Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS Earphones Review

I have lost count on the number of wireless earphones I have tested since the pandemic began last year. Most of them are in the entry-level price range and I have yet to review a pair of true wireless earphones in the high-end segment. Fortunately, I was approached by Sony Philippines and offered to send me the Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS earphones for review.

Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS Earphones

I have used their Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones last year and almost bought one from a friend, so hopefully the WF-1000XM4 would suit my needs and become my new reliable pair of TWS earphones.

SONY WF-1000XM4 REVIEW SPECS:

Weight (Entire device) 41g
Driver6 mm
Bluetooth Version5.2
Charging portUSB Type-C, Wireless Charging
Battery capacityapprox. 75 mAh (headphones), 520 mAh (charging case)
PriceP13,990

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THE UNBOXING

Sony WF-1000XM4

We are in the age where tech companies are becoming more concerned about the environment. Sony takes pride in their unique packaging of the WF-10000XM4 that is not made of plastic. Instead, they’ve used recycled paper which reminded me of the paper mache projects we used to do back in grade school.

Inside are the Sony WF-1000XM4 review unit, two extra pairs of earbuds, a short Type-C cable for charging and user manuals.

THE LOOKS AND FEEL

Sony WF-1000XM4

I have seen its predecessor, the Sony WF-1000XM3 last year and I thought they are the most sophisticated-looking pair of wireless earphones I’ve ever seen. To be honest, I expected for the newer Sony WF-1000XM4 to have the same design. It turned out to be different, but somehow in a good way. It doesn’t look as premium as the 1000XM3, but it is surprisingly a lot smaller and lighter. The smaller size made it much easier to insert the charging case in my pants pocket. There’s an LED light indicator at the center and a Type-C USB port at the back for charging.

Sony WF-1000XM4

Opening the case reveals a pair of Sony WF-10000XM4 TWS earphones securely placed in their silos. I wished I got the Black color but I was pleased with the looks of the Silver-colored review unit! It The wireless earphones looked quite similar to other wireless earbuds in the market with its smaller rounded shape instead of the larger oval shape of the XM3.

The buds would have had a plain look if it’s not for the copper ring placed on each side. I know others would prefer without it to have a cleaner look, but personally, I don’t mind as it adds some premium touch to the earbuds. Besides, these copper rings function as microphones which we will discuss in a bit.

Sony WF-1000XM4

Wearing the WF-1000XM4 fits snugly on my ears. Usually, the disadvantage of these types of wireless earphones is they can fall of the users’ ears especially whenever they are involved in physical activities. This is where Sony made an huge improvement.

The buds are made of memory foam which Sony calls Noise Isolation Ear Tips, which not only provides a very tight seal on the ears but also makes the noise-cancelling feature more effective. I had no complaints wearing the WF-1000XM4 for hours, and didn’t feel any type of discomfort too. Man, I’m liking these earbuds already!

ADD the SONY WF-1000XM4 TWS Earphones to your Shopee Cart Now!

THE PERFORMANCE

Sony WF-1000XM4

Pairing is fairly easy by wearing the Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS earphones and holding both their touch controls for a few seconds. You will hear a voice prompt that bluetooth connectivity is open for pairing with your smartphone or any other device.

I paired the Sony WF-1000XM4 with my iPhone 12, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Sony Walkman A55 and my realme Book review unit. Connection between the earbuds and devices are stable. Unlike other wireless earbuds I’ve reviewed before, I did not experience any loss of connection whenever my phone is inside my pants pocket or gear bag. For its high-end price, I thought it would support multi-point connectivity, but I found out it doesn’t which is a shame.

Sony WF-1000XM4

The WF-1000XM4’s rounded touch panels are used for different functions. The left bud lets you select between Ambient Sound and Noise Cancelling modes while pressing it will enable its passthrough feature. Using the passthrough feature is very useful and a godsend if you need to speak with someone without removing your earbuds. You can have this enabled automatically by turning on “Speak-To-Chat” in the Sony Headphones app.

However, a slight cough or grunt will cause the music playing to pause for 15 seconds. The right bud lets you manage your music playback and voice control. It took me quite a while but I got used to these controls. I wish the touch panels has a volume control function so I don’t have to pull out my phone. Removing one of the buds will pause the music automatically.

Sony WF-1000XM4

There is no way the other wireless earphones I have reviewed in the past could surpass these new Sony earbuds! Sound is rich, bass and treble were well-balanced and vocals were very clear. Using these earbuds were similar to my experience with the WH-1000XM3 – I can close my eyes and feel the artist performing in front of me while inside a studio. Thanks to the excellent noise-canceling feature, can be immersed in another world listening to my favorite music tracks. No more annoying noise in a Starbucks while working on a blog post.

