Sony has thought of everything: In the new generation, the WH-1000XM4, we found everything we wanted to get, including noise filtering that will disconnect you from the world • We checked and returned the most compliments there are

• Photo: Yinon Ben-Shoshan

Now silence: the environment in which we live has become increasingly noisy - both because of the trend of open workspaces where it is not really possible to maintain productivity and neutralize distractions, and also because of life between flights due to the cheap prices (before the Corona period).

Therefore, more and more people have found a solution to achieve some quiet - headphones with an active noise filtering mechanism. And I, too, for years have been looking for ways to create a disconnect for myself from the environment with the help of quite a few headphones to enhance productivity at work - so I switched to AirPods Pro. And they did a good job, but not perfect.

Last week I received Sony's new wireless over-ear headphones, with the least branded name WH-1000XM4, which is exactly why we will now call them M4. These are headphones with active noise filtering, and as soon as I put them on the ears I realized that everything I have known so far does not come close to what they are capable of.

Spectacular sound, the best noise filtering mechanism you will find

The new model uses the same Q1N chip from the company to filter noise from the previous generation of headphones, which were declared by 2018 as the best in the category, but Sony says the current generation provides better noise filtering by performing 700 samples per second of ambient noise.

Once you put the headphones on, you feel completely disconnected from the environment and your own independent universe - even if you are at work, in a car, on a train or on a plane. The second I turned on the music I did not even hear my computer typing, if someone was talking to me, and I had no idea what was going on around me. In contrast, as soon as I took them off my ears it felt like the world was back to playing at full volume.

They have strong and powerful basses, the high notes are sharp and clean with no distortions and you do not need to turn up the volume to enjoy the music. An even more amazing thing is that in songs I know well I was suddenly able to notice sounds I had not noticed before.

Probably anyone who listens to music on these headphones will feel in a private studio and be pleasantly surprised - both by the sounds and by the psychic noise filtering, and I can easily say that they produce the best and finest sound I have ever heard on headphones (and this is a very long list).

Convenience, design and buttons

Let’s start with the first thing that catches the eye when seeing the headphones, and is of course their design that has maintained almost the same look since the first generation. Sony continues with the clean line with the metallic colors, a bow made of adjustable leather, along with leather covers in the ear area.

The headphones fold flat so that they can be stored in a hard carrying case made of fabric that you will receive inside the box. The power button is on the left earpiece, and above it is a button for switching between ambient noise cancellation modes. 

In addition, the M4 Sony has also incorporated a new option called "Speak to Chat" that automatically pauses the music when it detects speech - and continues it on its own. Alongside this, as in previous generations, as soon as you place your palm on the right headset the volume of the music will be lowered and the noise cancellation will be eliminated, and you will actually be able to have a conversation and listen to the environment. And it works really amazing and saved me the need to take off the headphones every time someone talked to me.

Even when used in front of the computer for a long time (more than an hour), they did not create any discomfort or pressure on the head - something that often happened to me with other rainbow headphones. Also, for the first time, as soon as you take the headphones off your head the music will stop on its own. This is an option that has been around for quite some time in competing models and it was requested that Sony integrate it in the current generation as well.

Call quality and connection to additional devices

For the first time in the series, the headphones support connecting two devices at the same time, so that it can be connected to both a smartphone and a computer or TV at the same time. Another important part is the microphones, as in these days of conference calls and fact from home, using headphones has become more than a real necessity for most of us.

To improve the quality of voice calls, Sony integrated 5 microphones around the headphones, and indeed even when making voice calls in zoom or on the phone, the audio quality was excellent. We heard the other side well and he too did not complain about noises or disturbances.

There is also an app

Do not give up this option. With the app and its built-in system (Adaptive Sound Control) you can control the headphones better and smarter and set the noise filter level manually - even depending on the location you are in. For example, if you are at home, at work or in the car. 

How smart is she? She will also know if you are walking, sitting, running or standing, what your head structure is, if you are wearing glasses, the amount of hair, and anything that may cause interference between your headphones and ears. You can also see the charging status of the headphones and change the equalizer - determine which frequencies will be increased and which will be lowered and even simulate as if you are in the stadium.

The bottom line

Their price in an official import from Isfar is NIS 1,590. They have the best sound you will find, certainly at such a price, and if you are looking for a way to get some quiet in a noisy environment they are probably the best thing your money can buy.