The 2020 replacement for the Sony WH-1000XM3, is due for release "later this year", but details of likely features have already been leaked:

- The 'XM4' model designation is an assumption so far.
- Visually look very similar to the WH1000-XM3 see The WALKMAN Blog (29 Apr).
- Price is likely to be £330 ($350).
- Possibly will offer Bluetooth 5.0, in addition to support for aptX Adaptive.
- Hands-free, 'speak to chat' voice assistant feature.

(WHAT HI-FI? (30 Apr))


More 'news' today:

- 'Lighter weight design'.
- 'Multi-point connection' to allow pairing 2 Bluetooth devices at same time.
- New Sony DSEE Extreme processor, to "restore the high-range sound lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience".
- Battery life remains similar but 'quick-charging feature should still give you five hours of juice in 10 minutes'.
- Adaptive Sound Control as in WH-1000XM3, but now will be able to 'learn to recognise locations you frequently visit and tweak the sound accordingly'.

(See WHAT HI-FI? 4 June & also WAL-MART webpage.)



(Supposed comparison photo, WH-1000XM3 (left) vs WH-1000XM4 (right) - from The WALKMAN Blog)

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

I've got the M3s as I (until recently) travelled fairly constantly for work. they are truly excellent headphones. the battery life is so good you just never have to stress, they're supremely comfortable and the sound is good enough when you're in airports and airplanes.

Hi andychampionsound - did you use the Sony Connect app ob your phone to EQ the sound to taste?

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

yep, I did play around with it a bit. they do sound great, I just still have a pair of wired in-ear sennheisers that edge them out. but the Sonys are just so easy and reliable. weirdest thing was I bought them from a vending machine. They had just been released and, no one seemed to have stock, but I was passing through Houston airport , and there they were in a best buy vending machine! they really are fantastic. I caught something over 50 flights last year so they paid their way.

Wow, I borrowed a set from my son to use on one 2-sector long haul to London & back - as mentioned in the SONY WH-1000XM3 thread.

He's used them to USA a few times I believe.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

Jun 6, 2020 14:54:48 GMT 12 Owen Y said:

Wow, I borrowed a set from my son to use on one 2-sector long haul to London & back - as mentioned in the SONY WH-1000XM3 thread.

He's used them to USA a few times I believe.

ah! right, sorry i'm dragging this thread back into the past. your comments about the sound being a bit muddy etc are pretty on point. with fiddling with the app, you can get them sounding pretty damn good, and from my phone I found them to be excellent, but from any other device (ipad, laptop, IFE) I always used the cable and passive mode, in which the phones performed well. I forgot to mention the touch controls, but i found them simple and useful, with only the occasional misfire (forgetting which way is up!) but the tap-tap to start and stop is great.

I think for me the biggest selling points were (and they turned out to be valid): the ease of use, the comfort and the fantastic battery life/recharge time. those things made them worth the purchase.