Device hub · Headphones · Desk research
Sony WH-1000XM4
XM4 is the leftover folding 1000X: 40mm LCP drivers, QN1, LDAC, 254g, 30/38-hour music table, and a real fold.
Product images
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedSony WH-1000XM4
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Sony asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
Placeholder — OEM press not licensedNumeric rows come from Sony’s published specification sheet, not from a photo.
Credit: GadgetShowdown labeled placeholder (not a Sony asset). View official product image
Studio still only. Manufacturer press JPEGs are not hosted here. See the official product page for the real product photo.
In short
XM4 is the leftover folding 1000X: 40mm LCP drivers, QN1, LDAC, 254g, 30/38-hour music table, and a real fold. Buy it used when fold + 40mm is the job — not for XM6’s QN3/LC3 or XM5’s 30mm swivel-flat chassis.
Who it is for
- Used-market shoppers who want a folding 1000X with a 40mm LCP driver instead of XM5’s swivel-flat 30mm cups.
- Owners already on XM4 who need an honest 2026 OEM record before an XM5/XM6 upgrade vs-page exists.
- Android buyers who still want LDAC on a leftover Sony can and do not need LC3.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who wants QN3, 12 microphones, or LC3. Those are XM6 rows.
- People who think XM4 is the current 1000X. Sony’s current flagship is WH-1000XM6.
- Buyers who need a published IP rating. The spec sheet does not list one.
Key differentiators
- Folds. That is the travel fork versus XM5 (swivel-flat only) and the reason leftover XM4 still gets searched.
- 40 mm aluminum-coated LCP dome — a generation larger than the 30 mm XM5/XM6 driver class.
- 30 hours NC on / 38 hours NC off on Sony’s music table; 10 minutes ≈ 5 hours with the optional adapter (Sony product copy).
- Bluetooth 5.0 + SBC/AAC/LDAC. No LC3. Multipoint arrived on this generation.
Caveats
- Every battery and “industry-leading ANC” line is a Sony claim. GadgetShowdown has not lab-tested XM4.
- 2026 street/refurb prices are not the 2020 $349.99 launch MSRP. Date whichever number you quote.
- Sony product photography is not hosted here.
Headphone-category specs
Same rows on every over-ear page (Sony 1000X, Bose QC Ultra, AirPods Max, Momentum, and later Px / Studio pages).
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | 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; Bluetooth 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz) or 20–40,000 Hz (LDAC 96 kHz / 990 kbps) | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Impedance | Not published | Sony WH-1000XM4 US specifications |
| Sensitivity / SPL | 105 dB/mW (1 kHz) via cable with unit on; 101 dB/mW with unit off | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Active noise cancellation | HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; Dual Noise Sensor; Personal NC Optimizer; atmospheric-pressure optimizing | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications; electronics.sony.com |
| Awareness / transparency | Ambient Sound Control; Quick Attention | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | Sony WH-1000XM4 specificationsNo LC3. Sony did not list aptX on this SKU. |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth Specification Version 5.0 | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Multipoint | Yes — Multi Device Connection on this generation (LDAC priority can conflict; confirm in Sound Connect) | Sony WH-1000XM4 feature set / Headphones Connect lineage |
| Battery — playback (OEM) | Max. 30 hours music (NC ON), max. 38 hours (NC OFF). Standby max. 30 hours (NC ON), 200 hours (NC OFF) | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Charging (OEM) | USB, approx. 3 hours full. Sony product copy: 10 minutes ≈ 5 hours with the optional AC adapter | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications; electronics.sony.com |
| Wired audio | Detachable approx. 1.2 m OFC cable; gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug; passive operation Yes | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Weight | Approx. 254 g | Sony WH-1000XM4 specification sheet |
| Fold / travel | Folds. Ear cups fold into the supplied carrying case | Sony WH-1000XM4 specification sheet (Foldable: Yes) |
| Companion app | Sony | Sound Connect (formerly Headphones Connect) | Sony current app branding |
| Microphones / calls | Dual Noise Sensor — two microphones on each cup feeding QN1 (Sony product copy) | electronics.sony.com WH-1000XM4 |
| Voice assistant | Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa via companion-app setup; Siri via the connected iPhone | Sony WH-1000XM4 feature list |
| Water / sweat resistance | Not published | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Finishes | Black and Silver at US launch | Sony US press, 2020-08-06 |
| Device compatibility | Bluetooth audio devices. NFC listed on some regional sheets. LDAC needs a compatible source. | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| US MSRP (launch) | $349.99 (6 August 2020). Pre-order that day; retail mid-August 2020 | Sony Electronics US press, 2020-08-06 |
| Price band | Legacy flagship leftover (launch $350; 2026 used/refurb often mid) | Derived from $349.99 launch |
| Announced | 6 August 2020 | Sony Electronics US press |
| Availability | US retail from mid-August 2020; leftover / refurb / used as of 19 September 2026 | Sony US press; live electronics.sony.com listing |
Sony WH-1000XM4 extras
Unique to this line or SKU. Other over-ears keep the first table aligned and swap this extras list.
| Attribute | Value | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 | QN1 with built-in analogue amplifier — the 1000X processor XM5 also used as the XM6 contrast baseline | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| DSEE Extreme | Yes | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| Speak-to-Chat | Yes — this is the generation Sony added it | Sony US press, 2020-08-06 |
| NFC | Yes on sheets that print the NFC row | Sony WH-1000XM4 specifications |
| In the box | Headset; USB-C cable; 1.2 m audio cable; carrying case; in-flight adapter on some packs | Sony WH-1000XM4 specification / accessory list |
Overview
WH-1000XM4 is the August 2020 folding 1000X. Sony’s support sheet is still the 2026 source of truth: 40 mm LCP driver, Bluetooth 5.0, SBC/AAC/LDAC, 254 g, 30/38-hour music table, foldable case.
First table: headphones-v1. Sibling hubs: XM5 and XM6.
Battery (OEM)
| Mode (Sony’s words) | XM4 claim |
|---|---|
| Music, NC ON | Max. 30 hours |
| Music, NC OFF | Max. 38 hours |
| Standby, NC OFF | Max. 200 hours |
| Full charge | Approx. 3 hours |
| Quick charge (product copy) | 10 minutes ≈ 5 hours |
Sources
- 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 and $349.99 — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does XM4 fold?
Yes. Sony’s sheet marks the chassis foldable. That is the leftover travel reason people still compare XM4 with XM5 (which does not fold) and XM6 (which folds again).
How is the driver different from XM5/XM6?
XM4’s sheet is a 40 mm aluminum-coated LCP dome. XM5 and XM6 print 30 mm. Keep the headphones-v1 `drivers` key and copy each generation’s size.
Is $349.99 what it costs today?
That is the 2020 US launch MSRP. Used and leftover tickets are a different number. Date whichever you cite.
Where are the later 1000X hubs?
/headphones/sony-wh-1000xm5/ and /headphones/sony-wh-1000xm6/. No named-pair vs-page ships in this PR.
Official product page: Sony WH-1000XM4. Tech specs: Sony WH-1000XM4 specs.