SCREECHING NOISE - SONY WH-1000XM4 - Can I FIX them?

Hi, in this 'Tea Break Fix' video I attempt to fix 2 sets of SONY WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones that make a high pitched screeching sound. These are expensive well loved headphones, but unfortunately they have developed a fault. They were part of an Amazon returns package and both pairs have the same issue. Are they fixable? Let's find out.
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Remember that this is just for entertainment and I am not an expert in these repairs. The processes in the video may not be the best way, the correct way or the safest way to fix these things. I do love fault finding and trying to fix broken things, so I hope that comes across in this 'Trying to FIX' series. Many thanks, Vince.

[@gendragongfly]

The whining/screeching sound is definitely the microphone causing feedback (an amplification loop). This happens at the resonant frequency of the microphone and is caused by sound from the speaker being picked up by the microphone, this signal gets passed trough the amplifier, into to speaker and then back to the microphone, creating a loop. This is a common design issue in noise cancellation applications because the microphone needs to be very close to the speaker in order for cancellation of high frequencies to work. The headphone probably has a digital filter to prevent this feedback from happening under normal circumstances. The likely cause for this feedback issue would then be a change in the resonant frequency of the microphone, probably because the dust cover on the microphone was so dirty it blocked much of the sound from reaching the diaphragm, this effectively lowers the resonant frequency. If the lower frequency fall outside of the filter range, then the filter doesn't work and the feedback comes trough. If this is the cause of the issue, cleaning the dust covers should be a decent solution and otherwise removing them will likely prevent the problem from reoccurring.

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks for the detailed explanation gendragonfly👌👍👍👍

[@billbliss7407]

As somebody who has worn hearing aids for years, amp loop is exactly what I was thinking when I heard your demonstration. Especially on older hearing aids, any time you would get something too close to the mic you'd get that same screeching. When I saw all the dirt build up on the dust covers, I was sure cleaning them would be the ultimate solution. Love your videos, and thanks for sharing them!

[@SardiPax]

The resonant frequency is what sets the pitch of the feedback tone, but the issue itself is probably caused by issues with the filtering which relies on phase delays. The noise cancellation is all about detecting sound then adding it back to the main signal but 180' out of phase in order to cancel it. I guess if the circuit setup is very finely balanced and with limited self correction/calibration, dirt build-up on the plate of the microphone (the bit that vibrates) might affect the performance to the point it is no longer correctly 'tuned' for the circuit.

[@Annies_E_P]

Yep... I was going to say all that, so thanx gendragonfly for te detailed explanation. The cancellation is a VERY delicate balancing act and the microphone acoustics are critical (swapping in a random replacement is not really an option)... There might be clever software algorithms to dynamically match the mic to the ambient conditions... but everything is made to a price so it'll probably just expect the mic to behave as expected; & tough if it doesn't.

[@JohnnyOrgan]

What an amazing reply and definitely an idea he could follow up on and verify for unfortunate users in a future video. And best of all - It's either free if removing the filter solves it, or if cleaning the filters every few months stops the problem, most users won't be out of money (apart from a basic cleaning product that will last for years on it's own).

[@dannydee2668]

I tried most of the basic stuff in the video and it still happened on mine, I did solve the problem by sticking a piece of electrical tape between the mic wires which keeps them apart and this for the moment has solved the issue

[@abrorr]

Are they still working fine?

[@revit4909]

nice if mine does it again ill use liquid electric tape

[@Robbie-mw5uu]

I solved the issue with kapton tape.

[@TheCedric3d]

Hello. Could you be more specific please? what did you do exactly? I still have the issue and don't know what to do... thanks...

[@zirahuenduran6457]

Bro you found gold the probñem is caused for the elctrostatic between the soldier points, i put a point of hot silicone and atill working

[@aliakseimakaranka4681]

The headphone was whistling, I took it apart, unstuck the black thing from the microphone, cleaned the microphone with a cotton swab and alcohol, from above, without getting it wet. Cleaned the black thing. Brushed off all the dirt. Everything worked, thanks for the video.

