By default, music resumes playing 30 seconds after your conversation ends in Speak-to-Chat mode. This timeframe can be customized using the Sony | Headphones Connect app. The headphones last for up to 30 hours between charges with noise cancelling turned on, which is 10 hours longer than many competitors. Turn it off and they last up to 38 hours or 22 hours with the ambient sound mode active. They last up to 24 hours of voice calling, too. The headphones are generally repairable ( iFixit teardown), and replacement parts, including the earpads, headband and mainboard are available. Sony did not comment on the use of recycled materials and does not publish environmental impact reports for headphones. It publishes annual sustainability reports and its roadmap to have zero environmental impact by 2050. Observations The headphones come with a standard 3.5mm headphones cable that can be used when the headphones are turned on or off. The microphone cannot be used over the 3.5mm cable, however. The Speak-to-Chat function detects when you’re speaking loudly enough and automatically enables an ambient sound mode so you can carry out a conversation.

Complementing that excellent noise cancellation is first-rate sonic delivery. The move to the new 30mm drivers has certainly had a positive effect, allowing the WH-1000XM5 to produce a broader soundstage and extract even more detail from source material than their predecessors. At present, it’s only available through 360 by Deezer, nugs.net and TIDAL and I tested it using the latter’s 360 Reality Audio playlist. Individual aspects of songs sound like they’re coming from different positions around your head but the technology works far better on certain songs than others. They are Sony’s first 1000X set to support the popular multipoint connection feature, which means you can have two devices connected at the same time, such as a phone for calls and a laptop for music. It works reliably with a variety of devices. The high-resolution LDAC audio cannot be used when multipoint is enabled, however, restricting connections to the more standard SBC and AAC.Though only a few grams lighter than their predecessors at 250g, the difference between the two models felt more pronounced than that – these are headphones you can wear for hours on end. Using the app you can personalise the noise-cancelling to take into account hair, glasses and other things that effect the seal of the ear cups, while a pressure optimiser that can determine whether you are on the ground or in the air helps when flying versus just the commute. The grey headphones have gold accents around the top microphone ports. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Sony’s HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 isn’t just good at drowning out the outside world though; it’s also extremely smart. When you first put the WH-1000XM4 on, you’ll need to optimise the noise-cancelling via the Sony Headphones app. The headphones detect the shape and size of your head, your hairstyle, whether you wear glasses and the surrounding air pressure to calibrate a noise-cancelling profile tailored to you.

Minor improvements to their predecessor keep the Sony WH-1000XM5 ahead of the chasing pack

They are also some of the lightest and most comfortable headphones you can buy, matching the long-term wearing comfort of the Bose QC35 II. The Headphones Connect app has a full equaliser and options for customising noise-cancelling, controls and activating the DSEE Extreme sound enhancer. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

That’s true whether you’re listening to a bass-heavy banger like DJ Snake’s “Bird Machine” or something with a greater number of layers like the 2012 remaster of the Sex Pistol’s “Submission”. The low-end is tight and precise, different notes are distinct and instrument separation is equally impressive.The Sony WH-1000XM4 build upon the impressive functionality of the WH-1000XM3 by adding a number of new features, all of which successfully enhance the user experience. The XM4 are a regular set of Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, making them compatible with most Bluetooth-sporting phones, tablets, computers and other devices. They support the universal SBC and AAC audio formats used by most devices. But they also support Sony’s high-resolution LDAC Bluetooth audio format that is compatible with many Android devices for some of the highest-quality wireless audio. Custom colour will give you the ultimate customisation for your Sony WH1000MX4, you can mix and match colours and textures to provide a totally unique headphone design