FOR THE MONEY these are absolutely the best headphones on the market. Bowers and Sonos sound a little better and look more premium, but they cost more too, and actually for the casual listener, the difference in sound is almost none... The sound of Sony is very well thought of and playful, very enjoying and not demanding. Just perfect for the audience that it addresses. BUT the feel and appearance is less premium than the M4 version, more plastic. So it became a more utilitarian item, which is also ok because you don't cry if you bump them somewhere or drop them... :) It's a perfect product for those who enjoy a lively sound, top of the line ANC and other usable features and don't want to stand out and shout around how fancy they wanna be... :) In the consumer headphones market, it is really just an illusion that you are fancy if you have a Bowers. The fancy headphones start above 1k and are wired....