid. The charging case also supports Qi wireless charging.

The WF-1000XM4 comes with easy pairing and voice assistant capabilities --  just say “Hey Google” or “Alexa9"  to activate your preferred voice assistant. Enjoy entertainment, connect with friends, get information, listen to music and notifications, set reminders, and more. The WF-1000XM4 earbuds support Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature. 

In one tap, the WF-1000XM4 enables quick, effortless Bluetooth pairing with your Android devices. The earbuds also come with Microsoft Swift Pair, which makes it easy to connect with Windows 10 devices. Get hands-free help - just say “Hey Google” or “Alexa”10 to activate your preferred voice assistant. Along with that, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds come with '360 Reality Audio'. With this feature, a new immersive audio experience can be enjoyed on the earbuds when combined with any smartphone that has a participating streaming services app installed.

Also, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds feature impressive noise cancellation technology. There is a custom chipset V1, that takes the noise cancellation performance of Sony's acclaimed QN1e chip even higher. It also enhances sound quality and reduces distortion. The earbuds also feature high-performance dual noise sensor microphones for excellent noise cancellation. 

The earbuds come with instant pause and play for a seamless experience. If the user takes the earbuds out of the ear, the music stops. The proximity sensor detects when you are wearing one or both earbuds. The newly-designed 6mm driver unit with a 20 per cent increase in magnet volume also improves the WF-1000XM4's noise-cancelling capabilities.

Overall, the WF-1000XM4 offers an impressive noise cancellation system that does a decent job of reducing the low rumbles of bus or plane engines. The WF-1000XM4 offers precise voice pickup technology and a comfortable hands-free calling experience. Combining the technology with microphones and a bone-conduction sensor, the Sony earphones pick up your voice clearly and accurately for hands-free calls. Also, the new bone-conduction sensor only picks up vibrations from voice, enabling even clearer speech when making calls. It also has a 'Speak-to-Chat' feature that lets users have short conversations without taking out the earbuds.

As soon as a user speaks to someone, 'Speak-to-Chat' automatically pauses the music and lets in ambient sound so you can conduct a conversation. The earbuds also feature Adaptive Sound Control, a smart feature that senses where the user is and what he/she is doing for example if you are traveling, walking or waiting - then adjusts ambient sound settings for the ideal listening experience. You can opt to have Adaptive Sound Control learn to recognize places that you frequently visit, like office, the gym, or a café, and tailor sound to suit the situation.  

Thanks to the ANC feature, my listening experience was great. I was listening to the songs from two popular Korean dramas -- 'One Spring Nights' and 'Something in the rain' on Spotify and YouTube, and my experience was good. I also watched web series on these earbuds and the overall performance was decent. While taking calls or watching movies for long hours and playing games such as Garena Free Fire and Battlegrounds Mobile India, I felt that audio performance was up to the mark.  ​In terms of battery performance, on a full charge, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds offer around nine hours of power, and the handy charging case provides a further 16 hours to keep you going throughout the day. Also, a 5-minute quick charge can give users up to 60 minutes of playtime.

Sony WF-1000XM4 verdict: Available at 19,990, Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are top-class premium true wireless earbuds available in India, which will give tough competition to Apple AirPods (3rd Generation), OnePlus Buds Pro, Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 - all of which also comes in the premium category. Overall, WF-1000XM4 earbuds have a simple design, good battery life, and power sound performance.