I'm still using the XM3 and I freaking love them. If you're patient you can usually find them on sale. I am pretty certain I got mine for 199 USD in 2018. I know the fit won't be the same for everybody but I have worn them for multiple 16+ hour flights and they make the travel soooo much better. Definitely no problem making the entire flight with the battery life. Headphones are so particular to the consumer, but for me these are the best travel-friendly, wear-while-doing-household-tasks headphones I have. In fact, I am using them right now. For Hi-Fi, sit-at-the-computer headphones, I would go with something else.
I got them used on amazon in february to have something better than my airpods and i really enjoy the difference. They do a perfect job for my needs. Good review 👍🏼
I had to EQ mine to get more vocal clarity from them. Overall they are excellent and the app support is very good. An easy recommendation especially when they land under $300 with discounts.
@@zowo6604 No. It does not. I have both headphones. My dad has these and I had the MDRXB950BT/B and then I accidentally broke it so my dad let me borrow the WH1000XM4. It sounds like the drums are weirdly isolated.
Absolutely agree. To be honest I haven't been able to find any flaw about these headphones. They are truly great, their value is just insane. I did not manage to find them on sale though, at the time I bought them they had just been in for a couple of weeks, but I love them so much that I would have paid much more for them and still would be totally satisfied.
@@johnyksf Thank you for your feedback. What exactly happens when you hook them to a Samsung TV? I'm curious. Unfortunately we only own a couple of Bravia TVs and a couple of cheap 65" TCL in the basement, but Samsung TVs are amongst the best in the world, I wonder what could be wrong with them? Honestly with all the Apple and Windows computers in the house we have I've never heard of any hickups from anyone about any of the 3 pairs of the XM4s (and 2 old pairs of XM3s as well) we own. Everyone is perfectly happy with those incredible Sony headphones for every purpose they could fill.. Anyway, I am really interested to know what could go wrong with those Samsung TVs honestly, let me know, we were about to buy an 85" for our bedroom, maybe we should not based on your experience, as we are huge lovers of Sony headphones to get into our experience.
Had Mark 3's for couple years now and they are just awesome❤️❤️❤️. Have worn them continuously on several short & long haul flights with little or no break, the comfort & the 30 hour ANC playback makes it possible. The only thing lacking in XM3 was call quality, because the same microphones were being used for ANC as well as call mic, which Sony claims has been fixed in Mark 4 by adding an internal feedback mic. Will definitely upgrade to Mark 4 soon.
Going from a cheap ass wired earbud to this headphone, it's like discovering a whole new realm, absolutely stunning! The only problem this headphone has is the mic, quite terrible, if I would say. I rarerly use the mic though, so it's not a big deal.
Picked mines up today from Best Buy. Turned them on & headed straight to the gym, later on I used them to play some PUBG on PC using the headphone jack wire. Overall rating… 10/10 beast of headphones. Noise cancellation is unbelievable, sound is crisp & clear. I’d recommend to anyone who is looking to purchase a pair.
As an audiophile, kinda, I want to share some points: - Audio quality via bluetooth is just OK for me. Of course, it's bluetooth. - Sounds amazing for ~$300 via cable WITH power on. - Sounds like a cheap headset via cable when it's off.
These were my first pair of headphones I've got over 300 and all I can say is I still use them now. They have been a delight and fulfill my needs. The duel pairing is also nice.
@@nicolaslajoierestrepo8176 I've had them since they came out so for about a few months. So for about 8 months. They have held up great. I use them everyday. Lol just make sure to clean the cups because grease or oil for your hands will show. But they look like new when clean.
I love when audio UA-camrs use a proper mic setup, I mean it's an obvious but still many small UA-camrs don't seem to follow the norm, but decent mic are even available for 50 bucks 🙄
Sony had always had great wireless headphones. I like these a lot. Honestly I still use my 2nd gen AirPods most of the time for the convenience, but I’d recommend these.
If you've only ever spent 100 on headphones, these will blow you away. It wasn't mentioned in the video but bass is a big feature of these, it's pretty tight and there's a lot of it. From my experience though, get the xm3's for half the money because they're 95% of these.
@@Djwatzy thanks for getting back to me! Supposedly it was improved on the XM4 but the example I heard was still pretty bad. I will be using my them mostly for travel so the mic is not a dealbreaker. I just ordered a pair of certified refurbished XM4’s for $200.
@@DJ-Coma apparently the Bose 700 has a better mic plus work with Skype and Zoom, plus probably a better sound. Inferior ANC though, and less bass (that's a matter of individual preference though).
@@avgonyma1 thanks for the info. I’m very happy with the XM4’s as I don’t really use the mic and the one time I did the person on the other end didn’t have any problems hearing me.
Once again, another review on these where there is no mention of or focus on how these sound when using the LDAC codec on an Android device or a Sony receiver like the STR-DN1080. That codec puts the SQ in a level of its own that can even rival the sound of some wired headphones. Jason, you really need to amend this review to include that crucial component that elevates these headphones above all others, including Apple’s new entry.
Do you mind elaborating on how to use the LDAC codec? I'm a complete newbie rhino to this field and I'm going to purchasing these headphones soon on sale.. How do I utilize that man? thanks!
@@tomharvard8286 basically, LDAC is available on any Android device. It’s a setting you turn on in the Bluetooth details. You can also get it from a Sony receiver like the STR-DN1080. Where you can’t get it from is Apple products. Because they have their own codec. You will definitely hear the difference though if you use LDAC, but they still sound fantastic without it. Hope that helps!
@@GarydeBrown wait is LDAC on iOS too? Everyone keeps mentioning good quality on these headphones and I was wondering of having them as a companions to my AirPods pro but If LDAC isn’t available I might reconsider
@@ripewatermelonlol LDAC is Sony's patented Bluetooth codec. It currently provides the highest quality sound (highest bitrate) of any Bluetooth headphones. Wired headphones can go much higher quality than Bluetooth, though. Apple does not have LDAC because they haven't liscenced the software from Sony, but they have their own strategies for raising quality. Ultimately, on paper, Sony has higher quality sound than Apple. However, bit-rate alone does not dictate the best sound. A good pair of headphones still needs to have a good balance of bass, mid, and high frequency sounds. Also, depending on your use, it probably won't matter. For example, LDAC provides 990 kb/s data speeds. Spotify Premium, high-quality-mode streaming only goes up to something like 330 kb/s. So after your headphones have gone over 330, the difference in quality for higher bit-rates is negligible, or at least has diminishing returns. If it is sound quality you want, don't get Bluetooth headphones. Cabled headphones are generally better. For example, look at the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros for similar price-range of the Sony XM4s. If you don't care THAT much about sound, then its likely the difference between Apple and Sony for you will be negligible in terms of sound anyway, and you should make your decision based on other factors such as their noise canceling, comfort, travel case, etc. Apple devices do not support LDAC, no. But it might not matter to many people anyway.
