![]() ![]() This is highly convenient for those brief conversations that come up when you're in the middle of something-instead of having to take the headphones off or fumbling with any pause buttons, you can simply speak when you need to, then either double-tap the right earcup or wait 15 seconds to start back up whatever you were listening to. Perhaps the most useful new feature I've used thus far is something Sony calls "Speak to Chat." After setting it up in Sony's companion app, the feature lets the XM4 automatically pause your music and amp up the ambient sound setting once it detects your voice. Here, it has been replaced with a "Custom" button that can also be set to activate either the Google Assistant or Alexa voice assistant, both of which have built-in support. There's still no option to manually adjust the strength of the ANC, though, which is a key feature offered by Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. On the XM3, that button simply swapped between ANC, ambient sound, and a standard audio mode. Its strength is still adjustable on a 20-point scale found within Sony's companion app, and the mode can still be activated through a button on the headphones themselves. Advertisementīeyond that, the XM4 still features an "ambient sound" mode that does a reasonably good job of blending in outside noise without overwhelming your music completely, just in case you want to be better aware of your surroundings. No noise-cancelling headphone can truly mute everything, and that won't change here, but any progress toward negating those higher-end noises would be a good thing. If nothing else, it doesn't appear to be a downgrade from before. I haven't been able to truly stress test this claim yet-a global pandemic isn't the most accommodating setting for such matters-but I can say that the ANC quality here is still deeply impressive, almost totally wiping out the droning of a busy air conditioner even without any music playing. According to Sony, this should make the XM4 slightly better at muting out low-end frequencies such as in airplane cabins or on rumbling trains but also provide more noticeable gains in mid- and higher-end frequencies, where most human voices and everyday noise reside. The company claims that the headphones use a new Bluetooth audio SoC-it didn't specify which-and an updated algorithm for its own QN1 noise-cancelling chip to update and process noise cancelling in real time. Updated ANC and noise processingįurther Reading Guidemaster: The most useful gadgets to have in your bag while travelingThough the active noise cancellation (ANC) on the XM3 was close to best in class, Sony says it has improved upon the tech with the XM4. At the same time, they still provide a just-firm-enough seal to keep too much outside noise from seeping in. ![]() They still aren't as light as something like Bose's QuietComfort 35 II, but there's enough cushioning and space here to feel agreeable for hours at a time. Comfort was not a general area of concern with the XM3, and so far I've had no major complaints wearing the XM4 for extended periods. Sony says it has made some slight design tweaks to accommodate more head and ear sizes, though: the headband is slightly less padded but also a tinge wider, while the earpads are said to have a 10-percent larger surface area. There's still a set of touch-based controls on the right earcup instead of physical playback buttons. The earcups still fold up for easy storage, there's still a USB-C port for charging, and the device can still work over an included 3.5mm cable in a pinch. The design is nearly identical to its predecessor: we're still looking at a largely handsome design with a plastic yet sturdy and smooth finish, which is available in black or silver with copper accents. In general, the idea behind the XM4 is one of refinement more than radical reinvention. I've had the XM4 on hand for the past couple of days I plan to have a more detailed comparison in the near future, but for now I can share some initial impressions alongside today's news. The headphones cost $350, which is the same price as the XM3 at launch and Bose's competing QuietComfort 35 II, but $50 less than Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. The XM4 is available for pre-order starting today, with shipping to start sometime in "mid-August," according to Sony. The new over-ear cans are the follow-up to Sony's WH-1000XM3, which have been widely regarded as being among the best premium pairs of noise-cancelling headphones on the market-and have been an Ars favorite-since launching in 2018. Sony on Thursday announced its latest flagship pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones: the WH-1000XM4. ![]()
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