Sony WH-1000XM4C review

It’s not often a new product announcement catches us off guard, but the news that Sony was launching the WH-1000XM4C came as quite a shock. A huge brand reviving a classic pair of wireless headphones is something we haven’t really seen before.

But you can see why Sony chose this particular pair. The original WH-1000XM4 were hugely popular, so much so that they’re the first and only pair of wireless headphones to currently be featured in the What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame.

They’re also one of the few models you regularly see when you’re in the wild, which shows the general public were quite fond of them too.

Nostalgia is all well and good, and we’re excited to have them back, but is this new version of a six-year-old model still competitive? Let’s find out.

Price

Thankfully, Sony’s seen sense when it comes to pricing the WH-1000XM4C. £219 / $300 / AU$450 keeps them away from flagship rivals from Bose, Sennheiser and Technics and positions them as an ‘entry-level’ proposition for Sony’s premium range of wireless headphones.

There’s a big enough gap between the new model and the step-up WH-1000XM6, which launched for £400 / $450 / AU$699 last year. Don’t forget Sony also now has a top-of-the-range offering, the 1000X The Collexion, which cost £550 / $650 / AU$900 and went on sale in May 2026.

Ironically, the biggest competition for the WH-1000XM4C at the time of writing is Sony’s very own WH-1000XM5, which we first tested at £380 / $399 / AU$550 back in 2022. This older flagship pair, which succeeded the XM4, can currently be found for almost half price. This puts them in the same ballpark as the new WH-1000XM4C and they will probably stay there until end-of-life, which Sony has told us is likely to be around February 2027.

Design & build

To all intents and purposes, the design and build of the WH-1000XM4C are virtually identical to that of the original model. During testing, we have a pair of the original XM4 on hand, just so we can compare the two, which gives us an excuse for a quick game of spot the difference.

The changes are subtle, with the Sony logo now more of a silver colour than rose gold. You also get the letters ‘L’ and ‘R’ stamped on the inner mesh of each earcup so you immediately know which way round they need to be. The model name has been removed from the bottom edge of the headband, and the ‘custom’ button has been renamed ‘NC/Ambient’ which better reflects its function.

The button positioning hasn’t changed, so you’ll still find this and the power/pairing button towards the lower edge of the left earcup. The USB-C charging socket is on the right cup.

The key difference is internal, but not where you might think. The driver is the same 40mm unit that was used in the original XM4.

It’s the battery that has seen the biggest change. Or should that be smallest? Sony has added a smaller battery which is now removable and means the headphones now comply with the EU battery regulation (EU) 2023/1542.

This new regulation comes into force in February 2027 and stipulates that portable batteries need to be able to be removed by the end user. This wasn’t possible with the original XM4 model. And before you ask, yes, the smaller battery does mean you get shorter battery life, but more on that later.

Generally speaking, though, the headphones look and feel virtually identical. According to the specs, there’s only one gram difference in terms of weight, with the new model being a tiny bit lighter, but you’re not going to notice this either in-hand or, more importantly, on your head.

These headphones feel just as sturdy as we remember them. The black finish of our review sample has an identical matte texture, which is smooth and premium-feeling. The plastic buttons feel the same quality, as does the padding on both the earpads and headband.

We find the WH-1000XM4C comfortable for both short and long listening sessions, which is just what you want for headphones of this type, especially if they’re going to be your main travel buddy. They don’t grip your head as strongly as their pricier WH-1000XM6 siblings, but it’s still very good for daily use.

The WH-1000XM4C are hinged and fold up properly, which is great news if you prefer this kind of portability over the store-flat design of the WH-1000XM5. They come with a sturdy carry case (the design of which has been tweaked ever so slightly) which includes a 3.5mm headphone cable inside for wired listening.

Sony has introduced a new lavender finish for the XM4C, which goes with the standard platinum silver (which Sony claims is a little lighter than before) and black options. There’s no midnight blue variant, which is a finish Sony introduced for XM4 during its life cycle.

Features

As we touched on previously, the introduction of a smaller battery has affected the battery life of the WH-1000XM4C compared to the original model. It’s down from 30 hours to 27 hours with ANC on, although we don’t think it's likely to put too many buyers off.

The headphones feature Sony’s DSEE Extreme engine, which has been around since the original XM4 and aims to upscale compressed music to near hi-res quality. It also adds a splash of artificial intelligence technology (called Edge-AI), which claims to analyse and give a more accurate presentation of the music being played.