Balanced? Really? people criticise Beats for being loaded with base but then turn around and praise Sony's xm4s for their sound even though they're even more muddy.
You're promoting headphones that are overpriced and labelling them as balanced. It's ok to have your preference on a type of sound but misleading people to believe these headphones are neutral or balanced is wrong. I think its ironic you call yourself painfully honest yet just give an unoriginal review of the Sony xm4s identical to every other tech youtuber on this platform and just say the sound is "good" without any detail.@@thejasontlewis
Had to sell the XM3 because thanks to Covid19, I don't have to do long commutes and can just listen to speakers/pc headset at home. But when needed again, I know I'll look for the newest WH1000XM series. Especially now from XM4 on it finally supports multiple connections (2) at the same time.
I do hope Sony will improve the sound quality of the microphone with phone calls though. It only sounds acceptable when the conditions are right (not outside in windy conditions).
Its simple.... If you android ...buy either panda or Sony, will be able to make FULL use and capability of LDAC If you use IOS...you can use anything as the limitation is on Ios Apple support for only SBC.
I still use the WH1000XM2 and i have no remorse that i bought them 3 years ago. Listening to them makes me wonder if they get better after some time using them. They sound deep and bright enough for me even without using some sort of EQ on them. Noise cancelling is way enough for me because when you listen to music the noise around you is already less and the noise cancelling does it makes even more quiet during listening.
I find them muddy compared to my beloved M50BT, even if my Audio Technicas are not noise cancelling. I also wish they would change to more high quality materials and change their look to something more premium, after using the same formula year after year. I do find them comfortable though, always have with all the XM series.
I have these and enjoyed them at first (they’re good for what they are) but when the air pods max came out I got them being an iphone user and haven’t used the Sonys since. The difference is that striking, the sound, comfort, convenience, I use them daily. That is value for money.
great headphones, but sound quality is just ok. nothing more. I appreciate the honesty of the reviewer. I don't get it how so many other ones praise then so much from the sound quality perspective. I had to EQ then to get acceptable result. But I liked them very much anyway. B&W PX7 are so much better despite the ANC is not top notch - still very good. But I returned them too and fell in love with Dali iO-6 . Poor ANC but extremely good noise isolation and amazing sound. I recommend to anyone try PX7 and also iO-6 . Each of them are from different world.
Ordered as replacement for my 15y old wired SHP2000. Disappointment because of 35x the price and up to 40kHz - they sound almost the same. You can say Windows support and customization of Bluetooth audio codecs is poor at best. Although android LDAC sounds nice and has excellent range. Then there is this BIG issue of Bluetooth audio lag in shooting games which nobody wants to mention. Thankfully you can use input jack to get around that problem (headphones still have to be turned on and powered by battery). Touch controls and noise cancelling are awesome.
I love them. I got them for the noise cancelling and the battery life. On the other hand I had some Taotronics for $85 (they advertised that they use the same noise cancelling chip as the Sonys) that were pretty awesome but they broke at the earcup after 6 months. However, Taotronics customer support was great and sent me a new pair after sending them a photo of the breakage. My second pair of Taotronics died in a light mist (totally my fault, they are not advertised as waterproof). I was no longer under warranty and decided to splurge on the Sony XM4s. They are great and have some quality of life improvements over the Taotronics but are only marginally better, IMO. The sound quality is better but I think my ears adjust to whatever, and after a while I couldn't tell the difference unless it was a head-to-head competition. I'm no audiophile so, you know.
I purchased my XM4s a week ago and to be honest I just don't get along with them. I went for a walk around in the city today and those headphones drove me crazy because they were constantly stopping like the speak to chat things kept turning itself on even though I had turned it off on the app and on the headphones. For some reason they kept turning on again and I ended up just putting the headphones in my bag and that was that. I have a pair of €40.00 headphones and they've not given me an ounce of problems. Anyone interested in buying a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4's? Going cheap I promise..
@jada! : I got to tech support and had to reset the headphones as something went awry and wasn't configuring correctly. They're definitely on probation at the moment so one more slip-up and they're outta here :-)
The battery life is really impressive on these given the fact that they run LDAC. On my neck band if I use LDAC the battery life gets devoured and half the time as AAc codec
I just picked up a pair of XM-4's 2 day's ago; after my last headphone broke on me and my Sony Surround sound bar won't function correctly without lag on these new gen game console's. I gotta say I hated paying the price point for these, but these are the best headphones I've ever owned. I think the sound is incredibly crisp without any part of what I'm hearing being too distracting or intrusive. I can sacrifice a little bit of base for everything else this unit delivers.
grabbed it because someone returned it and it was more than 75euro off. The only "cons" I have with these is that after wearing them a while my ears get incredibly hot 🔥 and I would love to crank them up just a little bit more in the max volume. But that's where Sony always the" bravest kid" so you will. Safety first because they don't want any lawsuits getting you deaf. That's why I ditched their WF-1000XM3 TWS in ear buds, they were just too soft for me.
Just bought it. It's not canceling the noise enough. I can hear me talking and clapping, with just the phones on and even when I'm hearing music. Also the headphones doesn't completely sit tight on my head and ears even on the smallest set. I guess I have a small head. I'm pretty disappointed, I thought the world of them by the reviews.
in remote work era and such high cost of headphones, the lack of possibility to mute micropohone by button (only possible from soft) is disqualification for me
How do we fix the sound leakage issue? I hate that my XH1000-XM4 above 50% volume, everyone around me can hear really loudly what I'm listening to. But I love the headphones and how they feel, I don't want to have to return them because of that.
