Sony is giving one of its best-known noise-cancelling headphones an unexpected second act. The WH-1000XM4 is returning as the WH-1000XM4C, complete with a replaceable battery designed to meet upcoming European regulations. At the same time, Sony is refreshing its cheaper headphone range with the WH-CH730N and WH-CH530.
The WH-1000XM4C is the most interesting of the three because it demonstrates how repairability rules can influence products that manufacturers might otherwise have retired. Rather than simply replacing the XM4 with another entirely new model, Sony has modified the existing design so its battery can be replaced.
There is a trade-off. Battery life drops from the familiar 30-hour figure to approximately 27 hours per charge, reportedly because of the internal changes required for the removable battery. Sony also says it has adjusted the headphone’s sound tuning to reflect current listening preferences, although what that means in practice will need proper testing. A new Lavender colour joins the range.
The regulatory shift has consequences elsewhere in Sony’s line-up. The company says products entering the market from February 2026 onwards will comply with the relevant EU battery rules. The WH-1000XM5, however, will not continue being supplied beyond the regulation’s applicable date, though retailers could continue selling remaining inventory.
Sony is also updating two of its more affordable models. The new WH-CH730N replaces the WH-CH720N and retains active noise cancellation while addressing some practical areas where an inexpensive everyday headphone can make a bigger difference than another headline audio feature.
Sony claims battery life has increased from 35 hours on the previous generation to as much as 50 hours. The headphones also get a lighter, foldable design and claimed improvements to call quality. Connectivity includes LE Audio, Bluetooth multipoint, Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair. Colour choices are White, Pink, Blue, Black and Beige.
Further down the range, the WH-CH530 succeeds the popular WH-CH520. Battery life climbs to a claimed 55 hours, while AI-assisted noise reduction is intended to improve voice clarity during calls. Users can adjust the sound through EQ controls in Sony’s Sound Connect app, and a five-step volume setting provides additional hearing-protection controls.
The WH-CH530 gets the same convenient pairing technologies as the WH-CH730N and comes in Cobalt, Coral, Mint, Pink, White and Black.
Pricing places the three models across very different parts of Sony’s portfolio. The revised WH-1000XM4C costs £219 / €279, while the noise-cancelling WH-CH730N comes in at £100 / €119. The entry-level WH-CH530 is priced at £50 / €49.
The bigger story isn’t another round of headphone upgrades, though. The WH-1000XM4C shows something more consequential: regulation can push manufacturers toward replaceable batteries even in established consumer electronics. Losing three hours of runtime isn’t ideal, but extending the practical repairability of a popular pair of headphones could prove the more valuable upgrade.