The WH-1000XM4C get Bluetooth 6.0 support and offer Multipoint Bluetooth, but there’s still no aptX or aptX HD support. This isn’t a major surprise as Sony’s headphones tend to steer clear of these codecs, instead favouring their own LDAC option for higher-quality streaming from compatible sources.

The usability features at your disposal with the original model make a return, such as Speak-To-Chat and Quick Attention. The former enables their transparency mode by just speaking, while the latter lowers the volume of your music when you cover the right earcup so you can quickly hear your surroundings.

They’re both nice to have but not imperative to the user experience.

Noise-cancelling & call quality

The headphones are once again powered by the same HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1, which featured on the XM4 (which has since been superseded in newer models like XM5 and XM6) and call upon Sony’s Personal NC Optimiser to maximise the noise cancelling performance.

Give the NC/Ambient button a long press to kick the Optimiser into gear, and the Sonys will run a quick auto-calibration program by firing a couple of test tones in the direction of your ears before the algorithm works out the best ANC for your listening environment.

And we can report that the noise cancelling from the WH-1000XM4C is very competitive. We certainly have no real issues using them out and about, and whether they’re given the task of subduing a coffee machine and chatter in a busy cafe, or the drone and rumble of a bus engine, the Sonys do a very good job.

Yes, the ANC systems of more expensive wireless headphones are more finessed when push comes to shove, but you can’t really argue with what you’re getting for the money here.

With phone calls, it’s a similar story. Our voices come through with a good level of clarity and expression. Exterior noise doesn’t intrude too much, and we don’t sound robotic, distorted or muffled, which can happen with poorer-performing mic systems. We actually think the XM4C do a slightly better job of suppressing wind noise than their predecessors.

Sound

It doesn’t take long for us to remember why we were such huge fans of the original Sony WH-1000XM4. It was the impressive and infectious sense of musicality that got under our skin, and the WH-1000XM4C delivers it in spades.

We start with a blast of electronic dance music in the form of Turn On the Lights Again by Fred Again… and Swedish House Mafia, and it’s not long before our head is bobbing along in agreement with the headphones and their infectious sense of timing.

They’re a hugely enjoyable and entertaining listen. There’s something about the way they combine dynamics, detail and rhythm that keeps you entertained from the first second to the last.

The deep, wallowing bass notes that surface as the track progresses impress with their depth, but they’re dextrous and neatly defined.

Sprinkle in an open, precise vocal and some punchy, projectile electronica, and we soon find ourselves caught in a musical trance.

We take that energy and add a huge dollop of attitude by playing Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name, and the WH-1000XM4C deliver more of the same.

We are talking powerful, solid drum thwacks, tight guitar strings and an expressive vocal all sat on a quiet background. The opening salvo of the track delivers explosive drum play, a tidily delivered guitar riff and a couple of clear, nicely defined taps on a cowbell.

The XM4C sound as balanced as you could hope for from a pair of wireless headphones at this level. You can access a ten-band equaliser through Sony’s Sound Connect app should you want to play around with their sonic balance, but we really don’t think it’s necessary.

Compared to the original XM4, the WH-1000XM4C do sound better – Sony has tightened the bass ever so slightly, sharpening and cleaning the edges, and you’re also getting a slightly more open sound.

But this hasn’t been done at the expense of cohesiveness or bass weight: there’s still plenty of heft in reserve, but we think it’s better controlled this time around.

They’re just so fun and musical, whatever your sonic taste. We switch to the slow-burning Day One track from the Interstellar OST, and there’s a real delicacy to the piano playing at the start of the track. The low-level dynamics from each keystroke really shine through.

Background noise is kept to a minimum, and when the rest of the orchestra starts to bleed into the picture, you can hear the Sonys step in to extract an impressive amount of detail. Edges of notes are nicely defined, and it’s a convincing presentation.

When the track starts to swell from below and stretch up high courtesy of the strings and organ, the headphones move on the same trajectory, delivering a rocketship’s worth of dynamics.

Verdict

A 1000X model is normally introduced as a flagship proposition from Sony, so seeing the WH-1000XM4C arrive in 2026 as an ‘entry-level’ premium model takes a little getting used to, but listen to them and it all makes sense.

If you don’t want to stretch into that upper tier of wireless headphones where Sennheiser, Bose and even Sony themselves sit, the WH-1000XM4C are going to be more than enough headphone for most people.

They’re a great blend of performance, features and comfort at a competitive price. An easy recommendation at this level.

Review published: 5th October 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Comfort 5

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Also consider the Sony WH-1000XM5

For a cheaper pair, read our Sony WH-CH730N review

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