If you’re looking for a pair of true wireless headphones that sound great, fit comfortably and offer active noise cancellation, you’ve probably come across the Sony WF-1000XM4.
They’re our pick for the best wireless headphones you can buy today, and haven’t been beaten since their launch in 2021 thanks to their full-bodied, eloquent sound, strong noise cancellation and impressive call quality. .
However, there are brands that have come close to sweeping away Sony’s status as the best headphone maker on the planet – and one of those brands is Nura.
Nura’s NuraTrue are the Australian company’s first true wireless headphones, and they’re among the most customizable in-ear headphones we’ve ever tested. And, like the WF-1000XM4, they offer excellent audio performance, ANC and a great design.
While it’s great to have two great options to choose from, it doesn’t make choosing a pair of wireless headphones any easier. Luckily, we’ve tested both the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the NuraTrue extensively, so we can give you a full comparison between the two models – and hopefully give you a better idea of which you should. search through your new pair of headphones. .
Sony WF-1000XM4 vs NuraTrue: price and availability
The Sony WF-1000XM4 and the NuraTrue launched in 2021 and are still available for purchase today.
The Sony headphones will set you back $279.99 / £250 / AU$449.95 unless you can find them at a discount; deals are occasionally available, but you’re more likely to find a bargain on their predecessor, the Sony WF-1000XM3.
The NuraTrue are the cheaper of the two models, at $199 / £199 / AU$299; this makes it the clear winner for anyone on a strict budget. There are cheaper wireless headphones on the market; models like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus and Lypertek PurePlay Z3 2.0 offer great audio performance for under $100/£100. However, budget wireless headphones like these don’t offer the same level of customization or as many extra features as the Sony and NuraTrue headphones.
Sony WF-1000XM4 vs. NuraTrue: Design
The Sony WF-1000XM4 and NuraTrue are both true wireless in-ear headphones with silicone tips that create a seal between your ear canal and the outside world. Unlike the popular Apple AirPods, neither model features protruding stems.
Available in black and silver, Sony’s headphones sport round housings with fashionable copper accents and come with a slim charging case that’s 40 per cent smaller than that of their predecessors, the WF-1000XM3.
The NuraTrue also comes with round bezels, but they’re much flatter and wider than the Sony WF-1000XM4; nonetheless, both models are equally comfortable and feel secure in your ears. The NuraTrue is only available in a black color option.
Both headphones have touch controls, allowing you to adjust your music playback, answer calls and choose the level of noise cancellation – and these controls can be configured in the headphones’ respective apps (in the case of the NuraTrue, you will need to do this as part of the setup process anyway).
Sony WF-1000XM4 controls work perfectly. And while the NuraTrue controls aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, we occasionally experienced a slight lag between a tap and the resulting action.
Sony WF-1000XM4 vs NuraTrue: Features and Setup
One of the reasons we chose the Sony WF-1000XM4 as the best wireless headphones you can buy today is their excellent specs and features. You get what you pay for with these headphones, and the accompanying Sony Headphones app makes it easy to customize the WF-1000XM4.
They come with active noise cancellation that can adapt to your surroundings – and we’ve found the headphones to be good at blocking out environmental sound, if not as good as the Bose QuietComfort headphones.
There’s also support for Speak-to-Chat, which pauses your music when the headphones detect your voice, and DSEE upscaling to bring lossy music streams closer to high-res quality. We’re not totally sold on DSEE, but it does give you a bit more detail on poor quality tracks.
You can also enable Sony’s 360 Reality Audio technology in the Headphones Connect app, which requires you to take a photo of each ear. The app then analyzes the shape of your ear for immersive sound that’s right for you – though you’ll need to use a compatible streaming service to take advantage of this feature.
The NuraTrue headphones also come with active noise cancellation, and while they don’t automatically adjust the amount of sound blocked based on your surroundings, we still found them to be quite effective. There’s also a Social mode, which powers through the sound of your surroundings, as well as muting your music – you can assign this mode to one of the touch controls if you want to be able to quickly chat with someone without taking your headphones off.
