Home Wireless Earbuds Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Ex Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

A Review By Comparison of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Ex Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

Last updated on Apr 20, 2023   9 min read
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Sony WF 1000XM4

Sony WF 1000XM4

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF 1000XM4

Overall Score 7.9 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 4 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

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Reasons why you might like the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP57
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features Sony WF 1000XM4 Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IP57
weight 7.1g 12g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has an earbud foam
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 6mm 9.2mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 40000Hz 20000Hz
sound pressure level 105dB/mW
has a neodymium magnet
POWER battery life 8hours 8hours
battery life of charging case 16hours 20hours
charge time 1.5hours 1.5hours
battery power 40mAh 70mAh
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
has aptx adaptive
has aptx hd
audio latency 40ms
MICROPHONE number of microphones 4only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
warranty period 3Years
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony WF 1000XM4 IPX4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX IP57

IP ratings is the rating of protection given by a casing, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating refers to protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (sweat).

Having a value of IP57, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's rating for solids indicates that ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety, and of liquids that they are protected against temporary immersion in water under set conditions, say 1 metre for 30 minutes.

Compared to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX, Sony WF 1000XM4 have a rating of IPX4 meaning that no data available to specify a protection rating and that of liquids is that, Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX has a higher liquid rating than Sony WF 1000XM4

Weight

Sony WF 1000XM4 7.1g
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 12g

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a weight of 12g . We consider a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.

The Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g weigh less than the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX by -4.9g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

For a device to be true wireless it must have no cables linking any part of the device together, Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX are true wireless for this case since they have no wires. This is a key distinction as some wireless earbuds have wires linking the two earbuds .

Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it has no cables linking the two earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have sweat resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4's resistance to sweat makes both devices ideal for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc

Has An Earbud Foam

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

An earbud foam is designed to be ultracompact and lightweight, with almost no interference with earrings, spectacles, hats, or hairstyles. The Sony WF 1000XM4 have an earbud foam to some it is more comfortable than the in-ear foam.

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have stereo speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Active noise cancellation makes use of advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 thus "diluting" the noise.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background noise.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have Active Noise Cancellation which makes both earbuds ideal for plane rides and rush hour travels. The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX and Sony WF 1000XM4 operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the mode that suits your commute or that suites your chill time.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX sit well in place, this creates a sound seal that tones down your environment noise well as preventing the device sound from leaking out at the same.

Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that both limit ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Sony WF 1000XM4 6mm
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 9.2mm

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a unit size of 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, its size dictates the loudness of the earbuds.

Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter, which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX by 3.2mm , a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 20Hz
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 20Hz

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF 1000XM4's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices can make sound with equal bass

Highest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40000Hz
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 20000Hz

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well an audio component makes high human frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that Sony WF 1000XM4 produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Sound Pressure Level

Sony WF 1000XM4 105dB/mW
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Sony WF 1000XM4's measurement is 105dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Sony WF 1000XM4 have neodymium magnets, when used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high sound pressure level, with the use of high magnetic flux.

Power

Battery Life

Sony WF 1000XM4 8hours
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 8hours

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is equal to that of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony WF 1000XM4 16hours
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 20hours

The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's case is said to have a charge of 20 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before recharging the case itself.

Sony WF 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours, less than that of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX by 4 hours

Charge Time

Sony WF 1000XM4 1.5hours
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 1.5hours

It requires 1.5 hours to fully charge the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery, equal to that of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Battery Power

Sony WF 1000XM4 40mAh
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 70mAh

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX's battery power is 70mAh, battery power, shows the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store.

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery power is 40mAh. less than that of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX by 30mAh

Has Wireless Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you simply put down on a supported charging pad.

Sony WF 1000XM4 also support wireless charging, take note of the charging standard of a device.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. Its lights indicate the charging state of your device and case.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to determine the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or having a low battery.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics.

Bluetooth Version

Sony WF 1000XM4 v5.2
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX v5.2

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Sony WF 1000XM4 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, equal to that of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony WF 1000XM4 10meters
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 10meters

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Sony WF 1000XM4 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Has Aac

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX will work fine with your iPad. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate.

Has Ldac

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Sony WF 1000XM4 support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz. It can reach a high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.

Has Aptx Adaptive

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).

Has Aptx Hd

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support APTX HD, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It supports high-quality 24-bit audio (at a bit rate of 576kbps).

Audio Latency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40ms
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Latency refers to the time it takes for the audio signal to be transmitted to your earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 have a latency of 40ms, a lower latency reduces audio lag and is particularly important when playing games or watching videos.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony WF 1000XM4 4only
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 6only

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have 6 microphones.

While the Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, less than that of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX by 2 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the earbuds' sound.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a noise-canceling type of microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound so that they can still be heard even while wearing them

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, say you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Sony WF 1000XM4 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Sony WF 1000XM4 have a find earbuds feature.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge a device.

Also the Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in thirty minutes.

Multipoint Count

Sony WF 1000XM4 2only
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 2only

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX . Bluetooth multipoint is useful because you can be on one call and not miss notifications from another connected device.

Has A Mute Function

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have this function. It means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have a control panel on them.

Warranty Period

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX 3Years

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have a warranty period of 3 Years, the period of time that warrant free repair and adjustment services in case of a malfunction occurring under normal use that has followed instruction manuals.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have voice prompts meaning the device will notify you when the battery is low, and you need to recharge the earbuds.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them in your pockets without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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