The Sony WH-1000XM4 ranks #219 out of 249 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#219 Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Sony WH-1000XM6, ranked lower, rated 2.3/5, released May 2025.
Older models: the Sony WH-1000XM2 (ranked higher, rated 3.7/5) and the Sony WH-1000XM3 (ranked lower, rated 1.8/5). See every Sony WH-1000X generation.
Pros: Strong noise cancelling, 30 hour battery life, LDAC support and multipoint pairing made it one of the most popular wireless headphones ever sold. Bass extends deep with about 4 dB of extra weight below 250 Hz, which suits pop, hip hop and electronic music.
Cons: Discontinued and replaced by the Sony WH-1000XM5. Its default tuning measures poorly, with a Harman preference score of just 49: bass is boosted about 4 to 5 dB and a 6.2 dB dip near 2.3 kHz pushes vocals back, so it sounds muddy and dark until you use the app’s EQ.
| Released | Aug 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (ANC on) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.26 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 49 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.55 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (254 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 143 Hz | -5.2 dB | 1.10 |
| Peak | 2,289 Hz | +6.1 dB | 1.57 |
| Peak | 56 Hz | +1.2 dB | 1.19 |
| Peak | 5,144 Hz | -3.2 dB | 6.00 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 407 Hz | +1.7 dB | 3.14 |
| Peak | 6,715 Hz | +3.0 dB | 5.99 |
| Peak | 1,007 Hz | +1.0 dB | 3.41 |
| Peak | 576 Hz | -1.2 dB | 3.55 |
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