Sony Introduced the WH-1000XM4 Headphones

In August 2020, Sony introduced the WH-1000XM4, the fourth-generation model in its 1000X wireless noise-cancelling headphone line. It carried over the core of the WH-1000XM3 and added several features.

Noise cancelling ran on Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1, paired with a Bluetooth audio system-on-chip that adjusted to music and ambient noise more than 700 times per second, using two microphones on each earcup. DSEE Extreme, an Edge-AI process, aimed to restore detail lost in digital compression. The headphones supported 360 Reality Audio with compatible streaming apps and the Sony Headphones Connect app.

Adaptive Sound Control adjusted ambient sound based on activity and learned frequently visited places over time. A new Speak-to-Chat feature paused the music and let ambient sound through when the wearer began speaking, resuming playback about 30 seconds after the last speech; Quick Attention lowered the volume when a hand was placed over the right earcup. Wear detection, using a proximity sensor and two accelerometers, paused playback when the headphones were removed and resumed it when they were put back on. Precision Voice Acquisition used five microphones for clearer hands-free calls.

Battery life was rated up to 30 hours, and a 10-minute charge gave up to 5 hours of playback. The WH-1000XM4 included NFC, Bluetooth, Google Fast Pair, touch controls, and Google Assistant support.