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Sony offers a one-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects but not water damage, so we don’t recommend that you take this pair to the gym or out for a stroll in a deluge. And the XM4 isn’t built for water resistance, but it can handle a light spritzing rain. The noise cancellation isn’t as effective against the noise experienced in an airplane, so we don’t recommend the XM4 for frequent fliers (check out our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones to see how this set compares). Out of the box, this pair’s sound quality isn’t the best, but if you’re willing to put some effort into adjusting the equalizer settings in the app, the XM4 can sound better than just about any noise-cancelling headphones available.
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Plus, this pair has a ton of app-based bonus features, including a speak-to-chat function that senses your voice, turns on the awareness mode, and pauses your music automatically. These over-ear headphones are also comfortable enough to wear all day, and the microphones are effective at reducing background noise during phone calls and video meetings. The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are worth considering if you work in an open or noisy office space because they are great at blocking out voices around you.
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