We benchmarked the revamped Sony WH-1000XM4C: Here’s how the new hardware performs

Headphone lovers don’t always look for something new — and in the case of the Sony WH-1000XM4: they yearn for older models that don’t have the same issues as more contemporary products do. So what happens when electronics giant Sony brings back a new version of this classic? You get the Sony WH-1000XM4C. Let’s see how well it works.

What’s it like to use the Sony WH-1000XM4C?

The Sony WH-1000XM4C is a solid set of noise-canceling headphones, though it won’t compete with contemporary flagship headphones on even footing.

Design

The Sony WH-1000XM4C looks and feels very much like the older WH-1000XM4, and that’s by design — it’s supposed to be a 2026 refresh of the same headphones. Under the hood, much is the same outside of a few minor changes. Users familiar with the older headphones will feel right at home with the Sony WH-1000XM4C, and know exactly what to expect from them. For example, the case is extremely similar, which is a nice touch.

For those who don’t, the Sony WH-1000XM4C is a set of somewhat substantial-feeling over-ear ANC headphones with faux-leather padding, a folding band, and matte exterior. There’s no ingress protection rating, so gym rats and the particularly moist may want to keep these headphones out of the proverbial line of fire if they can. However, in our experience, the Sony WH-1000XM4C should be able to handle the errant raindrop or two without having to worry about frying your headphones — just do the best you can to avoid it, is all.

Just like the WH-1000XM4 before it, the Sony WH-1000XM4C is built for use in the long haul, and is fairly comfortable for long listening sessions. Though I didn’t have any intercontinental flights to take this on, I was able to listen to these comfortably for four hours in one sitting before my attention was put to something else. Just be aware that these headphones trap a bit of heat, so the stock pads could become a little toasty over time. Speaking of the pads: the ear pads are now slightly easier to remove for cleaning and replacement. Though it’s quite old now, our copy of the original WH-1000XM4 requires you to pry part of the pads off instead of just using your hands. Not so with the newer cans.

Controlling the Sony WH-1000XM4C is as easy as it is with other Sony headphones that have gesture controls, and nothing’s really changed here. On the back of the headphones’ left ear cup are two buttons that control power, pairing, and ANC modes. You can also assign either Spotify Tap or YouTube Music Quick Access to a double-press of the ANC button. But most of the interactions you’ll have with the device will be through the capacitive touch plate on the right ear cup. Some people may not like gesture controls, but I appreciate them because it offers a way to control playback and calls without dislodging your headphones.

Features

Features are a little light, but that’s mainly because this is a successor to an older set of headphones. There’s still enough here that should satisfy the vast majority of listeners. For example, the inclusion of 360 Reality Audio is good for those with streaming services that support it. Similarly, DSEE Extreme upscaling should help those with lower-quality local libraries as well. A find-your-equalizer questionnaire will help you find your preferred tuning, and the updated 10-band equalizer is far better than the original WH-1000XM4’s 5-band one.

Really, if you want to get the most out of your Sony WH-1000XM4C, you’ll need the Sony Sound Connect app, as it’s the main hub for updates, controls, and tweaks. Though it’s not fun to have to install an app to get every feature of your headphones working, it’s just the world we live in. Headphones are complicated!

You can use the app for a large number of customizations, and if you dig into the “Discover” tab, you can see stats about your listening (if you enable it). Personally I don’t care too much about that, but some people may.

How does the Sony WH-1000XM4C connect?

No longer shackled by outdated Bluetooth, the new Sony WH-1000XM4C comes to us with Bluetooth 6.0, supporting SBC, AAC, and LDAC. Just be aware that Multipoint does not work over an LDAC connection. You can also manage your connected devices through the Sound Connect app. I’m a bit annoyed that the use of Bluetooth 6.0 doesn’t automatically mean that a set of headphones supports the mandatory LE audio and Auracast features, but at least in the Sony WH-1000XM4C’s case: we may see that come in a future firmware update. Sony tends to be pretty decent about that sort of thing.

