As an audio editor, sound quality is everything even when I choose a pair of headphones to take with me on my travels. But there are other factors to consider when looking for the best on-the-go performance.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones may have been around for a while, but they’re still my favorite travel headphones. I admit I feel somewhat guilty about not prefering the newer WH-1000XM5, which replaced last year’s XM4, but there are solid reasons why they should be my go-to travel option.
First, it’s collapsible, which makes it more practical to slip into my work or travel bag, and the protective case is a lot smaller, too. And judging by the number of other travelers in my business who are also on my commute wearing the older version of Sony’s XM-series headphones, I’m not alone.
- The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are priced at $349 / $350 / AU$438 through Sony website (Opens in a new tab). It is also available via online retailers incl Amazon (Opens in a new tab)best buy (Opens in a new tab)And Walmart (Opens in a new tab)and are deducted regularly.
Choosing a pair of headphones to accompany me on my routine work commute to and from Tom’s guide office, or on my trips away, wasn’t a completely conscious decision I made. My choice came as part of a normal daily testing routine while evaluating new headphone designs over the past 12 months. In the end, I realized I kept coming back to this pair of headphones over and over again, and they’ve stuck around as my travel companions for their high performance and practical reliability.
Travel utopia
Look around any airport, city street, or train station, and it’s easy to appreciate that a pair of the best headphones or earbuds is an essential accessory for the way many of us travel and how we use our time. Headphones have become a vital component of the way we get our entertainment fix. Whether it’s catching up on our favorite shows or downloaded movies on one of the best tablets or best phones to pass the time on a flight, listening to our favorite tunes offline while walking to the office, or just tuning out the noise around you with a pair of the best headphones. Noise canceling, a good quality pair of headphones can make all the difference to your journey.
What I’m looking for in a pair of headphones for travel
While I’m fortunate to have been able to try on a lot of different headphones, most headphone buyers only have one shot when it comes to choosing the perfect travel headphones. So it’s a good idea to consider which features will work best for your travel needs.
To me, first and foremost, any pair of headphones has to sound great—a compromise on sound quality and I might even read a book to pass the time away on a long flight or train ride. They also need to offer superior levels of comfort, sturdy construction, and solid connectivity in order to be considered an important companion for my travel plans. Oh, and they need to appear respectful, too.
Battery life is another important factor to consider, along with whether you want a set of headphones with some sort of noise-canceling tech to block out the voice of fellow travelers.
When that happens, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones score high across the board, sporting effective noise cancellation and battery life with at least 30 hours of playtime.
Sony WH-1000XM4: App Connection Control
I always try out new wireless headphones on my train trips to and from the office, but I’ve lost count of the number of times I haven’t been able to connect to partner control apps downloaded to my playback device. Some apps are necessary to adjust noise cancellation levels, or tweak EQ settings to get an audio balance that suits your tastes. But it is often rendered useless on my travels due to poor network connectivity and Wi-Fi.
As you can see, in addition to the Bluetooth wireless connection between the playback device that carries the audio signal to the headphones, some control applications need to communicate with external servers over the Internet using Wi-Fi or a mobile network, and the signals can be patchy when traveling on public transportation .
Then, of course, there are firmware updates, which are required far too frequently for my liking, and often show up when I start listening to a pair of headphones on a long drive home.
Sony’s Headphone Connect app has been very reliable so far. I didn’t experience any connectivity issues or firmware updates during my daily commute. In fact, I was able to make all of the audio customization tweaks I suggested in How to Make Your Sony Headphones Sound Better with absolutely no issues connecting to apps during the train ride home.
Sony WH-1000XM4: Great for convenience
If you’re going to wear a pair of headphones on a long flight, you’ll want them to feel comfortable. And as it turns out, comfort and fit were great for me in the WH-1000XM4. I can easily spend most of my flight with them on my head without any discomfort from the force of the mount or the ear pads making my ears hot. I often give my ears a break after an hour or so, though, just to prevent any kind of listening fatigue or fatigue. But when we originally reviewed it in 2021, our reviewer found he was able to wear it for three hours a day over a three-day weekend with no issues.
I found the headband extenders to be flexible enough to get just the right fit, and the plush cushioning on the earpads is like resting my head on a soft pillow. The larger earpiece holes provide good ventilation, which prevents moisture build-up during long listening sessions, too.
Sony WH-1000XM4: A popular travel option
After listening to the XM4 headphones extensively to compare them to the next-generation flagship version, the WH-1000XM5, it’s easy to understand why the older version remains so popular for its great sound, ANC performance, and practical foldable design.
While the new flagship headphones should be applauded for moving the XM series forward and bringing eco-friendly credentials to the design, they’re less practical from a travel standpoint. And it seems as if Sony and a lot of others agree.
Although they’ve been replaced, Sony’s XM4 headphones are still available and are easily the most popular travel headset I see on my commute at work—and I know several colleagues at the Tom’s Guide desk who feel the same. These are the best travel companion; One that helps me wind down and relax, and makes the flight time to my destination pass more quickly.
