The Sony WH-1000XM4C bring back a beloved headphone design

When Sony announced the WH-1000XM4C headphones, I was perplexed. A product revamp usually includes at least one or two significant improvements. Or if it’s a nostalgia play, it’s from a decades-old product and not one that came out in 2020. Beyond a few minor tweaks, though, the XM4C are remarkably similar to their six-year-old namesake, the beloved WH-1000XM4. They even use the same processor for active noise cancellation (ANC).

And while I went into this review questioning the XM4C’s existence, after spending some time with them, I get it. The Sony XM4C aren’t the cutting edge of headphone technology, but they are great headphones that I love using. They still sound great, the design is classic, and they get you pretty close to the performance of Sony’s current-gen flagship, the WH-1000XM6, for a lot less money.

What I, and many others, loved about the original XM4 is still at the heart of the XM4C. They fold up into a compact size and come with a hard-shell zippered case (which now has its loop on the zipper instead of the edge) that’s easy for travel. The faux-leather ear cups are squishy and comfortable — I wore them for hours at a time during testing without issue. Codec support is also the same as the XM4, with SBC, AAC, and LDAC for high-res wireless audio with supported devices.

The similarities continue with the XM4C’s 40mm driver and, by extension, their sound. Bass is on the heavier side as it is with the XM4, but it isn’t overpowering and instead supports everything above it. Kick drum and tom hits have good oomph and definition. Low-end loving tracks like “bad guy” by Billie Eilish really drive forward. The midrange — like the attack of the acoustic guitar in Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” or the bite of Robert Plant’s vocals — can sound slightly covered or muted. It’s not something I hear on my original XM4s, although the difference isn’t drastic. There’s a 10-band EQ in the Sony Sound Connect app (up from five bands on the original XM4) and after boosting the frequencies between 1kHz and 4kHz, the midrange opened up. But even without that small EQ change, the XM4C sound great.

In a world that’s continuing to move away from 3.5mm connections, the XM4C still have one, which works in both powered mode (to use the ANC) or with the headphones off if the battery is low. Like the XM4 (and the XM5 and even last year’s XM6), the XM4C only support wired listening over 3.5mm, though, and not USB-C. The XM4C headphones also only include a 3.5mm cable. You’ll need to provide your own USB-C cable for charging.

As with the XM4, the XM4C use four mics with Sony’s older QN1 chip for noise canceling, and because of that the ANC performance is basically the same. Going back and forth between the two, the XM4C blocks out a little more of the low end from air conditioners and big trucks driving by outside. But that difference could come from the XM4C’s ear pads, which are six years newer than the worn ones on my XM4.

Not that the XM4C’s ANC is bad, but it’s where their six-year-old tech shows the most. ANC has improved a lot over the past few years, and there are headphones that offer comparable performance for half the price, like the Anker Soundcore Space 2. And it doesn’t compare to the more expensive headphones in Sony’s XM series. Both the XM5 (which also has the QN1 chip, although with eight mics) and XM6 (12 total mics with the more advanced QN3) are better at isolation across the frequency range, especially at the lower end. The slightly more expensive second-generation Bose QuietComfort Headphones block lower frequencies a bit better than the XM4C, too. Still, the performance is solid, and I never felt distracted by outside noise when it was active.

It’s the same with call quality. The XM4C block ambient sound on calls well, and my voice is clear and understandable, but sometimes louder noises break through or cause my voice to sound a bit compressed. They get the job done; they’re just not top tier like the XM6 (which cost $160 more).

One of the selling points of the XM4C is their replaceable battery — required by upcoming EU regulations for Sony to sell them in Europe. The replacement battery is not for sale in North America, and there’s no indication from Sony when (or if) it might be available here. At the moment, there also aren’t any instructions on how to do the replacement yourself. The ear cups are definitely easier to remove than before — I was able to pop them off and on with my hands instead of prying them up with an extra tool. But once they’re off, there’s no easy way to figure out which screws to remove to get to the battery. (Removing just the four visibly obvious silver screws with arrows pointing to them doesn’t do it.) Now, this isn’t a huge deal on brand-new headphones with batteries that should last you a few years, but it’s also not encouraging for American customers expecting the extra longevity that a user-replaceable battery provides.

The change to a removable battery has also slightly affected battery life on the XM4C, down to 27 hours with ANC on from the 30 hours with the XM4. It’s still more than enough to get through a few days, though.

One disappointing omission is Bluetooth LE, and therefore Auracast support. With the move to Bluetooth 6.0, and the fact the XM5 and XM6 both support it, I was hoping these would, too. It doesn’t mean they might not eventually get Auracast through a firmware update. (That’s what happened with the XM5.) It’s just a shame they don’t have it at release.

The XM4C also keep the capacitive touch controls apart from the power and ANC buttons, like in the XM series. A sensor on the right ear cup allows for track and volume controls. Holding your palm over it activates transparency mode until you move it away for quick moments when you need to hear someone. The controls work decently, but I’ve always preferred physical buttons.

The release of the XM4C was a surprise, but it’s a welcome one. Even with only minor improvements on a six-year-old design, the XM4C are still great headphones. I enjoy how they sound, the ANC works well, and they’re incredibly comfortable. Is $300 a bit more than I’d expect for headphones based on a model from 2020? Yeah, a little. But those looking for an XM4 replacement will be incredibly happy with them. The Sony XM4C prove that even though a design is old, it doesn’t mean it should be forgotten.

Photography by John Higgins / The Verge