The market is flooded with hundreds of premium headphones right now and figuring out which one deserves your money is overwhelming. But here’s the thing: some brands have earned their reputation over time, and Sony is one of those names that’s been delivering solid audio gear for the past two decades. Their WH-1000XM4 might be a few years old at this point but it remains one of the most popular noise-canceling headphones you can buy. Right now, during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, these headphones have dropped to an all-time low of $188, down from their original $348 price tag. That’s nearly three times cheaper than the newer WH-1000XM6, with no meaningful difference in performance for most people.
High-End Noise Cancelling That Really Does Work
The true star here is Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor technology which powers the active noise cancellation system. This arrangement uses two microphones per ear cup, one on the outside to capture external sound and one on the inside to adjust for cancellation. The net effect is a stellar ability to quiet everything from airplane engine roar to curious neighbors during your commute. Noise cancellation on these headphones is among the best of its type and it creates a quiet cocoon around your head when concentration is required.
In addition to the noise cancelling, the WH-1000XM4 crams some seriously useful features into that slender black body. The battery life by itself is a revelation: you’ve got up to 30 hours of straight playback per charge which translates to being easily able to make it through several workdays or a longhaul flight without frantically digging for a charging lead. And when you finally need a boost, the quick charge functionality offers a whopping five hours of playback after a mere 10-minute charge via the supplied USB Type-C lead.
The touch controls on the right ear cup are incredibly seamless for everyday use: You can pause, play, skip songs, change volume, activate your voice assistant, or accept a call by easy taps and swipes. You don’t have to search for buttons, nor do you have to reach for your phone each time to make a change. The Speak-to-Chat mode offers a further touch of convenience by automatically picking up when you begin to talk and dialling down the sound so you can converse without lifting off the headphones. The moment conversations are over, music reinstates itself.
Call quality takes a serious leap forward due to five built-in microphones collaborating with sophisticated audio signal processing. This arrangement ensures your voice is heard clearly during phone conversations, even when you are in a noisy setting. Multipoint connection technology allows you to connect these cans to two devices at a time, so you are listening to music off your laptop and switch seamlessly to answering a call on your mobile phone without going through all those pesky reconnection rituals.
At $188 for Prime Day, the WH-1000XM4 is a steal of a value. You’re getting industry-best noise cancellation, smart functionality actually useful to your everyday life, marathon battery life, and sound quality so good it makes your music sound like it should sound.
