Head to head

Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Beats Studio Pro

Sony WH-1000XM4 leads 3 to 1 on the 4 rankable specs and costs $1 less, which makes it the straightforward pick. Most of the 14 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: Sony WH-1000XM4 lists 254 g (8.95 oz) (Sony sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists 260 g (9.17 oz) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Active Noise Cancelling: Sony WH-1000XM4 lists Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor) (Sony sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Battery life: Sony WH-1000XM4 lists 30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off) (Sony sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists 24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Foldable: Sony WH-1000XM4 lists Yes (collapsible foldable headband) (Sony sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Yes (folds into compact carrying case) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Carrying case: Sony WH-1000XM4 lists Compact hard-shell zippered carrying case included (Sony sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Woven fabric zippered carrying case with cable storage (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Sony WH-1000XM4

$3483 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different headphone

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Beats Studio Pro

$3491 spec win

Swap

Compare a different headphone

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your headphone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 3 to 1

Buy the Sony WH-1000XM4.

Leads 3 of 4 rankable overall specs; Beats Studio Pro takes 1.
Weight: 254 g vs 260 g
Battery life: 30 hours vs 24 hours
It is also $1 cheaper.

3 Sony WH-1000XM44 rankable of 14 specsBeats Studio Pro 1

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No LDAC or aptXrow
Android phones stream at standard AAC or SBC quality.
Clear:Sony WH-1000XM4 · LDAC, AAC, SBCTrips:Beats Studio Pro · AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C
No IP ratingrow
No official protection against sweat or rain.
Trips:Sony WH-1000XM4 · No official IP ratingTrips:Beats Studio Pro · No official IP rating

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

3 of 3 differ

Weight

Sony

254 g (8.95 oz)

Beats

260 g (9.17 oz)

Active Noise Cancelling≠

Sony

Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor)

Beats

Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling)

Battery life

Sony

30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off)

Beats

24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off)

Comfort, Clamp & Travel Fit Check

Ergonomic factors that affect daily comfort, glasses wearers, and luggage space.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Folding & Travel Packability

Collapsing inward saves ~40% space in backpacks or carry-on bags.

Sony

Folds flat & inward (ultra-compact zippered case)

Beats

Standard folding earcups

Clamp Force & Glasses Comfort

Firm clamps create strong acoustic seals but can press glasses frames into temples.

Sony

Gentle clamp force (~4.2 N, comfortable with glasses)

Beats

Standard headphone clamp

Weight & Crown Pressure

Headphones over 350g can cause top-of-head pressure hotspots during flights.

Sony

254g (lightweight plastic composite)

Beats

Standard headphone weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Sony: What to watch for

Hardware Quirk
Microphones struggle significantly in windy outdoor conditions.
Callers frequently report muffling or wind blast noise when taking phone calls outdoors or near busy intersections.
Ergonomics
Shallow earcups cause ear cartilage to touch inner driver grille.
Users with slightly larger or prominent ears report slight aching or cartilage fatigue after 90+ minutes of continuous wear.

Beats: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Sony WH-1000XM4$3483 wins

Beats Studio Pro$3491 win

Design Audio Connectivity & Battery Ownership

12 of 14 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Design

leads 1-0

Design specifications. Middle column is Sony WH-1000XM4, right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Type	Over-ear, closed-back	Over-ear, closed-back
Weight	254 g (8.95 oz) (wins this row: lower)	260 g (9.17 oz)
Foldable	Yes (collapsible foldable headband)	Yes (folds into compact carrying case)
Carrying case	Compact hard-shell zippered carrying case included	Woven fabric zippered carrying case with cable storage
IP rating	No official IP rating	No official IP rating

Audio

5 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is Sony WH-1000XM4, right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Driver	40 mm dome type (CCAW Voice coil)	40 mm custom active drivers (ultra-low distortion)
Active Noise Cancelling	Yes (HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 with Dual Noise Sensor)	Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling)
Transparency mode	Yes (Ambient Sound Control with Quick Attention)	Yes (Transparency mode)
Supported codecs	LDAC, AAC, SBC	AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C (up to 24-bit/48kHz)
Microphones	Precise Voice Pickup Technology with 5 microphones	Upgraded voice-targeting beamforming microphones

Connectivity & Battery

leads 2-1

Connectivity & Battery specifications. Middle column is Sony WH-1000XM4, right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Multipoint Bluetooth	Yes (Bluetooth 5.0 multipoint for 2 devices) (wins this row: has it)	No (Google Fast Pair multipoint on Android; one-touch Apple iCloud switching)
Battery life	30 hours (ANC on) / 38 hours (ANC off) (wins this row: higher)	24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off)
Charging time	3 hours full charge (10 min quick charge gives 5 hours)	2 hours full charge (Fast Fuel: 10 min charge gives 4 hours) (wins this row: lower)

Ownership

1 differences

Ownership specifications. Middle column is Sony WH-1000XM4, right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Warranty	1 year	1 year manufacturer warranty

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Sony WH-1000XM4 source Beats Studio Pro source

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

Full Sony WH-1000XM4 specs →

Pick this one if

Beats Studio Pro

Over-ear wireless ANC headphones with custom 40mm drivers, lossless USB-C audio, and cross-platform native pairing for iOS and Android.

Lossless 24-bit/48kHz audio playback via USB-C cable
Strong battery life (up to 40 hours with ANC off / 24 hours with ANC on)
Dual Apple and Android one-touch native pairing ecosystems

What you give up

Plastic build feel compared to aluminum rivals
No automatic wear-detection auto-pause

Full Beats Studio Pro specs →

Best for each use

Flights & commutes

Planes and trains: noise cancelling, battery, how small it packs

For flights & commutes, buy the Sony WH-1000XM4.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable flights & commutes specs.
Battery life: 30 hours vs 24 hours
Weight: 254 g vs 260 g
It is also $1 cheaper.

Calls & work

Meetings all day: microphone quality and two devices at once

For calls & work, buy the Sony WH-1000XM4.

Leads 2 of 2 rankable calls & work specs.
Battery life: 30 hours vs 24 hours
Multipoint Bluetooth: Yes vs No
It is also $1 cheaper.

Sound quality

Listening quality above all: drivers, hi-res codecs, comfort

Too close to call on sound quality from the spec sheets. Only weight is rankable here.

Driver: 40 mm dome type vs 40 mm custom active drivers
Supported codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC vs AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Sony WH-1000XM4 spec sheet Beats Studio Pro spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Sony WH-1000XM4 ↗ · Beats Studio Pro ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Beats Studio Pro?

Sony WH-1000XM4 costs $1 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Sony WH-1000XM4 or Beats Studio Pro?

Beats Studio Pro has this deal-breaker: no LDAC or aptX. Android phones stream at standard AAC or SBC quality.

Which is better for flights & commutes, the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Beats Studio Pro?

For flights & commutes, buy the Sony WH-1000XM4. Leads 2 of 2 rankable flights & commutes specs. Battery life: 30 hours vs 24 hours

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 14 specs tracked here, 10 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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