Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Canceling Overhead Headphones: A Full Review

I bought these after spending three consecutive flights listening to the drone of a Boeing 737 engine through a pair of cheap earbuds. If you are looking for the best headphones for noise cancelling, the Sony WH-1000XM4 usually pop up at the top of almost every list, and for good reason. They completely mute low-frequency hums like airplane engines, AC units, and train rumble. The active noise cancellation here is aggressive, which is exactly what I wanted for travel and working in loud coffee shops.

The audio profile is noticeably bass-heavy right out of the box. It sounds great for hip-hop and electronic tracks, but I had to dive into the Sony app equalizer to dial back the low end so podcasts didn't sound muddy. The touch controls on the right earcup take a few days to memorize—swiping up for volume and tapping to pause—but they register reliably once you get the hang of it.

Battery life easily hits the advertised 30 hours with ANC turned on. I charge them maybe once a week using the included USB-C cable. The speak-to-chat feature, which pauses your music when you start talking, is incredibly annoying if you like to sing along or clear your throat, so I disabled it immediately. At around $350, they aren't cheap, but the build quality and sound isolation justify the cost if you genuinely need quiet. They fold up compactly into the included hard case, making them easy to throw in a backpack.