@@thejasontlewis it's quite big on me since I've got small ears, so I don't think it'll fit any better unfortunately. I tried to ignore it, but having to listen to much lower volume because of it everywhere I go is kind of frustrating after paying a lot for the headphones
@@antonelladelloca5852 Hey, I'm thinking of getting a pair but have heard they can be a loose fit, got small ears too so maybe not the best choice. How you getting on with the sound leakage?. Cheers
Question for Jason and the community: I've been eying the XM4s for entertainment use, but I also occasionally create and edit mostly spoken word audio content that needs to be decent, but necessarily super-accurate professional quality. Would these be serviceable for my needs as a pair of monitoring headphones during recording and editing, or should I also get a proper pair of monitoring headphones even if I get the XM4s?
This is the first video of yours that I’ve seen. It’s an excellent review, and I must say, there’s a quality about you that makes me want to sit down with you and just have a chat about life while drinking coffee, and I like that.
I use the XM4's outside and MAX's at home and the XM4's are more comfortable but the transparency mode and Noise-canceling is noticeably weaker than MAX and the XM4's sometimes doesn't work when it's freezing cold out. They are more comfortable with like 1 or 2 hour use and then around 4 hours they get very warm and I need to take them off.
They sound muddy if you use a low bitrate like AAC as it is only 256Kbs. Sony MX headphones run best with LDAC (not available on Apple devices) as the bitrate is 900Kbs and really improves the sound. On my Samsung S21 Ultra (or any Samsung) you can get a hearing test that lets boost frequencies you cannot hear. Running my headphones at 320Kbs I could only hear 80% of test sounds. Running in LDAC I could hear them all.
True and i have both and never used the Sonys again once i got the Maxes. It’s really simple though and all this arguing online about Sonys vs APMS is extremely tiresome. Iphone lacks the LDAC code and the Sonys work best for Android users. The APMS sound extraordinary on Apple devices so they are for Apple users (Apple optimizes the AAC codec on apple devices which is the codec of the APMS.)
I've got the XM4, and although I agree that the sound and noise cancelling is amazing, it's all those additional "features" that make me really dislike them. Whenever I talk to someone, they automatically pause the video I'm watching and/or enable passthrough. I've tried turning it off, but the software is too buggy for that. The voice assistance keeps loudly saying "Power On" or "Bluetooth Connect", and there is no way of turning this off or lowering the volume for it. I keep accidently touching the touch controls, and again, you can't turn them off. All I want from them is a On/Off buttom and connect to bluetooth. All the additional "Smart" features are just annoying.
Just bought surface headphones 2.... I'm a long-term user of the MDR1000X 1st gen and I tried the XM4's for 3 months and I found they were generally better sounding, but personally, the memory foam was uncomfortable for me compared to the plushy material on the 1st gen ones which were cushiony. I also found a virtually negligible difference in noise cancellation in a typical cafe setting. Secondly, I'm not a hardcore sound enthusiast and Surface headphones 2 provided the BEST user interface experience, plenty of equalizer control that makes a bloody big difference to audio quality, and the quick noise cancellation changeability instantaneously. Not to mention I'm doing a LOT of MS teams, and Zoom meetings so the mic quality and ability to hear yourself talking are key features for me personally.
There is a compatibility issue when using the XM4 with Samsung TVs. Occasionally, the audio will stutter and lags a couple of seconds from the video. Seems like it is a known problem since XM4 was launched. The new firmware 2.5.0 did not solve the issue. Sony support says that they are not able help with compatibility issues. Those who will be purchasing the XM4 to pair with Samsung TVs, please take note. Unfortunately, I just bought the XM4 last week with the sole purpose of using it with Netflix on my Samsung TV.
These go on sale ll every so often for $270...You can get the XM threes which also have APTX for $160 used. Probably the best ANC on an over ear headphone at the price. You can argue about bose I suppose. And Apple but that's a twice the price But I actually think the anc from 1more dual driver ANC neck band might be superior. It's certainly a lot cheaper. But the Sony XM3s and XM4s are easy to recommend to people that want top shelf anc. I wish the mids had a little clarity
Awesome review. I was going to pull the trigger on some Aiwa arc1 anc but I can’t find any reviews on them here in UA-cam. So I guess I’m going to wait for the Sony wh 1000mx4 to go on sale so I can buy them.
Auto off, auto pause eventually stops working and noise cancelling stays on all day and all night putting wear on the non-replaceable batteries. This is a common problem, but Sony seems to be avoiding the issue...other than saying you need to reset the earphone....which doesn't work.
When you play with slightly more bass and highs, like it is setup to do. You improve music on lower volumes. In fact the old "loudness" mode on amplifiers were meant for playback on low volumes. Like evenings. It should have been called 'nightmode' :) And as expected, playing on very low volumes, the sound is still very good. And a lot better for the ears.
I've owned the 2nd series for years....LOVED THEM, recently gave to my father and get these 4th gens for myself for the USB-C.......the built quality IMO took a HUGE hit, they are not as comfy, and to the touch they just feel CHEAP, especially the buttons.....thin, flimsy, sharp buttons, they don't feel quality like the v2s. For both versions....I don't like the touch features, trying to skip a track usually messes with volume, and vice versa....really sucks going to change volume on a good track and skipping to a diff song! The batt life is gold tho, truly...can go like a week of good use on a single charge. Great sound, great noise cancel.
The XM3 ANC was so much more powerful. I couldn’t hear people talking next to me. With XM4, I can hear people talking upstairs. Something is very wrong.
Just found your channel and loving it... TY! I just bought these Sony headphones today. Love the anc part of these but i can't get past the audio sounding like a surround sound equal to a gym or Hall with the reverb.... Ugggg. I guess it is what it is though. What are your fav. wired headphones under $500.00? Thanks again for your channel.
I am DEAF on my right side (so no stereo listening;-( and I need help, please, about the SONY WH-1000XM4 that you just reviewed. I want noise cancelling head phones where you can POSITION THE SOUND TO ALL COME OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE. Deep in the features paperwork, under "Functions displayed on the [Sound] tab (Except for Noise Canceling-related functions)" the XM2 & XM3s can do this very rare function. The WH-1000XM4 , according to the documentation CAN NOT. I have written and talked to customer service (a live person) and he says they can, but from the end of our conversation, I believe he was not looking at the correct column in the documentation. Just in case the documentation is incorrect, would you be willing to try this for me to see if they can be set up so ALL SOUND COMES OUT THE LEFT HEADPHONE? There are several functions I would like on the XM4's that are not on the XM3's. Since you answered someone asking if you cold somehow use these with Windows computers, with Bluetooth, and you said yes, they would be the first head phones I've had in my adult life (I'm 66;-) I want quiet and to be able to listen to sound coming from my computers with noisy TV and ambient sounds, AND also read in quiet as you mentioned. Thanks SO much if you can help me, I just can't trust information unless it is from someone willing to TRY it for me. Barbara M
@@brumby92 Thank you SO much for taking time to post this. I will check it out. This might be enough for me to take a chance on getting them. Will have to see what I might do on Windows, too.
