Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Which is the Best?

Has WH-1000XM4 better build quality than WH-1000 XM3?

They both look identical. The 1.57" dome-shaped driver is used in XM4 & XM3. Let's move to the control buttons. Here you can see a slight change. The button you get in XM3 called NC/ambient button is replaced by the Custom button in the XM4.

You can also activate your favorite voice assistant with that same button. Another difference I got in the design of ear cups and headbands. I found ear cups are thicker. Headband stiffness has increased in XM4.

As I said in the review of WH-1000XM4, you get the proximity sensor in the XM4 that is missing in XM3. The NFC logo has been embossed on XM4 that has been printed on XM3. which means XM4 looks better. You get the same quality carrying case with XM3 and XM4, Plug adapter, Type c Charging cable, and headphone cable.

I think there is no noticeable difference in comfort and fit. Both are super comfortable though XM4's headband is a little bit stiffer. Both are available in Black and White colors. The match is a tie here. Let's go further and check who is the Winner.

Is really the sound performance of WH-1000XM4 better than WH-1000XM3?

Without discussing a few points, let's not jump to a conclusion. All the crucial factors like Active frequency response, size, type of sound drivers, and sensitivity are the same except for a single point that DSEE Extreme and DSEE HX.

Did you know about DSEE Extreme and DSEE HX?

As we saw, the build and design of XM3 and XM4 are equally good. We moved to the next section, sound performance. I think XM4 is slightly better audio than XM3. Sony has added some features that you don't get in XM3.

In the WH-1000 XM4, you get DSEE Extreme, whereas in XM3 you get DSEE HX. What's the difference? Does it matter? Let's see what these technologies are. DSEE Extreme is the up-gradation of DSEE HX.

In the DSEE HX, they have used AI technology which reproduces the sound with greater accuracy. I would say the frequency response rather than sound. The sound lost during the compression is reproduced with the help of this AI technology.

So sound reproduction accuracy is slightly better in XM4 with DSEE Extreme. It matters but not much for common people. For them, it's hard to catch the difference.

If you want better call quality and Active noise cancellation I think WH-1000XM4 won the race

If you are looking for the best noise-canceling experience, you must go with WH-1000 XM4.

XM4 is dedicated to top-class ANC XM4 has two microphones on each earcup and HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 with the updated algorithm, The XM4 has delivered a better performance than XM3. I could feel the difference when I was in a crowded place.

The better microphone quality means better call quality. Note that XM3 is one of the best ANC headphones and I haven't underestimated its capability. I just tried to tell you which one is better in the ANC department. WH-1000 XM3 or WH-1000 XM4 and for me, XM4 is the winner.

Features like PERSONAL NC OPTIMIZER, ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OPTIMIZING, AMBIENT SOUND MODE, and QUICK ATTENTION are present in both headsets except that speak to chat technology which you can get in XM4.

This new feature made your life easier so if you travel often carrying travel bags in your hand this great technology called to speak to chat is very useful for you and of course, you should go for XM4 for that reason.

Except for these differences, everything is equal. The frequency response is 4 to 40,000 Hz for both headphones and SENSITIVITY is 105 dB / mW. Do you think you should pay a few more dollars? 

You are paying a few more dollars for these connectivity features in WH-1000XM4

I experienced the difference when I Didn't have advanced Bluetooth connectivity. It does not mean older technologies are completely outdated. I am talking about the difference between the 4.2 Bluetooth technology that is present in 1000XM3 and 5.0 in 1000XM4.

In most cases, you will not feel any difference between these 2. Of course, 5.0 means a powerful connection and more distance you can cover but I don't think you need it most of the time. But the deciding factor is not the 5.0 and 4.2 Bluetooth technologies.

Deciding factor is a multi-device Bluetooth connection which means the ability to connect your headphone to more than one device at the same time and here XM4 again won the race. It allows you to seamlessly switch the connection between 2 devices which XM3 can't.

But the story hasn't ended here. You are not going to get aptX and aptX HD in XM4 which is available in XM3. So would you say the match tie? For some people, it does matter but I think for most people multidevice connection is more important than not having aptX. But it's a personal choice what does matter.

Some experts said WH-1000XM3 gives better battery life than WH-1000XM4 but is it true?

Both the headphones XM3 and XM4 give 30 hours of battery life when ANC is on and 38 hours of battery life when ANC is off. The charging time for XM3 and XM4 is almost 3 hours. Both give 5 hours of charging with 10 minutes of charge.

Here XM3 gives a tough fight to the XM4. According to some experts, XM3 is the winner. I think it depends on the situation and the use of individuals. Some technical experts said DSEE Extreme consumes more power.

as you know, XM4 uses this technology. If you look at the other side, you will get a new point of discussion.

The proximity sensor in the left earcup of WH-1000 XM4 detects your movement. If you wear headphones, it plays music. When you take it out, it automatically pauses the music. This feature in the Sony WH-1000 XM4 saves the battery.

This feature is absent in WH-1000 XM3. It's hard to decide the winner, but XM3 slightly overpowers here.

Who is user friendly WH-1000XM3 or WH-1000XM4 ?

As I said, the NC/Ambient button is replaced by a custom button. The remaining touch controls are the same, but I found XM3 is more user-friendly. XM4 has an extra sensitive touch than required. So here XM3 is the winner.

Are you ready to pay a few more dollars for WH-1000XM4?

The most crucial point from a buyer's point of view is the price. We care about our money. so we need a value-for-money product. I tried to keep all the comparisons here and stated my thoughts about XM3 and XM4.

Are you ready to pay that $50 or $100 difference to get WH-1000XM4? Do you need a multipoint Bluetooth connection and 5.0 Bluetooth technology? You want top-class ANC performance, and both the headphones give top-class performance, but XM4 is a few inches ahead.

Are you ready to pay for that slight difference? The answers to all of these questions are not the same for all. your requirements are different and budget too.

In the end, only one question remains unanswered. Should you buy Sony WH-1000XM3 or WH-1000XM4 my own answer is if you can increase your budget you should go for WH-1000XM4.

Let's list the added features you are going to get in WH-1000XM4 that are absent in WH-1000 XM3

• Multi device connection
• Proximity sensor
• DSEE Extreme
• 5.0 Bluetooth connection
• Speak to chat technology

Let's list the similarities

• 30 hours (ANC ON) & 38 hours (ANC Off) of battery life
• Comfort
• Fit
• 5 hours of battery life with 10 minutes charge
• 3 hours charging time

Is the Sony WH-1000XM4 worth it?

Yes! of course there are a few more features like wearing detection, DSEE Extreme with Edge-AI has been added in the WH-1000XM4 that was not in XM3, but the Significant difference between these 2 is Multi-Device Connection which you will not get in XM3.

For the detailed comparison, we have made the comparison table that will help you to make the final decision. I also shouldn't miss to tell you that XM4 has 5.0 Bluetooth whereas XM3 uses 4.2.

I am not sure how much this matters to you, but you will not get aptX, aptX HD in WH-1000XM4, which you can get with XM3. Audiophile knows the importance of these audio formats. Other formats like SBC, AAC, and Sony's own LDAC will be present in both.

I reviewed both headphones, and I found that the battery life of XM3 was slightly better on the other hand microphone quality and ANC of XM4 are better than XM3. If you can add a few dollars to your budget and don't need an aptX then XM4 is far better. What is your view about Sony WH-1000XM4 VS Sony WH-1000XM3?