The Sony WF-1000XM4 are either “very good” or “really very good,” and as a total package, they’re hard to beat. Compared to their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM3, the new wireless earphones offer enough quality features to warrant an upgrade, even if they are a bit more expensive. A more compact design makes the Sony WF-1000XM4 more comfortable and easier to wear, while the included app makes it easier to customize controls and EQ settings to rival the best headphones.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 features that have been carried over from the previous model, such as Speak-To-Chat, DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling, and Adaptive Noise Cancellation. This means that even if you are looking for the best wireless headphones, you will be hard pressed to find a more comprehensively equipped pair of earbuds. Even though other wireless earphones outperform the Sony WF-1000XM4 in certain areas – noise cancellation for example – no other model comes close to offering such outstanding overall quality. For this reason, the Sony WF-1000XM4 are by far the best wireless earbuds that you can buy right now. ..

The WF-1000XM3 earphones are a full 40% smaller than the original model, while the charger is also 10% smaller. The earphones are still among the heaviest of the bunch, but at least they’re not as large and protrude above the wearer’s head like a prop in a sci-fi movie.

The WF-1000XM4s have some of the features introduced in last year’s WH-1000XM4 over-ears: active noise cancellation that detects what you’re doing and where you’re doing it to adapt to the situation; quick pairing for Android and Windows devices; and “speak to chat,” where you simply have to make a noise to pause the music so you can talk briefly without removing the earphones. Noise cancellation is enhanced with new polyurethane ear tips that provide improved passive noise cancellation.