Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-1000XM4 

The Sony WH-1000XM4 is a wireless noise cancelling consumer headphone. This headphone replaces my former Sony WH-1000XM3. Some gory details are found on the  RAA website.

I use this headphone when cycling and traveling by train, which I do on almost a daily basis. Consequently, I know the sound of these headphones very well. For this reason, I always check my ‘final’ mixes/masters on these headphones to see how it sounds compared to other commercial (Spotify) productions. I can immediately tell if something obvious is wrong. However, these are not headphones useful for mixing and mastering, and not all mixing/mastering artefacts will be audible on these headphones. Therefore, my regular monitor system (e.g., Kali IN-8, Avantones, VSX) remains in place.

Frequency Response

The Sony WH-1000XM4 are decent for neutral sound. Their bass-heavy sound delivers intense thump, punch, and boom to mixes, making them a great choice for genres like EDM and hip-hop. However, this extra bass also bloats vocals and instruments. While you can customize their sound profile to your liking using their companion app’s graphic EQ and presets, it can be tricky to tackle the excess high-bass to low-mid. The lowest EQ band starts at 400Hz, which falls just after the bump in bass. The Clear Bass slider in the EQ can help reduce bass, though. Still, they have a closed-back design and don’t create a wide or natural-seeming passive soundstage (source: RTINGS). The unbalanced frequency response is very clear when comparing it to my other monitoring systems (e.g., Kali IN-8, Avantones, VSX).

Frequency Response (source: RAA website). See also RTINGS.

Specifications

Bluetooth
AAC – Yes
LDAC – Yes
SBC – Yes

Bluetooth® Specification
Bluetooth® version: Version 5.0
Effective Range Line of sight: approx. 30 ft (10 m)
FREQUENCY RANGE: 2.4 GHz band (2.4000–2.4835 GHz)
Profile: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Supported Audio Format(s): SBC, AAC, LDAC
Supported Content Protection: SCMS-T
General Features
Diaphragm: Aluminum coated LCP
Driver Unit: 1.57 “, dome type (CCAW Voice coil)
Frequency Response: 4 Hz-40,000 Hz
Headphone Type: Closed, dynamic
Magnet: Neodymium
NFC: Yes
Passive Operation: Yes
Sensitivities (dB/mW): 105 dB / mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned on), 101 dB / mW (1 kHz) (when connecting via the headphone cable with the unit turned off)
DSEE Extreme: Yes
Noise Suppression: Yes
Weight: 254g

Noise Canceling
Ambient Sound Control (20 steps): Yes
Ambient Sound Mode: Yes
Ambient Sound Mode – Normal: Yes
Ambient Sound Mode – Voice: Yes
Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing: Yes
Digital Noise Canceling: “Industry Leading Noise Canceling”
Dual Noise Sensor Technology: Yes
Noise Canceling ON/OFF Switch: Yes
Personal NC Optimizer: Yes
Quick Attention: Yes

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