[@Ed_Stuckey]

Those are electret microphones. They are polarity-sensitive. A bias voltage is applied to the 'hot' terminal (relative to the shield) to power the FET inside the microphone capsule. You wired them correctly on the first try.

[@ilSySTeMli]

I was Just going to comment on how lucky he is that the polarity was right (Casing usually NEGATIVE) .

[@coolelectronics1759]

kinda like whats inside my old tan western electric push button telephone?

[@kiphakes]

2:15 I *think* I'm correct in saying that the microphone quality is important, because I believe how the noise cancellation works is that the microphone 'hears' the noises around you, and then that sound wave is inverted, and then played back to you through the headphones in real time (ish) and this effectively cancels out the 'noise'. So if you have a rubbish microphone, it's not fully hearing the full range of 'noise', and therefore not cancelling it. As I say, I *think* that's how it works - I may be over simplifying it (or completely wrong!)

[@TheBobsalamander]

That's exactly what they taught us in A-Level Physics :)

[@MrJuanzaz]

Yes, it is the technology that is applied to some stealth helicopters. that shoot sound to cancel the sound of the elices

[@michaelthomas3646]

not too far off Kip, cheap microphones don't have the same frequency range of more expensive microphones/higher quality microphones, and the built-in amplifier listens to the sound sent through the earphones via the splashback of the microphone pickup, but because they were blocked, then it stopped the microphones from picking up signal in the normal direction of the micropones which is forward from the diaphram, but also increased the splashback pickup range of the microphones, and instead completed the loop for the feedback. instead of the microphones being able to pickup external sound. kind of like pointing the microphone towards a speaker in a kareoke, and one thing the dj has always got to be aware of with microphone volume, and why you always hear them do a sound check first is to set the volume level, but also the bass level, as mixing the two together then you don't need the volume so high if the bass is set right, as bass carries the sound a lot better than volume being close to the speakers.

[@Mymatevince]

I'm impressed Kip! Cheers buddy 👍👍👍

[@bacontilldeth]

I literally just got on my PC to look this exact issue up, and what do I see? I see my favorite KZbinr just put a video up 2 minutes ago and it was right there on my home page! Thanks Vince! I'm deaf now from the screech from my headphones, but thanks!

[@LuisHamalton]

Liar he’s not your favorite

[@Meatlove]

I will bookmark this video in case my Sony headphones were to have similar behaviour. A known good set of microphones or another permanent fix would be the best solution to this problem. Keep us posted! 👍🏻

[@yuri-0019]

OH MY GOSH!! Mines had the same issue but only on left side. Turns out the white microphone protector fell off, and that fixed it. I'm so freaking happy it was only that! I promise to protect it even more for now on.

[@6am_Doug]

Hi Vince, I actually have a set with a similar issue and I did clean them the same as you have, within a month one began to do it again, cleaned again and found the same stuff coming out. Long story short after 3 attempts a year has almost passed without an issue. I genuinely believe it’s a combination of “grease / oils from hair and also the factory flux used. A fair amount of head builds up within these and allows the leftover flux to seem to work it’s way to a corner. I’ve been told that recalibrating is required when at different altitudes as well as progressive wear from them but it’s still a shame considering the cost of them. As always, love the videos and the community we have here 👌

[@MrPhillz]

The microphone part number seem to be ROM-2235L-HD-R, there's reddit threads that have tested them and it looks good!

[@MrPhillz]

I ordered a pair from Mouser and can confirm that these resolved all of my issues.

[@kensaejao5216]

I had the same problem and tried everything without success. However, I found an easy fix. All you need to do is relocate the inner mic (the one in the middle of the speaker) to a different spot to avoid the feedback loop. The closer to the speaker, the better. I have mine hung about a quarter inch below the center. Hope this helps.

