Razer may not be the first company you think of when looking for general-purpose headphones, but the truth is that the Razer Opus is a complete pair of headphones that have spectacular value for money. They are comfortable, have excellent sound quality, the ANC is quite good (although not the best), and they cost considerably less than the competition.
The Sony WH-1000MX4, like the XM3 in its day, has the best noise cancellation on the market. They are quite comfortable, they have very powerful bass and good sound quality in general, and an endless battery.
Its toughest rival is precisely the previous model: the WH-1000MX3, which can currently be found at a very reasonable price and have a much more balanced sound
General
| Razer Opus | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| Brand | Razer | Sony |
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Colors | Midnight Blue, Triple Black | Black, Silver |
| Battery life | 25 Hours | 30 Hours |
| Weight | 265 grams | 725 grams |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
Design
| Razer Opus | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| Type | Over-Ear | Over-Ear |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Dimension | 195 x 180 x 55 mm | 223.52 x 180.34 x 76.2 mm |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 265 grams | 725 grams |
| Foldable Design | Yes | Yes |
Razer Opus
The overall design of these Razer Opus is quite understated and in line with other competitive noise-canceling headphones. They are mostly plastic with a soft, padded faux fur headband and ear cushions.
The cups are a bit smaller than the Bose QC35 or Sony WH-1000XM4 and I notice that they touch my ears which may annoy some. They are quite comfortable for me. Of course, the headband pad is a bit hard at first and you have to wear them for a few days so that it softens a bit and is really comfortable.
The headphones weigh 276 grams, about 20 grams heavier than the XM4 or the Bose NC 700. Even so, they feel quite light once on. Plus, they have a really good fit. They exert just enough pressure and fit the shape of the head like a glove.
The headband is adjustable in size and the headphones have hinges so that they can be folded into a very compact size. Thanks to this, they can be easily stored in the hard carry case. The case seems quite large, but it is only a centimeter wider than the Sony XM4 and a half-centimeter thicker. So it is compact enough to take it anywhere without any problem. In addition, it has the advantage that the interior is more spacious than others so we will not have to juggle to store the headphones along with their accessories.
The cups of the headphones fold in the direction of the shoulders, something most people will appreciate because the headphones lie flat when placed on the shoulders and are comfortable to wear in that position. The other alternative is that they lie flat when placed on the table, but it is something that fewer people usually prefer.
In the right cup, we have all the four buttons and the two headphone connections, a USB-C, and a 3.5 mm analog connector. The buttons are very well thought out because they are perfectly identifiable by their position or by the different heights they have. Its use is really easy and you will not go wrong by pressing the button that is not. As I said, in total there are 4 buttons, 2 of which are dedicated to controlling the volume. The middle button, the one with a circle icon, has several functions:
- One short touch:Â pause or resume playback;Â accept an incoming call or end the current call;Â put an incoming call on hold and put the current call on hold;Â end one call and move on to the next
- One-touch held:Â call the phone assistant, reject incoming calls, or switch between calls on hold
- Double-tap:Â go to the next song
- Triple tap:Â go back to the previous song
- Hold down for 5 seconds: we will activate or deactivate the game mode
Sony WH-1000XM4
Although Sony’s WH-100XM4 has added a lot of features and components inside, there is not much different from the XM3 when it comes to aesthetics. In fact, if you put them next to each other, you will have a hard time distinguishing them.
It is something that seems perfect to me, I think the design of the 1000XM3 is discreet and elegant. Perfect for going on the subway, plane, or being at work without attracting attention.
When it comes to materials, they are built with high-quality plastic and soft, fluffy pads. The result is headphones that feel very durable while being comfortable for long sessions.
In the outermost area of ​​the cups, there are two physical buttons for power and pairing and a button to select the different noise cancellation modes, as well as a 3.5 mm auxiliary connector and a USB-C port exclusively for your load. The very surfaces of the cups act as a touch control panel, which can be used to start playback, pause music, skip tracks, and raise or lower the volume.
However, inside the headphones is where the magic happens. Sony has changed the old SoC (the chip that controls the ANC and other functions) for a new one that offers better noise cancellation. The truth is that it was difficult to improve the XM3 in this regard, but the guys at Sony have succeeded!
The bad news is the Sony WH-1000XM4 does not have any kind of resistance to water, not even to splashes. Sony recommends keeping them dry and away from any source of water at all times. This mimics the places where we can use them without risk: if you are looking for headphones for sports or to escape to the field, these Sony are not for you.
Features
| Razer Opus | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Driver Type | Dynamic Driver | Dynamic Driver |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charge | Yes | Yes |
| Stereo speakers | Yes | No |
| Sensors | No | Proximity, Touch |
Battery
| Razer Opus | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| Battery Type | Lithium-Ion | Lithium-Ion |
| Battery Life | 25 Hours | 30 Hours |
| Charging Time | 3 Hours | 3 Hours |
| Charging Port | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
Razer Opus
According to Razer, the headphones have a battery life of 25 hours with active ANC. However, they last me about 30 hours normally, although I don’t have noise cancellation all the time. But come on, even if it does not reach the 35 hours of the Sony, it seems to be a really good figure. Fully charging the battery takes about 3.5 hours and is done with a USB-C cable.
Can you know the battery level?
When we turn on the headphones, the status LED will shine differently depending on the charge level:
- Static green: has enough charge
- Static red: the battery is low
- Flashing Red: the battery is very low
Once in use, we will hear a notification when the battery is very low. We can also check the battery level from the app or the Bluetooth menu of the mobile or PC.
Sony WH-1000XM4
- Identical to the XM3
- 30 hours with noise cancellation active / 38 hours without activating
- Quick charge (five hours with only 10 minutes of charge)
- Lasts a long time
Make no mistake, although the autonomy of the Sony WH-1000XM4 is identical to that of the XM3, 30 hours with the ANC active is nonsense. More than the competition and enough to make any trip; unless you want to go to the moon. Also, if we take into account the change in SoC and the new algorithms and sensors, maintaining such a monstrous autonomy is really a triumph.
It also has all those automatic auto-off and on functions so that you save even more battery. And, of course, fast charging, which with just 10 minutes we will get 5 hours of autonomy. There is no excuse for not taking your Sony with you those days that you have forgotten to charge them.
Connectivity
| Razer Opus | Sony WH-1000XM4 | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Range | Approx. 10 meter | Approx. 10 meter |
| NFC | No | No |
| Multi-Device Connection | Yes | Yes |
Which is better!
The Razer Opus is not the best noise-canceling headphones on the market, however, we think they are the best value-for-money ANC headphones.
They are light, comfortable, their sound quality is excellent and the hands-free and autonomy are very good. In addition, they have a quality shared by very few, their reduced lag. And this means that they can be used for everything, from listening to music, watching movies, even playing video games.
The Sony WH-1000XM3 was already one of the most feature-rich headphones when they hit the market, with new controls and nifty noise-canceling modes. The WH-1000XM4 have inherited all the good stuff plus a few new tricks.
