Sony WF-1000XM4 Post Purchase Advice

Submitted by StolenTheSeas t3_1271jsm in headphones

After almost a year of resisting the urge I finally decided to splash on this pinicle of wireless headphones. It's only butter smooth sailing on the best-in-class soundwaves from here, right?

Well, turns out not so much... My first disappointment was the mesmerising fact that there is almost no customisation options for the touch controls. What do you mean I can only select from few pre-defined schemes, Sony?! Although very poor UX for a pair of £200 gear, I guess it's something I can live with.

The second and more concerning thing, and ultimately the reason I decided to write this post, is the comfort of the fit, or lack thereof rather... I went through all the different tip sizes and followed the assisted fit function on the app - super cool experience, loved that and love the memory foam-like tips.

Ear canal fit is totally fine, the problem is in the headphones themselves. After only an hour or two of listening session, my inner ear (particularly around tragus and antitragus) started to hurt and feel quite uncomfortable. It wasn't like unbearable but definitely not great.

Switching to my old Soundcore Liberty Air 2 was like a balm on my ears, so much more comfortable! I do get some pain from wearing these as well but usually after 4+ hours of wearing them non-stop.
Moreover, I also realised that although much more burnt-in than the brand-new Sonys, the sound quality is pretty damn decent. WF-100XM4 definitely sound better overall, but like 150 quid better? I'm not too sure on that personally.

The question is, would the comfort of the fit improve over time as I get used to wearing them more?
Or am I better returning these while I can given the frustrations with touch control options, and doubts about bang (sound quality) for buck here?
Maybe I'm just not the audiophile I thought I am...

If you have thoughts, recommendations for an alternative product, or just wanna yell at me for comparing these with Libery Air 2, please, I want to hear it all!

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tehruben t1_jec2wu0 wrote

Get foam tips. They improved comfort massively for me. I wear them flying and I forget I have them in. Even comfier than my AirPods Pro 2s, and fall out less.

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StolenTheSeas OP t1_jec4aek wrote

*Edit - image link added*
So, I don't think it's the tips that are a problem, it hurts my ears around these parts, circled below. (right ear somewhat more than the left, suggesting that my right concha is smaller or something... https://imgur.com/a/8iHgC0g

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tehruben t1_jec4j0i wrote

Hmm, yeah I can picture that. They are a little chunky, maybe they’re just not the right size or too big. I will say that the foam keeps them solidly in your ear and not moving/rubbing. I would give them a shot first, they’re only $10-20.

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SherbetRuler t1_jeccztv wrote

Man, I feel your pain, quite literally. After an hour or two of wearing them, my ears hurt in the same areas. I gave up once and bought sennheiser mtw3's to try something new, but the anc on those isn't as good (it's adaptive, and the changing intensity of its anc makes me feel sick). Now, I just kind of ignore the discomfort for the sake of a quieter workplace. Hope you're able to find something that helps, or maybe something else that works better for you.

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blorg t1_jeemrsg wrote

Sometimes you can get used to a new IEM. If you think the Liberty Air 2 is a lot more comfortable, and can return them, maybe do it now.

Sony XM4 have a firmware bug where they overheat and destroy the battery, this wrecked my ones. This is possibly fixed now with the latest firmware.

/r/SonyHeadphones/comments/x7mx2n/wf1000xm4_severe_battery_issues/

Samsung Galaxy Buds line are much smaller, and sound better.

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TagalogON t1_jec77l3 wrote

Some customization for touch controls is present in some ~$50 TWS earbuds with those apps. It's not that common either though.

I get that fit/comfort/etc. issue a lot with TWS earbuds and IEMs, you just have to find smaller sizes for the outer shell design.

Try not to believe in burn-in (brain burn-in or your mind adjusting to the new sounds is real though) and random snake oil/fake marketing/etc. These days there's AutoEQ with squig.link, easy change of sounds there.

Bullet style IEMs and small flush, mini, etc. IEMs and so on: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/11lpe04/best_budget_iems_for_a_beginner/jdnr9yb/ and https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/1214d1f/hi_guys_i_need_advice_on_iem_that_is_bullet_atyle/jdlb7rx/

Where to find IEM nozzle size measurements, how to make IEMs protrude with Spinfit CP155 ear tips, et cetera: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/1252ifb/database_of_iem_nozzle_size/je2w6ar/

For small, flush TWS earbuds, there's FIIL T1/T2 Pro (these are available as Earfun Free Pro 1/2 on Amazon, but they are different, check comparison reviews for more info), 1More ComfoBuds Mini, Soundpeats Mini Pro, etc. There's also more expensive ones like Soundcore Sleep A10.

Check the "Going fully Wireless IEMs. Too soon? Or are we there yet?" thread on Head-Fi for more info on $100/200+ TWS earbuds (they still discuss cheaper budget sets there too): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/going-fully-wireless-iems-too-soon-or-are-we-there-yet.861024/page-3462

Check Scarbir's website, regancipher's Head-Fi and Youtube reviews, /r/Earbuds, etc. for the new budget TWS earbuds or best value.

Scarbir's from Europe and regancipher is from the UK too, they have prices/availability/etc. in European context.

Click this sentence for more info on the importance of ear tips sizing, dimensions, et cetera.

Click this sentence for more info on foam ear tips durability and sound changes.

Click this sentence for comfort and everything with ear tips.

Click this sentence for how to put ear tips on wide nozzles (basically aim it at different angles and force it, be careful not to overdo it as it can damage the core/stem/stalk/etc. of the ear tips).

Look into squig.link and use the AutoEQ feature there, you can compare graphs, easily parametric EQ to a specific target, etc.

Parametric EQ with squig.link, AutoEQ, (Peace) Equalizer APO, et cetera: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/11yd6rh/im_a_noob_and_use_spotify_eq_just_had_some/jd772sw/

Click this sentence for IEMs/TWS earbuds and headphones with PC gaming, squig.link, AutoEQ, parametric EQ.

Click this sentence for using squig.link, parametric EQ, etc. to gauge future purchases.

Alternatively you can just use something small and flush like the Sennheiser IE 200 with the FiiO UTWS3/5 and this will work nicely (there's cutting out issues though due to Sennheiser's proprietary and loose MMCX ports/plugs, make sure you get the adapters/converters specifically something like for IE 900/600/300, AKG N5005, etc.). The UTWS3/5 sadly only have preset physical buttons too though, there's like 3 to choose from with the FiiO Control app.

Wired IEMs with TWS adapters (like FiiO UTWS3/5, KZ AZ09 Pro, etc.): https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/125a33h/upgrading_my_xm4s_wireless_iem_advice/je3kulz/

Starting with the current marketed hype IEMs (Simgot EA500, Truthear HEXA, Shuoer S12 (Pro), 7Hz Salnotes Zero, etc.), AliExpress Anniversary Sale 2023, and so on: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/122w6uz/help_me_to_choose_my_first_iem/jdsqjre/

If you want, the DIY IE 900 (the one that o0genesis0o reviewed) has a regular MMCX port and this will not be loose with the UTWS3/5.

More info on DIY IE 900, IE 200, et cetera: https://www.reddit.com/r/HeadphoneAdvice/comments/11qpf1g/recommendation_for_iem_as_closely_similar_in/jc5huke/

If you're not averse to potentially getting a different tuning than what others had several months ago, you can just get the ~$80 DIY IE 900 that o0genesis0o reviewed here (vocals will be too far away though, needs TRI Clarion): https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/vzn9el/how_does_a_diy_ie900_from_aliexpress_sound_like/

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