The Amazon Big Spring Deals sale is in full swing and there are some great headphone savings to be found on many top-flight models. Despite being an older model, Sony's WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones continue to be extremely popular. And as my go-to headphones for travel thanks to their great sound, collapsible design and strong noise-blocking capabilities, it's easy to see why.
Right now the Sony WH-1000XM4 are just $248 at Amazon, which is $100 off the full retail price and one of the best noise-canceling headphone deals around right now. I confess, it's not the lowest price I've seen on them — they dropped to $228 in the seasonal sales at the end of 2023 — but it's the lowest price right now.
I've found similar spring deals running on them at Crutchfield and Best Buy.
- U.K. residents get an even better deal and the Sony WH-1000XM4 are just £199 at Amazon U.K. — that's an amazing £150 off the original price.
While I acknowledge that the newer Sony WH-1000XM5 flagship headphones are our top pick among the best headphones we've tested, the WH-1000XM4 are my personal favorite. I've often felt guilty that I don't favor the current Sony XM5 flagship model over the older model, but there are solid reasons why I prefer the WH-1000XM4.
Firstly, they're foldable, which makes them more practical than the XM5 for sliding into my work or travel bag, and the protective case is a lot smaller too. And judging by the number of fellow travelers on my work commute also sporting the older version of Sony's XM-series headphones on their heads, I'm not alone. And Sony thinks so too. The older model shows no sign of being discontinued, which is a rare thing almost two years after the launch of its successor, and shows just how appealing the XM4 headphones continue to be.
In our original Sony WH-1000XM4 review, the writer found that the 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 personalize the sound to your liking and get even and get even better performance. Support for Sony's 360 Reality Audio, LDAC, and DSEE Extreme are all included.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 don’t outclass the very best noise-canceling headphones around right now, but they are still excellent when it comes to blocking outside noise. Travel noise, wind, and other distractions were completely reduced in our tests. 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.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones also offer good battery life. We got 30 hours of playtime with ANC on, or 38 hours with ANC off. A 10-minute quick charge netted us 5 hours of listening time.
If you want to discover how the WH-1000XM4 stacks up to the current Sony flagship, check out our Sony WH-1000XM5 vs WH-1000XM4 face-off. In short, the newer XM5s offer slightly longer battery life, improved sound quality, and better ANC. But for $248 (or £199 in the U.K.), the XM4 headphones are a seriously good value and rival the Bose QuietComfort Headphones which are at their lowest price right now.
