In every respect, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are either “very good” or “really very good” – and as a total package, it’s very hard to beat them. Compared to their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM3, the new wireless earphones offer enough quality features to warrant an upgrade, even if they are a bit more expensive. A more compact design makes the Sony WF-1000XM4 more comfortable and easier to wear, while the included app makes it easier to customize controls and EQ settings to rival the best headphones. The features carried over from the Sony WH-1000XM4, such as Speak-To-Chat, DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling, and Adaptive Noise Cancellation, mean that even if you’re looking for the best wireless headphones, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more comprehensively equipped pair of wireless earbuds. Even though other wireless earphones outperform the Sony WF-1000XM4 in certain areas – noise cancellation, for example – no other model comes close to offering such outstanding overall quality. For this reason, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are by far the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now. The charging cradle is a full 40% smaller, while the earphones themselves are 10% smaller. The fact that they’re still among the heavier of the bunch only highlights how big the WF-1000XM3 were – but at least the new charger could fit in a pants pocket, while the earphones don’t stick out above the wearer’s head like a prop in a sci-fi movie. The WF-1000XM4s have some of the features introduced in last year’s WH-1000XM4 over-ears: active noise cancellation that detects what you’re doing and where you’re doing it to adapt to the situation; quick pairing for Android and Windows devices; and “speak to chat,” where you simply have to make a noise to pause the music so you can talk briefly without removing the earphones. Noise cancellation is enhanced with new polyurethane ear tips that provide improved passive noise cancellation.
