Sony WF-1000XM4 Overview
Sony has done it again with a generational upgrade that is truly worth the investment. The WF-1000XM4 true wireless headphones combine excellent sound performance with class-leading active noise-Cancelling and a smaller form factor than before.
Pros
- Wireless earbuds with the best noise cancellation
- Support for 360-degree and high-resolution audio
- Amazing battery life
- Comfortable for long periods
- Hi-Res Audio Wireless support and LDAC support
- Adjustable EQ
- Reliable, simple touch controls
- Wireless charging in a small case
Cons
- No Bluetooth multipoint
- Support for Qualcomm aptX is not available
- Small ears may not be suitable
- It can be difficult to get new ear tips
- Talk-to-chat can be useful, but it is not perfect
- High prices
- No viable solution for volume control
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Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Overview
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are wireless and offer excellent audio quality with the best noise cancellation.
Pros
- Best-in-class noise cancellation
- Audio that is rich, clear, and balanced
- Despite its size, it is comfortable
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Expensive
- Sound signature is not for purists
- Size can cause a strange look
- Customization and touch controls are limited
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Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds Vs Sony WF-1000Xm4 Comparison
Bose Quietcomfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds Vs Sony Wf-1000Xm4: Price
The best earbuds that both brands have to offer are the Sony WF1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. They cost PS250 (AU$280) and are new so you won’t see a price drop.
They are identical to the QuietComfort Earbuds at PS250 (AU$280, AU$399). However, we have seen them on sale on a few occasions, particularly around Prime Day and Black Friday. Currently, you can purchase a pair for about PS240 (AU$279). However, US discounts seem harder to find at the time of writing.
Our pick: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds
Design
Sony decided to go back to the drawing boards when creating its latest true wireless creation. Instead of using the elongated form of the Sony WH1000XM3, Sony chose something more discreet and practical.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 features an oval-shaped case, larger touch panels, copper ANC mic housings, and a larger touch panel. These buds have an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. Overall, the revamp is more elegant, sturdy, and flattering for the ear.
After setting an example with the sleek 700 Headphones, we thought Bose QC earbuds would have used some creativity to design the QuietComfort Earbuds. The result is quite striking, but not in a good way. It is too heavy and bulky, and it does not look stylish.
Sony offers a more portable and attractive charging case. It is similar to the WFSP800N but has several modifications. The buds are flat in the charging ports. The LED at the front that indicates battery level and pairing status is larger.
The lid features a gold Sony logo. You can slip it into any pocket without feeling heavy. Bose’s charging bag is the biggest and most heavily in its class.
Sony’s redesign was also meant to improve on-ear stability. However, the installed memory foam tips don’t provide the snug, secure fit promised. For feedback on how to get a perfect fit, we recommend using the bundled silicone tips.
Another thing to note is that the sound port can be very long, so you need to push it in deeply to fill your ear canal. This will cause the concha to become irritated.
Due to their enormous size, the QuietComfort Earbuds can feel daunting at times. Due to the sound port pressing into the concha as you wear them for more extended periods. We recommend that you give your ears a break every hour. Bose’s StayHear Max silicone tips ensure that the buds stay in place.
Our pick: Sony WF-1000XM4
Sony WF-1000XM4 Vs Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds: Audio Performance
Sony and Bose buds are both well-respected for creating true wireless earbuds that sound great and of high quality. The Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds and QuietComfort Earbuds carry on that legacy.
Due to its richer bass frequencies, excellent levels of detail, and rhythmic agility, the Sony WF-1000XM4 beats the QuietComfort Earbuds in audio performance.
These headphones also include the DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling technology, which was introduced in the Sony WF-1000XM4 over-ear headphones (AKA the best pair of headphones you can purchase in 2021).
Although we aren’t sure how effective this technology is, it can extract high-resolution sound out of standard-definition digital audio files. Sony buds can play hi-res audio files thanks to its proprietary LDAC codec. However, aptX is not supported.
