How to Spot Fake Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones (Update)

We know fake Sony WH-1000XM5 headsets exist, but there was no evidence any fake WH-1000XM4 headsets existing, until now. A reddit user posted a thread with some photos of the fakes from a foreign marketplace.

I decided to check up some other marketplaces like Aliexpress and DHgate, and it was not a surprise that WH-1000XM4 fakes were being sold on these sites as well. While I have not seen any fakes on western sites, I feel it is only a matter of time.

Time to examine the fakes and compare them to the real thing. Starting off with the retail packaging.

 Some issues are pretty obvious, but you will have to look closely to catch the smaller differences.

1. The headset design is similar but there are differences, like the logo which is very wrong.
2. The NC logo in the right bottom corner is wrong. It uses incorrect font and colours.
3. The WH-1000XM4 logo is too high up and the font is wrong, the 1 in WH-1000XM4 should not have a line at the bottom.
4. The various logos in the bottom left are incorrect:
1. The Hi-Res logo should be Hi-Res Audio Wireless
2. The Bluetooth logo is the wrong shape
3. The 30 h font is incorrect
4. The 360 RA logo has the wrong colours

Here is a photo of a real retail box. There might be extra stickers, like logos from Tech sites with a review rating.

Source: Ebay

 Turning to the back of the box, again lots of issues here.

1. The top 3 photos are wrong and do not match the real box.
   
2. The text here has a few spelling mistakes (ex. DSEE Extremo) and incorrect formatting.
3. Incorrect logos and wrong font on Sense Engine and LDAC, and DSEE Extreme logo missing.
   
4. The right side feature list is completely different and has wrong photos for the functions.
   
5. No colour code in bottom right.
6. No model number in bottom left.

Here is the real box for comparison. Mind you retail boxes will vary from region to region, but the basic design of the retail packaging should not change.

Source: reddit

In certain fakes, the text on the box may look pixelated and certain logos can look blurry. The real packaging will be covered by plastic film and it should be tight against the box. Of course unless it is a used unit, then there will be no plastic film.

Looking at the side of the fake, we can see an M4 and Sony logo. The funny text is the model M4. no idea who came up with this.

Here are the sides of the real retail packaging. We can see that one side is closed in, with just the Sony logo horizontally. While the other side is exposed with the black sleeve visible, which contains the headset.

Source: User photo from QVC.com review

Source: Lesterchan.net blog

Disclaimer: Some scammer can and will use a real retail box and fill it with either dead weight or in certain cases the knockoff headsets. So if a price is too good to be true, it usually is. But if you really need to buy something, use a payment method with fraud protection in case you receive a dud.

Turning to the actual headset itself now, there are many issues which are pretty evident upon on initial inspection. I will go over most of the major discrepancies but not all angles were provided in the online listings. 

First, the headset ships in a cheap plastic holder, and there is no black sleeve like the real model. No carrying case ships with headset, only a usb and 3.5mm cables are provided.

Second, there are some obvious issue with the design and look of certain parts:

1. The Sony logo is very wrong and has a border around it.
2. The feedforward NC mic mesh is just plastic, with no holes it.
3. The headband does not taper into the arch like in the real model (see top right).

Next, if we look closer at the cup support, the design on the end is closer to the WH-1000XM3 rather than WH-1000XM4. So if you ever ask a seller for photos and they claim it is a WH-1000XM4, look at this area to see the design to confirm it is correct.

Flipping the headset over, we can see the ear pads. The design is wrong and we can see L and R on the inside mesh, which is absent in the real model. Another feature missing is the proximity sensor on the left side.

When we look at the real ear WH-1000XM4 cushions, there is an obvious difference, no visible seams. No doubt the real ones are of much better quality and will last longer.

The fake model does have the ability to fold up as well, but when compared to the real headset, it seems as if the space under the headband is bigger.

Whether the fake headset could fit into the original case is unknown but there was a listing where the seller was throwing in the original case with the fake to sweeten the deal, so perhaps it fits.

Another design difference is the headband support.

The real model has a crease in the middle of the support, where as the fake (left) has it closer to the edge. Next, the real model has no screws in the support, but there are 2 screws near the top in the fake.

Comparing the buttons, we can see a pretty obvious difference. The real WH-1000XM4 has no volume button, as the volume is controlled via the touch panel.

I cannot find a photo showing the USB port, so I am am not sure if it is USB type C or micro-USB.

Translating some of the listings, a good majority list the fakes as "replicas", so it is obvious that they are fake. But there were a few posts where the sellers were listing the fakes as "new and sealed". So such listings are obvious scams. One listing did state that the fakes were bought off a Chinese marketplace, so perhaps the user was scammed themselves.

The sellers mention that there is no noise cancellation or touch panel, and that they sound like ordinary cheap headphones. These are definitely coming from a chinese source.

As with most things, if a price is too good to be true, it probably is. If in doubt, ask the seller to provide photos of the box and headset. Likewise stay away from shady marketplaces and as I mentioned earlier, use a payment method which includes fraud protection in case you do get scammed. 

If anyone finds any other listings with photos of the USB port or better quality photos, drop the links in the comments.

Update October 21 2024

There is a listing on Alibaba from this thread on Reddit, which shows some fakes in a video and marketed the PM-M6. Clearly these are knock off WH-1000XM4s. Below is a video from the listing.

In addition, there are some more photos as well. These shows a mic mesh hole on the side which is absent in some of the other fakes. The fact that anyone can just order a buy of fakes and then try to pass them off as real is the reality we live in. If ordering off Ebay, make sure they headset is not coming from China, and that the listing includes real life photos. Likewise, a price too good to be true, also should throw up red flags.

Looking at that company's storefront, they seem to have fakes WH-CH520s as well, so will be making a post for those as well soon.

Source: Aliexpress | DHgate | Avito