[@Doc_Fartens]

Typo in title. XM4, not WM4. EDIT: Now that I've actually watched the video, this actually helped me with an issue I was having with my older WH1000-XM3 headphones. I was hearing a hiss (not the screech you had, more like the static you used to get on untuned analogue tellies) on one side, turns out to have been hair between that same microphone and the speaker. Clear that out and good as new! Thanks Vince!

[@Mymatevince]

Good man!!! Just changed it. Thank you Ryan 👍👍👍👍

[@tschuuuls486]

Yup, this helped on my XM3s, too. It sometimes did this on one ear after long sessions.

[@Mymatevince]

Excellent 👍👍👍

[@Xyz-ff8cz]

@@tschuuuls486 Can you tell me how you replaced the black tape attached to it? Cos i need to clear the microphone but the black tape come out, can i use just normal tape?

[@tschuuuls486]

@@Xyz-ff8cz I didn't need to remove the tape in my case because the hairs were stuck to that. So sorry, I don't know which tape they use.

[@deanbuckwell7208]

The problem seems to be a feedback loop. Anyone who is into playing music will know that the difference between feedback and no feedback can be very small (Jimmy Hendrix) depending on the acoustic chamber or the distance between the instrument and the amplifier. It might be that the area where the microphone sits is set to a very tight tolerance, on the edge of feed back making them very sensitive and accurate but the slightest defect and change in that area tips it over the top. In other words a design flaw. Love the channel Vince. Thank you!

[@nickkras214]

Had a very similar issue with my Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds. It was only in the right bud and only happened if I would lay on that side or pushed in on the ear tip. Two minutes into the video I took off the ear tip, pulled out a couple dog hairs that managed their way in the hole and the noise issue was fixed. Who would have thought? You gave me enough motivation to give it a look.

[@Robbie-mw5uu]

little hairs and dust getting into electronics and causing massive malfunctions is why cleanrooms are so important for fabs and space equipment manufacturing.

[@RYTHMICRIOT]

I'm around 500 consecutive days of use on my XM4'S and this has just started. Usually, it's when I have just set them down for a few seconds. It definitely draws the attention of my dog and cat.

[@miro_trendafilov]

Hey Vince, I watched this video when it came out and I also watched it today in preparation to clean my headphones because yesterday the ANC started acting up (no screeching noise, but the sound in the left cup was different and it sounded exactly like the noise it makes before it starts screeching) and I opened them up and cleaned them, using your video as a guide! The headphones definitely needed a clean and now they work as new! Thank you so much once more for the great video!!!

[@dazzypops]

Sounded like the Soup Dragon. After seeing a few reviews of the XM4's, I stuck with my XM3's, never had any issue with them, the ANC blocks the noise of airplane engines very well and anything quieter is straight up blocked. Very impressive.

[@leonardocgomide9488]

wow, had the same problem with my pair of wh100xm4's hadn't used them for over a year because of the issue, and I had gotten some noise cancelling earbuds (galaxy buds 2 pro) that were pretty good, but nothing compared to the headphone. I cleaned it and nothing, was about to look into new ones, but someone in the comments commented about recalibrating, I did it and it worked perfectly, thanks for the video

[@terencemartin1345]

Great job Vince love watching you take apart things and fixing them ( sometimes) keep up the good work

[@TylerDurden-pk5km]

Why would you use a noise cancelling microphone (a microphone that will filter out noise) - if you want to record noise to perform active noise cancellation?

[@alejandrollanos2061]

Thanks a lot Vince!. Not only you helped me to avoid a new purchase, but also in reducing the amount of e-waste generated.

[@mr_spacedout713]

Enjoying the red mat! Looks like a nice color.

[@luisb7107]

I got me these headphones when I got my first "paycheck" from the company I wrote my bachelor's thesis at, to get me something nice. Never regretted it and it's just necessary now to have a relaxing train ride

[@thisisinteresting7726]

You literary safe me $70 man) Thank you very much! I just took forceps and removed all the hair in the left ear, one of them even was on the microphone. Blew up a couple of times and cleaned up the hair and all is ok now. PS: In service center in Ukraine, change the pair of the microphones cost $70.