Although they may not sound as deep as the Sony WF1000XM4, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer a wonderful soundscape and are very enjoyable to listen to.
Depending on the volume, Bose’s Active EQ technology automatically boosts the bass and treble. The music feels lively at all volumes, with lows not sounding harsh or shrill and highs that are pleasant to the ear.
The Bose Music app doesn’t allow you to adjust the EQ settings. However, unlike the Sony earbuds, there is no way to do this. The Sony WF1000XM4 earbuds and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds can support spatial audio.
The Sony Headphones Connect app Even an eartip fit test is available to ensure the perfect fit. You can also use the to assign different controls Sony Headphones App You can also use the ‘volume up/down, play/pause, skip forwards/skip rearwards, summon voice assistant, and active noise-cancelling off/adaptive’.
The Sony headphones can handle Dolby Atmos and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. The QuietComfort Earbuds can support Spatial Audio content via Apple Music.
We also think the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have the best call quality among all wireless earbuds. Although the WF-1000XM4 can also make clear calls, they aren’t as good as Bose.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Vs Bose QC Earbuds: Active Noise cancellation
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds have the best noise cancellation. Simply placing the earbuds into your ears will provide passive noise cancellation. But, if you increase the ANC to 10, they’ll block most high-frequency sounds.
The hum of a ferry engine and revving motorcycle engines, and screaming children were all drowned out by ANC when it was set to the highest level during testing. You’ll find it hard to hear what’s going on around you even halfway through level five.
If you need to hear the surrounding sounds, however, you will need to switch to the transparency/ambient sound mode of the QC buds.
However, the Sony WF1000XM4 is very effective at blocking external noise. They’re one of the most noise-cancelling headphones on the market.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 will ask for your permission to use geo-location access to determine where you are and adjust your noise cancellation or ambient sound passing through according to where you are. For example, you might prefer to have all noise cancelled at home but still hear voices in the office.
Although adaptive noise cancellation is a neat feature, it’s not as intuitive as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. You can toggle between a variety of ANC settings.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 includes a transparency mode that Sony calls Ambient Sound Control, just like the Bose earbuds.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Vs Bose QC Earbuds: Battery
The Sony WF1000XM4 offers eight hours of battery life on a single charge. The charging case provides 16 hours of power through two full charges. You will have 24 hours of battery before you need to plug it in.
Are you in a rush? You can live up to an entire hour by charging the wall for five minutes.
The Bose QC Earbuds are not as successful. The buds can hold six hours of juice, and the Bose’s charging case has 12 hours. This gives them a total of 18 hours. The buds are not cheap, but they’re still competitive.
These devices are not as quick-charging-friendly, with only a 15-minute juice up giving you two hours of playtime.
Our pick: Sony WF-1000XM4
Controls And Features
Two earbuds offer a robust list of features that you can access via their respective apps. The only problem is that neither pair has a multi-point pairing. Multi-point pairing means that you cannot easily transfer from your phone to the computer. The Jabra Elite 85t is our top-rated earbuds in this area.
Bose’s app lacks standard features such as an EQ or an earbuds locater. There is a lot of fine-tuning for functions such as in-ear sensor detection (on/off), automatic transparent mode when you take a call, or how loud you can hear your voice on the call.
You can adjust the level of noise cancellation or transparency mode (i.e., You can also adjust the level of noise cancellation and transparency mode (i.e., how much outside sound you allow in) for each one of three “Favorite”, which can be selected via the earbuds’ on-board touch sensors.
Bose’s touch sensors work well, particularly after they added the ability for volume control with a swipe down or up along the right earbud. The only thing that is missing is the ability to skip tracks backward.
Sony’s notable omissions are not surprising considering the price of these earbuds. There are no earbuds locater, and there is no way to control volume onboard. You will need to remove onboard controls like play/pause and switch between noise cancelling, ambient noise, off, or play/pause.
