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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for earbuds primarily for music, the Sennheiser CX300S offers good sound quality at a lower price, though it lacks a microphone for calls and meetings. The Sony WF1000XM4, on the other hand, provides excellent sound quality, active noise cancellation, and a better experience for calls. It also features app support with equalizer and controls customization, wireless charging, and longer battery life. However, the Sony WF1000XM4 comes with a higher price tag. Both are closed, stemless earbuds suitable for exercise, but if you prioritize features like noise cancellation and app integration, the Sony may be worth the extra cost. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Sennheiser CX300S
- Good for TV and video
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM4
- Excellent for music
- Very good for air travel
- Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.9
9.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Phone Calls
3.0
6.7
The Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair for phone calls, while the Sennheiser CX300S is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7
10.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser CX300S is poor.
TV and Video
7.3
6.0
The Sennheiser CX300S is good for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
7.0
8.3
The Sony WF1000XM4 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser CX300S is good.
Battery
N/A
9.0 Hours
The Sennheiser CX300S does not have a battery. The Sony WF1000XM4 has 9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$220
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Sennheiser CX300S has a price of $50 and the Sony WF1000XM4 costs $220.
Build Quality
8.0
8.9
The Sony WF1000XM4 and Sennheiser CX300S both have very good build quality, though the Sony WF1000XM4 has somewhat better build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
6.1
5.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser CX300S to be only fair for gaming, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is poor.
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How the Sennheiser CX300S and the Sony WF1000XM4 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser CX300S | Sony WF1000XM4 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $220 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2019 | July 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 3.1/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.1/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 6.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 9 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 5.4/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Small | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 12 Grams | 6.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Shopping
Sennheiser CX300S
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Dig into reviews and images
Major HiFi
Carroll Moore | April 2019
"Sennheiser offers impressive bang for your buck when it comes to the CX 300S. Built like a tank and sounding surprisingly good for such a budget-minded earphone, the CX 300S out-classes many of its would-be competitors. Functional but beautiful, it’s the perfect in-ear listening solution for anyone who wants to hear everything and look good doing it."
Sony WF1000XM4
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | March 2023
"The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser CX300S or the Sony WF1000XM4
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
About Sony
Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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