Get insider access
Preferred store
Notice: Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Profile: Target Compliance
    5. Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance
    6. Treble Profile: Target Compliance
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation - Full Range
    2. Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios
    3. Noise Isolation - Voice Handling
    4. ANC Wind Handling
    5. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Wired Connection
    2. Bluetooth Connection
    3. Wireless Connection (Dongle)
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PlayStation Compatibility
    6. Xbox Compatibility
    7. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Oct 23, 2024 01:49 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.8

Updated Apr 07, 2025 07:50 PM

SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • WF-1000XM3 (Black)
  • WF-1000XM3 (Silver)
  • WH-1000XM4 (Black)
  • WH-1000XM4 (Midnight Blue)
  • WH-1000XM4 (Silver)

Our Verdict

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

The Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless and the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless have different strengths, so you may prefer either. The WF-1000XM3 have an in-ear design that's more portable, have a more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer, and leak less audio at high volumes. However, the WH-1000XM4 are over-ear headphones with a better battery and noise isolation performance.

0 

Check Price

Black
WF-1000XM3
Searching
Finding store
Black
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store
Silver
WF-1000XM3
Searching
Finding store
Silver
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store
 
Midnight Blue
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store
Read more

Main Differences for
Neutral Sound

Threshold 

0.10

Neutral Sound 

7.5
7.4

Passive Soundstage 
 

1.2
3.5

Treble Accuracy 
 

8.9
7.3

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.0
7.6

Mid Accuracy 
 

8.8
8.4

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Design Picture 2
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

In-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Truly Wireless
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show Text 

Comfort 
 

7.0
8.0

Comfort Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Comfort Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.04 lbs
0.6 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

0 lbs
1 lbs
Show Text 

Controls 
 

6.3
7.6

Controls Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Controls Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Good
Good

Feedback  

Good
Decent

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

No
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Additional Controls  

Voice Assistant
Voice Assistant
Show Text 

Breathability 
 

9.1
5.4

Breathability After Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Breathability After Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

0.9 °C
8.2 °C
Show Text 

Portability 
 

9.3
6.1

Portability Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Portability Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Portability Picture

 

1.5" (3.8 cm)
7.4" (18.8 cm)

 

2.0" (5.1 cm)
6.1" (15.5 cm)

 

0.6" (1.5 cm)
2.0" (5.1 cm)

Volume  

2.00 in³ (32.77 cm³)
90.00 in³ (1,474.83 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show Text 

Case 
 

8.0
8.0

Case Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Case Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Hard case
Hard case

 

3.2" (8.1 cm)
8.3" (21.1 cm)

 

2.3" (5.8 cm)
6.6" (16.8 cm)

 

1.3" (3.3 cm)
2.3" (5.8 cm)

Volume  

10.00 in³ (163.87 cm³)
126.00 in³ (2,064.76 cm³)
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.0
8.0

Build Quality Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Build Quality Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show Text 

Stability 
 

7.0
7.0

Stability Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Stability Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Stability Picture
Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Angled Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Side Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Front Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Rear Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Top Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  In The Box Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless In The Box Picture
Show Text 
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Sound Profile  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Normalization Frequency 
 

400 Hz

Bass Amount 
 

-1.25 dB
5.1 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-1.17 dB
-0.4 dB
Show Text 

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

9.6
8.2

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.09 dB
0.35 dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.0
7.6

Bass Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

2.68 dB
5.2 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

37.21 Hz
20 Hz

Low Bass 
 

-3.34 dB
4.49 dB

Mid Bass 
 

1.47 dB
5.5 dB

High Bass 
 

3.55 dB
5.6 dB
Show Text 

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.8
8.4

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.55 dB
1.58 dB

Low Mid 
 

2.11 dB
1.24 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

-0.78 dB
-0.07 dB

High Mid 
 

-0.02 dB
-1.15 dB
Show Text 

Treble Profile: Target Compliance 
 

8.9
7.3

Treble Profile: Target Compliance  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

RMS Deviation From Target 
 

1.75 dB
3.01 dB

Low Treble 
 

-1.1 dB
-1.71 dB

Mid Treble 
 

-0.58 dB
1.38 dB

High Treble 
 

0.1 dB
-2.88 dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

8.5
7.9

Peaks/Dips Graph 
 

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

0.96 dB
1.2 dB

Dips 
 

0.89 dB
1.46 dB
Show Text 

Imaging 
 

9.2
8.6

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.15
0.16

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

2.4
4.36

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.46
0.79

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

0.79
2.07
Show Text 

Passive Soundstage 
 

1.2
3.5

PRTF  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  PRTF
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

