WF-1000XM4

I'm not really someone who can speak to as new price since I tend to be happy with buds in Open Box, Used - Like New, or Refurb'd condition. I feel like I get a lot more for my sound dollar. That said, I am able to comment on sound and fit/comfort. I find the Sony WF-1000XM5s to have excellent sound, but their fit and long-term comfort let me down. I find the WF-1000XM4s much more comfortable and their sound is very good in its own right. I've owned many other Technics earbuds, but never the AZ100s. I recall their sound as being good to very good, with very good noise cancelling. Fit and long-term comfort were very good across the board. The controls were also solid. I moved on from them because I always thought the midrange was a touch veiled and they were not the last word in dynamics. I only own the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, but I find their sound and noise cancellation excellent overall. Long-term comfort is good for me, but I feel the fit could be a touch more secure. The Ultras are less interesting to me because I don't really like earbuds in the mic boom form factor. I've only owned the Sennheiser Accentum earbuds. They aren't bad, but I found the fit a bit odd. I feel like it's possible to get better sound for similar money. The Technics EAH-AZ40s would be a huge upgrade. I should like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro for their compact form factor, but I feel the fit and long-term comfort should be better than good or very good. Sound is good but nothing spectacular. The multipoint connectivity between my phone and laptop could also be more seamless. I feel like my Sony WF-C700Ns have flawless multipoint and at least 90% of the sound + noise-cancelling for a lot less money. I've never owned the Liberty 4, but if you're on a tight budget the Anker Soundcore Space A40s are tough to beat. Very good sound, NC, fit, and long-term comfort. If you are on a super tight budget and can live with passive isolation the Soundcore Life A1s are worth a listen. I own a ton of Jabra Elites over the years, including the 75ts, 4s in Black and Blue, 5s (currently missing), and 7s. I tend to find them cheap on eBay. I find their sound and NC good to very good. I like their tiny form factor, which makes the long-term fit and comfort excellent for me. This makes the Jabra Elites my favorite workout buds. My 75ts have held up to years of runs and workouts in all manner of conditions. Because of this, I'm bummed Jabra are leaving the earbud segment. In conclusion, I need to declutter and sell off my ridiculously large collection of earbuds!

I had that same problem with WF-10000XM4

Surprisingly well worth the money but only if you buy something exceptional like the Sony brand, after owning a sony pair of earbuds everything else sounds like a cheap pair even the expensive ones...

The WF-1000XM4 or WF-1000XM5 they are the top end of the sony range but have heard good things about the mid range sonys as well.

Would agree that the AirPods Pro 2 are your best bet. I like the sound from the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds but every 1-2 months one bud loses sound and I have to pair them again. So I don't recommend them. I have Sony WF1000XM4 and like them a lot. But if you are going to get those wait for the release of the XM6 this Fall and then get the XM5 cheap. The other I really like are the True Momentum Buds by Sennheiser. But for iPhones the AirPod really works.

JBL Tour, Bose QC, Sony XM4 and XM5, Liberty NC4... They all sound better but like I said, AirPods Pro 2 truly shine with their seamless integration into the Apple Ecosystem, transparent mode, ANC and call quality. You can basically put them on and forget they're there

I actually liked the XM4s but I am not an audiophile and more importantly, the foam tips gave me an ear infection.

I have the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the original Pixel Buds Pro, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Max, and Sony WF1000XM4s. The best phone call device I have though is the Ray Ban Metas. They are incredible.

I don't necessarily think that they do overcharge. AirPods are excellent. I've had a pair of AirPods Pro for six years, and AirPods Pro 2 for three. I also had Sony WF-1000XM4s and XM5s, which have better noise cancellation than those, but are significantly more expensive. Apparently the AirPods Pro 3 have even better noise cancellation than the Sonys. If you're someone with an iPhone, MacBook or iPad, the AirPods are even better. If you don't use any Apple products, I wouldn't even consider them.

The xm4 have a known battery issue. Unless they have fixed this which I haven’t seen (maybe I’m wrong).I was very disappointed after spending that much money on headphones for them to only last a little over a year before the battery drain issue.

I changed the batteries on the WFXM4 recently. Sony needs get their shit together.

I repaired them myself. Used a heat gun. Popped 'em open very carefully and slowly. Dug the old batteries out and swapped them with the new ones and glued em back together.