It makes a difference, but not so much that the noise canceling isn’t still a great addition to the whole package. The XM4 have five microphones, while the XB910N only have two. One of the major physical differences between the XB910N and the flagship XM4 is the amount of microphones dedicated for ANC. This is essentially the same great battery life you get from the flagship XM4, and better than the recently released Bose QC45 for $100 less. You’ll get roughly 30 hours of playback (with ANC) per charge, and almost twice that without ANC. Great battery lifeĪnother strong suit for the XB910N is their battery life. Once you get the gestures under your fingers, it’s a refreshingly simple way to control things.

If you’re a physical buttons die-hard, I encourage you to try out the touch controls on some of Sony’s upper-tier headphones. You’ll find a few things to consider on the left cup, as well, including the main power button, a quick toggle button for ANC/transparency mode, and inputs for both the USB-C charging cable and 3.5mm cable for passive listening. Other than the power and ANC mode buttons on the back of the left ear cup, controlling the XB910N is handled entirely by touch/swipe controls.Įven if you haven’t used these kinds of touch controls before, rest assured that they’re quite easy to learn once you have an hour or so to use them. Having used the XM4 extensively, I found this manner of control extremely intuitive, and was able to use the XB910N flawlessly right out of the box. Adjusting volume, jumping forward or backward through a playlist, playing/pausing music, or taking a call are all handled via touch controls on the surface of the right cup.

They're easy to useįully capacitive tap and swipe touch controls were one of our favorite features in the XM4, and the XB910N follow suit. To quote my wife, “It feels like there’s extra padding, but it doesn’t make them more comfortable.” I wholly agree with that assessment.ĭespite that slight additional density, however, the XB910N are still plenty comfortable, and Sony deserves kudos for making the comfort and form factor of its flagship headphones available in a product that retails for $100 less. The XB910N are not as sleek as the pricier XM4, featuring somewhat bulkier ear cups which gives them a more clamped-on, closed-in feel, despite weighing roughly the same. Both headphones weigh about 252 grams, and feature similar amounts of padding on their ear cups and bands. Objectively, the differences are also negligible. The WH-XB910N (right) are almost identical in weight and form factor to Sony's top-tier WH-1000XM4 (left). Voice assistants: Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatible.Passive operation: Yes (3.5mm cable included).Rapid Charging: 10 minutes of charging for 4.5 hours of playback.Battery life: Up to 30 hours with ANC, 50 hours without.Ambient sound modes: Adaptive Sound Control (Noise Canceling and Ambient Sound).Here are the XB910N’s vital specs at a glance: If you can find them for around $200 (or less) around the holidays, they’re well worth grabbing. Of course, we can’t predict the future, but it’s very likely the XB910N will become available at a lower price point just like the XM4 have. Unless you’re really strapped for cash, the XM4 are better at noise canceling and more balanced in their sound profile, making them well worth the additional $30. On the other hand, the XB910N can be seen as a less capable version of the XM4, which retail at $348 but can regularly be found for around $280 online-about $30 more than the XB910N. It’s a rather robust package for $250, all told. Plus, you’re still getting Sony’s excellent adjustable EQ and adaptive noise canceling modes, just like on the flagship XM4.

The company also engineered a Beats-like sound profile that might not appeal as much to audiophiles, but delivers the rumbling bass that many modern listeners love. To keep costs down, Sony has cut the number of exterior ANC microphones from five to two. These comfy cans sport solid noise canceling, bass-friendly sound, and the best of Sony’s well-tooled Headphones Connect app. Sony’s bass-friendly noise cancelers sport flagship features at a mid-range price.

Xm4 ambient sound control