2021 is not over yet, so to proclaim the Sony WF-1000XM4 as the best ANC true wireless earbuds might be premature. But I believe Sony has deserved it. Anything better, you would have to be hard of hearing to actually not hear any noise. I’m not going to waste your time writing an intro, a body, and a verdict, because I do not write for bots indexing for search engine results, but for human readers like you who wants answers: how good is the new WF-1000XM4?

Here are my straightforward reasons why they are the earbuds that any serious commuters should get to eliminate environmental noise and enjoy music details to the fullest.
Design
Sony finally came up with a new earbuds design and they fit a lot better too. It’s still large, but the weight distribution is better than all previous versions. The ear tips are also fits more conventionally, better seal without inserting too deep into the ear canals. The casing is also redesigned to be more conventional-looking, more compact. Most importantly, the design is unique enough to be easily recognised.

The earbuds are made of foam which further improves the noise isolation. I find that the smaller earbuds fit better for my ears. If your ears are smaller, I think you might have to purchase third party ear tips, like the SpinFit CP360.
Features
The WH-1000XM4 is often the prelude to what’s to come on the true-wireless sibling. Hence, the WF-1000XM4 also comes with new functions like Speak-to-Chat, which automatically pauses music and lets in ambient sound when it detects your voice. It works really well and there are no false negatives. One minor disadvantage: you cannot sing-along when listening. Also, there is delay in activating the feature, so you have to kind of wait for a second to get it activated before you carry on with the conversation. I also recommend you to set the timer longer or else you have to continue make some noise to keep it activated while the other party is talking to you. Of course you can manually activate by touch-hold the left control for the entire conversation, but it would be easier to switch to ambient sound and leave it there. Ultimately, this feature is good for unplanned conversation.

The rest of the features are existing to Sony 1000X-series, but still worth a mention.
- Adaptive Sound Control. The earbuds adjust ambient sound automatically when it detects your activity, for instance, walking, traveling, waiting.
- Custom EQ. You can easily adjust the sound balance to your liking. No more reasons to say your earbuds lacks bass or treble.
- 360 Reality Audio. It’s a surround effect that plays music immersively all around you. Tracks are specially encoded in the format and available in selected streaming sites like Deezer and TIDAL, so it does not work with all tracks, unlike Creative Super X-Fi.
Other improvements include LDAC codec support, IPX4 water rating, 8-hour battery life plus additional 16 hours on the charging case, wireless charging. However, I cannot enable playback control and volume control at the same time. The Sony app only allow preset function sets.
Absolute Noise Killer
The primary feature that puts the WF-1000XM4 at a supreme advantage is its digital noise cancelling performance powered but its proprietary QN1e chip, now integrated into the Sony Integrated Processor V1. For the majority of the ANC earbuds in the market, removing low frequency has never been a problem. The challenge is always been attenuating the upper frequency. In many cases, ANC earbuds end up emphasizing upper frequency, but this trade-off is generally acceptable since commuters listen to music which drowns the upper frequency.

With the WF-1000XM4, even the upper frequency is successfully cancelled out. Now, please don’t expect complete elimination, because noise all around us can still technically resonate into our ear drums through our skin and bones. But it is as good as putting ear plugs. Under normal environment noises coming from the road traffic or chattering food centres, the WF-1000XM4 handles with absolute ease. I compared it to the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones, and truth be told, I find the WF-1000XM4 cancels noise in a more natural way. The Bose 700 is better at suppressing lower and mid frequencies but creates uncomfortable ear pressure, while the upper frequency is still slightly more audible than the WF-1000XM4. For sure, the noise cancelling technology from Sony is a much more improved version, more balanced and more comfortable to use.

Similarly, the ambient sound is less artificial than WF-1000XM3. No more over-amplified background hisses, I can wear them at home, listening to music privately while remaining aware of what’s happening to my family. Additionally, the WF-1000XM4 automatically enables ambient sound when one of the earbuds are removed from the ears, so that your ears are balanced.
Sound Quality
The Sony WF-1000XM4 sound quality is a tad dark. The treble lacks the transparency and clarity but since you can tune the EQ with the Sony Headphones Connect app, it is not a big deal. Setting the EQ will get you the desired sound. The lower and mid frequencies are cushy, full and sufficiently gratifying. Musical details are forthcoming with dynamics and resolution, and the sound staging keeps instruments well-spaced and not cluttered. Midrange is warm but not too bloated, so acoustic piano recordings have good clarity yet not too digital-sounding. I think most consumers will appreciate the sound except those that demands finer highs, for which the Sennheiser MTW2 would be a better choice. Personally, I prefer the Technics AZ70 which offers better details with less bloated bass.
I find that switching among the modes of noise cancelling, ambient sound, and off does not alter the sound balancing. Neither does it have any audio disruption when switching using the app. I recommend that you disable the voice guide to switch around the modes without listening disruption.
- Bass – 8/10. Full-sound without overpowering boom.
- Midrange – 8/10. Warm and spatial, not too bloated.
- Treble – 7.5/10. Detail without sounding too bright.

Call quality is tuned to be warm-sounding, and requires the wearer to speak up at a normal voice level. If I lower my speaking volume, there is a chance that the mic cannot pick up the sound confidently. This is also due to the background noise cancellation as the mic analyses if my soft voice is meant to be picked up or is it third party voices. In that respect, the Sony WF-1000XM4 feels less user friendly.
The positive thing is that during calls, it is possible to switch between noise cancelling and ambient sound, so I can carry out the conversation based on situation. I would turn on ANC when commuting on a bus, but probably enable when I am walking along the pavement.
Price
Given all the advanced features and best-of-class noise-cancelling, the WF-1000XM4 retails at just S$379. There is no premium to be paid on its brand or design or build materials. Sony has always offered a wide range of products ranging from the down-to-earth affordable to the ultra-premium pricey. Clearly, the WF-1000XM4 is extremely value for money if you needed a highly effective noise cancelling pair of headphones.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend the Sony WF-1000XM4 for everyone who listens to music while commuting. The design is improved, the fit is more comfortable, and the price is reasonable for the kind of ANC technology it is offering. Most of the sub-$200 earbuds with ANC are only effectively in removing the lower frequencies, but the WF-1000XM4 is most effectively in also dulling the upper frequencies so that you can enjoy music in detail without overpowered by environmental noise.
Retailing at S$379, visit the official product website here.





2 comments
Considering that the Sony WF-1000XM3 is now retailing for around S$219, do you think the improvements found in the WF-1000XM4 is worth the ~S$160 premium?
I would go for the WF-1000XM4 mainly because of the better design and fit. If you are only considering the ANC prowess, then the XM3 is definitely better value.