Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones revealed in promo video leak

Sony's anticipated noise-canceling WH-1000XM4 headphones have once again leaked, this time in a promotional video. This isn't the first time we've heard about this model — it was previously listed by Walmart on its website, detailing its various features. This time around, the leak reveals the new model's design in addition to rapidly detailing the headphones' key capabilities.

As its name suggests, the WH-1000XM4 is the sequel to Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones. Sony has had some bad luck with this upcoming release — this is the latest and greatest of a trio of fairly substantial leaks, the most recent of which involved the headphones appearing in a listing on Walmart.com.

The latest leak comes from Sparrow News, which published the video on its YouTube channel. According to the site, the leak comes from a user who goes by the handle 'ki shiina,' but little else is known about the video's origins. Many of the details we've already seen leaked have been verified in this latest release.

According to the promo video, the WH-1000XM4 will offer 30 hours of playback time with fast charging support, enabling the headphones to add five hours of audio playback with 10 minutes spent on the charger. As well, the controls will exist in the form of capacitive touch controls on the earpieces. The model will, as expected, feature active noise cancellation, something made possible by the 'HD noise-canceling processor QN1,' according to the leaked video.

The headphones will reportedly feature dual noise sensor technology that helps the model block out unwanted ambient noises. Beyond that, the WH-1000XM4 is expected to feature 40mm 'HD hybrid drivers,' as well as real-time audio upscaling made possible by the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE).

The headphones will also feature various smart features that extend beyond the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration. The model will, according to the video, feature wear detection for automatically pausing and playing the audio, as well as adaptive sound control that automatically adjusts the ambient sounds based on activity.

For example, the headphones will allow some ambient noise while out walking, which is necessary for safety. When sitting on a bus or train, however, the headphones will block out all ambient noises for a more peaceful experience. As well, the headphones will switch to the user's preferred sound settings based on their current location, and there's 'speak to chat,' which causes the headphones to pause the audio when the user starts to talk.

This allows ambient noises to come through, eliminating the need to remove the headphones when asking a question or ordering an item. Finally, the headphones will support 360-degree audio for a more immersive experience. Sony is expected to officially launch the WH-1000MX4 noise-canceling headphones on August 6.