Wissonly Hi Runner
This is the fastest growing brand in the past six months. It may not be much famous, but in the field of bone conduction headphones they are proper technical experts. Their team began to develop bone conduction headphones that do not hurt the ear as early as 10 years ago. With an excellent bone conduction vibration unit optimization program, It became famous very soon in the field of bone conduction. It has been recommended by the majority of otologists!
Due to the particularity of the technical principle, bone conduction headphones are more difficult to be improved in sound quality. Wissonly Hi Runner team subverted the traditional sound quality scheme, made a breakthrough to use large wire-frame vibration unit. They through structural optimization improved the effective vibration area, thereby improved the vibrator sound efficiency, made the sound more shocking and powerful, they optimized the sound transmission direction, reduced the sound loss during sound transmission, and made the sound quality more concentrated. In terms of comfort, the overall body of the Hi Runner is made of high-tech hypoallergenic silicone material, which does not contain chemical components to avoid allergies. The overall feel is as silky as baby's skin, avoiding uncomfortable wearing for a long time.
In terms of functions, as the flagship model of Wissonly bone conduction headphones, Hi Runner has an IPX8 waterproof grade which is higher than the industry standard. It is equipped with 32G body memory, and uses the latest Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which makes the connection more stable. The battery life is also very good, lasts 8-10 hours of continuous playback at normal volume, and supports magnetic fast charging. It only takes 2 hours to fully charge.
Sony WH-1000XM4
The arrival of a new pair of Sony wireless headphones is now one of the biggest product launches in the tech world, and the arrival of the Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless noise-cancelling headphones back in 2020 was no different.
They replaced the Bose-baiting, Sennheiser-slaying, What Hi-Fi? Award-winning WH-1000XM3, one of the most popular pairs of headphones on the planet, and sure enough proved to be a worthy successor.
They have now been superseded by the Sony WH-1000XM5, but that doesn't mean they have stopped being a great pair of headphones. In fact, what it does mean is that they are now available at a lower price, making them a bit (OK, a lot) of a bargain and the number one choice for those who cannot stretch their budget to the XM5.
Panasonic RZ-S500W
Panasonic is a name more readily associated with quality TVs and Blu-ray players, but the firm has now moved into the highly competitive true wireless earbuds market with two pairs. The more expensive of those, the Panasonic RZ-S500W, feature noise-cancelling technology (unlike the other, more affordable RZ-S300W) and is the model we have on test here.
As you might expect of a product from a major consumer electronics brand, the Panasonic RZ-S500W spec sheet is pretty comprehensive. It includes Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling Technology achieved through the use of feedback coupled to analogue and digital processing; an Ambient Mode to amplify surrounding noise when the time is right; twin beamforming microphones to increase the clarity of voices and reduce noise during calls; and a total of 19.5 hours of playtime with noise-cancelling activated (6.5 hours from the buds, 13 from the charging case).
The RZ-S500W initially launched at £169 / 99, but for months now they have been available around the £100 / 20 mark, making them one of the few pairs at their price to offer active noise cancellation (ANC). Should the competition be worried? We’re about to find out...
Sony WF-1000XM4
For the WF-1000XM4, Sony went back to the drawing board and designed a brand new pair that looked nothing like their class-leading predecessors. Was it a brave move? Definitely. Crazy? Quite possibly. But it worked.
Sony’s WF-1000X range of wireless earbuds has been a dominant force in this category over the last handful of years: the WF-1000XM3 were two-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winners, as were these XM4 in 2021 and 2022. The latest model, the WF-1000XM5, has just scooped a five-star review, too, and could be in with a shout of making that five What Hi-Fi? Best Buy Awards for the Sony WF line in as many years.
Indeed, rather than making the odd refinement here and there, Sony’s engineers went to town on the WF-1000XM4 with an all-new design, a new charging case, a new audio processor and even a new eartip material, and the result was a feature-packed, user-friendly and sonically gifted pair of earbuds. (Perhaps that is why Sony wasn't afraid to make further significant improvements to the new XM5!)
AKG Y400
The new Y400 are slightly smaller than the previous and rather splendid Y500, but aside from that, things feel reassuringly familiar when we first handle AKG’s newest arrival. However, much has changed too.
There’s a 36mm driver in each earpiece here, which is smaller than the 40mm drivers in the previous model. The newer Y400's closed-back circular earcups are smaller too, and very much on-ear – they rest on, but do not entirely cover your shell-likes.
The Y400 earcups rotate to lie flat and fold up inside the headband for transport, making them even more portable than the older model. They are well-cushioned and, because the extension point is situated lower on the new, thinner headband, the clamping force on the Y400 isn’t too tight and is easy to adjust.
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