Sony Announces WF-1000XM4 Earbuds with Noise-Cancellation

Sony has finally announced its highly rumored/leaked WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds. The new flagship earbuds will boost Sony’s V1 integrated processor, as well as the company’s DSEE Extreme audio engine which is also used in the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones. The Sony XM4 true wireless earbuds are available starting today from all major retailers.

The Sony XM4 earbuds feature two 6mm drivers that will help improve sound quality and bass performance. They will also be the first Sony earbuds to support LDAC, meaning that they can support hi-res audio up to 32-bit/96kHz through Bluetooth. This is great news as most popular music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are moving towards hi-res audio.

The new earbuds feature a revamped design that is 10 percent smaller than their predecessors while the charging case is now 40 percent smaller. Also, the new V1 chip works alongside the drivers to produce the “industry’s highest level of noise cancellation”, according to Sony. To further boost noise cancellation, the earbuds’ tips are also redesigned to block outside noise. They are made from a polyurethane foam material that compresses down to fit in your ear and then expands to ensure a perfect fit.

When it comes to battery life, the new Sony XM4 earbuds can offer up to 8 hours of music playback from a single charge with noise-cancellation turned on. This beats all of Sony’s competitors like Apple AirPods Pro and Bose QC Earbuds. The charging case has up to two full charges, making the total battery life go up to 24 hours in total with noise-cancellation on, and 36 hours with noise-cancellation off.

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In addition to the USB-C port to charge the earbuds, the charging case supports Qi wireless charging. Fast charging is also on board, a five-minute charge can give you up to one hour of music playback, and the Sony app will notify you when the battery life drops below 30 percent.

Unlike their predecessors, the Sony XM4 earbuds are rated IPX4 for water and sweat resistance. They also support both Alexa and Google Assistant, and they use Google’s Fast Pair technology to quickly connect with Android devices, and Swift pair technology to quickly pair them with a Windows 10 device. Unfortunately, the earbuds still don’t support multipoint Bluetooth connections, meaning you still can’t connect them to two devices at the same time.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds are available starting today in black and light gray colors. They will cost $279.99. If this price doesn’t fit you, the XM3s will continue to be in circulation for $229.99.