Headphones · Model guide · Maker specs
Sony WH-1000XM4
Hold on to a working Sony WH-1000XM4, or pick one up used, if folding cups and LDAC cover you; the WH-1000XM6 adds the QN3 chip, 12 microphones and LC3.
Product images
Sony WH-1000XM4, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Hold on to a working Sony WH-1000XM4, or pick one up used, if folding cups and LDAC cover you; the WH-1000XM6 adds the QN3 chip, 12 microphones and LC3. Both are rated for 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on; with it off, the XM4 gets 38 hours to the XM6's 40. It weighs about 254 grams and has 40 mm drivers, and the XM5 that followed dropped the fold.
Who it is for
- Owners deciding whether to keep it. The WH-1000XM6 matches its 30-hour noise-cancelling rating, so the upgrade buys a QN3 chip, 12 microphones and the LC3 codec rather than battery.
- Used buyers who want a 1000X that folds. The XM4's cups fold into the supplied case, while the XM5's only swivel flat.
- Frequent flyers who want a cable option. A 1.2 m audio cable comes in the box, and the headphones play passively over it.
- Two-device users. The XM4 was the 1000X generation that introduced Multi Device Connection.
Who should skip it
- Buyers who want Sony's newest noise cancelling. The XM6 replaced the XM4's QN1 processor with QN3 and 12 microphones.
- LC3 seekers. The XM4 tops out at LDAC, AAC and SBC on Bluetooth 5.0.
- Runners and gym users. Sony gives the XM4 no water or sweat rating.
- Anyone paying close to the $349.99 launch price for a model Sony has since replaced twice.
What sets it apart
- Cups that fold into the supplied carrying case, a design the XM5 gave up and the XM6 brought back.
- A 40 mm dome driver with an aluminum-coated LCP diaphragm, where the XM5 and XM6 use 30 mm drivers.
- Up to 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, the XM6's rating too, or 38 hours with it off; 10 minutes of charging gives about 5 hours with Sony's optional AC adapter.
- LDAC, AAC and SBC on Bluetooth 5.0, plus Speak-to-Chat, DSEE Extreme and Multi Device Connection.
Caveats
- The 10-minute quick charge needs Sony's optional AC adapter, and a full charge takes about 3 hours.
- LDAC priority can conflict with Multi Device Connection, so check the settings in Sound Connect.
Key specs
In the same order on every headphones page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Circumaural, closed-back, dynamic | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Drivers | 40 mm (1.57 in) dome; CCAW voice coil, neodymium magnet, aluminum-coated LCP diaphragm | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Frequency response | 4–40,000 Hz wired; over Bluetooth, 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz) or 20–40,000 Hz (LDAC at 96 kHz, 990 kbps) | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW (1 kHz) on the cable with the unit on; 101 dB/mW with it off | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Noise cancelling | HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; Dual Noise Sensor; Personal NC Optimizer; atmospheric-pressure optimizing | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications; electronics.sony.com |
| Ambient sound | Ambient Sound Control; Quick Attention | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | Sony WH-1000XM4 specificationsLC3 and aptX are absent. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Multipoint | Yes (Multi Device Connection); LDAC priority can conflict with it | Sony WH-1000XM4 features; Sony Sound Connect app |
| Battery life | Music: up to 30 hours (NC on), 38 hours (NC off). Standby: up to 30 hours (NC on), 200 hours (NC off) | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Charging | USB, about 3 hours to full; 10 minutes gives about 5 hours with Sony's optional AC adapter | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications; electronics.sony.com |
| Wired listening | Detachable 1.2 m OFC cable with a gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug; works passively | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Weight | About 254 g | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Folding and case | Folds; the cups fold into the supplied carrying case | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| App | Sony | Sound Connect (formerly Headphones Connect) | Sony app |
| Microphones and calls | Dual Noise Sensor: two microphones on each cup feeding QN1 | electronics.sony.com WH-1000XM4 |
| Voice assistant | Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, set up in the app; Siri through a connected iPhone | Sony WH-1000XM4 features |
| Colors | Black and Silver at US launch | Sony US press, 2020-08-06 |
| Compatibility | Bluetooth audio devices; NFC pairing listed in some regions; LDAC needs a compatible source | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| US launch price | $349.99 (6 August 2020); pre-orders opened that day, in US stores from mid-August 2020 | Sony Electronics US press, 2020-08-06 |
| Price band | Previous flagship ($350 at launch) | Based on the $349.99 launch price |
| Announced | 6 August 2020 | Sony Electronics US press |
| Availability | In US stores from mid-August 2020; sold used or refurbished as of 19 September 2026 | Sony US press; electronics.sony.com |
Sony WH-1000XM4 extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 | QN1 with a built-in analog amplifier: the 1000X chip the XM5 also uses, and the baseline Sony compares the XM6 with | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| DSEE Extreme | Yes | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Speak-to-Chat | Yes; introduced with this generation | Sony US press, 2020-08-06 |
| NFC | Yes, where the regional specifications list it | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| In the box | Headset; USB-C cable; 1.2 m audio cable; carrying case; in-flight adapter in some packs | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications and accessories |
Where the XM4 stands against the XM6
Sony launched the XM4 in 2020, between the XM3 and the XM5. Two generations later, the WH-1000XM6 keeps the fold and the 30-hour rating and changes what’s inside.
