A small and brave squad of wireless full-size headphones with decent battery life and rich functionality. Many models are equipped with an NFC, a proprietary noise reduction system and a voice assistant, and also support lossless codecs. Almost all models of the series belong to the class of closed-type overhead headphones. Variants with open cups are extremely rare.

Within the series, there is a slight stratification in price and functionality. The models of the "thousandth" series (Sony WH-1000XM4, Sony WH-1000XM3 and earlier versions) have the most fans, who fell in love with the balanced sound and the very noise makers that have become the industry standard and have not yet come up with anything better. At least, this is what their fans and the few reviewers who really understand audio technology say in one voice.


In addition to the overall quality of noise reduction, Sony's ANS system claims to be smart ― the noise reduction range can be set in the settings of the mobile application, after which the noise maker will choose what exactly to drown out and how much. It sounds like elvish magic, but in fact it's easier to deal with it.

In the more affordable Sony WH models, either a simpler ANS is used, or it does not exist at all. The connection is implemented via Bluetooth, as an alternative, NFC or a cable can be used. High quality wireless sound is provided by the support of popular video codecs (most often aptX and AAC). The sound also differs from model to model, younger representatives of the Sony WH series tend to have a small (or large) emphasis on bass, while top-end headphones play more balanced and compete with audiophile wireless models like Dali IO-4 or Bowers & Wilkins PX7.