Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS earbuds set to launch soon, feature new V1 noise cancelling chip and an IPX4 rating for water resistance

All the key details of the Sony TWS WF-1000XM4 earbuds that have previously leaked have been confirmed courtesy of Winfuture. The new earbuds are Sony’s response to the Apple AirPods Pro, which were in turn a response to Sony’s excellent WF-1000XM3 earbuds. As good as Sony’s buds were, there are always areas for improvement and Sony hasn’t held anything back with a complete redesign along with several key upgrades.

The new WF-1000XM4 will be the first earbuds that we know of to support Sony’s LDAC high-bitrate Bluetooth audio. Where Apple’s AirPods Pro supports AAC streaming at up to 256 kbps, the new WF-1000XM4 will support FLAC and ALAC streaming at up to 900 kbps. They also pick up a major redesign that should be much more comfortable to wear than the Sony WF-1000XM3 that were a little on the bulky side. Also new is IPX4 certification meaning they offer splash resistance to water and can therefore be used for sports.

Sony has also improved the QN1e noise cancelling chip found on the WF-1000XM3 with a new chip it has dubbed the V1. With a single battery charge and active noise cancelling on, the WF-1000XM4 will last up to 8 hours on a charge. With active noise cancelling off, the earbuds will deliver an outstanding 12 hours on a charge -- remember, these are tiny earbuds we are talking about. With the included charging case, users will have up to 24 hours of active noise cancelling music listening on the go and up to 36 hours with noise cancelling turned off.

According to Winfuture, the Sony WF-1000XM4 will be launching in Europe soon in two colors, black and Sony’s beige-looking silver. They will be priced at approximately US$350.       

Buy the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds from Amazon, renewed, for just US$99.