Sony appears ready to bring one of its most popular noise-cancelling headphones back to the market. The company is reportedly preparing the WH-1000XM4C, a new version of the 2020 WH-1000XM4 that will sit below Sony’s current flagship WH-1000XM6.
The original WH-1000XM4 launched in 2020 as Sony’s top wireless headphone and remained a popular choice for years. Now, six years later, Sony is reportedly planning to reuse the model as a more affordable mid-range option.
According to a new leak from WinFuture, the WH-1000XM4C could arrive in Europe for around €250. That would put its list price roughly €130 below the original WH-1000XM4’s launch price.
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Lower price comes with some cuts
The cheaper price does come with a few compromises.
The biggest change is battery life. The WH-1000XM4C is reportedly rated for up to 27 hours with active noise cancellation enabled and up to 34 hours with ANC turned off. The original WH-1000XM4 was rated for around 30 hours with ANC and up to 38 hours without it.
That means buyers can expect roughly three to four hours less battery life from the new model.
Sony also appears to have removed NFC support. The missing NFC logo on the leaked headphones suggests that the chip used for quick pairing on the original model may no longer be included.
These changes are fairly small, but they show where Sony has cut costs to bring the six-year-old design back at a lower price.
Same drivers, newer Bluetooth
For the most part, the WH-1000XM4C is expected to retain the core hardware of the original headphones.
The leaked specifications point to the same 40mm dynamic drivers, with support for frequencies from 4Hz to 40kHz. Sony is also reportedly upgrading the wireless connection from Bluetooth 5.0 to Bluetooth 6.0.
That Bluetooth upgrade could be the most notable improvement over the original model, although the leak does not provide much detail about how it will affect real-world performance.
The headphones are also expected to keep Sony’s active noise cancellation technology, which was one of the biggest selling points of the original WH-1000XM4.
New colors make the new model easy to spot
Sony is reportedly changing the color lineup as well. The WH-1000XM4C is expected to be available in violet, gray and black.
The Sony branding will also look slightly different. Instead of the gold-colored logo found on the original model, the new headphones reportedly use a more subtle silver Sony logo across all three colors.
Aside from these visual changes, the overall design appears to stay very close to the original WH-1000XM4.
September launch reportedly planned
The leaked information claims that Sony will begin selling the WH-1000XM4C on September 7. Sony has not officially confirmed the new model yet, so the launch date and specifications should still be treated as unconfirmed.
The biggest question may be whether Sony has addressed one of the long-running complaints surrounding the WH-1000XM4: its hinge.
Some owners have reported hinge failures over the years, particularly around the folding mechanism. It is currently unclear whether the WH-1000XM4C will receive any structural changes or simply reuse the original design.
If Sony has made no major changes to the hinge, buyers could be getting essentially the same headphones with a lower price, slightly shorter battery life, no NFC, and newer Bluetooth.
A familiar option between Sony’s budget and flagship models
The WH-1000XM4C could make sense for shoppers who want Sony’s proven noise-cancelling headphone design without paying flagship prices.
Sony’s current WH-1000XM6 offers newer hardware and a more modern design, but the reported €250 price of the WH-1000XM4C would make it a considerably cheaper alternative.
The trade-off is that buyers would be purchasing a headphone platform originally released in 2020. Still, if Sony can keep the sound quality and noise cancellation competitive while lowering the price, the WH-1000XM4C could give the company an interesting mid-range option.
For now, the new model remains based on leaked information. With the reported September 7 launch approaching, more details should emerge soon.
Source: Winfuture
Nick, the Co-founder of Earbuds Arena, is a seasoned freelance tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering wearables, apps, headphones, and gadgets. When he’s not immersed in the tech world, you’ll likely find him unwinding with video games, going for a run, or enjoying a game of soccer on the field.
