Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Surface Headphones 2: Comparison

Headphones are a necessity for anyone who wants to listen to music, podcasts, and more while they’re on the go. But with so many different brands of headphones on the market, it’s hard to figure out which ones are really worth your time and money. In this article, we’ll compare Sony and Surface wireless Headphones side-by-side so that you can see just how each one stacks up.

Headphones from Sony and Microsoft – Which Headphones are the Best?

Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Surface Headphones 2: Comparison Chart

Headphones Name	Sony WH-1000XM4	Surface 2
Drivers	40mm Drivers	40mm Drivers
Design	360 moving	360 moving
Battery	30 hr fast charge	20hr charge
Ports	USB-C,3.5mm jack	USB-C, 3.5mm jack, Dongle
ANC	YES	YES
App	Sony connect	Surface Audio
Weight	254 g	290g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0, NFC	Bluetooth 5.0
Features	Active noise cancellation, adjustable transparency mode, smart control	Adjustable active noise cancellation, transparency mode, customizable EQ, smart controls, the digital assistant

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Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Surface Headphones 2 :Detailed Review

Design-

The WH-1000xM4 and Surface Headphones 2 continue to be two visually appealing, high-quality versions. You’ll attract good notice regardless of which one you wear, yet we like the Surface Headphones 2 for its more striking style. Durable, soft-touch plastic, plush cushioning, and strong metal assure that the product will not readily break or damage. Each earcup rotates 180 degrees, making it simple to stow them in the carrying case or wear them around your neck. The WH-1000xM4 shouts opulence from the minute you open the package. Sony’s use of quality materials, along with some fine-tuning to the overall design (e.g., smaller headband, soft rubberized coating), gives these headphones a sophisticated swagger. When handled in the hand, they have a quality and solid feel about them. The ear cups swivel and fold.

Sound quality

With regard to sound, I’d describe the Surface Headphones 2 as “good enough.” They lack the expressiveness and clarity of the 1000XM3s but provide a well-rounded sound signature that works across genres. Overall, the mix is less dynamic than I’d like, with instruments and vocals muddled together. On some tracks, the low end can sound muddy. If you’re looking for the most detail, you may want to use them wired. These aren’t immersive audiophile headphones. SBC and aptX codecs are supported by Microsoft.

Sony’s wireless headphones, the WH-1000XM4, are impressive. In spite of its similar appearance to the WH-1000XM3, there are a number of small changes that make for noticeable improvements to the sound quality, active noise cancellation, and the overall immersive and enjoyable sound. The sonic signature strikes a good balance between detail and enjoyability and should be suitable for a wide range of listeners.

With the LDAC Bluetooth codec, which is supported by most modern Android phones, the Sony WH-1000XM4 performs best, but it also sounds decent with the AAC codec. Similar to regular streaming music on Spotify or YouTube Music, these headphones sound good with any quality of the audio track, but they’re in a class of their own When it comes to high-resolution music, it is in a league of its own.

ANC

Surface Headphones 2 offer better active noise canceling than the prior model. These headphones perform admirably 
The headphones include 13 distinct noise cancellation settings, ranging from maximal to inverted ambient mode, which amplifies noises around you and plays them via the headphones for maximum awareness. Being able to modify the noise canceling with the turn of a dial on each ear cup is magical since I don’t want to fully shut out the environment, and doing so with physical control is very straightforward as well as a lot better than fiddling around with an app. It’s the finest method I’ve discovered for controlling headphones that don’t hinder anything.

Sony’s two feedforward microphones, patented Dual Noise Sensor technology, and HD Noise Canceling Processor QN1 chip constitute the triple threat that allows the WH-1000xM4 to deliver such outstanding ANC performance. The headphones filter out over 90% of ambient noises throughout the frequency spectrum, from screaming newborns to home office equipment. Both versions also have their unique Transparency Mode, which allows you to hear and evaluate your environment for enhanced awareness. Sony’s version is more sophisticated, with 20 levels of ambient sound that you can hear more clearly.