Sony WF-1000XM4

Spotify for Android was set to Very High bitrate (around 320 kbps) while I used two settings for Apple Music – High Quality AAC for cellular data (256 kbps) and Lossless on WiFi (24-bit/48kHz.) With these settings, the WF-1000XM4 became my main pair of True Wireless earphones during the evaluation period. Based on my tests, Apple Music’s Lossless offers the best quality with the WF-1000XM4.

I was expecting that aptX codec will also be supported but to my surprise it wasn’t. Instead, these earbuds now support LDAC codec which Sony claims can transmit high quality music tracks up to 990 kbps. My Sony Walkman A55 supports LDAC and I am quite convinced that it does sound better than other codecs. Now I have a reason to fill up my Walkman with more songs and use it with my Sony TWS earbuds!

The copper rings I have mentioned earlier act as microphones which have bone conduction sensors to detect your voice. I’ve used the WF-1000XM4 for voice calls and Zoom meetings and so far received positive comments about its voice clarity. There were times when I was told that my voice sound muffled but tolerable most of the time. I have also used it in noisy environments i.e. Starbucks and I am still heard loud and clear by the other party during a call.

Sony WF-1000XM4

The WF-1000XM4 can be used without installing the Sony Headphones app but I strongly suggest that you do so with your smartphone or tablet. It lets you maximize the earbuds potential and so much more! The Adaptive Sound Control, for example can let you automatically switch on your “Speak-to-Chat” function when it detects you are in a location with a noisy environment. No more fiddling with your earbuds or app – the WF-1000XM4 adjusts to your activities while you listen to your music.

Sony WF-1000XM4

The Headphones app also analyzes your ear shape so you will know which buds fit you the best. Aside from the usual tweaks with the Equalizer, you can use Sony’s 360 Reality Audio supported by apps like Deezer and Amazon Music HD. Didn’t bother testing it since I don’t have accounts with those streaming audio apps.

Sony WF-1000XM4

Pressing the right panel of the earbud can activate voice controls. While paired with my iPhone 12, I was able to command Siri to play a specific track on Apple Music or dial somebody else’s number. You can also set this up with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. However, if you intend to use Google Assistant for iOS devices, it will be discontinued with the latest iOS update in December 2021.

THE BATTERY LIFE

Sony WF-1000XM4

Another impressive feature of these earbuds is its battery life. My Sony WF-1000XM4 review unit averaged 8 hours of continuous use on a single charge, and that is with Noise-Cancelling ON! The longest I’ve had with ANC on was 4 hours, so this means Sony’s earbuds exceeds my expectations! If the earbuds’ run out of juice, simply place them back in its charging case until it’s fully charged.

The case alone can give these buds additional battery life up to 16 hours! Charging the case can be done with a Type-C USB Cable, but since it’s already 2021, Sony has added wireless charging to the WF-1000XM4!

ADD the SONY WF-1000XM4 TWS Earphones to your Shopee Cart Now!

DR’S CONCLUSION

Sony WF-1000XM4 TW

Overall, I can attest that the Sony WF-1000XM4 are the best pair of noise-cancelling earphones I have ever reviewed. For its excellent features, it comes with a high price of P13,999.00. Personally, I am willing to spend this much to listen to the best sound quality, isolate myself from all the noise and get immersed into my own world with the best noise-cancelling technology in the industry for a long period of time.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS earphones can be purchased at all authorized Sony Stores. You may also purchase from the Sony Centre Official Store in Shopee here: https://shp.ee/ygv565p.

PROS:

  • Small and lightweight
  • Buds use memory foam for snug fit
  • Excellent sound and noise-cancelling feature
  • Long Battery Life
  • Wireless Charging

CONS:

  • Expensive
  • Looks less premium than the Sony WF-1000XM3
  • Lacks Bluetooth multi-point connectivity
  • Removed aptX codec support
8 Total Score
Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS Review

Overall, I can attest that the Sony WF-1000XM4 are the best pair of noise-cancelling earphones I have ever reviewed. For its excellent features, it comes with a high price of P13,999.00. Personally, I am willing to spend this much to listen to the best sound quality, isolate myself from all the noise and get immersed into my own world with the best noise-cancelling technology in the industry for a long period of time.

PROS
  • Small and lightweight
  • Buds use memory foam for snug fit
  • Excellent sound and noise-cancelling feature
  • Long Battery Life
  • Wireless Charging
CONS
  • Expensive
  • Looks less premium than the Sony WF-1000XM3
  • Lacks Bluetooth multi-point connectivity
  • Removed aptX codec support
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