[@quincee3376]

Thanks so much. Mine started doing this about 10 days ago. Like your video, there seems to be a lot of vids regarding this problem (flaw) with these Sony's .

[@RandomTorok]

Will have to book mark this video somehow. A few years back my wife bought be a pair of these headphones for Christmas and I love them.

[@stevek6425]

Keep the red mat, ditch the yellow. Everybody has the blue, including me. Excellent video as always. TY

[@slaynnyt8130]

My Mate you just saved my XM4s. I got mine some 4 years ago and it worked fine until around 4 months ago when this deafening noise started popping up, and even when it didn't pop, the sound from noise cancelling was sounding really off. I had completely given up using noise cancelling, and everyone at work looked at me with a "what the freaking hell is that screeching sound" face whenever I turned it on before switching noise cancelling off lol 😂 I tried cleaning the mic cover like you suggested and the problem immediately went away and it went back to sounding pretty much the same as when it was brand new. I'll keep using it for next few days to see if it comes back and post an update. Thanks a lot!!!

[@iidfjnvaepijvnpn]

how they holding up?

[@slaynnyt8130]

@iidfjnvaepijvnpn hey, so its been some 3 months since I cleaned them and so far still working like when it was brand new! I use them about 6 hours every day

[@davidsmith-ih2kk]

I have a pair of these headphones, Vince, and so far no screeching noise, but at least you have shown me how simple they are to pull apart. Also I have to say, seeing the guts of the machine, why are they so expensive they look exactly like any other cheap pair of headphones. I guess it's the Sony name. But I digress my grandson has a pair of cheap headphones which refuse to work so I am more confident I can pull those apart after watching your video. Also, I did not pay anywhere near 250 pounds for mine, which was just pure luck between me and the op shop. Love the video. It's always nice to watch your fix it videos. Vince, a sheer pleasure to watch. One last comment you'd think at 250 pounds plus you'd expect a pair of headphones that would last a very long time and not come with inbuilt faults.

[@ditre49]

Thank you for your video. It fixed my problem doing deal cleaning with alcohol dip and cotton swap on the original microphones. The first two days it was better but with little noise in the background. After 3-4 days they were good as new!!!

[@Jdbye]

The headphones are most likely tuned and calibrated for those particular microphones, since for the noise cancelling to be effective the signal used to generate the (reverse) noise cancelling sound must match the actual sound as closely as possible. So it was never going to be as simple as just swapping out the microphones, even if you found the exact same microphones they would not be 100% identical due to minor variances, you would still lose at least some of the noise cancelling effect.

[@InvertedProphet]

Cool video. Love the red mat. You reminded me that I have a set of headphones I have been meaning to fix. Typical though life gets in the way and things get forgotten. Left driver is completely dead.

[@SaccoBelmonte]

The mics they used must definitely be part of the equation because the system as a whole is being calibrated with them. You could potentially recalibrate with other mics but for that you probably need some sort of development kit + expensive tools.

[@MayaPosch]

Yeah, the configuration is stored in the DSP chip that's on the main PCB. It fits the characteristics of the used microphones and speakers, so using random mics is not going to work. With the XM4s I believe it also uses a proprietary Sony DSP, so you won't be able to just get tools to recalibrate either.

[@DeadKoby]

My thoughts exactly. A replacement mic would need an equal output and response curve to work properly.

[@damarioYT]

Imagine listening to sleep music like rain outside and it starts screaming in your ear lol!

[@EsotericArctos]

Sony most likely do make their own microphones. these little microphone inserts are definitely polarised, as they contant a little electronic circuit inside them, usually a small transistor type device, and often capacitors with them. Using a less sensitive microphone will affect hte sound quality, but could eliminate the feedback loop being created in the noise cancelling circuit. Overall it looks like a design flaw that is causing the original fault.

