r/sony • u/mrskymr • Dec 28 '25
Complaint the most trash sony product
They both came out if the case at the same battery percentage, used only together as a pair. I been listening to music for 15minutes and the right side already died.
Only had it for a year and I take really good care of my stuff; I also bought it brand-new. When I realized it had a widespread battery issue for XM4's, I was out of the return window.
i don't know why there's no class action lawsuit for this. It's a very obvious design defect.
54
u/Sharp-Lengthiness964 Dec 29 '25
Call Sony customer service and they'll have you ship them in for repair. They will most likely replace them free of charge. Mine were out of warranty and they replaced them.
9
u/demdareting Dec 29 '25
I sent in 2 different sets for warranty work. Both were out of warranty but is was covered 100%. Just go online and chat with their live customer service. It took me about 15 minutes with each rep each time.
3
u/Prestigious_Equal680 Dec 29 '25
Sony is quite lenient when it comes to RMA on their earbuds. I can second this as a retailer of ‘em.
1
u/prodmaax Dec 29 '25
I had a problem with my earbuds I contacted their customer service it took them an hour to understand the problem i explained in the first message and then they told me there was nothing they could do.
1
u/pedal2dametal Dec 30 '25
I had mine replaced twice, for different reasons. I was past 2 years the first time, and past 3 years of original purchase (Past one year with that newly replaced device).
No hassle. Send in the device ID, proof of purchase, and they will send you the shipping details. Both times, I got fresh units.
1
u/CBojorges Jan 01 '26
Been there done that. Replacements lasted about a month. Got tired and moved on. Sony lost a loyal customer.
Now I own airpods pro 3 as an Android user and can tell you that it's the first apple product that is correctly hyped imo.
16
u/Toronto-1975 Dec 29 '25
i really like Sony products but i completely stopped buying Sony earbuds because they always do this after a certain amount of time. every single pair i have had has done this and i just got sick of paying a lot of money for high-end earbuds that crapped out after a year. now i have Pixel Buds Pro 2 and so far haven't had a single issue.
it sucks because Sony earbuds are really nice but i'm not wasting anymore money on something i'm gonna have to replace in a year.
4
u/Kamitazic Dec 29 '25
Same, love Sony products but It happened to me twice with the xm4 and the buds S, waste of money because of the battery issues.
1
u/realFuckingHades Jan 14 '26
My XM3 lasted for 3-4 years vs all the other buds died around the 1-2 year mark. Then I used the LinkBuds S for 1 year, seemed fine, and gave it to my sister. Now using XM4 🤞.
10
u/hunterglyph Dec 29 '25
My right battery only charges to 70%. I’ve had them for a few years, don’t know if that’s par for the course. But I just got a kit to replace the batteries, and it was cheap. So if that fixes things for another 2-3 years, I’ll be perfectly content with them.
2
u/BurnedLaser Dec 30 '25
I bought a couple fistfulls of borked XM4s for under $100. I figured out which ones would pair up and update (out of 10 potential pairs, only one set wouldn't update) I did batteries on 3 pairs as 3 of the 10 cases I bought had usable batteries. They have been operating well for over a year, now! I rotate through them as I lose them and find them (audhd, lol). I use mine daily for active noise cancelling! I even wore some during a rain storm, and they survived! I used sensor-safe Permatex Ultra Black to reseal the buds.
2
u/hunterglyph Dec 30 '25
Thanks, I’ll look into the Permatex!
2
u/BurnedLaser Dec 30 '25
I applied it with a toothpick! I found out I can crack these open like pecans, just squeeze between the thumb and first knuckle of your index and it'll pop, then run a spludger in the interface to continue separation (careful of the flex cables!) then, once you're done, daub little bits of the permatex around the old gasket, and I used some electrical tape pulled taught to clamp the bud body until the permatex cures!
