If you're looking to upgrade your headphone game without breaking the bank, look no further. When it comes to the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market, few can beat the Sony WH-1000XM4. These cans sound amazing, noise cancellation is right up there with Bose, and their collapsible design makes them great for on-the-go.
Right now the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are just $279 at Best Buy, which is $70 off the full retail price. That's not the lowest price we've seen yet (holiday deals saw them drop to $228 in December), but still a very solid deal on a pair of the best Sony headphones.
Sure, the newer Sony WH-1000XM5 may now be Sony's flagship headphones, but the WH-1000XM4 remains a top pick. There's a reason it held our No. 1 spot on our list of the best headphones on the market for over a year.
For starters, their handy collapsible design makes them much more practical than the XM5 for throwing into a work or travel bag. In our Sony WH-1000XM4 review, we found that the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones produced a detailed and dynamic soundstage. High and middle-ranged frequencies were well-balanced and there was plenty of bass energy to carry beats. You can also use the app to adjust the output to your liking and get even better sound. These cans pack support for 360 Reality Audio, LDAC and DSEE Extreme as well.
While the Sony WH-1000XM4 don’t outclass the very best noise-cancelling headphones around right now, they still do a solid job when it comes to blocking outside noise like chatter, wind, and other distractions. Plus, there are 20 levels of ambient sound to choose from if you prefer to stay aware of sounds around you while you listen to music.
On top of that, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones offer good battery life. We got 30 hours of playtime with ANC on, or 38 hours with ANC off, in our testing, and a 10-minute quick charge netted us 5 hours of listening time.
If you want to see how the older version stacks up to the current Sony flagship, check out our Sony WH-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM4 face-off to see how both these headphones compare. The cliff notes are that the XM5s offer slightly longer battery life, improved sound quality and ANC. But for $279, the XM4 headphones are a seriously good value.
