Sony unveils WF-1000XM4 with new drivers, V1 chip, and Hi-Res Audio

After months of leaks, new Sony Noise Canceling headphones are finally official. Sony WF-1000XM4 is the flagship TWS that has a lot to offer, from the all-new V1 chip designed to provide industry-leading noise cancellation to support for Hi-Res audio.

The extremely popular Sony WF-1000XM3 (approx. $178 on Amazon) has finally received a successor, and Sony has fundamentally revised the design – the WF 1000XM4 is 10 percent smaller, significantly more rounded and with a chic color accent on one of the microphones fitted. The heart of the WF1000XM4 Noise Canceling earbuds is the Sony V1, a newly developed SoC designed to provide “industry-leading” noise cancellation while reducing power consumption at the same time.

The battery life is first class: the WF-1000XM4 earbuds last eight hours with active ANC, the charging case stores enough energy for two full charges, while it can be charged either via USB-C or wirelessly on a Qi charging pad. The earphones are certified according to IPX4 and are therefore protected against sweat and rain. The Sony WF 1000XM4 supports “Hey Google” and “Alexa” voice commands, a fast pair function with Android devices, and a touch-sensitive surface for controlling playback.

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For the best possible sound quality, Sony has installed two components in particular: Newly developed drivers with a diameter of 6 millimeters and a Bluetooth chip that supports “High-Resolution Audio” via the Sony LDAC codec. In the best-case scenario, LDAC offers a data rate of 990 kbit/s – more than any other Bluetooth audio codec. Sony also promises a more stable connection compared to the previous model.

Sony WF-1000XM4 price and availability

The Sony WF-1000XM4 can already be purchased from Amazon.com and Bestbuy.com in Black and Silver colors for $279.99. In addition to the earphones and the charging case, the scope of delivery also includes a USB-C charging cable and polyurethane foam tips in three different sizes.