[@JohnGotts]

These headphones are excellent. I've heard of the feedback issue but fortunately I haven't experienced it yet. Really good headphones for music festivals if you need to sleep. Edit: I think cleaning was the solution. I don't use my headphones during the day when it's hot out. Also, not much hair.

[@SethLusterXR1]

Awesome video, Vince! This stuff is always fascinating!

[@coolelectronics1759]

Interesting one vince, always amazed at the content you put out. you could of hooked up the original mic to a soundcard and then hooked up a bunch of different variations from RS Components to compare against the control mic until you ruled out the closest match to avoid potentially altering the acoustic characteristics of the original transducers.

[@domramsey]

Having the correct component AND the polarity are both very important. Remember, noise cancelling is inverting the phase of the audio, so if you've already inverted it, there's a good chance it's not going to work.

[@rogerphelps9939]

It is a bit more complicated than that. The microphone output is fed into an adaptive filter that minimises the output. The idea is that minimising the output removes most of the extraneous sound

[@Madrrrrrrrrrrr]

@@rogerphelps9939 no that is not what he is saying. The positive is the small darker bit probably. Ground planes are always larger on pcb's. Also the best way to get these mics is to go to a Sony repair shop and ask or order them through them. Don't just order something from the internet without knowledge. Also noise cancelling should have a mic on the outside not only inside.

[@loversjaat]

I have same problem on my Sony WH-XB910N on the right side, I open it & just apply heat on the microphone from above with a soldering iron 2 - 3 time's & now they are working fine. Hope this works for you 🙂 Don't touch the iron with microphone upper lid, maintain a slight gap

[@sebastienflo3882]

It could be a pressure problem. I bought a set of after market hear pads for my Bose QC25 and it was making always this noise. Then I have changed for some will the foam visible by small holes as it works. The stock pad have holes. For the Bose, the pressure was important.

[@hayden25795]

I'm loving the red mat vince it's calming for me for some reason 😂

[@dekstarking]

Thanks Vince, I’ve had this issue with my xm4s for ages now and my normal routine is to immediately open the app and turn off the noise cancelling, but I’ll definitely give them a good clean!

[@madalenaferreira3018]

thats also what i do but i miss the noise cancelling

[@LetUsRepair]

@Mymatevince: Unfortunately, even in the official (but marked confidential) service manual for WH-1000XM4, the microphones are not specified beyond electret cap microphones. There are 2 on each side, 1 named FBMIC (the two you replaced) and 1 FFMIC (located inside the cover where the FBMIC is clipped to). As @gendragongfly explained very well, it's a feedback loop that is very common in these sensitive circuits. There are a bunch more components inside alongside the FFMIC, but none are stated with values or anything. There is fex a resistor marked DO NOT TOUCH resistor, can damage or render noise cancelling useless; but zero actual information... Easiest way to check if a microphone has polarity (all electret do), multimeter in continuity mode, touch one lead to the metal housing, and test both solder pads. The pad with continuity to housing, is GND 😉

[@LetUsRepair]

Just out of curiosity I checked the service manual for the previous gen (WH-1000XM3) because sometimes companies have left stuff in the previous manuals, that are now omitted/undisclosed. Guess what, there is some information at least... The microphone is an omni directional mic with an effective frequency range of 50Hz - 8000Hz. Granted it's the previous gen, so something is possibly different, but who knows. Unfortunately it doesn't say anything about dB rating. They even go so far as to state to official Sony repairers: Not supplied, when specifying the parts :|

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks for commenting and sharing your knowledge on these. It would be interesting to see if the XM3 mics are the same. If I come across XM3 headphones in the future I might solder them into the XM4s to see if they perform the same 👍👍

[@wisher21uk]

Wow great fix Vince you could of hit the nail on the head there hopefully they will stay that way 😊

[@ianari40]

By far one of the best instructional videos, you guys should do a bunch more videos on other things because you absolutely get it not a lot of it yeah just straight directions and here’s how we did it perfect fix it

[@hycron1234]

I only purchased these because my neighbors loud music etc had been driving me crazy for months. So far I haven't had any issues with these headphones. They are fantastic if you are dealing with the same issues.

