Head to head
Sony WH-1000XM4 vs AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Sony WH-1000XM4 leads 2 to 1 on the 3 rankable specs, but AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation costs $169 less. Most of the 14 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.
Catalog as of September 1, 2026
Why, in numbers
Swap
Compare a different headphone
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Bose QuietComfort Headphones$349Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Swap
Compare a different headphone
Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299Bose QuietComfort Headphones$349Beats Studio Pro$349Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379Sony WH-1000XM5$399Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429Sonos Ace$449Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$549Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699Buying for
Your devices
Straight answer
Overall: 2 to 1
Buy the Sony WH-1000XM4.
- Leads 2 of 3 rankable overall specs; AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation takes 1.
- Battery life: 30 hours vs 4 hours listening time on single charge with…
- Foldable: Yes vs No
- AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation is $169 cheaper. Pay the difference only if battery life matters to you.
Deal-breakers
tick what would make you walk away
- Clear:Sony WH-1000XM4 · Yes (collapsible foldable headband)Trips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · No (pocket-sized charging case)
- Clear:Sony WH-1000XM4 · LDAC, AAC, SBCTrips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · AAC, SBC
- Clear:Sony WH-1000XM4 · 30 hoursTrips:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · 4 hours listening time on single charge…
- Trips:Sony WH-1000XM4 · No official IP ratingClear:AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation · IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant
At a glance
The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.
Weight
Sony
254 g (8.95 oz)
Apple
8.6 g (0.30 oz) earbuds total (4.3 g each) / 34.7 g charging case
Active Noise Cancelling≠
Sony
Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor)
Apple
Yes (Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio and Transparency Mode)
Battery life
Sony
30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off)
Apple
4 hours listening time on single charge with ANC on (5 hours ANC off) / up to 20 hours with charging case (ANC on)
Comfort, Clamp & Travel Fit Check
Ergonomic factors that affect daily comfort, glasses wearers, and luggage space.
Folding & Travel Packability
Folds flat & inward (ultra-compact zippered case)
Standard folding earcups
Clamp Force & Glasses Comfort
Gentle clamp force (~4.2 N, comfortable with glasses)
Standard headphone clamp
Weight & Crown Pressure
254g (lightweight plastic composite)
Standard headphone weight
The 90-Day Owner Regret Check
Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.
Sony: What to watch for
- Hardware Quirk
Microphones struggle significantly in windy outdoor conditions.
- Ergonomics
Shallow earcups cause ear cartilage to touch inner driver grille.
Apple: What to watch for
- Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Design
5 differences| Type | Over-ear, closed-back | Open-ear true wireless earbuds |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 254 g (8.95 oz) | 8.6 g (0.30 oz) earbuds total (4.3 g each) / 34.7 g charging case (wins this row: lower) |
| Foldable | Yes (collapsible foldable headband) (wins this row: has it) | No (pocket-sized charging case) |
| Carrying case | Compact hard-shell zippered carrying case included | Wireless charging case with built-in Find My speaker and USB-C port |
| IP rating | No official IP rating | IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistant (earbuds and case) |
Audio
5 differences| Driver | 40 mm dome type (CCAW Voice coil) | Custom high-excursion Apple driver with custom high dynamic range amplifier |
|---|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor) | Yes (Active Noise Cancellation with Adaptive Audio and Transparency Mode) |
| Transparency mode | Yes (Ambient Sound Control with Quick Attention) | Yes (Transparency Mode & Conversation Awareness) |
| Supported codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Microphones | Precise Voice Pickup Technology with 5 microphones | Dual beamforming microphones + inward-facing microphone with Voice Isolation |
Connectivity & Battery
leads 1-0| Multipoint Bluetooth | Yes (Bluetooth 5.0 multipoint for 2 devices) | Yes (automatic seamless device switching across Apple devices) |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off) (wins this row: higher) | 4 hours listening time on single charge with ANC on (5 hours ANC off) / up to 20 hours with charging case (ANC on) |
| Charging time | 3 hours full charge (10 min quick charge gives 5 hours) | 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time; USB-C, Apple Watch charger, or Qi wireless charging |
Ownership
1 differences| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year manufacturer warranty |
|---|
Which one should you buy
Pick this one if
Sony WH-1000XM4
Popular folding noise-cancelling headphones with LDAC high-resolution audio, DSEE Extreme, and 30-hour battery.
- Folding headband hinges collapse smaller than the newer XM5
- Supports high-res LDAC streaming and DSEE Extreme upscaling
- Superb value with industry-tested noise cancellation
What you give up
- Microphone voice isolation trails newer XM5 in windy conditions
- Cannot use LDAC while 2-device Bluetooth multipoint is enabled
Pick this one if
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
Open-ear wireless earbuds with H2 headphone chip, Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, and wireless charging case with speaker.
- Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Audio in an open-ear, tip-less fit
- Apple H2 chip with Personalized Spatial Audio and head tracking
- Smallest wireless charging case with built-in Find My speaker and USB-C
What you give up
- Open-ear ANC is naturally less isolating than in-ear silicone tip earbuds like AirPods Pro
- Battery life drops to 4 hours per charge with ANC enabled (20 hours total with case)
Best for each use
Flights & commutes
For flights & commutes, buy the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Calls & work
Too close to call on calls & work from the spec sheets. Only battery life is rankable here.
Sound quality
Too close to call on sound quality from the spec sheets. Only weight is rankable here.
Done deciding?
Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.
Manufacturer pages: Sony WH-1000XM4 ↗ · AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation ↗
Common questions
Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation costs $169 less at list price.
What is the biggest catch with the Sony WH-1000XM4 or AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation has this deal-breaker: does not fold. Takes a bigger slot in a carry-on.
Which is better for flights & commutes, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation?
For flights & commutes, buy the Sony WH-1000XM4. Leads 2 of 3 rankable flights & commutes specs; AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation takes 1. Battery life: 30 hours vs 4 hours listening time on single charge with…
What cannot be compared from spec sheets?
Of the 14 specs tracked here, 11 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.