Sony · WH headphones

WH-1000XM4C

Released September 2026

A revised WH-1000XM4 with Bluetooth 6.0, a 10-band equaliser and a foldable design.

Model history · 5 models, 2016–2026

Type: Over-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Battery: 27 h
With case: –
Best codec: LDAC
Weight: 253 g

What reviewers say

SoundGuys and Tom's Hardware praise comfort, effective noise cancelling and the expanded equaliser, while finding calls weak in noise and wind. They differ on the sound changes: Tom's Hardware hears a clearer balance, while SoundGuys finds it largely familiar. Gizmodo likes the brighter tuning.

From soundguys.com, tomshw.it and gizmodo.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Sound

Type: Over-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Transparency mode: Yes
Driver size: 40 mm
Back: Closed
Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC and LDAC
Chip: HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1
Drivers: 40 mm drivers with liquid crystal polymer diaphragms; powered wired frequency response 4 Hz–40 kHz. Impedance is 40 ohms powered on and 16 ohms off; sensitivity 106 dB/mW on and 101 dB/mW off.
Noise cancelling detail: QN1 and two noise-sensing microphones per earcup; Personal NC Optimizer, Ambient Sound Mode, Quick Attention and Adaptive Sound Control
Audio features: DSEE Extreme upscaling, 10-band equaliser in Sony Sound Connect and 360 Reality Audio with compatible services; Bluetooth response 20 Hz–20 kHz at 44.1 kHz sampling, or 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC at 96 kHz and 990 kbps

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim): Up to 27 hours
Battery life detail: The manual lists AAC/SBC playback up to 27 hours with noise cancelling or 34 hours off; LDAC up to 20 hours on or 27 hours off. DSEE Extreme, Speak-to-Chat and equaliser settings can shorten these figures.
Charging case: USB-C charging; approximately 3 hours for a full charge; no USB audio playback
Fast charging: 3 minutes gives about 1 hour of playback

Design

Weight: 253 g
Bluetooth: 6.0
Two devices at once: Yes
Headphone cable: Yes
Controls: Touch panel on the right earcup for playback, volume and calls; separate power and noise-cancelling buttons; wear detection, Quick Attention and Speak-to-Chat; app-configurable Quick Access
Microphones: Two noise-sensing microphones per earcup; Precise Voice Pickup for Bluetooth calls
Fit and ear tips: Adjustable headband, swivelling and folding earcups; colour-matched carrying case
Water resistance detail: The manual states that the headset is not waterproof
Works with: Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP. Multipoint switches music between two devices; SoundGuys and Tom's Hardware report that LDAC is unavailable in that mode. The supplied cable allows passive playback, disables Bluetooth and does not carry the headphone microphone.
Colours: Black, Platinum Silver, Lavender; official press photo shows Lavender folded
In the box: UK box includes headphones, carrying case and approximately 1.2 m headphone cable; USB charging cable supplied only with mainland China models

Pros and cons

Pros

LDAC playback and a 10-band app equaliser
Foldable earcups and a supplied carrying case
Passive playback through the supplied headphone cable

Cons

LDAC reduces the claimed noise-cancelling runtime to 20 hours
No water resistance
USB-C is for charging, without USB audio playback

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Noise cancelling	Battery	With case	Best codec	Weight	Released
BoseQuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)	Over-ear	Yes	24 h	–	AAC	230 g	Aug 2026
BeatsBeats 360	Over-ear	Yes	32 h	–	AAC	294.5 g	Sept 2026
SonosAce Ultra	Over-ear	Yes	35 h	–	aptX Lossless	322 g	Sept 2026

Previous model: WH-1000XM4.

Sources

Photo: mmx.prnewswire.com

Spot a mistake? Tell us