These aren’t controlled that you will likely want to disable, so volume takes a backseat. Surprisingly the XM4 doesn’t allow you to adjust noise-canceling levels–max is all that you get.
Sony’s earbuds still have many features. These include push-to-talk to dim music or turn on transparency mode to chat quickly, an EQ, 360 Reality Audio, Sony’s standard EQ, and the ability to only use one bud at once (Bose’s also offers this).
Sony’s Adaptive Sound Control can learn your location and adjust Ambient Sound options accordingly. However, I prefer to do this manually.
This tie is possible because both earbuds offer great features and have notable omissions.
Our Pick: Draw
Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Call Quality
The WF-1000XM4 combines Precise voice Pickup technology, beamforming, and bone conduction sensors to ensure that phone calls are clear and focused. Automatic Wind Noise Reduction is included, giving calls an additional level of clarity.
Although QuietComfort may not have as many features for call, they do offer a unique feature called “Self Voice Call Mode”. You can hear your voice through the earbuds. This allows you to modulate your voice and not shout down the phone. Although it’s pretty clever, it is not sufficient to replace the Sonys.
Our pick: Sony WF-1000XM4
Are Sony Or Bose Earbuds Better At Bluetooth Codec Support Than Sony?
The QuietComfort Earbuds are Bluetooth 5.1 compatible and can be used within a range of nine meters. The earbuds do not support the ACC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. AAC codecs work great on Apple devices but is inconsistent on Android.
You can force streaming quality from your Android phone’s developers’ settings if you find streaming quality problems too frustrating.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 Bluetooth 5.2 earbuds can connect to your smartphone. You should experience better battery life and stronger connections if your smartphone supports this version of Bluetooth.
The Sony earbuds also support LDAC, transmitting high-bit rate audio to Android devices. Bluetooth 5.2 firmware opens up the possibility of LE Audio support.
Which Microphone Is Better?
Both sets of earbuds have microphones that are sufficient for making calls while on the move. The Sony WF1000XM4 can detect when you speak, helping the microphone determine which sounds it should boost and what noise.
The microphone does not perform well over AAC. Below is a microphone test took over an AAC connection using an iPhone 12.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are excellent at canceling out background noises like the hum of the microwave. Although speech intelligibility is not an issue, some audio clipping may occur.
Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds Vs Sony Wf 1000Xm4: Which One To Choose?
The choice should be easy for most people, at the same price: go with Sony. Sony WF-1000XM4 supports Bluetooth codecs better and offers a better fit for most people with foam ear tips.
Sony earbuds are smaller and more portable than other brands. We also find them more attractive. The Sony earbuds are easy to integrate into any lifestyle thanks to their longer battery life and faster charging.
The Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds are almost a year old, so there will be more discounts. Bose’s earbuds are great bargains. Although the earbuds might not be as durable as the new Sony models, they still rank among the top true wireless earbuds available.
We will keep this widget updated with any new offers we find.
What Can You Replace The Noise Cancelling Headphones From Sony And Bose?
The Airpods Pro is a great option if heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem. It can connect seamlessly to Apple devices and is much more comfortable than the original Airpods. It is comparable to the Sony WF1000XM4, and iPhone owners will find the drawbacks worth it.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro has noise cancelling, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus is a tremendous non-ANC pair. The Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds are IPX7-rated and can be charged with a compatible Galaxy smartphone.
You can also use the Buds Plus case to charge the case. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 is a cheaper option than the Pro, and it has slightly better ANC.
Conclusion
It looks like a one-sided match if you take a quick look at the results. However, this doesn’t show how close some rounds were. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds offer great noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and excellent call quality. These earbuds also have some valuable features.
They can’t match the Sony WF-1000XM4. Sony’s latest earbuds are the most noise-cancelling earbuds currently on the market. This is due to their outstanding sound quality, packed feature set, and class-leading battery life. Rezence hope you found this article helpful in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each. Thank you for your reading!