@@brumby92 Yes, I found the same setting on Windows 10! I'm pretty sure they will work with my laptop. Do I need to get something to make it work on my Windows10 Desktop? I have a wireless keyboard/mouse, and I think it needs something plugged into USB (Bluetooth? adapter? dongle? unfamiliar territory). Do I get something generic or specific to send the signal to the headphones ? If you can link me to relevant information, if you know of any. This is an area I've never had time to explore. Thanks again!
Thanks for the review. The Sony series has just been the best bang for the buck. I've had the WH1000XM2s, the XM3s and just bought the new model as part of an Amazon sale for 250 bucks. For that kind of money, unrivalled. (P.S.: I also ordered Apple's Airpods Max at the same time. Their price has come down by over $150 since their introduction, so they're still pricey, but not as outrageously as before. In direct comparison, the sound of the APMs is simply more detailed, more open and more balanced than that of the XM4s, so I'll be keep the APMs and return the Sonys.)
You don’t have to like balanced audio to be an audiophile. Sound is subjective. So long as you can acquire the type of sound you want, and have a relatively good understanding of how sound works, then you are an audiophile.
I solved the sound problem buying a DAC (from the Fiio brand) ... if you use these headphones with a phone that does not have LDAC you will not get the best possible sound.
Mine creak from the headband. I sent them back to Sony for repair, they came back, still creaking. There’s a lot of people talking about this. Don’t go near them. I’ve now gone for the Bose 700
I dont have that issue but my noise cancelling does the opposite. It amplifies noises. Scared to return them and they come back with a different issue.
I absolutely cannot stand that I can't lay on my right side without these triggering the speech to chat feature that I've never used a single time. I wish I would have watch this review before I bought them.
I just picked up a pair of these over the Holidays since they were discounted down to $228. What do you think is the best EQ profile? I know there are pre-set options but do you think one of these pre-sets is the way to go or is there a custom setting you think is the best sound?
I'm still using the XM3 and I freaking love them. If you're patient you can usually find them on sale. I am pretty certain I got mine for 199 USD in 2018. I know the fit won't be the same for everybody but I have worn them for multiple 16+ hour flights and they make the travel soooo much better. Definitely no problem making the entire flight with the battery life. Headphones are so particular to the consumer, but for me these are the best travel-friendly, wear-while-doing-household-tasks headphones I have. In fact, I am using them right now.
For Hi-Fi, sit-at-the-computer headphones, I would go with something else.
What else?
can I use 1000xm4 with my TV?
I got them used on amazon in february to have something better than my airpods and i really enjoy the difference. They do a perfect job for my needs. Good review 👍🏼
WH1000-XM3 user for several years here. Love everything about them! Can imagine how much better the XM4 are with its improved hardware.
I don’t know how you’ve had them for over a year when they dropped in August 2020 but okay
Since he’s a reviewer he might have gotten them early
People make mistakes sometimes, I think the review itself is what matters. Also have a great day lmao im curious if he really had it for a year
Mkbhd be jealous
That’s why it’s called “painfully honest” reviews
Ahaa emphasis on painful
Had mine for a few months, one of the best things I ever bought.
So should I get it
@@Walter-_-_White i just ordered mine, i'll tell you in 2 days
@@ssmile6239 3 days now.
I own the xm3 and i dont see a big difference.
@@chaikagaz the big difference is having multiple devices connected at the same time, apart from that they are very similar
Nice to see you back doing what you love.
Just bought mine today and love them.
I had to EQ mine to get more vocal clarity from them. Overall they are excellent and the app support is very good. An easy recommendation especially when they land under $300 with discounts.
The Sony WH-CH- 910N is an adequate 2nd choice, you can pick them up sometimes for around $150
Does it have good bass compared to Sony MDRXB950BT/B
Whatd eq?
@@zowo6604 No. It does not. I have both headphones. My dad has these and I had the MDRXB950BT/B and then I accidentally broke it so my dad let me borrow the WH1000XM4. It sounds like the drums are weirdly isolated.
Absolutely agree. To be honest I haven't been able to find any flaw about these headphones. They are truly great, their value is just insane. I did not manage to find them on sale though, at the time I bought them they had just been in for a couple of weeks, but I love them so much that I would have paid much more for them and still would be totally satisfied.
Wanna find a flaw. Connect them to Samsung TV.
@@johnyksf Thank you for your feedback. What exactly happens when you hook them to a Samsung TV? I'm curious. Unfortunately we only own a couple of Bravia TVs and a couple of cheap 65" TCL in the basement, but Samsung TVs are amongst the best in the world, I wonder what could be wrong with them? Honestly with all the Apple and Windows computers in the house we have I've never heard of any hickups from anyone about any of the 3 pairs of the XM4s (and 2 old pairs of XM3s as well) we own. Everyone is perfectly happy with those incredible Sony headphones for every purpose they could fill.. Anyway, I am really interested to know what could go wrong with those Samsung TVs honestly, let me know, we were about to buy an 85" for our bedroom, maybe we should not based on your experience, as we are huge lovers of Sony headphones to get into our experience.
The bronze logos look amazing in my opinion. Couldn't think of any other color I'd want them in
Had Mark 3's for couple years now and they are just awesome❤️❤️❤️. Have worn them continuously on several short & long haul flights with little or no break, the comfort & the 30 hour ANC playback makes it possible. The only thing lacking in XM3 was call quality, because the same microphones were being used for ANC as well as call mic, which Sony claims has been fixed in Mark 4 by adding an internal feedback mic. Will definitely upgrade to Mark 4 soon.
Going from a cheap ass wired earbud to this headphone, it's like discovering a whole new realm, absolutely stunning! The only problem this headphone has is the mic, quite terrible, if I would say. I rarerly use the mic though, so it's not a big deal.