| Spec | WH-1000XM4 | WH-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Folds | Yes | Yes |
| Driver | 40 mm | 30 mm |
| Noise cancelling | QN1, Dual Noise Sensor | QN3, 12 microphones |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | Adds LC3 |
| Music, noise cancelling on | Up to 30 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Music, noise cancelling off | Up to 38 hours | Up to 40 hours |
If yours still works, there’s a good case for keeping it: the XM6’s gains are the processor, the extra microphones and LC3, not battery or portability. Buying used makes sense if you want a 1000X that folds and LDAC is the best codec your phone has, since the XM5 in between doesn’t fold at all. Move to the XM6 for Sony’s newest noise cancelling or for LC3.
Sound
The 40 mm dome driver pairs a copper-clad aluminum (CCAW) voice coil and a neodymium magnet with an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm. On the cable the response runs from 4 to 40,000 Hz. Over Bluetooth it’s 20 to 20,000 Hz at 44.1 kHz, or 20 to 40,000 Hz with LDAC at 96 kHz and 990 kbps. Wired sensitivity is 105 dB/mW with the headphones switched on and 101 dB/mW with them off, and DSEE Extreme is built in.
Noise cancelling and controls
Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 does the work, fed by a Dual Noise Sensor with two microphones on each cup, and Personal NC Optimizer and atmospheric-pressure optimizing fine-tune it. Ambient Sound Control and Quick Attention let outside sound in, and Speak-to-Chat made its debut on this model. Settings live in the Sony | Sound Connect app, which used to be called Headphones Connect.
Battery and charging
| Battery | WH-1000XM4 |
|---|---|
| Music, noise cancelling on | Up to 30 hours |
| Music, noise cancelling off | Up to 38 hours |
| Standby, noise cancelling on | Up to 30 hours |
| Standby, noise cancelling off | Up to 200 hours |
| Full charge (USB) | About 3 hours |
| 10-minute charge | About 5 hours, with Sony’s optional AC adapter |
Case, cable and colors
The XM4 weighs about 254 g. In the box you get the headset, a USB-C cable, a 1.2 m audio cable with a gold-plated L-shaped plug and the carrying case. Some packs add an in-flight adapter, so ask a seller which accessories are included. Sony launched it in Black and Silver in the US.
Price
Sony announced the XM4 on 6 August 2020 at $349.99, opened pre-orders that day and had it in US stores by mid-August 2020. As of 19 September 2026 it’s a used or refurbished buy, so the launch price is no guide; weigh any offer against what a newer 1000X costs before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Sony USA — WH-1000XM4 specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
- Sony Electronics — WH-1000XM4 product page — accessed 2026-09-19
- Sony Electronics US press — WH-1000XM4 launch at $349.99 — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Should I upgrade from the WH-1000XM4 to the WH-1000XM6?
Only for the QN3 processor, its 12 microphones and LC3. Both are rated for 30 hours of music with noise cancelling on (38 and 40 with it off), and both fold, so battery life and packing aren't reasons to move.
Does the WH-1000XM4 fold?
Yes. Its cups fold into the supplied carrying case. The XM5 dropped the fold and only swivels flat; the XM6 folds again.
Is the XM4's driver bigger than the XM5's?
Yes. The XM4 uses a 40 mm (1.57 in) dome driver with an aluminum-coated LCP diaphragm; the XM5 and the XM6 use 30 mm drivers.
Which voice assistants work with the XM4?
Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, which you set up through the Sony app, and Siri through a connected iPhone.
Official product page: Sony WH-1000XM4. Tech specs: Sony WH-1000XM4 specs.