WCWicked Cushions Extra Thick Earpads for Sony WH1000XM4 Headphones - Soft PU Leather Cushions, Luxurious Noise Isolating Memory Foam, Added Thickness Without Disabling On/Off Sensor | Black

In search of a functional but budget-conscious alternative to the $50 OEM Sony XM4 replacement pads, I researched five different options and landed on these. The biggest concern I had for any non-OEM pads was whether the ANC would be compromised.After installing the WC Wicked Cushions, I can confidently say the noise isolation is just as good, if not better, than the worn out originals. The added thickness not only improves comfort for long listening sessions but also helps create a solid seal, keeping external noise at bay. I can't really speak to how these pads would compare to brand new OEM pads but compared to the old ones they replaced, it is a noticeable improvement on all fronts.Fit & Installation:The installation process was straightforward and took just a seconds once you figure out the leverage points. They snapped into place securely, and most importantly, the on/off sensor still works perfectly, a common issue with other third-party pads.Comfort:These pads are a dream. The extra-thick memory foam makes a noticeable difference, especially for longer listening sessions. My ears no longer feel fatigued after hours of use, and they don’t get as warm as I expected, which is a nice bonus. Now, my head is on the smaller side and with the original pads, the headphones would sometimes slide off in certain positions. This is partially why I landed on these thicker pads to begin with so YMMV on comfort.Build Quality:The PU leather feels similar to the original, soft yet durable. I’ve had them for a few weeks now, and there’s no sign of wear or peeling.Final Verdict:For less than half the price of Sony’s OEM pads, these deliver equal (if not better) performance in comfort, durability, and noise isolation when compared side-by-side to the replaced pads. If you are concerned about ANC loss like I was, you might be happy to find that the ANC was actually better with these pads than the originals. Happy with everything else as well.

After using these replacement earpads daily for a month, I can confidently say they're a worthwhile upgrade from the original Sony pads. The extra thickness makes a noticeable difference in comfort during extended listening sessions.Key improvements:The thicker memory foam provides substantially more cushioning than the stock earpads. Most importantly, my ears no longer touch the inner cup, which was occasionally an issue with the original pads during long wear. This alone makes them worth the investment for anyone who uses their WH1000XM4s for hours at a time.The PU leather feels premium and soft against the skin. The beige color looks great and matches the original earpads.Performance notes:Noise cancelling performance appears to be maintained at the same level as the originals - no degradation that I can detect in daily use. I haven't had the chance to test them on a flight yet, but for home and office use, the ANC works exactly as expected.The on/off sensor continues to function perfectly, which was one of my main concerns before purchasing.Bottom line:These are an excellent upgrade for anyone finding the original Sony earpads insufficient for long listening sessions or if they have degraded over time like mine did. The added comfort is immediately noticeable, and the quality feels solid after a month of daily use. Highly recommended for WH1000XM4 owners looking to maximize their headphone comfort!

Great product, installation was super easy especially following the instruction video. The earpads feel great, a lot better than the OEMs, much bigger/thicker, way more comfortable. Noise cancelling and remove detection not affected at all. 10/10 product, 100% recommend.

Comfortable fit. Made the Sony XM4 headphones ear cups much deeper so ears didn't touch the inside of the ear cups. However, the noise cancellation was significantly reduced. Also, the clamp force was increased due to the thickness of the pads. Ended up returning these and the Sony XM4s in exchange for the Bose QC Ultra because of their roomier ear cups.

My old XM4's are perfectly fine except the earpads are beat up after years of use. I have XM5's as my main headset but I still use my XM4's often. I got tired of the nasty earpads and ordered these. I was just hoping that they didn't mess with noise cancellation. They don't, they improve it. I have misophonia so I'm very sensitive to noise. With the previous pads, my white noise machine would still be a little noticeable. With these pads I've really got to strain to hear them.They are so much more comfortable than the stock earpads. Padding feels better. They are soft but they feel a little more supportive than the stock pads. The PU leather is really soft but still feels a bit thicker so probably more durability. They also have PU on the inner edge, not that super flimsy PU leather most headphone makers put inside the stitched area which always fails first.And that extra depth is amazing. It's so nice to have my ears freely inside without being pressed by the mesh.Installation is ridiculously easy. There is also a video on Youtube so it was good to see it in action. The original pads pop out much easier than I expected and as long as you line them up right, the new ones clip in the very little effort. I in initially had the right pad upside down and of course it won't even start to clip like that. You can also tell it's upside down on the bottom edge because it doesn't the bottom edge doesn't fit in right. Once turned around no problem. It's my own fault for skimming the instructions because they tell you to note the top and bottom clip differences.The earpads on my XM5's will probably also need to be replaced in the next few months and I'm definitely going to be getting these. In fact I'll probably get them sooner just for the comfort.