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Short Summary
Main recommendation: The Sony WH-1000XM4 (referred to in the video as the Mark IV) is an easy recommendation for anyone who wants top-tier active noise cancellation headphones at $349, mainly because it adds multipoint Bluetooth pairing and slightly improved noise cancellation over the Mark III. The reviewer, Marques Brownlee, calls them his ideal headphones and says the design, case, and touch controls need no changes.
Key Points
- Multipoint support is the headline upgrade: the headphones can stay actively paired to two devices at once and automatically switch when a call or new audio source arrives. The reviewer says this was his biggest request, and it improved through later Sony app software updates.
- Noise cancellation is stronger than the Mark III, now reducing some higher frequencies such as dishwashers, car noise, and voices, in addition to the low-frequency hums it already handled well.
- Call quality improves with five built-in microphones, which the reviewer says better isolate the voice from background noise.
- Sony's new wear detection uses a sensor in the left ear cup to pause music and power off after the headphones have been off the head for a while.
- The reviewer considers the Mark III a bargain alternative if multipoint is not needed, noting it has been seen on sale for about $250.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: To use multipoint, pair the headphones to two devices (for example, a computer and a phone), then keep both connected; incoming calls or new audio switch automatically, and returning to music switches back. Install and update the Sony Headphones app to get the best multipoint performance, since the reviewer's early experience was poor and improved over time through updates.
- Concrete instructions: In the Sony app, enable wear detection to pause music when the headphones are removed and to auto power off after a set period off the head to save battery.
- Concrete instructions: For quick conversations without removing the headphones, cover the right ear cup with your hand; the music drops, noise cancellation turns off, and voices are amplified. Removing your hand restores music and noise cancellation immediately.
- Concrete instructions: Speak-to-Chat can be enabled in the app, but the reviewer found it unreliable for everyday use. If you try it, the app can turn noise cancellation off automatically after 15, 30, or 60 seconds, and the reviewer ultimately turned it off.
- Ear cushions are about 10% larger than on the Mark III, and the left ear cup has a proximity sensor that also helps identify left and right cups.
- The reviewer notes the Mark III may lack multipoint, so it suits buyers who do not need two paired devices at once.
Bottom Line
The Mark IV is a strong overall upgrade, with multipoint and better noise cancellation at the same price, but the reviewer suggests the Mark III could be a worthwhile discount if two-device pairing is unnecessary.
