$251.1 (Targeted) - TECHY or RETECH
Otherwise $279.
Have had eyes on a pair for a while but just not at the right price. Low and behold, eBay to the rescue with some box damaged stock, so bit the bullet.
Although the XM5 and XM6 are out, the XM4s still seem to be solid. From what I've gathered it's XM6 > XM4 > XM5.
I just tried and didn't work for me. I believe it's targeted too.
good $251 price. and Box Damaged>Seconds right?
because seconds can be returned, checked and pads changed.
but boxed damaged means box just got crushed corner so can't sell as new. 💁♀️
Yes definitely seems like boxed damage is the way to go. Not refurbished or second hand.
yeah. I mean not guaranteed to be bad but read a few people who got seconds (refurb) had issues with weird noises in ANC such as popping. sometimes I guess the checks don't catch issues which were the reason for return.
regarding the issue with popping noises with the ANC; I had that issue with bose before, and that was resolved by just blowing into the mics to dislodge some dust (probably should've vacuumed it instead).
How is a box damaged xm4 still at $251 🤦♀️
because the jump from XM4 to XM5 wasn't that big. especially in ANC department. the only real new feature added by XM5 was USB-C audio input, which was then removed on the XM6. other than that lots of users had issues with XM5 such as it being extremely difficult to turn off Adaptive ANC, the lack of folding ability (big case), and shallow earpads (discomfort of outer ear hitting inside). which meant a lot of customers choosing XM4 instead, so XM4 kept it's value.
XM4 has the folding in ability, deeper and larger earpad space with higher clamping force which gives a better seal (basically step number 1 in ANC) meaning most people get better ANC experience with XM4. I have recommended XM4 over XM5 a couple times because of this.
You seem to know your shit, awesome response! Now I'm really glad I grabbed a pair.
yeah just what I learned from reading online and youtube tbh. but yeah started getting into tech a lot during covid. 🤠
forgot to mention, why many wanted to turn off Adaptive ANC permanently on XM5. Adaptive changes the ANC level automatically by listening for outside noises, but like 90% of the time it would choose the wrong level, or too weak a level (this would end up with a lot of users getting medium level ANC, when they were on the plane and it should have been maximum). when majority of people want to just leave it on maximum to drown out all noise.
I've forgotten the exact instructions now, but to turn off Adaptive you need to toggle two settings in the app, and you need to do them in the right order. if you do either in isolation, or in the wrong order, Adaptive turns itself back on. also if you accidentally touch one of the relevant slider bar, it turns Adaptive back on. for the average consumer sony made this way too complicated. if you turn something off it should be one button in the app and it should stay off. but this made a lot of customers frustrated believing "adaptive ANC can't be turned off".
one more thing I forgot, the headband. it's super thin on the XM5 and not well padded leading some people with discomfort and hotspot. XM4 has the older but thicker and well padded headband design.
I'll go against general consensus here and say I have upgraded from xm4 to xm5s and found there is indeed a generational difference in both anc and sound quality. in anc its just… a lot more quiet, and for sound it's a lot less muddy than the xm4. Like when I play the same song and switch between the 2 the xm4 sounds noticable muffled. Though it's one of those things where if I don't have both and switching between them I would not complain about the 4s.
Though my use case is literally just for long flights and I never wear them outdoors so things like headband/earpads or adaptive anc I never cared enough to notice any difference. ymmv
you must be the luckier ones with smaller or ears that don't stick out much.
this was the early deal breaker for many who got XM5, including I can remember many comments on ozb, their ears would touch the inside and it would quickly cause discomfort, then eventually hurt after hours. and they were kind of right to return them for this, because if your ear is pressing against something then most likely it is breaking the seal (destroys ANC effectiveness) which should be all the way around your ear, and stay that way even during smaller head movement.
and yes some with good seal experienced better ANC with XM5, but it was not the generational leap in ANC you would expect from flagship product, a flagship product that has lead the industry. if you would put a % improvement on it, it would quite a small %. if you sat down 20 average consumers and told them to tell which was better, they would probably respond with other things such as comfort, sound quality etc.
the ANC difference between XM5 and XM6 however, is described as a proper leap you would expect from a flagship industry leader from sony.
also sony has EQ in their app, so tbh you can tune each headphone close enough to sound like the other. if you were finding XM4 muddy, it's probably because it's default sound has more bass out of the box. and the XM5 was more bass light. it can easily be adjusted in the App EQ.
SOLD30 coupon to make it $249.
Sadly didn't work for me
Still on the XM3 😆
Same here! They are still going strong. Only complaint is that the top of the head band does get a bit uncomfortable after an hour on a plane. A bit of readjusting helps. But performance is excellent. I only really use them on flights so the other features (easy switching between devices, microphone for calls, gym use) are not relevant. That’s what AirPods are for.
Still on 1000x.
3D printed new headband arms for it and they're going great still
Does the Sony eBay store provide tax invoices for these fairly quickly?
they email it to you the moment you get tracking
Was able to get it down to $239 with code PLUS40S by clicking a button on the listing (probably targeted).
Seems like Sony damaged a log of boxes
Great headphones.
Had them a while, some QC issues i believe.
My charging indicator stopped working and the charging has always been a bit dicky. But fantastic product.
I liked mine a lot too, had them for a few years until the ANC mic got damaged (apparently a very common issue) and then became useless for noise cancellation or passthrough. Do need to fix it sometime, “upgraded” to the QC Ultras but still prefer the XM4.
OOS
For those who missed out, Telstra have them for $349. PB @ OW making it $331.55. Not quite as cheap as this deal but at least you know what you're getting. I have read and heard complaints about these "box damaged" deals. Some mentioned they looked like return stock by sighting marks on the item.
Just received mine today, immaculate, no damage what so ever. I guess I got lucky.
Same here undamaged box unopened.
You bloody ripper!
![[Box Damaged] Sony WH-1000XM4B Wireless ANC Headphones (Black) Delivered $251.10 @ Sony eBay AU](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/64/918964.jpg?h=df861b83)
Use code RETECH to get for $251.10