Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphone - Optimized for Alexa and Google Assistant - with Built-in mic for Calls - Bluetooth Connection - Black/Copper International Version

I own a bunch of different audio gear for different uses. I use these when I want to do critical listening. I use them when I need the world around me to go away. There's no better companion on a plane. Really. Crying babies fade away. The people talking next to you just aren't there anymore. Watching movies on a tablet is next-level. Cross-country flights aren't long enough. OK, perhaps that's getting hyperbolic, but the point is - they make you actually enjoy such experiences. I'd been flying with IEMs 'till I got these and they can't hold a candle to the ANC.That's not why I bought these though. I can't always crank my tunes at home & traveling, and needed a way to listen at concert levels with good fidelity while walking around. Mission accomplished. These are better than a lot of my wired IEMs somehow, and don't tether me to an amp. These are arguably some of the better-reviewed buds in the mainstream hi-fi category, and have failed to disappoint there. Sound quality is remarkable. Bass and midbass are seemingly limitless and precise. Midrange and high end are articulate and free of distortion, artefacts, or weird resonances I've heard in some earbuds. They're just gooooood!The app is OK. Compared with all the others out there, the features don't really stand out, but it's usable. Battery readings seem to get a little wonky sometimes and I've seen them discharge at variable rates if I just leave them on the table. All forgivable enough, but I'm being picky at the higher end of this market.Build quality is top notch all the way around. Foam tips really make a lot of the difference with these, and take a little breaking-in. At first I could only wear them about an hour at a time, but hours on end are no trouble after that period. Battery life is about average in the category - that's to say it's good. Quick charge when low is super nice. Actually, these don't make a lot of compromises.Seriously though, lossless audio through these is transformational. The level of quality you get for the price sets a new standard for almost weightless wireless high fidelity. They're wildly good. I have dozens of earsets around, and some hi-fi, and these get the business every single time. Oh, and did I mention they're nice to have on a plane?

I've never owned such great ear buds, the sound quality is truly amazing. So why just 1 star? As many other reviews have indicated, Sony customer service/support have become a joke. I contacted Sony for some information about the earbuds - nothing was wrong with the earbuds. Sony was responsive enough, but the joke is this - they also informed me at that time that should there ever be any issues with my earbuds, Sony will not honor its warranty as I didn't purchase it from an authorized Sony dealer. Even though I bought it on Amazon, but it was by a third party market seller, and the seller wasn't an authorized dealer. So I guess Sony first expects its customers to be savvy of this policy, and then to also do a FBI style vetting of sellers before buying any of their products, even if the platform was Amazon. I wonder how Sony is getting away with this? I could absorb the $300 loss should there be an irreparable problem, but what about a young kid who had saved up the money to buy it? I think Sony should mandate Amazon and other non authorized sellers to clearly indicate this policy in a product's selling headers. Then it would be fair as buyers are made aware of such policy, so proceed at our own risk. Such a shame that an established and reputable brand like Sony also seemed to have succumb to corporate profit over maintaining their name...

I don't regret buying this one bit, even though it was the most expensive piece of sound equipment I've ever bought, and it was partially a gift. There is a bit of a learning curve with which pad size works best with your ear. I've found you kind of have to mash it into your ear canal to fully hear bass reverberation, which is the only downside I've noticed. But otherwise, these earbuds have absolutely blown me away. They sound worlds better than all the headsets I've owned over the years, granted they have all been less than $100. It probably sounds like I'm glazing hardcore rn but I use them every day for hours and love them. People have mentioned not liking the battery capacity of the case, but I don't really understand those reviews because I hardly charge mine. Just make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight & hot weather and you should be fine.