Simon Price
Not a headphone leak, annoying someone on the bus with the offended party looking nonchalantly on, but a leak about Sony’s new, but yet to be released noise cancelling WH-1000XM4’s. The model number, from the draft manual, is likely but still up in the air. But these are outgrowths to the current WH-1000XM3’s.
No obvious differences. (image credit : The Verge)
My local U.K. Richer Sounds chain HiFi retailer, have the XM3’s as best noise cancellers in class. Other commentators I sometimes trust like John Darko, clap them up too. Based on broad cemented opinions, I think understandably so. Taking Bose by storm – interesting when you consider Bose have a big space in aviation noise cancelling headsets.
The XM3’s are reputedly not *best* sounding at price, common for price packing cancellers, but *best* noise ‘shutter outers‘ at around $300. Interestingly too, trying to stop a random wearing stranger in the street, to ask him what he thought of them, he couldn’t hear me….so they must be good outside! I tried them briefly, albeit not a full outdoors test, at the Sony stand of the UK’s 2020 Bristol HiFi show. 360 effects are to behold.
On one American website, photos were purportedly posted showing the new Sony WH-1000XM4’s – price is apparently indicated at $349.99 (No U.K. price leaked), the same as the XM3’s starting price. Welcome news for those with upgraditis and newbies to the cancelling game, too.
Looking similar to the XM3’s but set within competitively pushing brands, we might expect better noise cancelling from Sony? Improved battery life and lower power consumption has been mentioned in the leak too. Remember they use LDAC technology meaning Bluetooth is definetely not blurry.
No news yet from Sony on a release date of the new Sony WH-1000XM4’s : The XM3’s were announced at IFA 2018 being available on the shop floor straight away, so viral wiping assured, we might be looking at September 2020. This is when IFA 2020 is currently scheduled.
My original plan was to try the XM3’s, only to postulate the XM4’s might be out soon, hence deciding to wait. This was before we had our viral “friends” visit us…. So back to original conceptions – XM3‘s first!… Ok I came in late, but so what, a view is a view and watch this space, or at least my space….an honest space 🙂