I ordered mine today and it'll be here in a week, excited to have this difference as well
is it possible to get another 3.5 mm to 3.5mm connector with a mic for these?
@@clueless6763 hope its not too late for my reply. and Yes, you can get another aux cable from third party and people do recommended V-MODA boom pro.
Picked mines up today from Best Buy. Turned them on & headed straight to the gym, later on I used them to play some PUBG on PC using the headphone jack wire. Overall rating… 10/10 beast of headphones. Noise cancellation is unbelievable, sound is crisp & clear. I’d recommend to anyone who is looking to purchase a pair.
As an audiophile, kinda, I want to share some points:
- Audio quality via bluetooth is just OK for me. Of course, it's bluetooth.
- Sounds amazing for ~$300 via cable WITH power on.
- Sounds like a cheap headset via cable when it's off.
what do you mean by with power on?
These were my first pair of headphones I've got over 300 and all I can say is I still use them now. They have been a delight and fulfill my needs. The duel pairing is also nice.
How long have you used them for? Are they durable ? thx
@@nicolaslajoierestrepo8176 I've had them since they came out so for about a few months. So for about 8 months. They have held up great. I use them everyday. Lol just make sure to clean the cups because grease or oil for your hands will show. But they look like new when clean.
@@corneliussmith5875 Thank you for the reply,
@@corneliussmith5875 can you turn off the noise cancelation?
@@fatguyalwayseats yes with the custom button or the Sony app
I love when audio UA-camrs use a proper mic setup, I mean it's an obvious but still many small UA-camrs don't seem to follow the norm, but decent mic are even available for 50 bucks 🙄
Got a pair on sale at Amazon on Monday. Loving them so far!
gonna bite the bullet and get them :)
Sony had always had great wireless headphones. I like these a lot. Honestly I still use my 2nd gen AirPods most of the time for the convenience, but I’d recommend these.
deabating going gen 2 airpods or these lol
@@Justgambleit they’re supposedly coming out with a gen3 AirPods this year. Might want to hold off if you can.
@@Justgambleit just get the AirPod pros, they’re fantastic
got mine today, currently have them on, love them so so much so far
If you've only ever spent 100 on headphones, these will blow you away. It wasn't mentioned in the video but bass is a big feature of these, it's pretty tight and there's a lot of it. From my experience though, get the xm3's for half the money because they're 95% of these.
I’ve heard the mic in those is terrible. What’s your experience with it? Is it so bad that people can’t understand you or is it good enough?
@@DJ-Coma Literally never used the mic!
@@Djwatzy thanks for getting back to me! Supposedly it was improved on the XM4 but the example I heard was still pretty bad. I will be using my them mostly for travel so the mic is not a dealbreaker. I just ordered a pair of certified refurbished XM4’s for $200.
@@DJ-Coma apparently the Bose 700 has a better mic plus work with Skype and Zoom, plus probably a better sound.
Inferior ANC though, and less bass (that's a matter of individual preference though).
@@avgonyma1 thanks for the info. I’m very happy with the XM4’s as I don’t really use the mic and the one time I did the person on the other end didn’t have any problems hearing me.
Once again, another review on these where there is no mention of or focus on how these sound when using the LDAC codec on an Android device or a Sony receiver like the STR-DN1080. That codec puts the SQ in a level of its own that can even rival the sound of some wired headphones. Jason, you really need to amend this review to include that crucial component that elevates these headphones above all others, including Apple’s new entry.
Do you mind elaborating on how to use the LDAC codec? I'm a complete newbie rhino to this field and I'm going to purchasing these headphones soon on sale.. How do I utilize that man? thanks!
@@tomharvard8286 basically, LDAC is available on any Android device. It’s a setting you turn on in the Bluetooth details. You can also get it from a Sony receiver like the STR-DN1080. Where you can’t get it from is Apple products. Because they have their own codec. You will definitely hear the difference though if you use LDAC, but they still sound fantastic without it. Hope that helps!
@@GarydeBrown wait is LDAC on iOS too? Everyone keeps mentioning good quality on these headphones and I was wondering of having them as a companions to my AirPods pro but If LDAC isn’t available I might reconsider
@@ripewatermelonlol LDAC is Sony's patented Bluetooth codec. It currently provides the highest quality sound (highest bitrate) of any Bluetooth headphones. Wired headphones can go much higher quality than Bluetooth, though. Apple does not have LDAC because they haven't liscenced the software from Sony, but they have their own strategies for raising quality.
Ultimately, on paper, Sony has higher quality sound than Apple. However, bit-rate alone does not dictate the best sound. A good pair of headphones still needs to have a good balance of bass, mid, and high frequency sounds.
Also, depending on your use, it probably won't matter. For example, LDAC provides 990 kb/s data speeds. Spotify Premium, high-quality-mode streaming only goes up to something like 330 kb/s. So after your headphones have gone over 330, the difference in quality for higher bit-rates is negligible, or at least has diminishing returns.
If it is sound quality you want, don't get Bluetooth headphones. Cabled headphones are generally better. For example, look at the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pros for similar price-range of the Sony XM4s. If you don't care THAT much about sound, then its likely the difference between Apple and Sony for you will be negligible in terms of sound anyway, and you should make your decision based on other factors such as their noise canceling, comfort, travel case, etc.
Apple devices do not support LDAC, no. But it might not matter to many people anyway.
@@ripewatermelonlol afaik LDAC is not on ios and is only on Android or Sony devices unfortunately
Balanced? Really? people criticise Beats for being loaded with base but then turn around and praise Sony's xm4s for their sound even though they're even more muddy.
Imagine that I actually listened to them and gave you my real opinion. It's possible for me to have a different opinion than "people."
You're promoting headphones that are overpriced and labelling them as balanced. It's ok to have your preference on a type of sound but misleading people to believe these headphones are neutral or balanced is wrong. I think its ironic you call yourself painfully honest yet just give an unoriginal review of the Sony xm4s identical to every other tech youtuber on this platform and just say the sound is "good" without any detail.@@thejasontlewis
I’ve been looking at these for a while.
Eye just got them yesterday at Amazon warehouse for $220 (238 after taxes)
Don’t the software is terrible for them
@@mackmccord3743 “Eye”??? Now that’s an odd typo.