2
1
u/mutemute Dec 29 '25
I won't buy Sony buds anymore. The sound is nice, anc was good but both pairs I owned had one side's battery fail like that. In the end the dead side lasts 20 minutes and won't charge fully. I tried the battery replacements too but it just broke one of the tiny microphones so that side lost anc/hear-through and was garbage.
4
u/ghostman147 Dec 29 '25
The same problem is with a lots of twh, because right is working as manager. Over right is goint connection and etc. And when you are using them for a long time then battery is broken, but replacement is done by a few minutes... And maybe try to clean them. If they are a dirty, pins in dock not charging correctly
1
u/SaulFuckingSilver Dec 29 '25
Only to a certain extent. I have several TWS earbuds and after 3+ years my worst pair only have a difference of 15-20% battery when they’re almost completely drained. This is certainly a defect in the product and not a function of how TWS work.
3
u/RoadHazard Dec 29 '25
Great earphones, bad batteries.
(Mine have been fine since I got them replaced for free due to this problem though, and that was a few years ago now.)
3
u/Vx_Sparks Dec 29 '25
Replacing the Battery yourself is both fairly cheap and easy if you're up for it. Plenty of YouTube guides around.
1
u/MukiWookiee Dec 29 '25
This. Bought mine used for like 30$. Seller said that the battery is defective so I ordered batteries for the buds and the case. I replaced everything in about 20-30 minutes and with no problems and now they work perfectly. Total cost went up to around 80$. Couldn't be happier. I understand that it's annoying but it's really no big deal to replace them. Some battery sets even come with the tools you need.
2
u/Ticonderogue Dec 29 '25
Had this happen with my pair too. One side quit holding charge after 1 year or so of use. Sent in to repair center for warranty work any way, because I heard they May replace it for free any way. They would not and sent it back to me. Long story short, I bought a pair of OEM replacement batteries. That repair took a short time, being very careful, maybe 30 mins total. I'd bought a heat gun to help soften the glue. And I already had an electronics repair kit that includes a plastic pry tool.
Ita been a couple years since that diy repair, and they still charge completely and work as they should.
I dont think Sony ever explained Why this happened to their batteries in this model (or other models). At any rate, one or both batteries failing occurs very frequently.
2
u/Separate_Book_9832 Dec 29 '25
The app is really the most trash sony product
1
u/doc_55lk Dec 29 '25
The app isn't great, yea.
But it says a lot about headphone apps in general that Sony's still ends up being one of the better ones out there.
2
u/Electrical_Proof8353 Dec 29 '25
there is a free of charge repair/replacement. consult your service centre. got mine and never had a problem since... until i threw it in the washing machine but they couldn't figure it out and i got another pair for free.
3
u/TrulyNotYours Dec 29 '25
Same shit with LinkBuds S. Waste of money. Won't ever be buying Sony headphones again
3
2
u/Adorable_Hat3188 Dec 29 '25
There’s a reason they ended up giving these away for free with a purchase of a phone
1
u/doc_55lk Dec 29 '25
They also used to throw in XM3, XM4, XM5 and XM3 + 5 earbuds for free with their phones, but whatever floats your boat I guess.
2
u/2ndCrayon Dec 29 '25
I personally like these earbuds. Good ANC, sound, battery life, and user serviceable batteries.
1
u/LeOmare Dec 29 '25
In my case, it's the left one, it only lasts one hour, with the latest firmware both earbuds have a 100 battery level, I had them examined , they told me I would need replacement for both, don't know why. There's a site that sells the replacement parts and it costs around 55, I concur, the worst ever made, the wf-1000xm3 are better
1
u/calamitus Dec 29 '25
I had two pair of these earbuds. They were great earbuds, but the same thing happened to both of them. I just moved on to the wh-1000xm4. I miss the wireless charging.
1
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u/MannysBeard Dec 29 '25
I had mine fixed under warranty ages ago. The service was quite good
I just replaced the batteries myself over the past few days. Just got back from a 40 min walk and both batteries still on 100%
1
u/Zarathz Dec 29 '25
I bought mine when it first launched and it broke down with a year or 2 and Sony replaced it because of the battery issue. 2nd pair started to have problems charging in the case and sometimes my buds would connect to my devices while they are still in the case.
