Noise cancellation has been increased over the M3s’ performance, putting Sony neck and neck with Bose in terms of the overall effectiveness of silencing your surrounds. The sound quality is essentially the same as with the prior headphones — powerful, full, and very satisfying — as does the marathon 30-hour battery life. However, Sony solved two of the most serious concerns with the M3s this time around: the 1000XM4s have improved speech microphone performance and can now connect to two devices at the same time, allowing you to keep track of what’s going on with your phone while working on your laptop or tablet.
Sony also offers a pretty unusual convenience trick: the optional “speak to chat” mode will halt your music and pipe in ambient noise when the headphones detect you’ve started chatting, which is handy while you’re grabbing a coffee. Moreover, unlike their predecessors, the 1000XM4s can detect when they are withdrawn from your ears for auto-pause. They’re still $350, but you’re getting more bang for your buck with the 1000XM4s than before. If you’re not in a hurry, speculations suggest that Sony’s next flagship noise-cancelling headphones are just around the corner.
Number 2. Bose Quietcomfort 45 ($329)
