No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Sony is bringing back one of its best-selling pairs of wireless headphones ever.
The WH-1000XM4C are a revised version of the original WH-1000XM4, which launched back in 2020.
That original XM4 was the longest-running pair of headphones in Sony’s 1000X series so far, and remained on sale for five years after their arrival.
In that time, not only did they become repeat What Hi-Fi? Awards-winners, the headphones also secured a place in the What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame, where only products that make a long-lasting impression on our test team are included. This makes the arrival of the WH-1000XM4C all the more exciting.
So, “what’s changed?” we hear you ask.
The biggest change is to the battery. The reason the original XM4 reached end of life is that its battery was not compliant with the EU battery regulation (EU) 2023/1542, which stipulates that portable batteries need to be able to be removed by the end user.
This law comes into effect in February 2027, so for the XM4 to stage a comeback, the battery needed to change. The only downside is that it is smaller than the one used previously and doesn’t provide quite as much juice as the original.
This means battery life has dropped from 30 hours with ANC on for the original XM4 to 27 hours for the WH-1000XM4C.
Sony claims the design and finish of the headphones are identical, apart from a slight tweak to the Sony logo and the introduction of a letter ‘L’ and ‘R’ inside each respective earcup. The software driving the headphones is the same, too.
This means the 40mm driver of the original carries over to XM4C, as does the DSEE Extreme processing engine and the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. While ANC performance should remain virtually identical to the original, Sony has been able to upgrade other elements of the new headphones.
The main change has been to the sound – Sony has tweaked the tuning of the headphones so it’s more akin to its most recent WH-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM6 models. It’s claiming richer and clearer vocals, greater separation and a more immersive listen, plus greater dynamics and punchier bass.
Through Sony’s Headphones Connect app, you can now access a ten-band equaliser and a dedicated Gaming EQ setting, which wasn’t available for the original.
The WH-1000XM4C have Multipoint Bluetooth and still feature Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology, which helps with phone calls.
In addition to the standard black and silver (which is a slightly lighter shade than before) finishes, there’s also a new lavender option which brings a splash of colour to the range. Sony hasn’t confirmed whether a Midnight Blue option will be available, as was introduced for the original model.
The WH-1000XM4C cost £219 / $300 and go on sale this month. You might be wondering what this means for the WH-1000XM5, which at the time of writing are still on sale. Their battery does not conform to the EU regulation, so they will go end of life before February 2027, and the WH-1000XM4C will continue in their place.
What do you think? Are you excited to see the XM4 return? Let us know by clicking on our poll and leave a comment below! We'll hopefully be getting a sample soon, so stay tuned for our full review!
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Read our original Sony WH-1000XM4 review
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM4: which headphones should you buy?
The What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame: the best products of the 2020s
