Sony WF-1000XM4
Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds deliver best-in-class noise canceling, advanced Bluetooth standards, and a truly impressive soundstage considering they’re in-ear headphones. Important aspects like battery life, fit and finish, and durability leave nothing to be desired in these high-end buds if you can afford them. With a 20% discount available right now, it’s a better time than ever to make that investment.
The winners of Android Police’sbest earbuds of 2021, theSony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbudsstarted off great at release and got even better thanks to software and firmware updates. As a result, they remain among thetop wireless earbudson the market, despite numerous competitors vying for their crown. Top-notch active noise canceling and audio output that’s practically high-resolution makes them a high bar to clear, but their high price can be a tough pill to swallow. Cut $50 off the top, like Amazon’s doing right now, and they’re a great deal.
Why the Sony WF-1000XM4 are our favorite earbuds
There’s a lot to like about these high-end in-ear headphones. The obvious: while some noise-canceling headphones merely dull outside noise, the combination of passive isolation and industry-best ANC make these the most quiet-inducing wearable audio devices we’ve ever used. The noise reduction is so effective it was actually a little disorienting at first (luckily, you’re able to adjust the setting while you’re getting used to it). This improved ANC performance is due partly to the enhanced V1 chipset inside the buds, which also makes the microphone noticeably more responsive than in previous generations.
As far as audio quality, Sony’s top-of-the-line earbuds perform as well as you’d expect — possibly even better. Building on top of Sony’s famously high-quality speaker drivers, the WF-1000XM4 support AAC and LDAC codecs in addition to everyday SBC transmission. For most use cases, AAC Bluetooth transmission won’t reduce audio quality but will maximize battery life compared to LDAC. If you listen to a lot of lossless audio like FLAC or other high-resolution sources, you might see a benefit from the LDAC codec, but at the cost of battery life. Normally, the 1000XM4s last about eight hours per charge, and switching to the high-resolution codec will cut 2-3 hours off that, depending on network congestion.
There are very, very few downsides to these earbuds. The bodies are somewhat larger than average, so if you have small outer ears, they may not be for you. Despite their overall size, though, they’re still lightweight and relatively well-balanced. The biggest con is clearly the price, which is why we recommend you take advantage of this $50 discount as soon as possible — because it won’t last.
