Sony is yet to confirm the forthcoming WH-1000XM4 over-ear wireless headphones, but Walmart has.
The US retailer has prematurely published the product page for the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to the five-star Sony WH-1000XM3 cans, including the spec sheet and the price tag.
We’ve had a few leaks in recent weeks and Walmart’s listing (via LaptopMag) seems to confirm some of the new features; namely the ability to connect two devices simultaneously and switch between them with the touch of a button. The current Sony’s WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones with noise cancelling capabilities are among our favourites, but current users can only connect to a single device at a time.
It seems there’ll also be a new Precise Voice Pickup feature, which the listing says “optimally controls the five microphones built into the headphones and performs advanced audio signal processing to pick up your voice clearly and precisely for hands-free calls.”
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That would address one of the major complaints about the near-perfect XM3 model; the poor quality pick-up for voice calls. Bluetooth has also been upgraded from 4.2 to Bluetooth 5.0 according to the listing, while all-day battery life is promised with 30 hours from a single charge. The listing also says a quick ten-minute blast will offer up to 5 hours of playtime.
We’re also hearing more about another leaked feature that emerged during a Sony Connect app last month – Edge AI. Sony says it upscales compressed digital music files in real time.
The listing adds it is capable of: “Dynamically recognising instrumentation, musical genres, and individual elements of each song, such as vocals or interludes, it restores the high-range sound lost in compression for a richer, more complete listening experience.”
Sony is also promising adaptive sound control that’ll automatically adjust to the location and behaviour of the user, recognising places you visit often and tailoring the listening experience depending on the site.
The listing confirms they’ll be available for $348 (around £276), but doesn’t reveal the release date.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
