When Sony announced the WH-1000XM4C headphones, I was stumped. A product renewal usually includes at least one or two significant improvements. Or if it’s a nostalgia play, it’s from a product that’s decades old and not one that came out in 2020. Beyond a few minor tweaks, though, the XM4C is remarkably similar to its six-year-old namesake, the beloved WH-1000XM4. They even use the same processor for active noise cancellation (ANC).
And while I went into this review questioning the existence of the XM4C, after spending some time with them, I get it. The Sony XM4C aren’t the latest in headphone technology, but they are great headphones that I love using. They still sound great, the design is classic, and they get you pretty close to the performance of Sony’s current-gen flagship, the WH-1000XM6, for a lot less money.
$298
the good
- Comfortable for long-term listening
- Good ANC, but no longer top-notch
- Pleasant sound profile
- 10 band equalizer
- Foldable and compact design
bad
- Less battery life than the original.
- No Auracast support
What I and many others loved about the original XM4 remains at the heart of the XM4C. They fold up into a compact size and come with a zippered hard case (which now has its loop on the zipper instead of the edge) that’s easy to carry. The faux leather earcups are soft and comfortable; I wore them for hours at a time during testing with no problems. Codec support is also the same as the XM4, with SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-resolution wireless audio with compatible devices.
The similarities continue with the XM4C’s 40mm driver and, by extension, its sound. The bass is heavier than the XM4, but it’s not overwhelming and instead supports everything above it. The kick and tom hits have good oomph and definition. Low-end love songs like Billie Eilish’s “bad guy” really move forward. Mids, like the acoustic guitar attack on Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” or the bitingness of Robert Plant’s vocals, can sound slightly muffled or muffled. It’s not something I hear on my original XM4s, although the difference is not drastic. There’s a 10-band equalizer in the Sony Sound Connect app (compared to five bands on the original XM4) and after boosting the frequencies between 1kHz and 4kHz, the midrange opened up. But even without that little EQ change, the XM4Cs sound great.
In a world that continues to move away from 3.5mm connections, the XM4C still has one, which works both in on mode (to use ANC) and with the headphones off if the battery is low. However, like the XM4 (and the XM5 and even last year’s XM6), the XM4C only supports wired listening over 3.5mm, and not USB-C. The XM4C headphones also include only a 3.5mm cable. You will need to provide your own USB-C cable for charging.
Like the XM4, the XM4C uses four microphones with Sony’s older QN1 chip for noise cancellation, and so ANC performance is basically the same. Going back and forth between the two, the XM4C blocks out a little more bass from air conditioners and large trucks driving around outside. But that difference could come from the XM4C’s pads, which are six years newer than the worn ones on my XM4.
It’s not that the XM4C’s ANC is bad, but it’s where its six-year-old technology shows the most. ANC has improved a lot in recent years and there are headphones that offer comparable performance for half the price, like the Anker Soundcore Space 2. And it doesn’t compare to Sony’s more expensive XM series headphones. Both the XM5 (which also has the QN1 chip, albeit with eight microphones) and the The slightly more expensive second-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones also block out lower frequencies a little better than the XM4C. Still, performance is solid and I never felt distracted by outside noise when active.
The same goes for call quality. The XM4C blocks out ambient sound on calls well and my voice is clear and understandable, but sometimes louder noises come through or make my voice sound a little compressed. They get the job done; They’re just not top-tier like the XM6 (which costs $160 more).
One of the XM4C’s selling points is its replaceable battery, required by upcoming EU regulations for Sony to sell them in Europe. The replacement battery is not for sale in North America, and Sony has not indicated when (or if) it might be available here. At the moment, there are also no instructions on how to perform the replacement yourself. The earbuds are definitely easier to remove than before – I was able to remove them and put them on with my hands instead of lifting them up with an extra tool. But once they’re removed, there’s no easy way to determine which screws to remove to get to the battery. (Removing just the four visibly obvious silver screws with arrows pointing to them is not enough.) Now, this isn’t a big deal on new headphones with batteries that should last a few years, but it’s also not encouraging for American customers who expect the added longevity that a user-replaceable battery provides.
The switch to a removable battery also affected the XM4C’s battery life slightly, up to 27 hours with ANC on from 30 hours on the XM4. Although it is still more than enough to spend a few days.
A disappointing omission is Bluetooth LE and therefore Auracast support. With the move to Bluetooth 6.0 and the fact that both the XM5 and XM6 support it, I was hoping these would too. This doesn’t mean you can’t eventually get Auracast via a firmware update. (That’s what happened with the XM5). It’s a shame they don’t have it at launch.
The XM4C also keeps the capacitive touch controls separate from the power and ANC buttons, like on the XM series. A sensor on the right earcup allows for track and volume controls. Holding your palm over it activates transparency mode until you move it away for brief moments when you need to hear someone. The controls work decently, but I’ve always preferred physical buttons.
The launch of the XM4C was a surprise, but a welcome one. Even with only minor improvements to a six-year-old design, the XM4C are still excellent headphones. I enjoy the way they sound, the ANC works well and they are incredibly comfortable. Is $300 a little more than you’d expect for a headset based on a 2020 model? Yes a bit. But those looking for an XM4 replacement will be incredibly happy with them. The Sony XM4C proves that just because a design is old, doesn’t mean it has to be forgotten.
Photography by John Higgins/The Verge
