Is the Sony WH-1000XM4C worth it?
Yes — the best Sony for the money.
Sony WH-1000XM4C
Worth it if…
You want Sony noise cancelling in headphones that fold small, without flagship prices.
Not worth it if…
You want the strongest noise cancelling, or you'd use them at the gym.
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What you get
Musical, balanced sound, very good noise cancelling and clear calls, in a light design that folds small. It adds Bluetooth 6.0, a 10-band EQ and a battery you can swap yourself. Battery is about 27 hours with noise cancelling on, there's no water resistance, and the headband padding can press on long wear.
Sound
Travel
Battery
Workouts
Not worth it for you?
You want the strongest noise cancelling
You'd use them at the gym
More on the Sony XM4C
How we reached this verdict
What Hi-Fi? finds it musical, comfortable and portable with solid noise cancelling, and says it sounds a little tighter and more open than the original XM4, its only real cost a drop from 30 to 27 hours of battery. T3 calls it hard to argue with at a mid-range price: the same design and sound hardware as the XM4, with better noise cancelling and comfort only in pricier models such as the XM6. TechRadar still rated the original XM4 the best headphones for most people at around £200, for its sound, comfort and folding design. We haven't found enough verified owner reviews of the new model to count yet.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: What Hi-Fi?, T3, TechRadar (XM4), TechRadar (launch), RTINGS, RTINGS, What Hi-Fi, manufacturer specifications.