Sony has apparently decided that six years is long enough to wait before bringing back a headphone everyone already knows.

The company has revived its beloved WH-1000XM4 wireless noise-canceling headphones as the WH-1000XM4C, or what Sony is calling the “M4 2nd Gen.” And honestly, the naming makes the situation almost too easy: the “C” must stand for comeback.

The original WH-1000XM4 launched in 2020 and became one of Sony’s most successful premium wireless headphones, earning a reputation for excellent noise cancellation, strong sound quality, comfortable design, and—perhaps most importantly—a folding design that made them unusually convenient for travel. Sony discontinued the model in 2025, but apparently decided that retirement was a little premature.

So here we are in 2026, with the XM4 back from the dead.

Meet the XM4C, because apparently the XM4 wasn’t finished yet

The WH-1000XM4C looks remarkably familiar. In fact, “refreshed” may be doing a lot of work here.

Sony has retained the same compact, folding design that made the original XM4 so easy to throw into a bag. The headphones also continue to use Sony’s QN1 noise-canceling processor and four microphones for active noise cancellation. That hardware is considerably less ambitious than what Sony is putting into its newer flagship models—the XM5 used eight microphones, while the XM6 moved to 12 microphones and a newer QN3 processor—but Sony clearly isn’t trying to turn the XM4C into an XM6 in disguise.

Instead, Sony is leaning into what made the XM4 popular in the first place: a proven design, strong noise cancellation, premium sound, and a relatively compact form factor.

There is one obvious visual addition, though. Alongside Black and Platinum Silver, the XM4C will also be available in Lavender. Because if you’re going to resurrect a six-year-old headphone, it might as well get a new color.

The more meaningful changes are happening inside.

Sony has retuned the sound profile for what it describes as today’s listening preferences and upgraded the equalizer from the original model’s five bands to a 10-band EQ. There’s also a gaming preset for people who would rather spend their time listening to virtual footsteps than airplane engines. Bluetooth connectivity has also moved from Bluetooth 5 to Bluetooth 6.

The XM4C retains support for features such as multipoint connectivity, Fast Pair and Swift Pair, along with Sony’s broader ecosystem of smart headphone features. Sony also says the headphones include adjustable maximum-volume controls and AI-assisted noise reduction for calls.

There is, however, one slightly amusing step backward.

The original XM4 was rated for up to 30 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation enabled. The XM4C is rated for up to 27 hours with ANC on, according to Sony’s specifications reported by The Verge. That’s hardly disastrous—27 hours is still plenty for a long-haul flight and then some—but it is an unusual thing to see on a “2nd Gen” product.

The price is lower than the original, but there’s a catch

Sony is positioning the WH-1000XM4C below its current flagship.

The XM4C will launch in the U.S. for $299.99, which is $50 less than the original XM4’s $349.99 launch price. It is also $100 below the current $399.99 XM6’s list price. Sony says the XM4C will arrive this fall through Sony, Amazon, Best Buy and other authorized retailers, with the Lavender version exclusive to Sony and Amazon.

That sounds pretty reasonable until you remember the slightly awkward reality of headphone pricing: older Sony models tend to get heavily discounted.

The Verge notes that the XM5 has recently been available for around $200, putting it in a rather uncomfortable position against a brand-new $300 XM4C. The XM5 may not fold as compactly, but it’s still a newer design and remains a very capable pair of headphones.

That makes the XM4C an interesting proposition. Sony isn’t necessarily selling it as the most technologically advanced headphone in its lineup. Instead, it’s selling the idea that sometimes the old design was already good enough—and that consumers who preferred the XM4’s folding construction have a reason to come back.

And, well, apparently Sony has come back too.

Sony is refreshing the cheaper headphones, too

The XM4C isn’t arriving alone.

Sony is also introducing the WH-CH730N, a midrange wireless noise-canceling model priced at $179.99, and the WH-CH530, an entry-level wireless model priced at $69.99. Both are available in multiple colors and bring several upgrades of their own.

The WH-CH730N gets a new lightweight, foldable design, improved call quality and up to 50 hours of battery life with ANC enabled. It also includes a 10-band EQ, a gaming preset, multipoint connectivity, LE Audio support and Sony’s Precise Voice Pickup technology with AI noise reduction.

The cheaper WH-CH530 skips active noise cancellation but stretches battery life to up to 55 hours. It also gets customizable EQ settings, AI noise reduction for calls, quick charging and a five-step maximum-volume control.

And because Sony apparently decided that headphone colors needed their own product launch subplot, the CH530 comes in six colors, including Cobalt, Coral and Mint.

Then there’s Hello Kitty

If reviving a six-year-old headphone wasn’t enough nostalgia for one announcement, Sony also has a Hello Kitty collaboration in the works.

Limited-edition bundles will pair selected Sony headphones—including the WH-1000XM6, WH-CH730N and WH-CH530—with Hello Kitty-themed accessories. The bundles are expected to arrive later this year in limited quantities through Sony’s website.

So Sony’s September headphone refresh somehow manages to combine a resurrected 2020 flagship, new midrange and entry-level models, and Hello Kitty.

That’s quite a lineup.

For the XM4C, though, the real story is much simpler. Sony found a headphone that people still liked, gave it a new tuning, a deeper EQ, newer Bluetooth connectivity and a fresh color, then brought it back at a lower launch price.

It isn’t exactly a revolution.

But maybe that’s the point.

After years of increasingly complicated headphone designs, Sony is betting that there is still room for a familiar pair that simply gets the fundamentals right. The WH-1000XM4 was good enough to remain popular long after its successor arrived, and Sony clearly believes that reputation is worth another shot.

Six years later, the XM4 is back.

And yes, “C” absolutely means comeback.