The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are highly rated with plenty of features and decent sound. However, there are plenty of complaints about the Sony WH-1000XM4 all over the internet. Two of the biggest issues are ringing and clicking, which usually come together.
The ringing noise in particular can be extremely loud and sudden, posing a danger to your hearing and potentially causing hearing problems like tinnitus. If you’re one of the unfortunate people experiencing ear-piercing ringing and clicking noises, read on for the solution.
What Causes the Sony WH-1000XM4 to Ring and Click?
The ringing and clicking issues on the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are caused by the little active noise-canceling (ANC) microphone in the middle of each earcup.
If you feel the mesh, you will find a protrusion in the middle; this holds the ANC microphone. I don’t exactly know the reason behind the issues but after plenty of tinkering and fix attempts, I have narrowed it down to the microphone loosening up over time.
As the microphone isn’t tightly secured to the housing, it makes it more susceptible to feedback loops, just like having a microphone too close to a speaker. You can “fix” this easily by just turning off ANC, but you’d be turning off the feature you probably bought this pair of headphones for.
Honestly, the risk of hearing damage probably isn’t worth it and you should probably replace them. You could check out wireless earbuds instead like the Sony WF-1000XM4 or the Apple Airpods Pro.
How to Fix the Sony WH-1000XM4 Ringing and Clicking Issues
In order to fix the ringing and clicking issues, our goal is to secure the microphone, as well as provide a little bit of cushioning to absorb any resonant frequencies that could cause a feedback loop. It might also help to understand how active noise cancellation works for more insight into fixing your headphones.
Before you get started, it’s best to prepare the things you’ll need to perform the fix:
- Small Phillips screwdriver
- Plastic pry tool
- Fabric or paper-based tape (not plastic)
- Scissors
With all the required items to hand, it’s time to start fixing your WH-1000XM4 headphones.
Step 1: Remove the Earcups on Your Sony WH-1000XM4
Removing your earcups can be a little bit scary as they are a little tough to remove. One thing you definitely shouldn’t do though is to pull on the cushion. Pulling on the cushion will risk cracking the faux leather—or worse, ripping it off.
Firstly, wedge your pry tool underneath the rim of the earcup. Once the pry tool is underneath, lever it upwards until you hear a clip release. Proceed to move the pry tool around the earcup until all clips are removed. Avoid forcing the earcup off with your hands as you could break the clips, which could end up inside the earphones and prevent you from putting the earcups back on properly.
There will be foam inside that is secured with adhesive. Gently remove the foam so that it doesn’t rip and leave a large chunk of foam where it’s adhered.
Step 2: Secure the ANC Microphone
After removing the foam, you will see that there is a gray piece of rubber in the center. This is only secured with pegs that go through the piece of rubber, so it’s easy to remove.
Make sure that you don’t use anything metal to remove the rubber, as the magnet in the speaker could attract it and scratch the delicate diaphragm.
Pull the piece of rubber away from the pegs. This will reveal the ANC microphone underneath.
Take a very small piece of tape and fold it a bunch of times sticky-side-out. The tape will serve as the frequency absorber and securing method.
Finally, wedge the small piece of tape between the housing and the microphone, making sure that it’s tight and won’t move. You can now put it back together and try the fix out.
Common Sony WH-1000XM4 Active Noise Canceling Issues
There are other ANC-related issues on the WH-1000XM4 that disappear with ANC turned off. You might prefer the sound with it off as there’s improved detail clarity, but plenty of noise leaking in. Here’s a quick list of a few issues that you may have faced:
- Uneven pressure: The Sony WH-1000XM4 have an auto-pressurization feature when the ANC is on. However, this feature can easily become a problem when it fails to pressurize both sides evenly.
- Overly bassy sound: This is a common issue among many ANC headphones. ANC usually alters the sound in some way, mostly through increased bass. Other headphones may not have a drastic change, but the WH-1000XM4 are one of those headphones that unfortunately get very bassy with ANC on—although this might be a good thing for some people.
- Rustling sounds: The WH-1000XM4 headphones have ANC microphones pointing upwards. This is unfortunate for users with long hair or who have air blowing down from above could that affect the input from the ANC microphones, creating rustling sounds like someone blowing into your ears, which can disturb focus.
Prevent the Sony WH-1000XM4 from Destroying Your Ears
If you purchased a used pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones or you’ve had yours for quite some time, these are probably things that you’ve faced and are discouraging you from using them. You’ve probably spent a lot of time looking for fixes on Reddit, most of which don’t work. However, we hope the steps above have helped you fix the issue and allow you to use your XM4s again (or sell them).
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