If we were to give you one piece of advice this Black Friday, it would be not to ignore the older tech. Yes, newer products are enticing, but there's so much that slightly more distinguished products can offer – lower prices at the top of the list – over their newer counterparts.
The formerly Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM4 are a case in point. Originally tested at £350, the stellar cans are at an all-time low price of £175 at Amazon, a half-price figure on some of the best wireless headphones of recent times.
It's strange to hear people refer to the five-star WH-1000XM4 as 'old' and therefore over the hill. The outstanding Sony range-toppers were only released in late 2020, so they're hardly dinosaurs by anyone's measure. Their excellent WH-1000XM5 successors from 2024 have naturally taken on the high-end XM mantle, but these are endlessly rewarding cans which bagged What Hi-Fi? Awards for their efforts.
Naturally, we preferred the more refined and subtle flavour of the incredibly impressive fifth-generation overs, there are many users, including a few What Hi-Fi? team members, who are still crazy about the supremely entertaining sound of the Xm4. The WH-1000XM5 can make the XM4s sound a little thick in the lower mids and bass while offering more detail and clarity, but the full, punchy performance of the XM4 simply never gets tiresome. It's a devilishly entertaining sound, and that fact would be true were the XM4 released in 2004 or 2024. Great sound, like great movies or great music, is good sound.
They're not old-fashioned in other areas, either. Throw in a 30-hour battery life (38 hours without ANC on) and a design and comfort factor that also remain competitive today, and the XM4 are hard to beat at this heavily discounted price.
You also get useful features that elevate the user experience, too, such as ‘Speak to Chat’, which allows you to talk to someone while the headphones are still on your head. Bluetooth Multipoint lets you connect two Bluetooth devices to them so you can switch between them easily, while ‘Wearing Detection’ automatically pauses playback when you remove the headphones, and then automatically starts again when you put them back on.
All in all, it's a well-rounded spec sheet that doesn't give away their age. The fact you can get that as well as competitive sound and ANC quality for just £175 at Amazon is staggering and proves that older tech can, for the right person, represent some of the best value on the Black Friday market.
MORE:
I'm finding the best Black Friday headphones and wireless earbuds deals – AirPods, Bose, Sony and more
I've picked out the best Black Friday wireless speaker deals – but should you wait for better prices?
Sony is winning Black Friday headphones deals – here's which pair to buy
The 11 best Black Friday audio deals under £100: savings on Bluetooth speakers, wireless earbuds and more
