Sony is one of the top brands in the audio devices market, and when we talk about headphones, Sony always set a benchmark for its apposite brands in terms of noise cancellation headphones. Sony launched many noise cancellation headphones in the global market but it’s Sony 1000XM series is very popular in the segment of premium Bluetooth noise-cancelling headphones. But Sony also launched some other Bluetooth noise cancellation headphones in which very good and you can choose them over the Sony 1000XM4. So today we will compare Sony’s two best class noise cancellation Bluetooth headphones, today we compare Sony 1000XM4 and Sony XB900N.
Pros and Cons
| 1000XM4 | XB900N |
| Very accurate sound for ANC headphones. | Good build quality. |
| Great noise cancelling. | Great noise cancelling and isolation. |
| Legit audio upscaling. | Very good battery life. |
| Price is still expensive. | Bluetooth 4.2 instead of Bluetooth 5.0. |
| Not great for calls. | Uncomfortably bass-heavy. |
General
| 1000XM4 | XB900N | |
| Release date | 14 September 2020 | July 16, 2019 |
| Type | Closed, dynamic | Over Ear |
| Colors | Black, Silver | Black, Blue |
| Battery life | 30 Hours | 34 Hours |
| Weight | 0.56 lbs | 0.55 lbs |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, NFC | Bluetooth, NFC |
When we talk about ANC headphones, in the last few years Sony set a benchmark for all the brands competing in this segment. Sony 1000XM4 and Sony XB900N both are good headphones but there is a price difference of 100$ in between them. So, because of this price difference, there is a difference in overall built quality, sound quality, features, and noise cancellation. So, today we will discuss the possible points which can be crucial for any buyer who wants to buy a premium headphone.
Design
| 1000XM4 | XB900N | |
| Type | Closed, dynamic | Over Ear |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 0.56 lbs | 0.55 lbs |
| Foldable Design | Yes | Yes |
If we talk about the design, firstly we start with the case, the XB900N, unfortunately, comes with the carrying pouch but the XM4 comes with a proper hard shell carrying case which is very good for the user. The built quality and durability of both of the headphones is very good. Both headphones come with a stainless steel headband and a plastic body. The difference in terms of plastic body panel design is very evident as plastic panels on XM4 are smooth but the body panels on 900N are on the harder side. The touch and feel of the material on XM4 feel much more premium than the 900N. Also, the plastic used on XM4 feels much more smooth when you touch but on the plastic used on 900N is hard plastic which does not feel good when touching it in comparison with XM4.
Also, the leatherette used on XM4 feels premium than the leatherette used on 900N. But when we talk about the touch and feel of the leatherette then surprisingly the 900N’s leatherette material feels very nice to touch and hold. The cushioning material used in on-ear cups also very different in terms of quality and premium-ness in both of the headphones. The material used for ear cups in XM4 is quite soft and feels more premium than the material used on 900N. The ear cup sizes are also different on both of the headphone, the ear cup size of XM4 is larger than the 900N. But when we talk about comfort and fitting the XM4 comes out to be a clear winner. XM4 is much more comfortable to wear and you can easily use them for long hours.
Features
| 1000XM4 | XB900N | |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes, Touch Sensor | Yes |
| Quick Charge | Yes, 10 Minutes = 5 Hours | Yes, 10 Minutes = 1 Hours |
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
In terms of features here the XM4 comes with a host of features and because of the price difference, 900N compared to have some fewer features. The main feature that comes with the XM4 is the multi-device connectivity feature which is not available with 900N, and who uses multiple devices during working knowns how important this feature actually is. Noise cancellation is very good on XM4 because it is a newly launched product and it is improved its noise cancellation from XM3 on other hand in the market the 900N is an older product. Both headphones have full access to Sony’s own Sony headphones connect app from which you can easily change your headphone’s gesture settings and equalizer settings.
The XM4 supports the aptx codec and aptx HD codec but 900N only supports aptx codec. The audio lag during watching Netflix or YouTube videos is much more evident with 900N but on the other hand, the XM4 doesn’t have any such issue and you can enjoy watching movies and playing games with XM4 without any lag or audio delay.
Battery
| 1000XM4 | XB900N | |
| Battery Type | Li-polymer | Li-polymer |
| Battery Life | 30 Hours | 34 Hours |
| Charge Time | Approx. 3 hrs | Approx. 7 hours |
| Charging Port | USB-C | USB-C |
Both of these headphones charge with a USB C port. The type of battery used with both of the headphones also the same, both headphones use Li-Polymer battery to provide an impressive battery life. Both headphones provide 30 hours of battery life with ANC turned on which is very impressive. Both support fast charging but the fast charging of these headphones is very different, if you charge XM4 for 10 minutes it will provide 5 hours of battery life but when you charge the 900N for the 10 minutes it will only return you 1 hour of battery life.
Connectivity
| 1000XM4 | XB900N | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Range | Approx. 15 meter | Approx. 11 meter |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Device Connection | Yes | No |
The newly launched XM4 comes with Bluetooth 5.0 but on the other hand, the 900N comes with older Bluetooth 4.0. Because of that, the connectivity of XM4 is more stable, solid and it also comes with an increased range of connectivity which is a great thing for the user. Both headphones have full access to Sony’s own Sony headphones connect app from which you can easily change your headphone’s gesture settings and equalizer settings.
Which is better!
When we talk about built quality both headphones provide good built quality and durability. But when we consider premium-ness, features, luxury, and sound quality then the XM4 is a better choice. Also when we talk about sound quality in which bass and other things then also the XM4 is way better than the 900N. The noise cancellation of XM4 is also better than 900N. But the prices of both of the headphones are different, the XM4 is 100$ costlier than the 900N which is a very considerable amount. So one who can spend 100$ more premium-ness, features, and for better noise cancellation and sound quality then should definitely go for the Sony 1000XM4.
