Sony WF-1000XM4

Clear, detailed bass performance ; Wonderful sense of musicality ; Comfortable ; Strong battery life

Lacking ear tip choices ; No aptX HD

While now surpassed by the new XM5, the WF-1000XM4 remain musical all-rounders at a very attractive price

Rapid, full-bodied and eloquent sound ; Impeccable ergonomics and some truly useful features ; Impressive call quality

Unremarkable battery life ; ‘B+’ noise-cancelling ; Can take a few moments to position comfortably

Sony is largely responsible for the rude health of the active noise-cancelling true wireless in-ear headphones market, and with the WF-1000XM4, the company has combined performance, ergonomics, and build quality more effectively than ever before....

Coherent, expressive and engagingly musical sound ; Exemplary control app ; Splendid call quality

Battery life could be better ; Noise-cancelling not quite the best out there

The Sony WF-1000XM4 are profoundly impressive across the board, and are arguably the best true wireless earbuds you can buy. Some rivals may outperform them in certain areas, but the all-round package is very hard to beat.

Great audio performance ; Superb adaptive noise-cancelling (ANC) tech ; Comfortable for long periods of wear ; Hi-Res Audio Wireless and LDAC support ; Qi wireless charging on case

No support for Qualcomm aptX ; Still reasonably large in the ear ; Battery life in the case is a bit less than some competitors

Sony has done it again, with a generational replacement truly worth the upgrade. The WF-1000XM4 true wireless headphones have all the bells and whistles and then some, coupling great sound performance with class-leading active noise-cancelling and a...

Articulate, convincing sound ; Great call quality ; Ergonomically impeccable

Battery life is just about acceptable ; Noise-cancellation can be bettered

By doing pretty much everything really well, the WF-1000XM4 continue Sony’s long and proud tradition of building the best true wireless in-ear headphones you can buy

Excellent sound with top-notch noise canceling and improved headset performance for calls ; Buds are totally redesigned and more discreet looking ; Good battery life with smaller wireless charging case ; IPX4 sweat-resistant (splashproof) ;...

For their high price, would ideally have multipoint Bluetooth pairing ; May be a little big for some smaller ears

— Brilliant sound quality and noise cancellation, along with excellent design

— Expensive, and call quality can dip in busy areas

These earbuds offer truly fantastic audio performance that is yet to be bettered by any other true wireless rivals. Noise cancellation is very well executed, and the slimmed down design is both easy to wear and still packs a decent punch of battery...

Compact and comfortable ; Incredible sound ; Almost endless smart features

Expensive

They might be at the premium end of the wireless earbud market in terms of price but the Sony WF-1000XM4 really do offer the most premium experience with astonishingly good sound and countless features.

Incredible noise cancellation ; More compact and portable design ; Great sound, pleasing tonality ; Supports wireless charging ; Class-leading battery life ; IPX4 water resistance rating

No multipoint support ; No aptX support ; Mic makes users sound muffled ; Ambient sound mode sounds digitised

- Amazing sound quality ; - Great battery life ; - Reliable connectivity ; - Good build quality ; - IPX4 rating

- Only two tip choices ; - Lack multipoint pairing facility ; - Adaptive sound control frustrates ; - Can't use left earbud on its own ; - Expensive

Whether or not these are the right earbuds for you will depend heavily on your budget and what you really need from your buds. Really, if you’re looking for a pair of running headphones, or you don’t fancy spending £250, then look elsewhere. For anyone...