Engadget Logo Check every corner of the Japanese version of Engadget WF-1000XM4. Finally finished to fight AirPods Pro (Muneka Nishida)

Although it was a little late from the release, I was able to get Sony's wireless earphone "WF-1000XM4" (hereinafter, XM4). It may seem like a lot of articles are coming out soon, but I would like to write a review in response to the request of the editor-in-chief of this magazine, ACCN.

This product is quite interesting.

Thorough new package of "paper" is clean

Speaking of rivals of XM4, I think that it is the same Sony "WF-1000XM3" (hereinafter, XM3) and Apple's "AirPods Pro". This time, I would like to compare these three products.

What is the biggest feature of XM4?

It is a package.

…… And when I write it like this, I'm likely to receive a total tsukkomi saying "Hey". Well, "maximum" is an overstatement.

However, there is no doubt that the first thing that impresses me is the "change in texture, including the packaging."

After all, the XM4 package itself is close to the size of the XM3 itself. Well, it means that the charging box of XM3 was so big, but at the same time as the size of the main body of XM4 was downsized, the package was also boldly downsized.

I really like this seemingly simple package. Even the warranty card is sandwiched between the bands that wrap the body. The reason why the main body case is wrapped in a band and the warranty card is put in it is probably because "if only that part is changed, it can be used in each country." It's a good idea. The protective cover of the main body is also made of paper.

I do not praise "the reduction of resin material is good". That's important, but the good thing is that we used paper boldly to create a compact, good-looking package. There seems to be an argument that beauty and comfort should not be lost by saying that they are SDGs. I like that idea.

Thinking calmly in the first place, it seems that the author was tired of the "white square box". This is clearly memorable. To be honest, the XM3 package has little memory. I remember it was a box, but ... Of course, it may be a little lonely and easy to get tired of this type, but there seems to be plenty of room for ingenuity, such as coloring with soy ink, which has a low environmental impact, or changing the embossing.

One unfortunate thing is that even if you keep the package, if you remove the band that holds the surroundings (also made of paper), the package cannot be closed as a "box". Earpieces of different sizes are in the lower box, so I'd like to keep them as they are, but it's difficult to attach the upper box. I wanted the upper box to fit if possible. Perhaps it means that only the one with the earpiece should be removed.

It's tiny and fits well in your ears

The box is smaller, but the body is also smaller. Or rather, the XM3 was too big. The impression is that it's finally big enough to compete with the AirPods Pro.

What's better than the AirPods Pro is that the case is self-supporting. Well, the case of XM4 is still a little big, so it's natural to "stand". However, since it does not roll on the desk, it is easy to charge and use.

The size of the earphone itself has also become smaller. It's less noticeable than the XM3 or AirPods Pro because it has less parts that pop out of your ears.

Another advantage over the AirPods Pro is that it's hard to fall off your ears. This is the same as the XM3, but the XM3 has a structure that inserts the earpiece deep into the ear, while the XM4 has the impression that it is realized by the friction of the earpiece itself and the fit in the ear of the main body. I think it's an ant to choose XM4 in that respect because the aesthetics have changed as it became smaller.

However, if you don't remember where to put it in, the XM4 won't fit in your ears. Just turn it to determine the position. Please note that if this is incomplete, it will fall off easily and the sound will not be determined properly.

It should be noted that the change in the earpiece, which will be described later, has a great influence on the sound and the fit in the ear.

As for the sound quality, XM4 wins overwhelmingly.However, AirPods Pro shows its true character in "spatial audio"

Regarding sound quality, the conclusion can be simply stated.

The XM4 is definitely better for simple comparisons.

In terms of noise cancellation (NC) effectiveness, XM4 is clearly the top. Especially if you want to cancel your voice, the XM4 is comfortable.

The NC performance of the XM4 is partly improved in terms of functionality, but it has a lot to do with the fact that the earpiece has become a foam type, making it easier to adhere to the ear. It can be seen from the fact that if you change the AirPods Pro earpiece to a foam type external product (for example, Comply's AirPods Pro compatible version), the sound insulation will increase, and the NC performance will approach the XM4 accordingly.

However, it means that the feeling of close contact with the ears will increase = the frictional burden will increase, so it seems that some people dislike it. AirPods Pro has less strain on the ears than the XM3 and the XM4 when it comes to genuine earpieces. It's a minus for NC, but I think there is such an option in terms of usability. Conversely, the XM3 and XM4 have the advantage of being "harder to fall off your ears" than the AirPods Pro.

In terms of sound quality, I think the XM3 was originally better than the AirPods Pro.

However, the difference was not an extreme difference, as some people sometimes said that "AirPods Pro is better".

However, it is clearly different from XM4. The sound is thick and three-dimensional, which makes it more natural. By comparison, the AirPods Pro is a bit flatter, the XM3 is a little better, and the XM4 is a lot better.

That said, this is an impression of listening to a typical stereo song, and it changes again when listening to Dolby Atmos songs on Apple Music. That's how destructive 3D audio is. I think that the XM4 will have a similar environment if the number of 360 Reality Audio songs increases and it becomes easier to experience, but at present, AirPods Pro has the impression that "when using Apple Music from Apple products, it is the first choice".

Conversely, the XM4 is a "other first choice". It's versatile, and it sounds good on Android, iPhone, Mac, and Windows. Especially in the case of Android, LDAC can be used as a codec, so it can be said that it is advantageous.

In terms of sound quality, I would also like to evaluate the dramatic improvement in the quality of "external sound capture."

Comparing the XM3 with his AirPods Pro, the AirPods Pro was the overwhelming winner in terms of sound quality when capturing external sound. But with XM4 it has improved and is much more natural. This point can be said to be a catch-up.

Bluetooth switching has the same specifications as XM3, and the application is maturing

Finally, let's talk about device switching via Bluetooth.

There seems to be no major specification change with XM3 here. Priority connection is made to the device that was paired last, but if you connect from another device, the device will cancel the pairing with the device that was connected immediately before and connect to a new device. What makes me happy with this specification is that I don't have to operate the other device. For example, when using a PC or tablet and a smartphone properly, it is good to be able to switch by operating from only one. Of course, it is easier to connect multiple devices at the same time, but there is no problem with this specification.

Apple-based products such as AirPods Pro have similar specifications, but when linked with Apple products, it has the advantage of automatically switching devices. This also leads to the point that "If you use it with Apple products, it's your first choice."

The connection and recognition speed of the XM4 is faster than that of the XM3, which makes it easier to use. However, this depends on the environment, such as the surrounding radio wave conditions.

I feel that the setup speed from the app has increased, but is it due to the improvement of the app or the improvement of the wireless system? The usability of Sony's headphone app has improved considerably, probably because it has improved over time since it was provided. Well, the 360 ​​Reality Audio relationship that I just introduced has a lot of things that I'm not familiar with. Ear measurement is a hassle, but we recommend that you do it once. Data can be reused with any earphone.

Either way, the specifications around here are preferable, so it's good to continue. If you want to use it on various devices, XM4 is a recommended product.