The birth of the strongest earphones !? Sony "WF-1000XM4" deep review (1) | Mynavi News Mynavi News Mynavi

Sony's flagship model of completely wireless earphones "WF-1000XM4"

The WF-1000XM4 is equipped with a high-level noise canceling function centered on Sony's proprietary Bluetooth audio SoC "V1" chip. It is also noteworthy that you can listen to high-resolution music up to 96kHz / 24bit with almost the same sound quality by wireless playback via Bluetooth.

First check the appearance and fit. If you put the charging cases of WF-1000XM4 (below: 1000XM4) and WF-1000XM3 (below: 1000XM3) side by side, can you see in the picture that they are considerably smaller? When I measured it with a measuring instrument at hand, the 1000XM4 was lighter by about 40g.

The author wrote in a breaking report of this magazine that "the larger the charging case is, like the 1000XM3, the more you can feel the dignity of the upper model", but I apologize for the withdrawal. "Lightness is justice". When I carry it around every day, the 1000XM4 is naturally less burdensome and more comfortable. However, it is a pity that one-touch pairing by NFC is no longer possible. If NFC makes a comeback in the next model, I would like to warmly welcome it.

As for the earphone body, there is no big change in weight between 1000XM4 and 1000XM3. However, the 1000XM3 is designed so that the earphones can be seen popping out of your ears when worn. The 1000XM4 is big enough to see that it has earphones on its ears, but it looks pretty smart. In addition, since the tip of the main body does not extend toward the mouth like the 1000XM3, the 1000XM4 can be easily washed while wearing it on the ear. The main body is IPX4 equivalent and drip-proof.

The 1000XM3 has a slightly long nozzle, and while turning the tip of the earpiece, insert it deep into the ear canal and attach it. The shape of the ear canal was not very compatible with the 1000XM3, so I couldn't get the best sound insulation effect depending on the attached earpiece.

The 1000XM4 has a shorter nozzle length, and the housing touches the outer ear to support it, providing a snug fit. I wore the 1000XM4 and ran in the gym, and while watching YouTube at home, I tried to move my body by imitating Pilates-like things, but the wearing feeling of the earphones was outstandingly stable.

With the 1000XM4, you can now perform "automatic measurement of the sealed state" with the earpiece selected by the user from the "Sony | Headphones Connect" app. Open the app and tap "Determine Best Earpiece" added in the "System" tab.

The measurement test in the mounted state is completed in just about 5 seconds. When I also measured it, the new "noise isolation earpiece" that came with the 1000XM4 was judged to be "L" for both ears.

For example, just as sneaker sizes are not the same for all manufacturers, it is possible that one product with earphone earpieces will fit the M size, while another product will have the L size better. Also, depending on the person, the size of the left and right ear holes may be different. Not only can you expect high sound insulation with the best size earpiece, but you can also get the best sound out of the product.

The 1000XM4 nozzle has a versatile shape, so you can find compatible earpieces from other companies. You can also search for and customize third-party earpieces to suit your taste in sound and fit. However, depending on the shape of the earpiece, it may not be possible to close the lid of the charging case while it is attached, so be careful.

The 1000XM4 supports a codec called "LDAC" developed by Sony, which allows you to enjoy high-resolution playback of up to 96kHz / 24bit with Bluetooth audio while using a lossy compression method. Among Sony's completely wireless earphones, the 1000XM4 is the first to support LDAC. In addition, Sony's portable audio products already have many LDAC compatible products such as the wireless headphones "WH-1000XM4" and the neckband style wireless earphones "WI-1000XM2".

In order to enjoy the "good sound" of LDAC, it is required that music playback devices such as smartphones and audio players also support LDAC. The number of products that support LDAC is increasing among mobile terminals such as smartphones equipped with the latest Android OS, and all current models of Walkman are also compatible with LDAC. On the other hand, since the iPhone cannot listen with LDAC, it is also impossible to play high-resolution wireless music with 1000XM4.

The Google Pixel 5 I used for the 1000XM4 listening check supports LDAC Bluetooth audio. When you pair 1000XM4, it will be automatically connected with LDAC in the initial state. You can also check what is selected as the connected codec from your smartphone's Bluetooth settings or Sony's dedicated app.

As far as I tried this time, when listening to music with LDAC connection, there were occasional interruptions in sound and noise. If you open the "Sound" tab of the app and switch the Bluetooth connection quality from "Sound quality priority" to "Connection priority", the codec will switch to AAC, and in most cases the connection status will be stable and noise and sound interruption will be eliminated. ..

In the case of iPhone, the AAC codec is selected in both the sound quality priority and connection priority modes, and you can enjoy music playback in the best conditions for each.

The 1000XM4 employs a method of simultaneously delivering audio signals from various music playback devices to the left and right wireless earphones. In the case of the product I tried this time, the voice guide was a little difficult to hear when switching between NC and ambient (external sound capture) modes, and the voice sometimes arrived with a delay from one earphone, but for music playback and video When playing the voice, it was stable without losing the balance of hearing.

A touch sensor is built in the side of the left and right earphones (large circular part). I felt that the sensitivity was set a little higher for touch operations with fingers, but even if the cushion or bedding touches the sensor, no erroneous operation will occur. For example, before I went to sleep, I was able to listen to music and watch videos while lying on the bed with my 1000XM4 on my ears without any problems.