Sony WH-1000XM4 Silver
Score: 84/100
Apple AirPods 4
Score: 78/100Rankings
The silver version of the Sony WH-1000XM4 mirrors the black model with identical premium ANC, LDAC support, and long battery life, offering a high-end listening experience in a stylish finish. It shares the same drawbacks such as missing aptX and occasional touch-control issues.
Apple AirPods 4 deliver immersive Spatial Audio, solid battery life and tight integration with iOS, but they lack ANC and wireless charging. They are best suited for users deep in the Apple ecosystem who value convenience over advanced noise control.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
30 hoursbest | 30 hoursbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 254 grams | 118 gramsbest |
10 metersbest | — | |
40 mmbest | — | |
| ↓ lower better | 10 minutes | 5 minutesbest |
40 kHzbest | — | |
105 dBbest | — | |
12 monthsbest | 12 monthsbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Connectivity(1) | ||
Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 5.3 |
Battery & Power(1) | ||
Quick Charge Time (minutes) | 10 minutes | 5 minutes |
Audio(2) | ||
Active Noise Cancellation | true | false |
Supported Codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC | AAC-ELD |
Build & Design(1) | ||
Weight (grams) | 254 grams | 118 grams |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers universally rank the WH-1000XM4 among the best noise-cancelling headphones, highlighting its superior ANC, long battery life, LDAC high-resolution streaming, and comfortable design, while noting the missing aptX codec and plastic build.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the WH-1000XM4 for its powerful ANC, impressive battery endurance, and convenient Speak-to-Chat, while common complaints include call quality in windy settings, cheap-feel plastic build, and overly sensitive touch controls.
Professional reviewers praise the AirPods 4 as a quantum leap over the 3rd generation, highlighting sound quality, comfort and the H2 chip, while noting the missing ANC and limited appeal for non-Apple users.
Everyday users love the richer bass, clear calls and immersive Spatial Audio, but complain about the lack of ANC, no wireless charging and case durability.
“The bass is amazing - I never knew standard AirPods could sound this good.”
“Calls are crystal clear, even on windy streets.”
“They stay in my ears during workouts - no more falling out!”
