Beats Studio Pro / Sony WH-1000XM4

Beats Studio Pro: Beats Studio Pro (2023) over-ear wireless headphones. The Beats Studio3 Wireless and the Beats Solo series are separate models.

Sony WH-1000XM4: WH-1000XM4 closed over-ear wireless headphones; Black, Platinum Silver and Blue. The WH-1000XM3 (previous) and WH-1000XM5 and XM6 (later) generations are separate models.

SpecificationBeats Studio ProSony WH-1000XM4
Release year20232020
TypeOver-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphones; foldable

A carrying case for the folded headphones is in the box.

Beats		—
DriverCustom 40 mm active driver; integrated digital processor

Beats says distortion at high volume is up to 80% lower than on the Studio3 Wireless. The digital processor adjusts the frequency response for balance.

Beats		—
Noise cancellingFully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC); Transparency mode

Adaptive ANC keeps adjusting the cancellation to the fit and surrounding noise. Transparency mode passes outside sounds such as announcements or traffic through the microphones.

Beats		HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; two noise-sensing microphones per cup; adaptive sound control

QN1 works with a new Bluetooth audio chip to sample ambient noise many times a second and cancel it with an inverse signal.

Sony
Spatial audioPersonalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Dolby Atmos content

Head tracking keeps sound anchored to the screen as you turn your head; this works with Apple devices.

Beats		—
Wired audioLossless audio over USB-C with three sound profiles (Beats Signature, Entertainment, Conversation); 3.5 mm analogue input

On a USB-C cable the headphones act as a digital audio interface; the sound profiles are only selectable on this connection: Signature for music, Entertainment for films and games, Conversation for calls and podcasts. The 3.5 mm input is for analogue sources such as in-flight entertainment.

Beats		—
WirelessClass 1 Bluetooth; on Apple: one-touch pairing, “Hey Siri” and Find My; on Android: Google Fast Pair, Audio Switch and Find My Device

Class 1 Bluetooth uses higher transmit power for longer range and fewer dropouts. Beats says pairing on Apple spreads to every device on the iCloud account; on Android the Beats app adds settings.

Beats		—
MicrophonesUpgraded voice-targeting microphones BeatsFive microphones for Precise Voice Pickup Sony
BatteryUp to 40 hours with ANC off, up to 24 hours with ANC or Transparency on; Fast Fuel gives up to 4 hours from a 10-minute charge; rechargeable lithium-ion

Charging is via USB-C; no power adapter is included.

Beats		—
Controls“b” button for music and calls; volume rocker; multi-function button for listening modes, EQ modes, power and pairing Beats—
DesignUltraPlush engineered leather cushions; metal sliders BeatsClosed dynamic, circumaural; cups swivel inward to fold into the carry case Sony
Size and weight17.8 × 7.8 × 18.1 cm; 260 g Beats—
In the boxHeadphones, carrying case, USB-C to USB-C cable for charging and audio, 3.5 mm analogue audio cable Beats—
ColoursBlack, Deep Brown, Navy, Sandstone

Additional retailer-exclusive colours have also been sold.

Beats		—
Driver and frequency—40 mm dome-type driver (CCAW voice coil, aluminium-coated LCP diaphragm); wired 4–40,000 Hz; Bluetooth 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz), with LDAC 20–40,000 Hz (96 kHz, 990 kbps) Sony
Bluetooth and codecs—Bluetooth 5.0; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; SBC, AAC, LDAC; about 10 m range

LDAC enables up to 990 kbps with compatible Android phones; iPhones use AAC.

Sony
Multipoint—Simultaneous connection to two Bluetooth devices with switching between them

For example, you can switch between a phone and a laptop without re-pairing.

Sony
Battery and charging—Up to 30 hours with NC on, 38 hours off; full charge in about 3 hours over USB-C; about 5 hours of playback from 10 minutes

The 5-hours-from-10-minutes figure is given with the optional AC adaptor.

Sony
Wired use—Detachable cable of about 1.2 m with OFC strands and gold-plated 3.5 mm plug Sony
Smart features—Wear detection sensor; Speak-to-Chat; DSEE Extreme

The wear sensor pauses music when the headphones come off. Speak-to-Chat stops music and lets in ambient sound when you start talking. DSEE Extreme tries to upscale compressed files in real time with AI.

Sony