You can also plug into analog sources with a 3.5mm to 3.5mm TRS cable — and either listen with the headphones’ active features turned on, or off if you don’t have much battery life left. Should that cable ever break, or get lost: replacements are dirt cheap and easy to find just about anywhere online. You cannot, however, use a USB-C cable for listening.

Though we didn’t have any issues with dropouts, the Sony WH-1000XM4C seems to struggle on voice calls when in the presence of too many things it has connected to before. Below, you’ll likely see a disclaimer about the microphone samples not being final: that’s because for whatever reason, the Sony WH-1000XM4C decided it was going to throw some crackles, drops, and the like while in the presence of three other devices it had connected to. This is unexpected behavior — and unlikely to be repeated in your own home — but something to note. In a couple hours after this review goes live, I’ll be removing these devices, factory resetting the headphones, and testing again to get a more representative set of samples.

How long does the Sony WH-1000XM4C’s battery last?

Though we haven’t yet had the chance to fully test the Sony WH-1000XM4C’s battery yet, Sony advertises a life of about 27 hours with the ANC on, and 34 hours with the ANC off. We find that estimates of battery life test to fall within 10% of our tests, so those figures should be a reasonable ballpark. Just be aware that using different features, listening at different volumes, and the like can affect performance here.

However, if you absolutely must have our test results ASAP: check back in a few days, as the battery testing rig is currently occupied by the Sony WH-CH730N. The WH-1000X series headphones typically last between 24 and 36 hours, so we should have a more firm figure by the weekend.

One thing I was quite bummed about was that the Sony WH-1000XM4C didn’t inherit the excellent battery care setting in the Sound Connect app that the Collexion headphones and the WH-CH730N have. It’s a bit of a mystery to me, because that’s probably the single best feature out there for making sure you don’t lose your headphones quickly to battery cell degradation.

How well does the Sony WH-1000XM4C cancel noise?

Sony gave some love to the active noise canceling in the WH-1000XM4C, and it shows in the lab — though it’s a little curious that we got a better fit with the newer headphones than the older WH-1000XM4.

Blocking out over 72% of outside noise by average perceived loudness, and canceling roughly 87%, the Sony WH-1000XM4C is an excellent set of noise canceling headphones. Though it’s not going to completely mute every noise around you — nor should it — you can expect annoying noise to be reduced significantly. I myself have to commute through a particularly screechy stretch of train on my way into work, and the Sony WH-1000XM4C handled it far better than most of the ANC headphones I test.

Compared to the older WH-1000XM4, the Sony WH-1000XM4C not only seems to fit better, but cancel a bunch more noise in the low end. While it’s entirely possible we got a leaky measurement, it doesn’t appear that way from the isolation profile in the chart. It seems as though the ear cups simply fit better, which could be explained by any number of small design changes like the foam guards behind the mesh. Regardless, A+, Sony.

How good is the Sony WH-1000XM4C Transparency mode?

I found the transparency mode of the Sony WH-1000XM4C to be fairly standard, without much to gripe or rave about. The headphones aren’t amazing at giving you the illusion of 3D space with the audio it pumps through the speakers, but it’s an extremely common problem. That said, the Sony WH-CH730N was fairly comparable at this task, so your bar for “good” may be satisfied by less expensive headphones.

How does the Sony WH-1000XM4C sound?

David Byrne should be doing this review, because the sound is (mostly) the same as it ever was.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Can you use the Sony WH-1000XM4C for phone calls?

Should you buy the Sony WH-1000XM4C?

With the lone exception of the mic issues noted above — and the benefit of better ANC — the Sony WH-1000XM4C really is a slightly-updated version of the WH-1000XM4 that should satisfy anyone looking for more of that. Though headphones have become really techy of late, sometimes you just want what you’re used to, and for fans of the older Sony headphones: the Sony WH-1000XM4C is something that should carry you competently for the next few years.

Of course, ANC headphones have come a long way in the last few years, and there are plenty of options that work well. For example, Sony’s ULT WEAR () are still available, and comparable in many ways to the WH-1000XM4C. You could also grab Bose’s latest QuietComfort Headphones (), or you could give Nothing a try with its Headphone (1) ().