If you’re on a winning streak, all you need to do is tweak a little. In the Sony WH-1000XM4, the Japanese electronics maker has smartly added some new features and kept most of what’s great about its noise cancelling headphones.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 noise cancellation headphones may offer iterative changes compared to their predecessor, but they should still be one of the first pairs of headphones you consider if you’re in the market for high-end wireless headphones and have $350+ to spend. There is some competition.

The successor to the Sony WH-1000XM3 from 2018, one of the most popular over-ear headphones with noise-cancelling ever, has been eagerly awaited. Sony already conquered and successfully defended a top position in the market since the introduction of this product series in 2017 (MDR-1000).

If you have the money and want a top-tier pair of headphones for modern life, the Sony WH-1000XM4 are the way to go. The combination of high quality Bluetooth codecs, great sound, improved noise cancelling, good battery life, and smart features like autopause and Bluetooth multipoint makes these the...

Great noise cancelling; Great sound quality; Bluetooth multipoint is super convenient; Multiple Bluetooth codecs supported (SBC; AAC; LDAC); Bluetooth 5.0; Battery life is great; Comfortable and has hinges for folding; Auto-pauses when you take them off

Price is still expensive; Double-tap to pause didn't always work; Slightly less comfortable than the WH-1000XM3; Battery life is down from the previous version; Custom button controls either the Assistant OR noise cancelling

Active noise canceling headphones like Sony’s new WH-1000XM4 have quickly gone from a luxury to a must-have, as our homes evolve into remote offices and schoolrooms. At the same time, with most travel on hold, what we expect from a set of isolating headphones has changed dramatically.

Excellent active noise cancelation; Multipoint Bluetooth pairs 2 devices at once; 30+ hours of battery; Almost every item on the WH-1000XM3 wishlist is answered

Not waterproof

The 1000X series of headphones win awards year-on-year and that trend is likely to continue. The WH-1000XM4 wireless ANC over-ear headphones bring one word to mind - superb. With an enhanced feature set that makes many rivals look stone age, these over-ears provide excellent audio playback even with...

Superb music playback with noise-cancelling on or off; Great battery life and fast-charge capabilities; Packed full of useful features; Very comfortable to wear

Not worth upgrading if you already have the XM3; No aptX or aptX HD support

There was a mixed reaction among the TechCrunch staff when Sony’s WH-1000XM4 were announced the other week. There was excitement among those looking for new headphones and disappointment for those who’d recently purchased a different pair.

The 1000X series of headphones win awards year-on-year and that trend is likely to continue. The WH-1000XM4 wireless ANC over-ear headphones bring one word to mind - superb. With an enhanced feature set that makes many rivals look stone age, these over-ears provide excellent audio playback even with noise-cancelling turned up to the max. The best truly have got even better.

Superb music playback with noise-cancelling on or off; Great battery life and fast-charge capabilities; Packed full of useful features; Very comfortable to wear;

Not worth upgrading if you already have the XM3; No aptX or aptX HD support;

To improve upon what were considered to be the best noise-cancelling headphones seemed like a tricky task, but the WH-1000XM4 do exactly that, making the XM3 feel slightly dated in doing so. They sound better, noise-cancelling is excellent and they're one of most comfortable headphones to wear.

Superb audio; Great noise cancellation; Comfortable fit; lightweight design; Useful smart features

No aptX/aptX-HD

To improve upon what were considered to be the best noise-cancelling headphones seemed like a tricky task, but the WH-1000XM4 do exactly that, making the XM3 feel slightly dated in doing so. They sound better, noise-cancelling is excellent and they're one of most comfortable headphones to wear. The XM4 raises the barrier even further. Sony has outdone itself here.

Superb audio; Great noise cancellation ; Comfortable fit, lightweight design; Useful smart features;

No aptX/aptX-HD;