@@sybo59 it wasn't a typo at all
@@mackmccord3743 Someone named “Eye” bought a pair of headphones? Great recovery, you almost embarrassed yourself!
Had to sell the XM3 because thanks to Covid19, I don't have to do long commutes and can just listen to speakers/pc headset at home. But when needed again, I know I'll look for the newest WH1000XM series. Especially now from XM4 on it finally supports multiple connections (2) at the same time.
I do hope Sony will improve the sound quality of the microphone with phone calls though. It only sounds acceptable when the conditions are right (not outside in windy conditions).
Its simple....
If you android ...buy either panda or Sony, will be able to make FULL use and capability of LDAC
If you use IOS...you can use anything as the limitation is on Ios Apple support for only SBC.
I still use the WH1000XM2 and i have no remorse that i bought them 3 years ago. Listening to them makes me wonder if they get better after some time using them. They sound deep and bright enough for me even without using some sort of EQ on them. Noise cancelling is way enough for me because when you listen to music the noise around you is already less and the noise cancelling does it makes even more quiet during listening.
This reminded me of some of the first PHT videos I watched a couple of years ago. In a good way.
At one point I would have thought I spent too much on my XM4s then I compared them to the AirPod max and I now know that I got a hell of deal.
I love my xm4. Had them for a few weeks
I find them muddy compared to my beloved M50BT, even if my Audio Technicas are not noise cancelling. I also wish they would change to more high quality materials and change their look to something more premium, after using the same formula year after year. I do find them comfortable though, always have with all the XM series.
Have you used the LDAC?
you can tune the eq to make it almost flat like the ATH
I have the previous generation wh-1000xm3's. Really good headphones 👍
Same. I think ill skip the xm4 and wait for xm5.
My headband broke on both sides and are held together by zip ties now which is disappointing. The breakages weren't from misuse.
I have these and enjoyed them at first (they’re good for what they are) but when the air pods max came out I got them being an iphone user and haven’t used the Sonys since. The difference is that striking, the sound, comfort, convenience, I use them daily. That is value for money.
Why don't you use the Sonys anymore? I'm considering wanting to get the Sonys but trying to do my research forst
great headphones, but sound quality is just ok. nothing more. I appreciate the honesty of the reviewer. I don't get it how so many other ones praise then so much from the sound quality perspective. I had to EQ then to get acceptable result. But I liked them very much anyway. B&W PX7 are so much better despite the ANC is not top notch - still very good. But I returned them too and fell in love with Dali iO-6 . Poor ANC but extremely good noise isolation and amazing sound. I recommend to anyone try PX7 and also iO-6 . Each of them are from different world.
Not as good as a really nice set of open back's ( sound wise anyways ) but definitely nice to have when you need noise cancellation .
Also just portability, and the wireless thing
Yeah and not everyone wants to be blasting music in a library or bus to everyone around them
I still have the old 1st Gen that I bought back in 2017 and I still enjoy it :D
Ordered as replacement for my 15y old wired SHP2000. Disappointment because of 35x the price and up to 40kHz - they sound almost the same. You can say Windows support and customization of Bluetooth audio codecs is poor at best. Although android LDAC sounds nice and has excellent range. Then there is this BIG issue of Bluetooth audio lag in shooting games which nobody wants to mention. Thankfully you can use input jack to get around that problem (headphones still have to be turned on and powered by battery).
Touch controls and noise cancelling are awesome.
I love them. I got them for the noise cancelling and the battery life. On the other hand I had some Taotronics for $85 (they advertised that they use the same noise cancelling chip as the Sonys) that were pretty awesome but they broke at the earcup after 6 months. However, Taotronics customer support was great and sent me a new pair after sending them a photo of the breakage. My second pair of Taotronics died in a light mist (totally my fault, they are not advertised as waterproof). I was no longer under warranty and decided to splurge on the Sony XM4s. They are great and have some quality of life improvements over the Taotronics but are only marginally better, IMO. The sound quality is better but I think my ears adjust to whatever, and after a while I couldn't tell the difference unless it was a head-to-head competition. I'm no audiophile so, you know.
Why does nobody talk about the microphone being absolutely terrible while on phone calls??
Just got them yesterday and you couldn't be more right. Absolute shit quality in calls.
I purchased my XM4s a week ago and to be honest I just don't get along with them. I went for a walk around in the city today and those headphones drove me crazy because they were constantly stopping like the speak to chat things kept turning itself on even though I had turned it off on the app and on the headphones. For some reason they kept turning on again and I ended up just putting the headphones in my bag and that was that. I have a pair of €40.00 headphones and they've not given me an ounce of problems. Anyone interested in buying a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4's? Going cheap I promise..
@jada! : I got to tech support and had to reset the headphones as something went awry and wasn't configuring correctly. They're definitely on probation at the moment so one more slip-up and they're outta here :-)
Audiophiles consider it shitty headphones.... For me it is odd.. I really love them and I used it for over year now...
What about the latency?
Literally just bought them. Listening to this on them. They are comfy as!!!
I have them since November 2020, the best headphones I ever had. Worth every penny.
The battery life is really impressive on these given the fact that they run LDAC. On my neck band if I use LDAC the battery life gets devoured and half the time as AAc codec
I just picked up a pair of XM-4's 2 day's ago; after my last headphone broke on me and my Sony Surround sound bar won't function correctly without lag on these new gen game console's. I gotta say I hated paying the price point for these, but these are the best headphones I've ever owned. I think the sound is incredibly crisp without any part of what I'm hearing being too distracting or intrusive. I can sacrifice a little bit of base for everything else this unit delivers.
For NC they are fantastic. Music is more then adequate. Not an audiophile headphones, but that's not the goal. I love them.
my MDR-10RBT after 9 years with heavy us are still kicking as if they were brand new. Sony is the best.
I am so excited I bought them for 220 used like new on Amazon, i think its a freaking steal. Love the video
bro same lmao
grabbed it because someone returned it and it was more than 75euro off.
The only "cons" I have with these is that after wearing them a while my ears get incredibly hot 🔥 and I would love to crank them up just a little bit more in the max volume.
But that's where Sony always the" bravest kid" so you will. Safety first because they don't want any lawsuits getting you deaf.
That's why I ditched their WF-1000XM3 TWS in ear buds, they were just too soft for me.