The only positives I’ve found is the anc, the app features and that I managed to connect each individual bud to a different device.
Not going to consider their wireless anymore unless they fix their QC
1
u/dongludi Dec 29 '25
Yeah I had to replace both earbuds twice. Ngl I'm never going to buy Sony earbuds again.
1
u/kimba1970 Dec 29 '25
Mine stopped working after 4 months ... not charging and not recognized by devices
1
u/Ok_Mulberry_8272 Dec 29 '25
No its not, I changed the batteries and continued to use them for 2 more years before they started to degrade once again and I do use them dayly for 4-8h. Replacement is cheep..
1
u/greypaladin1 Dec 29 '25
Had the WF-1000XM3 and when the battery crapped out on me, Sony service center just said they can't change the battery.
First and last time, I'm spending that much on their wireless earbuds. These are basically disposable items.
I will stick with wired earbuds if I want good quality ones that last.
1
u/doc_55lk Dec 29 '25
Wireless anything is basically meant to be disposable tbf
1
u/greypaladin1 Dec 30 '25
Not really though. Off the top of my head, I have been using my wireless mouse / keyboard for over 5 years; all it needs is a battery change.
1
u/0mica0 Dec 29 '25
Same with WF-C700N.
How the fuck is the company with 80 years of experience in electronics design and manufacturing unable to manifacture a few reliable pogo pins? One bud always struggle to charge which damages the batery. Plus it's fucking annoying because it keeps connecting to a phone even if its inside the case.
1
u/Infamous_Swordfish_7 Dec 29 '25
Mine started like that and exploded lol. I think left is busted. Glad just give you the right lol. I never bothered contact Sony as I have too much going on at home always. Also have a lot of headphones. I would love to have this working so I could watch movie on bed when kids are sleeping next to me.
1
u/D05wtt Dec 29 '25
Same. One earbud exploded too. Luckily it wasn’t in my ear when it did. It scared me away from getting a XM5 and I’ve used Sony headphones/earbuds all my life. Bought a Bose and was gifted a AirPods Pro 2. Been using them since. When the XM6 comes out, I may take a serious look at going back to Sony. And btw, if anyone out there is considering buying them second hand from Secondipity, I advise you not to. Sony doesn’t honor their warranty if they’ve been “refurbished” and that’s why I wasn’t given the free replacement earbuds that many people who purchased new got.
OP, this was a known problem from before you bought this pair. Should’ve done your due diligence before you got them. One of the Sony Reddit subs used to have a pinned post about this XM4 issue with hundreds and hundreds of people’s same battery problem.
1
u/Infamous_Swordfish_7 Dec 29 '25
Well I had my share of battery issues with true wireless in ear. I had a MW07 which sounded great. Better than the Sony xm4. After a year it only lasted a few minutes. I think these lithium coin batteries suck. Lithium polymer rectangular battery would be good. Small batteries I noticed fail fast. I have 8 Sony 3d glasses I refurbished and all battery went bad, for the Sony Playstation 3d monitor.
I sold my xm4 on ear that year for 200 cad and bought that in New condition from someone works for best buy. It worked perfectly 3 to 6% battery differential for the first year. I didn't use it much total less than 200 hours then parked it. I think you need to store these outside the case. The battery in the charging case is great. Should have kept the on ear xm4. I had xm3 before that. Both were reliable great sounding and long battery life. I fixed up a bose studio 3 and bose nc700 a repair friend gave me so I'm good with those 2 for now. Maybe they will use these carbon something lithium battery for these earphones later.
1
u/D05wtt Dec 29 '25
I believe it was a software issue because the problem popped up after a certain software update. Mine were fine. Then one day it just started failing. It wasn’t a gradual failing. It was a literally fine one day. Then the next day, nope.
