The Sony WH-1000XM3 was regarded, at its time, one of the best Active Noise Cancelling headphones if not the best. While it is not cheap, it is a great piece of listening kit to have. It was plenty more comfortable compared to the WH-1000XM2 and it had a much better performing noise cancelling performance. Coupled with Sony’s know how in music production and reproduction, the headphone is quite special.
The WH-1000XM3 also came with DSEE HX that upscales mp3 music to something that is closer to Hi-Res or lossless music. That also means you are getting superb sound quality even from cheap music format. With long battery life, you really should not be looking elsewhere for a headphone if you love music. It was priced at MYR 1,699 though, not cheap.
Still, from the brilliance of the WH-1000XM3, the WF-1000X skipped a generation and goes into the WF-1000XM3. The QN1 Noise Cancelling processor is one big reason for that jump though. The QN1 Noise Cancelling processor is undoubtedly one of the most advanced sound and noise cancelling processor ever made by Sony.
Source: Sony 
Source: Sony
Why did we say that? The Sony QN1 processor is still being used by Sony in the product they just launched not more than a few hours ago. The Sony QN1 powers the WH-1000XM4. Now we are hearing questions by you asking; “how is this different of better than the WH-1000XM3 then? Shouldn’t we just buy the Sony WH-1000XM3 after this officially lands then?”
You are not wrong in thinking that, until you look deeper into what the WH-1000XM4 can do.
Cleverer Personal 360-Reality Audio
First up is what they call Hear AI, or, as they put it, brain assisted noise cancelling. That is not to say that it uses our brains to assist it. Rather, the WH-1000XM4 is now cleverer in its noise cancelling. That also means a more complex algorithm for noise cancelling which in turn results in better noise cancelling for each individual listener.
Yes, personalisation returns in the form of a personalised earphone and audio setting when you get the app to work with the headphone to analyse how your ear responds to sounds. But because the QN1 processor now can now handle more complex maths, it understands your ears better and adjusts noise cancelling and other forms of audio to your ears better for the best listening experience possible on your headphones. This also means that your earphones are yours alone and tuned exactly for you. Keep in mind though that your friends might not be that impressed with the earphones because they are set to you and you alone.
But thanks to that cleverer hearing experience, Sony has also improved its 3D audio. They call it the 360-reality audio algorithm. In most cases the headphones will give you a sense of virtual surround sound. But in some cases, with new music from the likes of Dua Lipa, you are getting a completely different aural experience. We do not know how that will be just yet, we are looking forward.
Speak-to-Chat
Other cleverer things on the WH-1000XM4 is just making it a better hands-free kit. You now do not need to cover any one of the earcups to turn on ambient noise. It now does that when you start talking. They call it Speak-to-Chat, which may sound like a no-brainer. But even with the WF-1000XM3, you still had to have a finger on one of the earphones to turn on ambient noise to talk to your friends. Not anymore with the WH-1000XM4.
Wearing Detection
To preserve its battery life (that is still up to 30 hours, by the way), there is now wearing detection too. You do not need to manually turn the headphones off or on. Like plenty of the wireless earbuds these days, it is just a matter of putting the headphones on or take it off to turn it on or off.
DSEE Extreme
If you think that DSEE HX was brilliant, this thing will amaze you with an improved DSEE upscaler. They call it DSEE Extreme to put music even closer or even on par with Hi-Res or lossless quality. That is considering that you have an MP3 format. The WH-1000XM4 will obviously sound good if you put a FLAC file through it.
Of course, plenty of things that I may have put out may sound like just a minor software update. That could be true. Which also means that the WH-1000XM3 could receive the same updates and sound just as good. But what the WH-1000XM3 cannot update is in the comfort department.
More Comfortable
The WH-1000XM3 is in no way an uncomfortable headphone. It is, in its day, one of the most comfortable headphones in the market if not the most comfortable wireless item you put over your head. We actually wondered if they could make it anymore comfortable without losing grip over our heads and ears.
Turns out they allegedly can with the WH-1000XM4. The new materials that is a mix of plastics, aluminium, memory foams, and faux leather is supposed to make it feel better in the ears. How? It is now softer on your ears; meaning, less pressure toward your head – which helps with long hours of use. The top of the headband is better padded too apparently. We will not know how they perform until we actually get our hands on them though.
Price and Availability
The Sony WH-1000XM4 will be available on the 31st of August 2020 onward – Malaysia’s national day, so you should gift yourself one. If you want one, you can find it at any Sony authorised retailers across Malaysia or online. It will set you back MYR 1,599, which is MYR 100 cheaper than the WH-1000XM3 when it was new. Early bird buyers will get a limited-edition exclusive headphone stand for the 1000X and a starbucks card worth MYR 50. To know more about the amazing thing that is the Sony WH-1000XM4, you can head to their website.