Sony Launches WH-1000XM4C at $299, Expands Headphone Lineup with Budget Options

Sony has returned to a beloved design, refreshing its XM4 headphone line as the WH-1000XM4C and offering it at $299 — a price calibrated to occupy the meaningful middle distance between luxury and compromise. The move is less about invention than about stewardship: updating proven technology with Bluetooth 6.0 and a retuned sound profile while simultaneously broadening the portfolio with two more affordable models. In a market where noise-cancellation has shifted from privilege to expectation, Sony is betting that familiarity, incremental improvement, and tiered pricing can hold ground against