Today, Sony is expanding its lineup of popular headphones with its latest pair of true wireless offerings. As a successor to the brand’s fan-favorite ANC earbuds, the all-new Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds arrive with improved active noise cancellation, thanks to the introduction of an Integrated Processor V1, alongside 24-hour battery life, a 40% smaller design, and other improvements. Head below for all of the details.
Sony officially unveils XM4 True Wireless Earbuds
As the latest pair of headphones from Sony, the new XM4 earbuds debut as the true wireless counterpart to the over-ear XM4 headphones that launched last August. Replacing the previous-generation version, which we found to be quite compelling in our hands-on review, the latest version brings along many of the features from before to meet quite a few new additions.
Starting with the design, Sony has refreshed the form factor of its XM4 earbuds to be 10% smaller than the previous iteration. That tweaked casing also brings in IPX4 water and sweat resistance, which was notably missing on the XM3 from 2019. As far as the charging case design goes, not too much has changed on that front, as you’ll find much of the same design from last time around, just with a 40% smaller housing.
Despite the smaller size, battery life is staying the same on the Sony XM4 earbuds, as with their predecessor. A single charge will warrant eight hours of playback before needing to be slipped into the charging case that yields another 16 hours. The charging case rocks a USB-C input but can also be placed on a Qi charging pad for wireless refuels.
Sony just doesn’t stop with the design alterations, though, as you’ll find that the XM4 earbuds are rocking an all-new Integrated Processor V1 for improved active noise cancellation. With a long history of being considered one of the leaders in the ANC space, Sony is hoping this will continue to deliver its industry-leading distraction-free listening experience.
Sony’s latest are now available
Clocking in at $279.99, the new Sony WF-1000XM4 ANC Earbuds are now available for purchase. You’ll currently find that at Amazon, with orders now shipping. Compared to the last time around, the previous-generation buds entered at a $229.99 price point, which will remain in Sony’s lineup for the foreseeable future. So those who aren’t finding the latest and greatest to be as compelling of an upgrade will still have the XM3 earbuds to fall back on.
9to5Toys’ Take:
The all-new Sony XM4 True Wireless Earbuds may be some of the most eagerly awaited releases in the headphones space, outside of the rumored third-generation AirPods, that is. And now that Sony has officially taken the wraps off of the new debuts, it seems that the hype was typically justified.
The only real downside here is the price, which is even steeper than Apple’s premium ANC earbuds. Though with Sony’s track record in the space, these are sure to end up being one of the most compelling true wireless listening experiences on the market.
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