Sony's next noise-cancelling wireless headphones could catch-up with rival Bose
SONY looks set to bring a long-awaited feature to its next-generation noise-cancellation headphones - something that's already available on rival cans from Bose. Here is what you need to know about the Sony WH-1000XM4s.
When it comes to wireless noise-cancelling headphones, Sony and Bose are the biggest names around. We've been impressed with the latest from both brands – the Sony WH-1000XM3 and the Bose 700 Series. But the latter does have one serious advantage over the Sony cans.
Bose – not to mention other noise-cancelling rivals from the likes of Marshall – already offer the ability to pair to multiple devices at once. So, you can listen to your favourite playlist from your laptop while working at home and be able to immediately pick-up an incoming call from your smartphone using the built-in microphones without the need to take off the headphones, or delve into the Bluetooth settings to pair the cans to the handset receiving the call.
Unfortunately, despite the similar price tag, that's simply not possible with the Sony WH-1000XM3s.
But it seems Sony is hard at work to fix the issue with its next entry into the hugely-popular headphone range. According to a new report from Twitter user @justplayinghard, who has shared a recent teardown from the Sony Headphones Connect app.
The code includes a number of hints about what to expect from the Sony WH-1000XM4s – the successors to the Sony WH-1000XM3.
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— JustPlayingHard (@justplayinghard) May 21, 2020
Looks identical to the XM3.
It'll be able to change some (if not all) headphone settings based on your location (set locations or your own) and uses Google Maps API for it.
New DSSE Extreme (also on X1ii), probably AI Upscaling pic.twitter.com/7hpGMIE7Bb
According to the code shared on Twitter, the all-new M4 noise-cancelling headphones can simultaneously pair with two devices. This should save you bucketloads of time as you won't need to keep unpairing and pairing as you switch between devices, to lend the headphones to partners or family.
And that's not the only new feature coming to the Sony M4s.
According to the code, the next-generation cans will also include a feature known as “Smart Talking,” which enables the headphones to detect voices and adjust the sound so you'll be able to hear conversations without taking off the headphones. Its predecessor already boasts a similar feature called "Ambient Sound Mode," which allowed ambient sound to cut-through while still wearing the headphones – so that delay announcements on trains or boarding notices in airports wouldn't be missed.
Finally, Android users will be able to automatically change their headphone settings based on their location. So, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones will tweak the amount of noise-cancellation when you're in the office, compared to sitting on the commuter train, or in the bedroom at home.
Unfortunately, the code teardown does not include any hint of when we can expect to see the new Sony headphones. However, if the Japanese company is preparing its Sony Headphones Connect app for the new features included in the hardware, we can expect them sooner rather than later.