West Post
Six years ago, Sony and Bose were competing in the noise-canceling headphones market. Sony’s WH-1000XM4 became a fan favorite, dominating best headphones lists due to its superior sound, ANC, and compact design. However, it went out of stock.
Now, Sony has reintroduced the XM4C with minor upgrades, including a lavender color option, retaining the same hinge design and foldable structure. The XM4C uses the QN1 chip and four microphones for ANC, though this design is outdated compared to newer models like the XM5 (which has eight microphones) and XM6 (which uses the QN3 chip and 12 microphones). Sony updated the XM4C’s sound profile with a 10-band EQ in the Headphones app, a gaming preset, and Bluetooth 6 support, though battery life is slightly reduced to 27 hours with ANC (down from 30 hours).
The XM4C retails for $300, $50 cheaper than the original XM4 and $100 cheaper than the XM6. Sony also released new midrange models, the WH-CH730N and WH-CH530, which include the same 10-band EQ and gaming preset upgrades, plus improved battery life (50 hours ANC for CH730N, 55 hours for CH530). The CH730N now folds compactly, and both feature a safe mode to limit volume.
The WH-CH530 offers six color options at $70, while the WH-CH730N is $180 with five color choices. Additionally, Sony partnered with Hello Kitty for limited-edition bundles including the WH-1000XM6, WH-CH730N, or WH-CH530, a carrying pouch, and a Hello Kitty-branded bag, available exclusively on Sony’s website.
Source: The Verge
