Sony Announces WH-1000XM4 Industry-Leading Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

SINGAPORE, 6 August 2020) – Sony today announced the WH-1000XM4, the 4^th generation over-ear wireless noise cancelling headphones in Sony’s award-winning 1000X family. The latest headphones offer all the much-loved technology from the hugely popular WH-1000XM3, with additional intelligent features that allow you to personalise and control your music, improve noise cancellation and adjust ambient sound automatically based on your preferences for a superior sound experience.

HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 and new BLUETOOTH® Audio SoC

Superior silence, superior sound

Whether you’re flying long haul or relaxing in a café, the WH-1000XM4 headphones deliver

Sony’s best ever noise cancelling performance, reducing high and mid frequency sounds. With two microphones on each earcup, being used for noise cancelling, our Dual Noise Sensor technology captures ambient noise and passes the data to the trusted HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. Then a new BLUETOOTH® Audio SoC (System on Chip) senses and adjusts to music and noise at over 700 times per second. Using a new algorithm, the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 applies noise cancelling processing in real time. This allows the user to focus more on the music they love and blur out the chaos of the outside world.

Noise Cancelling performance comparison between WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3

Using Edge-AI, DSEE Extreme^TM more accurately rebuilds audio lost during digital compression for a full fidelity experience. Edge-AI analyses music in real time and recognises instruments, music genres and individual elements of each song to restore the high range sounds lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience. To build this AI system, Sony has worked with Sony Music Studios Tokyo to gather data on music to garner true insight into how specific music signals are composed.

360 Reality Audio, a new immersive audio experience, can be enjoyed on the WH-1000XM4 headphones when combined with an Android™ smartphone/iPhone that has a participating streaming services app installed.² The 360 Reality Audio listening experience immerses you in the music as if you are right in front of your favourite artist. Listeners can enjoy a custom immersive musical field that is perfectly optimized for each individual user when using the

WH-1000XM4 headphones and the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app³.

Adaptive Sound Control now learns to recognise and tailor sound for locations frequently visited

Smarter listening experience like no other

Adaptive Sound Control on the WH-1000XM4 is a smart function that senses where you are and what you’re doing then adjusts ambient sound settings for the ideal listening experience. Over time, Adaptive Sound Control learns to recognise locations that you frequently visit such as your workplace, gym or favourite café, and tailors sound to suit the situation. So, if you’re travelling you can lose yourself in your journey with no background noise to interrupt your favourite tracks. Or if you’re walking you can be aware of everything around you while still enjoying your music. You can set up your frequently visited locations and your preferred settings via the “Sony | Headphones Connect App” and ambient sound settings will automatically update as you move between different environments⁴.

Speak-to-Chat

Everyday convenience

New to the WH-1000XM4 is ‘Speak-to-Chat’, an innovative feature that lets you have short conversations without taking your headphones off, making ordering a coffee whilst listening to music even easier. Just simply say something and the headphones will recognise your voice, automatically stop your music and let in ambient sound so you can conduct a conversation without removing your headphones. The music automatically starts playing again 30 seconds⁵ after you’ve last spoken. ‘Quick Attention’ mode is available on the WH1000XM4 so if you want to listen to an announcement or say something briefly, you simply place your right hand over the earcup to decrease the volume instantly and let ambient sound in.

Wearing Detection uses a proximity sensor and 2 acceleration sensors to play and pause music automatically

The WH-1000XM4 now comes with wearing detection. The headphones detect whether they are being worn and adapts playback accordingly to help save battery power. Using the headphone’s proximity sensor and two acceleration sensors, the headphones automatically stop the music when you remove them and resumes playing when you put them on again, providing an effortless listening experience.

Precise Voice Pickup technology for hands-free calls

The WH-1000XM4 features new Precise Voice Pickup technology. This controls five of the microphones in the headphones optimally and performs advanced audio signal processing to pick up voices clearly and precisely for hands-free calls and Speak-to-Chat.

Sophisticated style and exceptional comfort

Pursuit of ultimate design

WH-1000XM4 blends sophisticated styling with an exceptional comfort and light-weight design, you’ll barely notice you’re wearing them. Designed for those who travel frequently, the super-soft, pressure relieving earpads evenly distribute pressure and increase ear/pad contact for a stable fit.

Multi-point connectivity provides seamless switching between devices

For total convenience, the WH-1000XM4 can be paired with two BLUETOOTH® devices at the same time⁶. When a call comes in, your headphones know which device is ringing and connect to the right one automatically. You’ll also be able to quickly and smoothly switch your headphones to either of the two devices at a single tap.

The WH-1000XM4 are NFC and BLUETOOTH^® enabled and have a battery life of up to 30 hours⁷ and quick charging function giving you up to 5 hours of wireless playback from 10 minutes of charging⁸.

The WH-1000XM4 also supports Google’s helpful new Fast Pair feature that lets you easily locate where you left your WH-1000XM4 by ringing them.

The latest model includes the same touch panel controls as its predecessor and are optimised for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so you can manage your day by asking your favourite voice assistant.⁹

The industry-leading Noise Cancelling wireless headphones WH-1000XM4 in Black and Platinum Silver will be available at selected retail shops and online stores from 7 August 2020 at a retail price of S$ 549.00 inclusive GST.