The Sony WH-1000XM4C bring back a beloved headphone design

<figure> <img alt="The Sony XM4C headphones on a wooden table in front of their case and a MacBook." data-caption="With only minor changes, the XM4C is more of a re-release than a refresh of the XM4." data-portal-copyright="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/268823_Sony_XM4C_JHiggins_0003.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> With only minor changes, the XM4C is more of a re-release than a refresh of the XM4. </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">When Sony <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/990687/sony-announces-xm4c-headphones">announced</a> the WH-1000XM4C headphones, I was perplexed. A product revamp usually includes at least one or two significant improvements. Or if it's a nostalgia play, it's from a decades-old product and not one that came out in 2020. Beyond a few minor tweaks, though, the XM4C are remarkably similar to their six-year-old namesake, the beloved <a href="https://www.theverge.com/21356313/sony-1000xm4-noise-canceling-headphones-review-price-specs-features" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.theverge.com/21356313/sony-1000xm4-noise-canceling-headphones-review-price-specs-features">WH-1000XM4</a>. They even use the same processor for active noise cancellation (ANC).</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">And while I went into this review questioning the XM4C's existence, after spending some time with them, I get it. The Sony XM4C aren't the cutting edge of headphone technology, but they are great headphones that I …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/1018115/sony-wh-1000xm4c-headphones-review">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>