Sony is bringing the WH-1000XM4 back, although it never entirely went away. The headphones first launched in 2020 and have remained on sale even as Sony moved on to the XM5 and, more recently, the WH-1000XM6. Now they’re being formally refreshed as the WH-1000XM4C, with revised sound tuning, a 10-band equaliser and a new Lavender colour joining Black and Platinum Silver.
The WH-1000XM4C will cost R6,999 when it goes on sale in South Africa in November. Sony is also updating the cheaper end of its wireless headphone range with the WH-CH730N at R2,999 and the WH-CH530 at R1,299, both of which arrive locally in October.
There’s no attempt to disguise where the XM4C comes from. It keeps the XM4’s familiar foldable over-ear design and Sony’s 1000X Series active noise cancelling rather than adopting the design or newer hardware of the XM6. The changes are relatively modest for a product returning six years after its original launch, but that also explains why Sony is positioning it below its current flagship instead of treating the “C” as a new generation.
The XM4 is largely the XM4 you remember
Sony says the WH-1000XM4C has updated sound tuning intended to better suit current listening preferences, while the new 10-band equaliser gives owners greater control over the sound profile. The core hardware proposition remains much closer to the old XM4: active noise cancelling, an over-ear fit and the foldable design that disappeared when Sony moved to the WH-1000XM5.
That last part may actually work in the XM4C’s favour. Sony returned to a folding design with the XM6, but the original XM4 has continued to have its fans, and the new model gives Sony a way of keeping it in the range without pretending that it has suddenly become a 2026 flagship.
The R6,999 South African price makes the distinction clearer. When the WH-1000XM6 launched locally, it carried a recommended price of R10,999, so the XM4C sits considerably below it. Buyers aren’t being asked to choose between two generations at roughly the same price. Sony is putting an older design back into a different part of the range.
The WH-CH730N replaces Sony’s cheaper noise-cancelling option
At R2,999, the new WH-CH730N sits much further down the range and gets more obvious changes over its predecessor. Sony has made the over-ear headphones lighter and foldable, while battery life has increased to a claimed 50 hours with active noise cancelling switched on. A three-minute quick charge provides around another hour of playback.
Noise cancelling uses Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor technology, while calls use Precise Voice Pickup with beamforming microphones and AI-based noise reduction. Multipoint connectivity and LE Audio are supported, as are Fast Pair and Swift Pair for compatible devices. Sony also provides customisable audio settings rather than locking users into its default tuning.
The WH-CH730N will be sold in Black, White, Pink, Blue and Beige when it arrives in South Africa in October.
The WH-CH530 comes in at R1,299
Sony’s new entry-level WH-CH530 is a compact on-ear model priced at R1,299. It doesn’t get active noise cancelling, but Sony has increased claimed battery life to 55 hours, with a three-minute charge providing around 1.5 hours of playback.
The WH-CH530 also supports a customisable EQ and multipoint connections, along with LE Audio, Fast Pair and Swift Pair. AI-based noise reduction is used for calls, while a five-step maximum-volume setting allows the upper listening level to be limited. It’ll be offered in Black, White, Pink, Cobalt, Coral and Mint.
The WH-CH530 and WH-CH730N arrive first, in October, with the WH-1000XM4C following in November. Of the three launches, the XM4C is the one that says the most about Sony’s current headphone range. Instead of trying to make every older flagship disappear as soon as its replacement arrives, Sony has taken a six-year-old model that people are still buying, made a handful of changes and given it a new place in the line-up.