Just bought it. It's not canceling the noise enough. I can hear me talking and clapping, with just the phones on and even when I'm hearing music. Also the headphones doesn't completely sit tight on my head and ears even on the smallest set. I guess I have a small head. I'm pretty disappointed, I thought the world of them by the reviews.
Same
in remote work era and such high cost of headphones, the lack of possibility to mute micropohone by button (only possible from soft) is disqualification for me
ANC is the best, but sound for music is crap.
I regret i bought it.
Sennheiser is selling refurbished momentum 3 cheaper than the Sonys if you are in Europe?
Got the Limited Edition today for 300$ Normal price in Norway is 470$ 😎
Ok, if you're a lot into good quality sound, and ANC which ones would be your choice?
I'd like to hear that too
How do we fix the sound leakage issue? I hate that my XH1000-XM4 above 50% volume, everyone around me can hear really loudly what I'm listening to. But I love the headphones and how they feel, I don't want to have to return them because of that.
I haven't had that issue. Something like that would also impact how well the noise cancellation works. I'd try to see if you can get a more solid fit.
@@thejasontlewis it's quite big on me since I've got small ears, so I don't think it'll fit any better unfortunately. I tried to ignore it, but having to listen to much lower volume because of it everywhere I go is kind of frustrating after paying a lot for the headphones
@@antonelladelloca5852 Hey, I'm thinking of getting a pair but have heard they can be a loose fit, got small ears too so maybe not the best choice. How you getting on with the sound leakage?. Cheers
Question for Jason and the community:
I've been eying the XM4s for entertainment use, but I also occasionally create and edit mostly spoken word audio content that needs to be decent, but necessarily super-accurate professional quality.
Would these be serviceable for my needs as a pair of monitoring headphones during recording and editing, or should I also get a proper pair of monitoring headphones even if I get the XM4s?
On a pro level no. For your own pleasure. Sure
This is the first video of yours that I’ve seen. It’s an excellent review, and I must say, there’s a quality about you that makes me want to sit down with you and just have a chat about life while drinking coffee, and I like that.
I use the XM4's outside and MAX's at home and the XM4's are more comfortable but the transparency mode and Noise-canceling is noticeably weaker than MAX and the XM4's sometimes doesn't work when it's freezing cold out. They are more comfortable with like 1 or 2 hour use and then around 4 hours they get very warm and I need to take them off.
I get a strong Adam Savage vibe from you but that's a good thing! Awesome video dude, and makes me miss Mythbusters lol. 👍
Nice review. I just bought the xm3’s and this is pretty much spot on.
This is my first wireless headphone. The only headphone that fit my big head! Use it for interview and all, best thing I bought this year
Wireless still not as good as wired
@Brayden Thomas how can I wire them up?
Took back a pair of Beats Studio 3’s as I found the on ear headphones to be uncomfortable. Bought a pair of these instead . All good so far 👍🏻
As of today, October 18, 2021, these are on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $250. That's the lowest price I've seen, so I grabbed a pair!
I prefer my AirPods Max to the sonys they are too muddy and not nearly as clear as them, even my AirPods Pro or the KZ are more clear than the sonys.
They sound muddy if you use a low bitrate like AAC as it is only 256Kbs. Sony MX headphones run best with LDAC (not available on Apple devices) as the bitrate is 900Kbs and really improves the sound. On my Samsung S21 Ultra (or any Samsung) you can get a hearing test that lets boost frequencies you cannot hear. Running my headphones at 320Kbs I could only hear 80% of test sounds. Running in LDAC I could hear them all.
True and i have both and never used the Sonys again once i got the Maxes. It’s really simple though and all this arguing online about Sonys vs APMS is extremely tiresome. Iphone lacks the LDAC code and the Sonys work best for Android users. The APMS sound extraordinary on Apple devices so they are for Apple users (Apple optimizes the AAC codec on apple devices which is the codec of the APMS.)
@@dpleech1 I have a Samsung Note 10+ and Use this Sony wh-1000xm4 with LDAC, 80% of volumen sound great
I've got the XM4, and although I agree that the sound and noise cancelling is amazing, it's all those additional "features" that make me really dislike them.
Whenever I talk to someone, they automatically pause the video I'm watching and/or enable passthrough. I've tried turning it off, but the software is too buggy for that.
The voice assistance keeps loudly saying "Power On" or "Bluetooth Connect", and there is no way of turning this off or lowering the volume for it.
I keep accidently touching the touch controls, and again, you can't turn them off.
All I want from them is a On/Off buttom and connect to bluetooth. All the additional "Smart" features are just annoying.
Just bought surface headphones 2.... I'm a long-term user of the MDR1000X 1st gen and I tried the XM4's for 3 months and I found they were generally better sounding, but personally, the memory foam was uncomfortable for me compared to the plushy material on the 1st gen ones which were cushiony.
I also found a virtually negligible difference in noise cancellation in a typical cafe setting.
Secondly, I'm not a hardcore sound enthusiast and Surface headphones 2 provided the BEST user interface experience, plenty of equalizer control that makes a bloody big difference to audio quality, and the quick noise cancellation changeability instantaneously. Not to mention I'm doing a LOT of MS teams, and Zoom meetings so the mic quality and ability to hear yourself talking are key features for me personally.
There is a compatibility issue when using the XM4 with Samsung TVs. Occasionally, the audio will stutter and lags a couple of seconds from the video. Seems like it is a known problem since XM4 was launched. The new firmware 2.5.0 did not solve the issue. Sony support says that they are not able help with compatibility issues. Those who will be purchasing the XM4 to pair with Samsung TVs, please take note. Unfortunately, I just bought the XM4 last week with the sole purpose of using it with Netflix on my Samsung TV.
These go on sale ll every so often for $270...You can get the XM threes which also have APTX for $160 used. Probably the best ANC on an over ear headphone at the price. You can argue about bose I suppose. And Apple but that's a twice the price
But I actually think the anc from 1more dual driver ANC neck band might be superior. It's certainly a lot cheaper. But the Sony XM3s and XM4s are easy to recommend to people that want top shelf anc. I wish the mids had a little clarity
When the AirPods Max came out, I thought about those, then ultimately grabbed these. Why? Because these are great for audiobooks and airplanes.
Awesome review. I was going to pull the trigger on some Aiwa arc1 anc but I can’t find any reviews on them here in UA-cam. So I guess I’m going to wait for the Sony wh 1000mx4 to go on sale so I can buy them.
