Sony WF-1000XM4

Meet the new boss of the true wireless earbud set

- Simon Lucas

£250 FROM Sony, sony.co.uk FEATURES True wireless headphones, active noise cancellation, Hi-Res Audio compatible, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C port; up to 8 hours battery life (headphones)/16 hours (charging case); IPX4 rating

The latest model in Sony’s WF-1000 line of true wireless earbuds are smaller, lighter and greener than ever – oh, and the XM4 also sound even more articulate and immediate than the model they replace.

Compared to their predecessors, the XM3, the new earbuds offer enough features to make them worth upgrading to, even if they are slightly more expensive. A more compact design means they’re more comfortable and easier to carry around, while the app makes it simple to adjust controls and EQ settings. Features taken from the over-ear WH1000XM4 – including Speak-To-Chat, DSEE Extreme audio upscaling, and adaptive noise cancellation – mean you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensively specced pair.

Small but fully featured

The outgoing XM3 were big, and so was their charging case, and Sony has reduced some of this bulk in the new model. The charging case is 40% smaller (and is entirely paper-based, recyclable and eco-friendly), while the earbuds are 10% smaller.

As mentioned, the WF-1000XM4 incorporate some features first showcased on last year’s XM4 over-ears: active noise-cancellation that can ascertain what you’re doing and where you’re doing it in order to adapt; and ‘speak to chat’, which simply requires you to make a noise in order to pause your music so that you can have a brief chat. Noise cancelling is augmented by new polyurethane eartips (small, medium and large provided) designed to provide improved passive noise reduction.