{"id":628857,"date":"2026-08-09T16:29:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/628857\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T16:29:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T16:29:15","slug":"leak-sparks-speculation-about-a-comeback-for-the-sony-wh-1000xm4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/628857\/","title":{"rendered":"Leak Sparks Speculation About a Comeback for the Sony WH-1000XM4"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"h-sony-konnte-einem-aktuellen-leak-zufolge-einem-seiner-beliebtesten-kopfhorer-ein-uberraschendes-comeback-spendieren-gleich-mehrere-quellen-berichten-ubereinstimmend-dass-der-hersteller-im-september-eine-uberarbeitete-und-gunstigere-variante-des-legendaren-wh-1000xm4-vorstellen-will-das-neue-modell-soll-unter-der-bezeichnung-wh-1000xm4c-erscheinen-und-viele-starken-des-originals-bewahren-zu-einem-deutlich-niedrigeren-preis\">According to a recent leak, Sony might be planning a surprise comeback for one of its most popular headphones. The speculation stems from a report by <a href=\"https:\/\/9to5google.com\/2026\/08\/07\/sony-wh-1000xm4-re-release-leak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">9to5Google<\/a>, a website specializing in Android and Google, which was subsequently picked up by the renowned U.S. tech magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.engadget.com\/2232687\/sony-might-be-rebooting-its-2020-flagship-headphones\/?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_campaign=Echobox-Engadget&amp;utm_medium=Social-Distribution&amp;utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1786127242\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Engadget<\/a>. According to the report, Sony is working on a new version of the WH-1000XM4, which these sources say will be unveiled in September 2026. The new model is expected to be released under the name <strong>WH-1000XM4C<\/strong> and retain many of the strengths of <a href=\"https:\/\/stereoguide.com\/headphones\/noise-cancelling-en\/sony-wh-1000xm4-review\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the original model tested<\/a> by <strong>STEREO GUIDE<\/strong> in 2021\u2014at a significantly lower price.     <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The original WH-1000XM4 was released back in 2020 and continues to enjoy cult status to this day. In our <strong>review of the Sony WH-1000XM4<\/strong>, it impressed us with its excellent noise cancellation, balanced sound, high level of comfort, and extensive features. Particular praise was given to its natural sound signature, excellent speech intelligibility, and practical features such as multipoint Bluetooth and Sony\u2019s intelligent adaptation of noise cancellation to the environment.    <\/p>\n<p>Tried-and-true technology at a lower price<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the leaked information, the new <strong>WH-1000XM4C<\/strong> is expected to largely retain the successful basic design. This includes, among other things: <\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Active Noise Cancellation with Sony\u2019s proven <strong>QN1 processor<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>High-Resolution Audio Support<\/li>\n<li>Spatial Audio<\/li>\n<li>Touch controls on the ear cups<\/li>\n<li>The XM4\u2019s compact, foldable design<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The main difference cited is a slightly shorter battery life. Instead of up to 38 hours without ANC or 30 hours with noise cancellation enabled, the XM4C is said to last around <strong>34 and 27 hours, respectively<\/strong>. The price is reported to be <strong>249.99 euros<\/strong> or <strong>219.99 pounds<\/strong>.    <\/p>\n<p>Why would Sony bring back the XM4 of all things?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, from <strong>STEREO GUIDE\u2019s<\/strong> perspective, it\u2019s not yet entirely clear whether Sony is actually positioning the WH-1000XM4C as a more affordable entry-level model. While the leaks mention a lower MSRP and a slightly shorter battery life, the technical differences seem surprisingly minor so far. The design largely matches that of the familiar XM4, and the tried-and-true QN1 processor is also expected to remain in use. A mere three hours less battery life alone is unlikely to account for the price difference.   <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It\u2019s also possible that Sony is using internally upgraded and now more affordable components\u2014<\/strong>such as in the Bluetooth circuitry, power supply, or memory\u2014without fundamentally changing the successful overall design. It\u2019s also possible that the \u201cXM4C\u201d designation refers not so much to a budget model as to a \u201cClassic\u201d version that will remain in the lineup alongside the premium WH-1000XM6 model. Sony\u2019s actual strategy will likely only become clear with an official announcement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The fact that Sony is reportedly bringing back the XM4 under a new name seems unusual, especially since the original model is still available in stores today.<\/strong>  If the WH-1000XM4C does indeed come out, Sony will likely have to offer more than just a new model name. So far, the leaks have only mentioned a slightly reduced battery life\u2014not enough to conclusively explain the existence of a second XM4 variant. <\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/sony-wh1000xm6-test_2581@0.5x.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33974 webpexpress-processed\"  \/>According to rumors, the current Sony WH-1000XM6 is set to remain in the lineup alongside the XM4 revival. (Photo: Stefan Schickedanz) <\/p>\n<p>The latest WH-1000XM6 impressed in our test<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stereoguide.com\/headphones\/noise-cancelling-en\/sony-wh-1000xm6-review-improvements-across-the-board\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">review of the Sony WH-1000XM6<\/a><\/strong> , we concluded that Sony has consistently addressed the shortcomings of the XM5, which was manufactured from 2022 to 2025, and has further solidified its top position in the premium segment:<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a more affordable XM4C, Sony could now offer an attractive alternative for buyers who find the XM6 too expensive or who prefer the compact design of the successful XM4.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, this is still just a leak. Sony has not yet made an official announcement. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/660de2ddd3874d2d9c5f9d878adadb1a.gif\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to a recent leak, Sony might be planning a surprise comeback for one of its most popular&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628858,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[74],"tags":[18,19,17,4517,82],"class_list":["post-628857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-sony","tag-technology"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}