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The Sony WH-1000XM4 build upon the impressive functionality of the WH-1000XM3 by adding a number of new features, all of which successfully enhance the user experience. There are four ways to pair the headphones – Google’s Fast Pair or via a single tap with an NFC tag for instant pairing with an Android phone, using the Sony Headphones Connect app for Android or the iPhone and iPad, and manual pairing the old-fashioned way by holding down a button.
The power button triggers pairing mode when held for several seconds from off. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The GuardianGoogle Assistant can read notifications on Android and iOS, while Alexa is also an option or you can use your phone’s voice assistant such as Siri on an iPhone. Bluetooth connectivity now comes courtesy of version 5.2 with codec support extending to SBC, AAC and Sony LDAC. The latter provides access to Hi-Res streaming quality on most Android devices but can’t be used if you’re connected to two devices via Bluetooth Multipoint. It felt as though Britney Spears was in the room with me as she worked through the provocative “Toxic”, while the intro to “Sexual Healing” had me looking over my shoulder as Marvin Gaye’s whispers for me to “get up, get up, get up, get up” and “wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up” darted between my left and right ears. *NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me” was less impactful, however, and my listening experience wasn’t all that different from when I listened to the regular version. That’s true whether you’re listening to a bass-heavy banger like DJ Snake’s “Bird Machine” or something with a greater number of layers like the 2012 remaster of the Sex Pistol’s “Submission”. The low-end is tight and precise, different notes are distinct and instrument separation is equally impressive. Custom colour will give you the ultimate customisation for your Sony WH1000MX4, you can mix and match colours and textures to provide a totally unique headphone design
The Speak-to-Chat function detects when you’re speaking loudly enough and automatically enables an ambient sound mode so you can carry out a conversation. Call quality is average. Note that unlike most rivals, the WF-1000XM4 are often available at a discount on their RRP, so it’s worth shopping around.The XM4 are a regular set of Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, making them compatible with most Bluetooth-sporting phones, tablets, computers and other devices. They support the universal SBC and AAC audio formats used by most devices. But they also support Sony’s high-resolution LDAC Bluetooth audio format that is compatible with many Android devices for some of the highest-quality wireless audio. Though only a few grams lighter than their predecessors at 250g, the difference between the two models felt more pronounced than that – these are headphones you can wear for hours on end. Customers may need to update their Sony | Headphones Connect app for this software to be activated. The WH-1000XM5 never missed a beat in terms of registering my actions. As soon as I got up and started moving around, my settings would switch from staying to walking and the same proved true when moving between different registered locations. The technology functioned brilliantly on both the WH-1000XM4 and WF-1000XM5 and works equally well here.
They’re engineered in such a way that nothing feels surplus to requirements. The stepless headband slider moves smoothly, making adjusting the size of the headphones extremely easy, while the swivelling sections connected to the narrow headband blend into the earcups in a pleasingly minimalist manner. The Sony WH-1000XM3 were best-in-class when it came to noise cancellation but this model is even better at regulating the amount of external noise that makes it through to your ears. With noise cancelling in full effect, the WH-1000XM4 let you slip away into your own audio world, free of all-but the loudest and highest-pitched annoyances. They are not neutral, with a default sound that is more mid-bass heavy than some competitors, but they produce well-controlled, deep and full bass, warm mids and sparkling high notes. Unlike many rivals, they have a full equaliser in the app to customise the sound to your liking, as well as music enhancement systems such as Sony’s DSEE Extreme upscale audio to revive tones lost because of compression at the expense of battery life.They sound fantastic, have effective noise-cancelling and long battery life. They support multipoint Bluetooth 5 for connecting two devices at once, high-res music with the LDAC format and an instant ambient sound mode for listening for announcements, too. The Sony WH-1000XM5 look rather different to their predecessors and I initially thought them a little basic in appearance. In time, however, I’ve come to appreciate their simple elegance to the point where I actually prefer them to the XM4. The grey headphones have gold accents around the top microphone ports. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian Complementing that excellent noise cancellation is first-rate sonic delivery. The move to the new 30mm drivers has certainly had a positive effect, allowing the WH-1000XM5 to produce a broader soundstage and extract even more detail from source material than their predecessors. One tap on the NFC spot is all that is needed to pair and connect compatible Android smartphones. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
At present, it’s only available through 360 by Deezer, nugs.net and TIDAL and I tested it using the latter’s 360 Reality Audio playlist. Individual aspects of songs sound like they’re coming from different positions around your head but the technology works far better on certain songs than others.
Custom Sony WH1000XM4 Wireless Headphone skin details
Low-end frequencies are very effectively reduced and the attenuation of mid-range and higher-pitched frequencies is a step up on the XM5’s predecessor, too. You’ll still be able to hear nearby voices on transport or in the office clearly enough to make out what’s being said if you don’t have music playing, but anything above 30% volume and only the loudest of interruptions will disturb your listening experience. The headphones come with a standard 3.5mm headphones cable that can be used when the headphones are turned on or off. The microphone cannot be used over the 3.5mm cable, however. Using the app you can personalise the noise-cancelling to take into account hair, glasses and other things that effect the seal of the ear cups, while a pressure optimiser that can determine whether you are on the ground or in the air helps when flying versus just the commute. They are Sony’s first 1000X set to support the popular multipoint connection feature, which means you can have two devices connected at the same time, such as a phone for calls and a laptop for music. It works reliably with a variety of devices. The high-resolution LDAC audio cannot be used when multipoint is enabled, however, restricting connections to the more standard SBC and AAC. We have the largest variety of skins in the UK ranging from our exclusive collection (doodles, onyx, abstract) clear, carbon fibre, brushed metal, gloss, matt, camo, textured matt, natural stone, wood, waveform and leather that come in a variety of vivid and fantastic colours.
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