Buyers regain Sony’s compact, foldable flagship noise-cancelling headphones, now relaunched as the WH-1000XM4C and priced at $300. The XM4C returns the visual and folding design of the 2020 WH-1000XM4 while introducing a few modern tweaks, and it will ship later this fall.
The XM4C keeps the original model’s QN1 processing chip and four-microphone active noise cancellation layout. That hardware lags behind Sony’s more recent models, which moved to more microphones and new silicon: the XM5 used eight microphones and the XM6 increased to 12 mics plus the QN3 chip.
Sony has updated the XM4C’s software profile, expanding the Headphones app equalizer to a 10-band EQ from the old 5-band control and adding a gaming preset. The headphones also support Bluetooth 6 rather than Bluetooth 5. Battery life is slightly lower on paper, with Sony claiming up to 27 hours of use with ANC on, compared with 30 hours for the original XM4.
At $300, the XM4C launches $50 below the XM4’s initial retail price and $100 below current XM6 pricing. The company also still offers the XM5, which is currently available for about $200, a price that may reflect inventory clearance ahead of this relaunch.
Alongside the XM4C, Sony refreshed two lower-cost lines. The WH-CH730N and WH-CH530 adopt the same 10-band EQ and gaming preset as the XM4C. The CH730N now folds to a more compact shape and carries a $180 price, while the CH530 are offered in six colors for $70. Sony lists battery life for the CH730N at up to 50 hours with ANC, and up to 55 hours for the non-ANC CH530.
Sony also added a Safe Mode in the app to limit maximum volume, designed for parents and others who want to cap listening levels, though the company says there is no way to lock that setting once it is applied. Separately, Sony will sell limited Hello Kitty bundles later this year on its website; those packs pair select headphones with a Hello Kitty, shaped pouch and a branded bag, and include options based on the WH-1000XM6, WH-CH730N, or WH-CH530 in black or pink.
A review sample of the XM4C arrived while this report was being prepared, and further testing will follow to assess how the model compares in real-world listening and ANC performance against Sony’s newer designs.