The app that comes with the NuraTrue is probably the most exciting aspect of using the headphones – and that’s not to say in a derogatory way. This is where Nura stands out from the competition by providing a truly personalized listening experience.
First, the app gives you a fit test, to make sure you’re wearing the right size tips and fins for your ears. Next, you will be given hearing tests, during which you will hear a multitude of beeps and boops that span the entire frequency range. This supposedly allows the headphones’ soundstage to be tuned to your ears – and unlike Sony’s headphones, this feature isn’t limited to spatial audio tracks and can be used with any music.
To give you an idea of the difference this makes, the Nura app lets you hear music without applying that custom sound profile, letting you switch between neutral and custom settings with an in-app switch. We found the custom setting to be much more immersive and dynamic, so it’s definitely worth doing.
The app also lets you turn on the headphones’ Immersion Mode, which Nura says replicates the sound of live music. Using a slider, you can adjust how strongly you want Immersion Mode to be applied to your music. We were skeptical, but it makes a noticeable difference, creating a wider soundstage and thundering bass – however, it’s no substitute for the virtual surround sound offered by Sony’s 360 Reality Audio feature which makes sound seem like it’s coming to you from all angles.
Sony WF-1000XM4 vs NuraTrue: audio performance
If you’re looking for fantastic audio performance, you can’t go wrong with either of these wireless headphones.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 delivers balanced, driving, poised and convincing sound with great dynamic and rhythmic capability. You’ll get plenty of detail from your music with these buds, and there’s support for Hi-Res Audio thanks to Sony’s LDAC codec (although you’ll need a compatible source to enjoy it).
The audio performance of the NuraTrue Wireless Headphones is also exceptional – and, despite sounding great out of the box, it’s all those customizable audio settings that make these in-ear headphones so special.
Of the two, we’d say the NuraTrue sound is slightly more immersive, especially if you’re using their Immersion mode; however, the Sony buds win when it comes to detail and rhythmic precision.
Like the Sony WF-1000XM4, the NuraTrue can handle hi-res audio streams thanks to aptX Adaptive support.
Sony WF-1000XM4 vs NuraTrue: Battery life
You get the same battery life with the Sony WF-1000XM4 and the NuraTrue, but it’s split between the headphones and their charging cases a little differently.
With the Sony headphones you get 24 hours in total, with 8-12 hours of playtime provided by the headphones themselves. If active noise cancellation is enabled, you can expect shorter battery life.
The NuraTrue, on the other hand, offers 6 hours from the buds themselves, with an additional 18 hours provided by the charging case.
Neither model has class-leading battery life like the 45 hours provided by the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, but both will get you through a week’s commute. However, the Sony WF-1000XM4 have an extra trick up their sleeves in the form of wireless charging, which means you can simply place them on a charger to recharge them. The NuraTrue can only be charged via a USB-C cable, which is included in the box.
Carry
Whether you buy the Sony WF-1000XM4 or NuraTrue headphones, you can be sure you’re getting some of the best wireless headphones available today. Both models sound fantastic, are comfortable to wear, support Hi-Res Audio and noise cancellation, and have easy-to-use touch controls.
If money is your decision, the NuraTrue are the obvious choice, costing $80 / £50 / AU$150 less than the Sony headphones. However, if you want to experience virtual surround sound, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is the best choice for you, thanks to 360 Reality Audio support. Sony’s buds are also a bit more understated, so they’re ideal if you prefer a subtle style and don’t like the NuraTrue’s wide bezels.
If you want a pair of headphones that you can really customize, the NuraTrue are the best choice here. The accompanying app walks you through all the steps you need to make sure you’re getting the best possible sound for your ears, and it’s really fun to hear the difference between custom sound and tuning. more generic.
Of course, none of these headphones may be right for you. If so, check out our guide to the best true wireless headphones for a wider selection of in-ear headphones we’ve picked for sound quality, value for money and specs. Alternatively, if you’re not ready to give up the cable, read our guides to the best headphones for a variety of neck-mounted headphones and wired in-ear headphones at a range of price points.