[@jtland4842]

For EVERYONE who see this and has this issue, please try running the Noise Canceling optimizer. This fixed the issue for me when I tried it on a whim. You do this by holding the noise canceling button for 2 seconds. You can press the same noise canceling button once or twice to turn the headphones to transparency mode or turn the noise canceling off before putting the headphones on to stop them from screeching so you are able to run the Noise Canceling Optimizer with the headphones on your head.

[@jtland4842]

Before this I tried unplugging and replugging the battery after waiting 30 seconds but that didn't solve the issue. For me it started when I applied too much pressure to the right earcup when the headphone was on my head which caused a large buildup of pressure and I heard a weird noise. Also noise canceling works still so I don't think any hardware broke. Somehow I must have broke the noise canceling profile or something along those lines.

[@hf7188]

It makes sense that sweat and dirt affects them, if you think about it, a lot of people use these at gyms, to jog/run, or even keep them for hours on end. I don't think the screeching noise will come back that soon if used normally.

[@gregdrew874]

The button mics mounted on the driver cone can get wet/sweat/carhair/gross goo in/on them. My I replaced one on my 1000XM3's a year ago. Still flawless after daily use.

[@imnickleonard]

I like the red mat Vince, it gives really good contrast to help see things. If you are adding the red as an affiliate link, I’ll buy one.

[@luigiymario2xd]

I think now that you saw it was probably related to hair and dirt, you should pin a comment stating that it can be fixed temporarily by doing an isopropyl alcohol bath and cleanup; I'm assuming that it will still work until more hair, dust and dirt builds back up again, and also I'm assuming the screeching was because the build-up may have done some grounding to the microphone and so it creates a feedback loop causing it to screech that loudly.

[@kathleeno5174]

Love the red mat!! I do miss the blue but this makes a nice change. Thanks for the great videos and cheers from the US Pacific Northwest🙂

[@dr_ned_flanders]

Great video, Vince. Thumbs up for the red mat. I thinkt that it will be a lasting fix. Someone probably used them to go running or at the gym, hence all the disgusting sweat build up.

[@helgedell]

Feeling kind of blue seeing your new mat, but will get used to it :) Great fix, even though I did not understand why you repaced the microphones when it seemed to be a dirt issue in the first place. Got the older model called Sony MDR-ZX750BN for many years, no issues of the same kind as the XM4 yet.

[@mark-andrews]

The yellow mat is still my favourite! To my mind Omni equates to any and uni is one. The penultimate point, you made about keeping these items out of landfill, by sharing the knowledge to service or fix them. I really hope someone will share, for everyone's sake!

[@eathenalexander2836]

I know this has nothing to do with the fix but nice fade on the hair Vince. Looks good.

[@Crackshotlol]

Nice fix Vince!

[@utube20able]

Very useful video I have had noise cancelling headphones that have done that in the past I thought I crushed the head phone cup as I sleep with mine on

[@dolyharianto]

Thanks for the full tutorial. I gave the right-side microphone of my XM4 a semi bath (because I only have 80% IPA for now) and the screeching noise somehow subsides. I plan to do a full bath as soon as I get 99% IPA. The back side of the microphone has turned green and icky and the microphone cover looks wet and sticky.

[@Black_noir_mw3]

Im using mine to listen to this video right now, if you're having this problem definitely go in and slide the bar on the noise canceling feature a tick or two and it'll stop immediately, then clean them as he did in the video immediately

[@DougieAB]

You just love cleaning stuff Vince! 😅 Tissue paper, thats bog roll to the rest of us!

[@TheMatthooks]

Of course it's polarity conscious. If you get it wrong, it will be completely the wrong way round. With the noise cancelling it picks up the external sound and then applies a frequency to cancel it out. If it is the wrong way round then it will do the opposite. 180 degrees out of phase. You'd need to ensure you have the correct impedance as well.

