Anyone with just a passing interest in headphones will tell you that Sony's WH-1000XM3 were some of the finest wireless noise-cancelling headphones ever made. So, how do you improve on that sort of reputation? That's what makes the upcoming release of Sony's new generation Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones so interesting!

Latest leaks say one of the biggest changes is the ability to connect more than one audio source to the headphones at once. As an example of this proposed multipoint pairing, you'll be able to pair your new Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones with your smartphone and your laptop at the same time.

Sony WH-1000XM3 brought us crystal clear audio in the wireless headphones' category. So there's quite a bit of excitement about even better sound quality in the WH-1000XM4. Look for a feature known as "Edge-AI". It restores the rich detail often lost in highly compressed audio files by upscaling them in real-time. Sony promises that this feature will deliver sound "as close as possible to that of a wired connection." For people who take their sound seriously i.e. fans of wired headphones, this news might make them take a second look at the wireless variety!

Another key improvement should occur with connectivity. Sony is jumping from Bluetooth 4.2 to Bluetooth 5. This upgrade will deliver faster pairing times, connectivity over longer distances, and stronger pairing in high traffic areas.

How much better will the WH-1000XM4 headphones be than WH-1000XM3? It will be truly fascinating to find out when Sony releases their new wireless noise-cancelling headphones late in 2020 or early in 2021.