Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 | TechTalkTown
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000 vs Sony WH-1000XM4
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
Audio-Technica
8
A featherweight, hyper-detailed open-back — for treble lovers
Sony WH-1000XM4
Sony
8.7
Still a noise-cancelling value champion
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
What Reviewers Agree On
Exceptionally light at roughly 257g, with a 3D wing-support headband that makes the headphones effectively disappear during long listening sessions
Class-leading detail retrieval, resolution and clarity for a $999 dynamic-driver open-back — reviewers say it goes toe-to-toe with pricier planar headphones
Premium build quality despite the low weight, with a refined open-air design and replaceable plush velour ear pads
A genuinely open, airy presentation with good instrument separation and a coherent, holographic soundstage
Strong value at the $999 price for buyers who want technical, audiophile-grade performance from an easy-to-style headphone
Deal Breakers
Pros & Cons
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
Pros
Exceptionally light at roughly 257g, with a 3D wing-support headband that makes the headphones effectively disappear during long listening sessions
Class-leading detail retrieval, resolution and clarity for a $999 dynamic-driver open-back — reviewers say it goes toe-to-toe with pricier planar headphones
Premium build quality despite the low weight, with a refined open-air design and replaceable plush velour ear pads
A genuinely open, airy presentation with good instrument separation and a coherent, holographic soundstage
Detailed Comparison
Sound Quality
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
The ADX3000 is built around a 58mm dynamic driver and tuned bright and detail-forward. Reviewers consistently praise its resolution, clarity and dynamic punch, but the lively treble — with a sharp peak near 4 kHz — divides opinion, and sub-bass rolls off for those who want low-end slam.
Delivers resolution, clarity and technical performance that reviewers say is incredible for the price — the only dynamic-driver headphone in this range that can go toe-to-toe with pricier planars like the HiFiMan Arya Organic.
Tuned bright and hyper-focused with an emphasis on the upper mids and lower treble — human voices, violins, pianos and acoustic guitars sound more lifelike, though the treble peak makes the overall tonal balance a little wonky.
There is a sharp peak right around 4 kHz; on a 10-band EQ you can pick the 4 kHz band and drop it by 4-5 dB to tame the brightness as a starting point.
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Bright, treble-forward tuning with a sharp peak near 4 kHz that can sound harsh or fatiguing, especially for treble-sensitive listeners
Sub-bass rolls off below roughly 50-60 Hz — bass-focused listeners will find it lacks visceral low-end slam without EQ
Purely passive and wired — no Bluetooth, no ANC, no microphone and no battery, so it is unsuitable for commuting, calls or travel
Uses a proprietary A2DC connector and ships with a mediocre stock cable, so cable upgrades mean buying into a less-common termination
Sony WH-1000XM4
What Reviewers Agree On
Class-leading active noise cancellation (QN1 processor + dual mics per cup), adaptive to your activity and location
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling and a capable app EQ
Exceptional all-day comfort and an understated, lightweight design carried over from the much-loved XM3
Strong 30-hour battery (ANC on) with a 10-minute quick charge giving ~5 hours of playback
Genuinely useful smart features — Speak-to-Chat auto-pause, wear detection, Quick Attention and multipoint pairing
Outstanding value now that prices have fallen well below the $349 launch — still a top recommendation years later
Deal Breakers
Mediocre microphone/call quality — barely better than the XM3 and frustrating for conference calls
Multipoint disables LDAC — you can't have two-device pairing and hi-res audio at once
No aptX and no IP water/sweat rating; not recommended for running or heavy gym use
Some long-term units develop a piercing feedback noise in one cup in ANC mode (moisture/sweat on the mics over years)
Sony doesn't sell official replacement ear cushions, a wear-and-tear item on a long-lived product
Strong value at the $999 price for buyers who want technical, audiophile-grade performance from an easy-to-style headphone
Cons
Bright, treble-forward tuning with a sharp peak near 4 kHz that can sound harsh or fatiguing, especially for treble-sensitive listeners
Sub-bass rolls off below roughly 50-60 Hz — bass-focused listeners will find it lacks visceral low-end slam without EQ
Purely passive and wired — no Bluetooth, no ANC, no microphone and no battery, so it is unsuitable for commuting, calls or travel
Uses a proprietary A2DC connector and ships with a mediocre stock cable, so cable upgrades mean buying into a less-common termination
Sony WH-1000XM4
Pros
Class-leading active noise cancellation (QN1 processor + dual mics per cup), adaptive to your activity and location
Excellent, customisable sound with LDAC, DSEE Extreme upscaling and a capable app EQ
Exceptional all-day comfort and an understated, lightweight design carried over from the much-loved XM3
Strong 30-hour battery (ANC on) with a 10-minute quick charge giving ~5 hours of playback
Genuinely useful smart features — Speak-to-Chat auto-pause, wear detection, Quick Attention and multipoint pairing
Outstanding value now that prices have fallen well below the $349 launch — still a top recommendation years later
Cons
Mediocre microphone/call quality — barely better than the XM3 and frustrating for conference calls
Multipoint disables LDAC — you can't have two-device pairing and hi-res audio at once
No aptX and no IP water/sweat rating; not recommended for running or heavy gym use
Some long-term units develop a piercing feedback noise in one cup in ANC mode (moisture/sweat on the mics over years)
Sony doesn't sell official replacement ear cushions, a wear-and-tear item on a long-lived product
Bass extends down with a W-shaped lift around 100 Hz and the sub-bass is described as quite nice, but it is not as visceral or punchy as the pricier ADX7000 or Caldera Open.
