[Shub Lasouris]

Hi!
I bought the Bowers & Wilkins a few years ago and I am not 100% happy with them.
Of course they are not super comfortable but I will only talk about sound signature. I find the sound a little bit muffled, trebles are missing.
I plugged my old SONY MDR 1-A and had the impression to discover my music again. Soundstage seems wider, I can hear more details, bass has more impact...

My question would be : would I find a more MDR-1A sound signature with the XM4 or should I stick with my SONY's wired option and keep the PX for travels?

I'm not a expert, I listen to my music on Spotify. Mainly Rock, Pop, Classical and Jazz.
I won't really use ANC, I listen 90% of my music in my office.

Or is there a better wireless option that fits the signature I like? I think muffled is what I dislike the most.

Thank you!!!

 

[MrWalkman]

Hi!
I bought the Bowers & Wilkins a few years ago and I am not 100% happy with them.
Of course they are not super comfortable but I will only talk about sound signature. I find the sound a little bit muffled, trebles are missing.
I plugged my old SONY MDR 1-A and had the impression to discover my music again. Soundstage seems wider, I can hear more details, bass has more impact...

My question would be : would I find a more MDR-1A sound signature with the XM4 or should I stick with my SONY's wired option and keep the PX for travels?

I'm not a expert, I listen to my music on Spotify. Mainly Rock, Pop, Classical and Jazz.
I won't really use ANC, I listen 90% of my music in my office.

Or is there a better wireless option that fits the signature I like? I think muffled is what I dislike the most.

Thank you!!!

I found XM3 bass bloated in comparison with 1AM2, and XM4 is not too far from XM3 from what I read.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

@Shub Lasouris I owned the MDR-1A and XM3 now I have XM4.
To my ear the XM4 sound the best between the three.
MDR-1A had a harsh spike in the high mids / low highs (if that's what you liked, the XM4 doesn't have it) and bloated bass.
The XM3 bass is also more bloated than XM4. @MrWalkman to me the difference is big. XM4 bass is less and better controlled, but still that kind of resonant enveloping bass specific to Sony. (not tight and punchy).
Overall the XM4 has the most rounded sound and with some EQ I prefer it over many that I tried.
I also tried the B&W PX7 and it is the best sounding Bluetooth headphone that I tried, but is not suitable for walking (too heavy, too clampy).
XM4 sound is warmer and more forgiving but still competent and has a great 3D feel. Considering the lighter weight, lower profile, lower clamping force, the XM4 is more suited for walking (what I use BT headphones for). Soundstage of XM4 is also better than MDR1-A but worse than B&W PX7.
But if you like a more V-shaped signature with more treble I recommend Momentum 3. But the M3 app is a disaster... so... pros and cons.
As always the best thing would be to try them all for yourself. Everyone's hearing, expectation and taste are different.

 

[Shub Lasouris]

Thank you for your answers, I know sound signature is quite subjective if we're not looking for neutral.
If I try to describe what I like with the MDR 1-A : for example when I listen to Rock or Jazz, I love the presence of Hi-Hat and cymbals and I found the bass drum much drier with the SONY's than with the PX.
Maybe this is a harsh spike in the highs you were talking about^^

Maybe I should EQ the PX as a lot of people say that the B&W Wireless Headphone are the best sounding cans but the app is quite useless. If I understand you well, I won't find the sound signature I like with the XM4s.

 

[KopaneDePooj]

Thank you for your answers, I know sound signature is quite subjective if we're not looking for neutral.
If I try to describe what I like with the MDR 1-A : for example when I listen to Rock or Jazz, I love the presence of Hi-Hat and cymbals and I found the bass drum much drier with the SONY's than with the PX.
Maybe this is a harsh spike in the highs you were talking about^^

Maybe I should EQ the PX as a lot of people say that the B&W Wireless Headphone are the best sounding cans but the app is quite useless. If I understand you well, I won't find the sound signature I like with the XM4s.

