The best alternative to the excellent Bose 700 is getting an update. The Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones were spotted in a Best Buy product listing shortly before it was removed.
Luckily, the folks at Walkman Blog quickly copied the specs and nabbed some photos before the listing vanished. Based on what the site compiled, the WH-1000XM4 will cost the same as the WH-1000XM3, or $350. If this leak turns out to be true, Sony will once again undercut the Bose 700 headphones, which go for $400 (although they're frequently on sale for $350).
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The WH-1000XM4 looks identical to the WH-1000XM3 based on screenshots taken from the product listing. The headphones come in black and silver (more of an eggshell) with gold trim. The only notable change is that the NC/Ambient button is now a "Custom" button. They aren't as elegant as the slender Bose 700 but the Sony's are a bad looking pair of cans, either.
As expected, the WH-1000XM4 appears to support various voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri. Inside are 40mm drivers, the same size as those in the previous version. The cans are expected to support Bluetooth 5.0 but could get upgraded to 5.1.
With Apple rumored to be releasing its own set of over-ear noise-canceling headphones (tentatively named the AirPods X), Sony and Bose will need to keep their feet on the pedal to prevent Apple from dominating as it has with its wireless earbuds.