Bass distortion was not something this reviewer could provoke even as a bass-heavy listener — the driver stays clean under pressure.
Soundstage is open and airy with good left-to-right separation, but it does not feel huge — instruments revolve around you rather than spreading out wide, and it does not match the Focal Utopia.
The relaxed mid-range followed by a more forward treble makes the presentation clinical and superb for detail retrieval, but that treble energy can become fatiguing over long sessions depending on how you listen.
Treble-sensitive listeners report the top end is spicy and present, with clarity and extension — noticeable but not enough to cause ear discomfort the way some bright headphones do.
Reviewers report the drivers benefit from roughly 100 hours of mechanical break-in, after which the treble peak and midrange prominence chill out and more sub-bass impact comes through.
Sony WH-1000XM4
A judicious, confident sound with LDAC hi-res, DSEE Extreme upscaling and 360 Reality Audio support — widely praised, with the main critique being a slightly bright top end that some EQ to taste.
As far as sound goes the XM4 needs very few excuses made for it — a confident top end and a judicious overall balance.
Updating the QN1 chip algorithm and improving digital sound processing elevates the XM4 from great to superb over the XM3.
40mm drivers deliver rich, not overly bass-heavy sound; bass lovers can add thump easily in the app EQ.
Supports LDAC and 360 Reality Audio; DSEE Extreme upscaling exists but the difference on/off can be hard to hear.
Reddit owners' take: not 'the best' at any one thing, but it does everything right and sounds more than good enough once EQ'd.
Versus the XM5: the XM4 is brighter with more vocal 'bite/sizzle', while the XM5 is warmer with more sustained bass — and the XM4 can get a touch boomy at 100-200Hz.
Comfort & Design
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
The ADX3000's headline trait is its weight — around 257g makes it one of the lightest premium open-backs available. A 3D wing-support headband, plush velour pads and a low-but-firm initial clamp combine into a fit reviewers say quickly disappears.
Crazy light at 257g — a paperweight compared with most headphones in its class — and that lightness is a major comfort advantage for long sessions.
Audio-Technica navigated the usual lightweight trade-off well — it stays very lightweight and comfortable yet still feels and looks extremely premium.
The 3D wing-support system plus plush velour pads mean the padding mostly touches the skull rather than clamping, which helps avoid headphone fatigue and makes it easy to forget the headphones are on.
Measured clamp force is around 600-750g — it can feel a little firm the moment you put it on, but the combination of weight, soft pads and clamp means it very quickly becomes one of the least intrusive headphones this reviewer has worn.
One reviewer found this the least comfortable of the headphones in a comparison group, a reminder that fit is head-shape dependent despite the low weight.
Build quality is high-end — reviewers describe super high-end quality and build, with a simple black open-back-with-mesh-grille aesthetic rather than flashy luxury materials.
Left/right channel markings on the cups are small and easy to miss, and the stock cable carries no side marking — a minor everyday annoyance.
Sony WH-1000XM4
The XM4 keeps the XM3's understated, lightweight design and superb comfort for long sessions, folds for travel and ships with an excellent hard case — the build holds up for years, with warm ears the only common gripe.
Design tweaks make the XM4 look slightly more lux and even more comfortable to wear for long stretches than the XM3.
Comfortable enough for full workdays — barely noticeable where other headphones bother the ears after 20 minutes.
After a year of heavy use the wear-and-tear is essentially non-existent and they don't wear you out — superb value.
Lighter than the AirPods Max with a much better hard carrying case; folds flat for travel (the XM5 does not).
Like most over-ears in this class the faux-leather pads aren't very breathable — ears get warm after about 6 hours.
Value vs Competition
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX3000
At $999, the ADX3000 is positioned against planar open-backs and Audio-Technica's own pricier ADX5000 and ADX7000. Reviewers broadly call it strong value for a buyer who wants technical performance, with the ADX3000-vs-ADX5000 question coming down to tuning preference.
Retails for $999 as an open-back single-driver headphone — reviewers call it a very good entryway into high-end headphones and could not find much wrong at the price.
Offers HiFiMan-style clarity and resolution combined with good dynamic punch, incredible build quality and very low weight — a combination reviewers say is hard to beat in this price bracket.
Versus the pricier ADX5000: some reviewers say the significantly cheaper ADX3000 actually has the better tuning, while others give the ADX5000 a higher-end feel and a slightly wider horizontal sound field.
For the price point it is a solid, near-the-top performer for accurate, lifelike balance between fundamentals and harmonics — though one reviewer stops short of calling it class-leading.
Buyers on a tighter budget who still want the Audio-Technica house sound can consider the much cheaper ATH-R50x or ATH-R70x, which are easier to drive and a fraction of the price.
Reddit owners frame the ADX3000 as a fun, clear, open headphone with a nice treble pop and consider it a worthwhile plunge for listeners coming from mid-tier sets like the Beyerdynamic DT1990.
Sony WH-1000XM4
Launched at $349 alongside the XM3's price, the XM4 is now routinely $198-260 — making it, years on, one of the best-value premium ANC headphones and a frequent pick over the pricier XM5.
Launched at the same $349 price as the XM3 did — and is now frequently discounted well below that.
Among the most popular and well-regarded wireless headphones you can buy; the XM5 is a premium upgrade at a more premium price.
Even 5+ years on, with a ~$250 price gap to the XM6 and street prices under $200, the XM4 remains excellent value and many prefer it to the XM5.
Now around $250 new / ~$200 used — more affordable than ever and a fantastic option, especially refurbished.
The staple recommendation for the average buyer — still ~$50 cheaper than the XM5 and they fold, which the XM5 doesn't.
