Sony’s recent headphone activity involved making its iconic WH-1000X series even more premium with the $500/£500 WH-1000XX The Collexion headphones. Now though, it has decided to introduce a cheaper option in the series to sit underneath the WH-1000XM6.
But it’s not a new friend, it’s an old one as has been extensively rumored. The WH-1000XM4C take the iconic and well-known design of the WH-1000XM4 series and relaunches them for 2026 with upgraded innards. The WH-1000XM4C will be available in Black, Platinum Silver and Lavender for $300/£219.
The long and the short of why Sony has decided to re-release this model is presumably because it sold well and we know it was liked by reviewers and consumers alike. The conundrum is that at the lower price point it’s probably going to be hard to recommend that people buy the $399/£349 WH-1000 XM6s let alone the premium WH-1000XX, though naturally there are differences. The XM4C only have four mics on board compared to the 12 on the XM6 for example.
Sony says the foldable WH-1000XM4Cs now feature “updated sound tuning” as well as a new 10-band equaliser and gaming EQ. There are new color options, too. The battery has also been changed to comply with new regulations and it offers life of up to 27 hours with noise canceling turned on (a reduction from 30 hours which is becoming an unwelcome Sony trend). They also have Bluetooth 6.0 on board. The design is broadly the same though.
“The release of the WH-1000XM4C reflects continued consumer interest in a headphone model recognised globally for its combination of noise canceling performance, sound quality and comfort,” says Sony’s Lorraine Hawkins.
Sony has also announced the cheerful $180/£100 WH-CH730N in a new foldable design with 50 hours of battery life and $80/£50 WH-CH530 to sit underneath the above models. That latter model will give you a whopping 55-hours of battery life, too. These are pretty impressive for the price, but then they need to be; the competition is so fierce in the sub-$200 headphone bracket.
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