New Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones are packed with features
The new Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones introduce a number of new features including Speak-to-Chat, which pauses your audio as soon as you start speaking and lets you have a conversation without pressing a button or taking the headphones off.
The WH-1000XM4s are fourth-generation over-ear models that build on the technology of the 1000XM3s but promise better noise-cancelling (NC) performance in a lighter design with a better fit.
Sony Australia says there are two microphones on each earcup which pass ambient noise data to a processor which adjusts to music and noise at over 700 times per second. An interesting addition is Adaptive Sound Control, a technology which learns to recognise locations that you frequently visit and tailors the audio to suit them.
Adding to this is the ability to more accurately rebuild audio lost during digital compression for a higher-fidelity experience, and support for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology, which creates an immersive musical field and makes you feel like you’re in the midst of the action. For example, you could be placed in the audience of a live gig, with the artist right in front of you, the instruments ranged across the stage and the audience around you.
The WH-1000XM4 headphones can be paired with two Bluetooth devices at the same time and automatically routes calls through from the right phone. Google’s Fast Pair feature not only makes pairing easier but also lets you ring your headphones if they get misplaced.
The cans have up to 30 hours of battery life with noise cancellation on – or to 38 hours with it off – and can keep playing for five hours from a quick 10-minute charge.
Sony WH-1000XM4 price
RRP $549.95
