How much does the Sony WH-1000XM4C cost?

The WH-1000XM4C is priced at $299.99 in the United States and $429.99 in Canada. That is $50 below the $349.99 the original WH-1000XM4 launched at in 2020. Sony has not announced European or UK pricing, so figures circulating from August retail listings remain unconfirmed.

When is the Sony WH-1000XM4C released?

Sony says the WH-1000XM4C ships in fall 2026 without naming a specific date. The two cheaper models announced at the same time, the WH-CH730N and WH-CH530, go on sale in September 2026.

What is the difference between the WH-1000XM4C and the original WH-1000XM4?

The hardware is largely the same, including the QN1 noise-cancelling processor, four-microphone array, LDAC support and folding design. The differences are a retuned sound profile, a new 10-band equalizer with a gaming preset, a Lavender color option, and shorter battery life at 27 hours with ANC on versus the original's 30.

How long does the WH-1000XM4C battery last?

Sony rates the WH-1000XM4C at 27 hours of playback with noise cancelling switched on, and around 31 hours with it off. A three-minute quick charge delivers roughly an hour of listening.

Which colors of the new Sony headphones are exclusive?

Lavender on the WH-1000XM4C, Oat on the WH-CH730N, and Coral and Mint on the WH-CH530 are sold only through Sony and Amazon. The remaining colors on all three models are available from general retailers.

Sony WH-1000XM4C Launches at $299.99 With 27-Hour Battery

Sony has confirmed the WH-1000XM4C, a second-generation revival of its 2020 flagship headphones, at $299.99 in the US and $429.99 in Canada, shipping this fall. It slots in as a cheaper alternative to Sony's current 1000X flagship while reusing the QN1 noise-cancelling processor and folding design that made the original WH-1000XM4 one of the company's most recommended pairs.

The announcement came alongside two cheaper models: the WH-CH730N at $179.99 and the entry-level WH-CH530 at $69.99, both arriving in September. Together they refresh Sony's mid-range and budget over-ear lineup in one move.

Sony 1000X-series over-ear noise-cancelling headphones in black, shown flat with the earcups rotated — The WH-1000XM4C keeps the folding, rotating-earcup design of Sony's earlier 1000X headphones. Image: Sony-WH-1000XM3-kabellose-Bluetooth-Noise-Cancelling-Kopfhoerer.3 by www.digitalpush.net, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

What the XM4C keeps, and the one thing it loses

This is a re-release, not a redesign. The XM4C carries the same four-microphone QN1 noise-cancelling system, Hi-Res Audio certification with SBC, AAC and LDAC support, multipoint Bluetooth pairing, and the collapsible frame that folds into a case. Sony has retuned the sound and added a 10-band equalizer with a gaming preset, both accessed through the companion app.

The trade-off is stamina. The XM4C is rated for 27 hours with noise cancelling on, three hours short of the original XM4's 30-hour rating, with roughly 31 hours quoted with ANC switched off. Quick charging partly compensates: three minutes on the cable returns about an hour of listening.

What the leak got right, and what it got wrong

Retail listings that surfaced in August pointed to a WH-1000XM4C priced at €249.99 and £219.99, with a September 7 launch date attached. The date was exact. The price was not — at least not in North America, where $299.99 lands well above what those sub-€250 listings implied, and only $50 below the $349.99 the original XM4 commanded at its 2020 debut.

That gap matters for anyone reading European listings as a preview of US pricing. Sony's announcement covers the US and Canada only; it does not confirm European or UK pricing, so the euro and pound figures from those listings remain unofficial. We covered the original leak and what it claimed when it appeared.

Colors and where you can actually buy them

Sony is splitting availability by retailer, so the color you want may decide where you shop:

WH-1000XM4C ($299.99): Black and Platinum Silver at general retail; Lavender only through Sony and Amazon.
WH-CH730N ($179.99 / $249.99 CAD): Black, White, Pink and Blue widely; Oat only through Sony and Amazon.
WH-CH530 ($69.99 / $99.99 CAD): Black, Cobalt, White and Pink widely; Coral and Mint only through Sony and Amazon.

The XM4C is the outlier on timing. The two CH-series models go on sale in September, while Sony gives the XM4C only a broader fall window.

The cheaper pair may be the better deal

The WH-CH730N is the quiet upgrade here. It is rated for 50 hours with noise cancelling active — nearly double the XM4C — at $179.99, the same price as the WH-CH720N it replaces, and adds redesigned earcups, a folding headband and a revised dual-sensor ANC system. The WH-CH530 skips noise cancelling entirely but claims 55 hours of playback and a three-minute charge worth 90 minutes, again holding the outgoing model's $69.99 price.

Masaaki Hori, vice president of personal entertainment at Sony Electronics, framed the XM4C as a response to demand rather than a new engineering effort, saying its release "reflects continued consumer interest in a headphone model recognized globally for its combination of noise cancelling performance, sound quality, and comfort."

For buyers weighing alternatives at similar money, Beyerdynamic's Aventho Y undercuts all three on price with a far longer battery rating, while Bose's refreshed QuietComfort line sits above the XM4C.