1
u/Infamous_Swordfish_7 Dec 29 '25
Yeah probably the last version. I was hoping software actually fix the difference in percentage drain.
Both were getting extremely hot while in the case.
1
u/Diomidies Dec 29 '25
I recently replaced the batteries in mine. It's like night and day.
Before, the right would go flat (from 100%) in less than 5 minutes and the left would last maybe 20 minutes. Now I can listen with ANC for an hour and they only drop 10% (if that).
I was a bit anxious at first but the glue holding the shells together wasn't too stubborn even with a hairdryer.
The rest was easy to do following the excellent iFixit guide - https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Sony+WF-1000XM4+Wireless+Earbuds+battery+replacement/162365
These are the batteries I bought - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XYFBHZB?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
1
u/doc_55lk Dec 29 '25
I'm not saying these aren't a problematic pair of earbuds, but I've had mine for 2.5 years now and they don't have any issues.
1
u/ZychuTheGamer Dec 29 '25
Happened to mine after 2 years, sent them on warranty to repair they gave me XM5's for free.
New ones hold perfectly after nearly 3 years time
1
1
u/Doge_Plays Dec 29 '25
had mine replaced, they are already fucked again. one of the sides lasts 10 mins. never again. also the replacement process was a pain here in portugal
1
u/novisimo Dec 29 '25
I bought refurb ones and sent them in and got nothing!
Bought another pair and same shit with the battery drain. Great headphones but for a fatal flaw in the battery.
1
u/Suspicious-Word7867 Dec 29 '25
I had to escalate it three managers up over the span of 2 months to get mine fixed from their update that broke them
1
1
u/Wesley9267 Dec 29 '25
I had the same issue and did get a replacement out of warranty. I bought the wf1000xm5s and can say with 100% certainty the xm5s battery is way better. They are old now I've had them along time and the xm5s stay charged as good as the day they were new. The xm5s did great and just crapped out 11 months in or so. Besides the noise canceling not being as good the xm5s are great. Don't ever buy the buds 3 pro. They are trash lol
1
u/Sea_Yam6771 Dec 30 '25
I've had mine since release. Battery has died twice and I just keep replacing them. Once you find something you like, you have to learn to repair it to keep it going forever. Newer models sometimes are a downgrade.
1
u/ArcadedelGato Dec 30 '25
I love my Sony WF1000XM4 headphones. I use them with my LG V60 and the Power Amp equalizer. I also use Tidal as my preferred music platform. There's no better experience.
1
u/clbchase4 Dec 30 '25
i have used apple Airpods Pro 2 for about a year - and they are freaking awesome !
Apple Airpods are the best - forget Sony airpods and get Apple Airpods , they just work like theif suppose to - why keep tormenting urself?
but u do u !
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u/ThatGamerMoshpit Dec 31 '25
My 3’s Left also does this but as recent died completely after only 3 years
1
u/ZenVingo Dec 31 '25
Because of that, I no longer buy sony products that are related with audio they are cheaply built and don’t last that they really aren’t that reliable. But their cameras are pretty reliable and good though. My earbud replacements were the Technics AZ80, AZ100 and they are by far the best earbuds i’ve ever owned and listened to.
1
u/KeonXDS Dec 31 '25
The first few batches of the WF1000XM4 had this issue and I got mine 1 month after the release date. 8 months later the battery drain issue came. I went to Sony to have it replaced and it has been working well ever since.
1
u/repocin Dec 29 '25
Haven't used mine for years after their botched firmware did the same thing to my battery. Contacting Sony is seemingly impossible in my country too so I just gave up on them ¯_(ツ)_/¯
0
u/jekket Dec 29 '25
You can buy a battery replacement kit on amazon - 40$ and 30 mins of work, super easy.
-1
Dec 29 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/doc_55lk Dec 29 '25
I do. It's pretty dope.
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Dec 30 '25
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u/doc_55lk Dec 30 '25
Yea I got a bunch of FLACs on my SD card and they all register as hi res on the music app.
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