Auto off, auto pause eventually stops working and noise cancelling stays on all day and all night putting wear on the non-replaceable batteries. This is a common problem, but Sony seems to be avoiding the issue...other than saying you need to reset the earphone....which doesn't work.
When you play with slightly more bass and highs, like it is setup to do. You improve music on lower volumes. In fact the old "loudness" mode on amplifiers were meant for playback on low volumes. Like evenings. It should have been called 'nightmode' :)
And as expected, playing on very low volumes, the sound is still very good. And a lot better for the ears.
This is perfect with my Phantom Black S21 Ultra
I had the xm3 & xm4, I love the xm4 headset and now I'm waiting for the xm4 ear buds
Listening to this video on my new Sony WH1000XM4s
I have the MX4 and they are freaking awesome. Love them.
I was lucky to get them on sale after Christmas at Best Buy and I feel like it was a solid purchase. Love the review.
I've owned the 2nd series for years....LOVED THEM, recently gave to my father and get these 4th gens for myself for the USB-C.......the built quality IMO took a HUGE hit, they are not as comfy, and to the touch they just feel CHEAP, especially the buttons.....thin, flimsy, sharp buttons, they don't feel quality like the v2s.
For both versions....I don't like the touch features, trying to skip a track usually messes with volume, and vice versa....really sucks going to change volume on a good track and skipping to a diff song!
The batt life is gold tho, truly...can go like a week of good use on a single charge. Great sound, great noise cancel.
The XM3 ANC was so much more powerful. I couldn’t hear people talking next to me. With XM4, I can hear people talking upstairs. Something is very wrong.
I'm having the same issue. Scared to return them in exchange for a different issue people are having.
Waiting for my free set to arrive. Can't wait
Just found your channel and loving it... TY! I just bought these Sony headphones today. Love the anc part of these but i can't get past the audio sounding like a surround sound equal to a gym or Hall with the reverb.... Ugggg. I guess it is what it is though. What are your fav. wired headphones under $500.00? Thanks again for your channel.
I am DEAF on my right side (so no stereo listening;-( and I need help, please, about the SONY WH-1000XM4 that you just reviewed. I want noise cancelling head phones where you can POSITION THE SOUND TO ALL COME OUT OF THE LEFT SIDE. Deep in the features paperwork, under "Functions displayed on the [Sound] tab (Except for Noise Canceling-related functions)" the XM2 & XM3s can do this very rare function. The WH-1000XM4 , according to the documentation CAN NOT. I have written and talked to customer service (a live person) and he says they can, but from the end of our conversation, I believe he was not looking at the correct column in the documentation. Just in case the documentation is incorrect, would you be willing to try this for me to see if they can be set up so ALL SOUND COMES OUT THE LEFT HEADPHONE? There are several functions I would like on the XM4's that are not on the XM3's. Since you answered someone asking if you cold somehow use these with Windows computers, with Bluetooth, and you said yes, they would be the first head phones I've had in my adult life (I'm 66;-) I want quiet and to be able to listen to sound coming from my computers with noisy TV and ambient sounds, AND also read in quiet as you mentioned. Thanks SO much if you can help me, I just can't trust information unless it is from someone willing to TRY it for me. Barbara M
That can be done in software. Android has a mono sound mode under accessibility options.
@@brumby92 Thank you SO much for taking time to post this. I will check it out. This might be enough for me to take a chance on getting them. Will have to see what I might do on Windows, too.
@@brumby92 Yes, I found the same setting on Windows 10! I'm pretty sure they will work with my laptop. Do I need to get something to make it work on my Windows10 Desktop? I have a wireless keyboard/mouse, and I think it needs something plugged into USB (Bluetooth? adapter? dongle? unfamiliar territory). Do I get something generic or specific to send the signal to the headphones ? If you can link me to relevant information, if you know of any. This is an area I've never had time to explore. Thanks again!
The ANC is great but the sound is "muffled". Bluetooth just does not make good sound. The price is not justified at all.
adjust the eq on the app
Thanks for the review. The Sony series has just been the best bang for the buck. I've had the WH1000XM2s, the XM3s and just bought the new model as part of an Amazon sale for 250 bucks. For that kind of money, unrivalled. (P.S.: I also ordered Apple's Airpods Max at the same time. Their price has come down by over $150 since their introduction, so they're still pricey, but not as outrageously as before. In direct comparison, the sound of the APMs is simply more detailed, more open and more balanced than that of the XM4s, so I'll be keep the APMs and return the Sonys.)
How is the bass on the APM's compared though!?
@@bDz416 exactly my thoughts
You don’t have to like balanced audio to be an audiophile. Sound is subjective. So long as you can acquire the type of sound you want, and have a relatively good understanding of how sound works, then you are an audiophile.
I'm hearing and reading that the Bose quiet comfort stands up well to these ? Does anyone know ?
I've never had noise cancelling headphones and I am considering these ones. I know PHT is an audiophile, so if he says they are a good buy, I buy.
getting them after my xm3s died. looking forward to having it
AirPods Max , Forget everything else... Game Changer 👍🏻🎧
this 😁
you mentioned that there is no codec lack.... they have only Ldac and aac... and sbc - basic one.
Audio Cable for Wired Connection is included for what it's worth.
Life saver in a plane 👍👍👍
I solved the sound problem buying a DAC (from the Fiio brand) ... if you use these headphones with a phone that does not have LDAC you will not get the best possible sound.
Mine creak from the headband. I sent them back to Sony for repair, they came back, still creaking. There’s a lot of people talking about this. Don’t go near them. I’ve now gone for the Bose 700
I dont have that issue but my noise cancelling does the opposite. It amplifies noises. Scared to return them and they come back with a different issue.
They're the best. I love them.
Do they sound great on android with the spotify app?
Wonderfully
they’re confortable, noise canceling is top notch but they dont sound good
I absolutely cannot stand that I can't lay on my right side without these triggering the speech to chat feature that I've never used a single time. I wish I would have watch this review before I bought them.
I just picked up a pair of these over the Holidays since they were discounted down to $228. What do you think is the best EQ profile? I know there are pre-set options but do you think one of these pre-sets is the way to go or is there a custom setting you think is the best sound?
There's a good chance the XM4s start blasting high frequency noise that can damage your ears, no thanks.