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Connectivity

Both models support Bluetooth 5.0 and feature unique wireless capabilities. WH-1000xM4 headphones have an NFC chip in the right ear cup, which you can lay on the back of any compatible Android device to pair the headphones automatically. They also have multipoint technology to connect to two devices simultaneously. Even though those features sound cool, the Surface Headphones 2 are the stronger wireless beast, supporting up to 10 devices simultaneously. We appreciate that the headphones let you know which device is connected to them.

The Surface Headphones 2+, like standard wireless headphones, can connect to your phone and laptop via Bluetooth or a wired 3.5mm connection, but they also include a special ‘Surface USB Link’ dongle that connects directly to your devices, eliminating the need for Bluetooth entirely, whenever it’s plugged in–it literally just works.

Controls And App

Although the WH-1000xM4 offers more appealing choices to play with, if you’re a frequent Windows user, your judgment may be swayed in favor of the Surface Headphones 2.

Let’s start with the software that serves as the center for all WH-1000xM4 features: the Sony Connect Headphones app. Here you’ll find features that improve sound quality on several levels. The built-in Equalizer allows you to create your own sound profile by manually altering the frequency levels, or you may choose from one of several well-engineered presets Bass Boost, Bright, Excited, Mellow, Relaxed, Treble Boost, Speech, and Vocal.

Then there’s Sony’s 360 Reality Audio platform, which works with a select high-resolution service and use spatial audio technology to create a 360-degree soundscape.
Several toggle controls

Automatic power down, firmware upgrades, motion sensing, and custom button customization are all available.

The Surface Audio app isn’t short on functionality, though, with Microsoft 365 connectivity taking center stage. This enables the use of voice dictation on the Surface Headphones 2 with Windows 10. For the most part, voice dictation is fairly excellent, however, mistakes are to be expected when utilizing dictation software. The Live Captioning tool is very useful since it can execute real-time translations in more than 60 languages. You may also use the Play My Emails option to have the headphones read your Outlook messages.

If you’re asking if the Surface Headphones 2 have a separate adjustable EQ, the answer is yes. You have the option of modifying and saving your own sound.

both headphones have their own unique control system Sony supports the good old gesture controls whereas Microsoft supports dial controls with buttons with team support integrated

Battery-

The WH-1000xM4 offers some of the best battery life in the category: 30 hours (ANC on), which is 10 to 12 hours longer than Microsoft’s headphones. That’s also enough for a round-trip overseas flight. Quick-charging is also effective, providing up to 5 hours of use on a 10-minute charge.

Microsoft did extend the battery life on the current model from 15 to 20 hours, however, battery levels plummeted 30% after 2 hours of Spotify streaming with ANC turned on. This is sufficient for a week’s worth of listening. The Surface Headphones 2 have an hour of runtime on a 5-minute charge, which is a plus.

Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Surface Headphones 2: Quick Result

Headphones	Sony WH-1000XM4	Surface Headphones 2
Drivers	40mm	40mm
ANC	YES	YES
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.0, NFC	Bluetooth 5.0
Size	9.94 x 7.27 x 3.03 inches	8.03 x 7.68 x 1.89 inches

Sony WH-1000XM4 vs Surface Headphones 2: Final Verdict

Sony‘s newest innovation is the expected improvement, delivering new hardware and features that take its performance to the next level.
The many audio technologies included in these are superb, giving in a powerful, dynamic soundstage that can also be customized via a companion app. The noise cancellation is superb. And the fact that you have 30 hours of runtime with ANC enabled is simply music to our ears. The Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 are a pair of headphones designed by Microsoft. With improved noise cancellation, longer playtimes, and some of the greatest productivity tools available, these next-generation cans have a lot to offer. However, because of their excellent Microsoft 365 integration and, sadly, their short battery life, they are best suited for work-from-home use rather than leisure listening or vacation.

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