N/A
3.11 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

N/A
8.34 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

N/A
1.8 dB

Openness 
 

2.8
0.4

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

2.1
3.4
Show Text 

Virtual Soundstage 
 

4.1
4.1

Virtual Soundstage  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Virtual Soundstage
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Speaker Modeling 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

360 Reality Audio
360 Reality Audio
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

8.1
7.7

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.187
0.265

WHD @ 100 
 

0.101
0.130
Show Text 

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown
2.6.0

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth

Codec 
 

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument  

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ 
 

Off
Off

ANC 
 

On
On

Tip/Pad 
 

Silicone (small)
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range 
 

7.2
9.5

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Overall Attenuation 
 

-19.25 dB
-27.13 dB

Isolation Audio 
 

Bass 
 

-10.9 dB
-24.80 dB

Mid 
 

-21.02 dB
-25.37 dB

Treble 
 

-26.91 dB
-31.92 dB
Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios 
 

9.7

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph  

See details on graph tool

Airplane Noise Attenuation 
 

-23.51 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Office Noise Attenuation 
 

-22.93 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Street Noise Attenuation 
 

-26.02 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio 
 

Show Text 

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling 
 

Female Voice 1 
 

Male Voice 1 
 

Female Voice 2 
 

Male Voice 2 
 

ANC Wind Handling 
 

ANC Wind Handling Graph  

See details on graph tool

ANC Wind Noise 
 

Show Text 

Leakage 
 

8.2
7.1

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

32.31 dB
39.28 dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

6.9
6.1

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

306.43 Hz
269.09 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

2.98 dB
2.11 dB

HFE 
 

7,240.77 Hz
3,726.47 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

4.982
65.861

Gain 
 

2.9 dB
11.46 dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

6.6
5.6

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

7.62 dB
11.47 dB

Noise Gate 
 

No
No

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

7.0
6.0

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

6.0
5.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

6.9
8.7

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

6.9 hrs
37.7 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

3.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

27.6 hrs
37.7 hrs

Charge Time 
 

1.3 hrs
2.3 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Auto-Off Timer
Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

No
Yes

Charging Port  

USB-C
USB-C
Show Text 

App Support 
 

8.5
8.0

App Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  App Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

Sony| Headphones Connect
Sony| Headphones Connect

iOS  

Yes
Yes

Android  

Yes
Yes

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

ANC Control 
 

On/Off
On/Off

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

Yes
Yes

Button Mapping  

Yes
Yes

Surround Support 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired Connection 
 

0.0
9.9

Cable Picture  

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless  Cable Picture
Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

No
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable 
 

No
Yes

Length 
 

N/A
4.00 ft (1.22 m)

Connector 
 

No Wired Option
1/8" TRS

Latency - Analog 
 

0.3 ms

Latency - USB 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Connection  

Analog
Show Text 

Bluetooth Connection 
 

7.7
8.6

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.0
5.010

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

No
2 Devices

NFC Pairing 
 

Yes

Quick Pair (Android) 
 

Yes

Quick Pair (iOS) 
 

No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

295.00 ft (89.92 m)
299.00 ft (91.14 m)

Latency - SBC 
 

227 ms
245 ms

Latency - aptX 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality) 
 

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) 
 

N/A

Latency - LDAC 
 

237 ms

Recorded Latency 
 

Recorded Latency Codec  

SBC

AAC Support 
 

Yes

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A

iOS Latency 
 

91 ms

Android Latency 
 

70 ms
Show Text 

Wireless Connection (Dongle) 
 

0.0
0.0

Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Latency - Dongle 
 

N/A
N/A

Recorded Latency 
 

N/A

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Wired USB 
 

No
No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

No
Audio Only

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

2.2
0.0

Type 
 

Charging Case
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

Yes
No

Power Supply 
 

USB-C
No Base/Dock
Show Text 

Check Price

Black
WF-1000XM3
Searching
Finding store
Black
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store
Silver
WF-1000XM3
Searching
Finding store
Silver
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store
 
Midnight Blue
WH-1000XM4
Searching
Finding store

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sony WF-1000XM3 Truly Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless: Main Discussion

What do you think of these products? Let us know below.


Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.

PreviewBack to editorFormat guide
No comments yet, refresh to see new ones