Okay, I'd say try Momentum 3, if you like the default signature you won't need the EQ in the app. Plenty of treble. The bass is still a bit too much but more on the subbass side.
Hmm... maybe Shure Aonic? for a more neutral bass. Didn't hear them though, maybe others can chime in.

 

[Shub Lasouris]

Thank you, Momentum 3 would be a great option

 

[Designer Tiger]

Just placed the order yesterday, can't wait to hear it.

 

[leveller1642]

I do not dislike the WH-1000XM4. It is just overrated, IMHO.

I dislike them intensely. I have a pair of $50 Sony WH-CH510 that IMO sound better than the WH-1000XM4. I thought the $350 pair would be a massive upgrade from the $50 pair.

Never again will I take notice of the hype.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I dislike them intensely. I have a pair of $50 Sony WH-CH510 that IMO sound better than the WH-1000XM4. I thought the $350 pair would be a massive upgrade from the $50 pair.

Never again will I take notice of the hype.

For that matter, outside of earbuds I have not yet found a wireless headphone that I liked much. In fact, I have not really found my ideal closed-back over-ear headphone - wired or wireless - at any price level that I have listened to for anything that resembled extensive listening time.

By the way, if you dislike the 1000XM4, you will dislike most if not all of the closed-back over-ear headphones as well. They all suffer from honky resonances that murk up the sound. And the reason why your WH-CH510 sounded "better" to you is because it is not an over-ear design - but an on-ear design. And on-ear closed-back headphones have much less empty air space than over-ear headphones, reducing the risk of resonant, audio-muddying honkiness.

So I guess that you're more of an open-back headphone guy after all.

 

[Metsuki]

It seems like the WF-1000XM4 (the earbuds) received a silent FR change with the latest firmware. (most like, a few don't)

Did this ever happen to the WH?
I found that with the stock tips, they sound very similar to each other. I ask because I'd find it weird if people liked the sound signature in the WF and not in the WH.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

It seems like the WF-1000XM4 (the earbuds) received a silent FR change with the latest firmware. (most like, a few don't)

Did this ever happen to the WH?
I found that with the stock tips, they sound very similar to each other. I ask because I'd find it weird if people liked the sound signature in the WF and not in the WH.

The problem with the WH is that the upper bass and lower mids sound somewhat muddy. Resonances in the earcups only made that upper bass bleeding into the midrange worse.

Still, it's not the worst that I have heard. Not by a longshot. On the other hand, the WF has recessed highs in relation to the bass and midrange. IMHO the WH needed a boost in the middle and upper midrange in order to sound to my liking. The WF needed a slight treble boost.

And by the way, the WF has had a firmware update a few days ago. The WH, OTOH, is currently stuck on the same firmware version that's now eight months old.

 

[Metsuki]

The problem with the WH is that the upper bass and lower mids sound somewhat muddy. Resonances in the earcups only made that upper bass bleeding into the midrange worse.

Still, it's not the worst that I have heard. Not by a longshot. On the other hand, the WF has recessed highs in relation to the bass and midrange. IMHO the WH needed a boost in the middle and upper midrange in order to sound to my liking. The WF needed a slight treble boost.

With the latest update on the earbuds, the WF and WH sound nearly identical (with stock tips/pads, and eq off) to my ears, I do not ear those differences.

 

[bigmoneytee]

I'm having difficulties connecting the WH-1000xm4 to my WM WM1A. Anyone else have problems doing so?

 

[krenzler]

Had these for a few weeks. Starting to have that rustling noise in one cup (left for me) with ANC on that seems to be a common problem. From googling and reading posts at Reddit and Sony forums this seems to stem from moisture build-up inside that perhaps disrupts the microphone inside (perhaps some exposed copper on the 2 wires?).

What are your experiences with this problem with rustling/noise from one cup with ANC on?

Found this picture showing condensation build up. And the microphone in the middle (covered with some tape by the user I think) and the wire going to the top (with the exposed copper).

 

[theGatMan]

No issues with mine whatsoever, but I live in a relatively dry climate.