[@lifooz2955]

Nice fix Vince, this time you got a great victory! And when it comes to the mats, just use the yellow and red one! The blue is so boring to watch now after one has seen the other colors, hehe /L

[@selachian]

I have lost so many of these headphones over the years to this problem. The previous model also suffered from similar problems. There's also sometimes some bad white noise audible on one or both sides.

[@braelinmichelus]

Considering the way active noise cancellation works; the audio between two microphones, one internal, and another external, are compared, in order to distinguish between the audio being played and ambient noise, and then the ambient noise is then inverted in phase and mixed into the audio being played, thus cancelling any ambient noise that makes it into your ears. It would make sense the system would be calibrated for a specific microphone with specific characteristics. Thus replacing the microphone would require recalibration, would most likely would require engineering equipment to do. I would guess the feedback loop is caused by the internal microphone not working correctly, thus the headphones are not properly separating ambient noise and noise being bled from whatever audio is being played back; which would be exacerbated when no audio is being played, as the only audio coming from the headphones would be the inverted audio from the internal microphone; thus, feedback loop.

[@Longplay_Games]

Love the new red mat! I'll have to be sure to comment on these to get them more engagement than the yellow mat threads :D Oh, also a really interesting fix. I own a pair of these and haven't had this issue yet, so now I have something to look for.

[@Timothycan]

Maybe try covering the solder connections with solder mask, as a build-up of moisture and dust might be conductive giving a signal feedback somehow.

[@markdjdeenix6846]

uni directional = one direction of sound signal path or Mono bi directional = two directions of sound signal Path or Stereo omli direcrional = all directions !!! so i have found over the years poling on speekers is important. IE Red to Red Black To Black at both connections Speaker and amp .if you get it wrong the speeker will drive backwards And Fart.. because the suspension on a speeker cone pushes forward on a kick sound and if this reversed weird stuff happens . this was a intresting repair and just maybe. the poling is wrong on the mics you installed .its worth trying to swap the solder joints around and see what happens believe it or not on a pioneer mixer if you have forgotten a mic for a gig you can plug headphones in the mic socket wack the mic gain up and it works Cheers

[@JustARandomDudeOnline]

I have been waiting for a new video

[@bigdorkification]

Theres a callibration function for the noise cancelling in the app that may have helped

[@kraizyace2612]

I had the same problem with a set of WH-1000XM3 that I purchased back in 2020. Best pair of noise cancelling headphones I ever owned, but after a year of use I ran into that 'microphone to the speaker' noise during use. Doing a noise calibration by holding the ambient button worked as a quick fix, but never lasted very long. I also noticed that applying pressure to the cup on my ear exacerbated the problem. I did purchase a set of WH-1000XM4 earlier this year since they were literally 50% off MSRP, but I do want to repair my previous pair and get them working to the day I first powered them on. Hopefully Sony is still selling replacement parts for them since they need new ear cups and foam pads as well as the plastic piece that holds its size. Definitely will give the microphone cleaning a go.

[@HD-wf3bp]

We have the same blue mat now!!!! :D best day ever! Theres a ghost in ur headphones mate!

[@coondogtheman]

Omni directional is all around and uni directional is just in front of the mic. A singing mic is uni directional because it only captures sound from directly in front of the mic and not background noise. The sound you are hearing is a feedback loop.

[@davidsamuel66]

I have the exact same issue, thanks for the video. I really love my xm4s. Gonna give them a good bath and fingers crossed 🤞🤞🤞

[@TheTony111111]

Hi Vince. At 5:23 video time stamp. Your data sheet tells you what polarity the speaker is wired

[@hobbs8742]

My XM4's are now malfunctioning in both ear cups with NC on. The right ear has been bad for months but settles down if I turn NC off for 30mins or so. Now the left ear is doing similar things. I opened them up last night and it was very noticeable that there was alot of what appeared to be water or condensation inside the cup , around the driver and mic. The headphones are currently in my dehydrator. Pray for me.

[@dinosaur6756]

It's gotta be happening to people with long hair who use them a lot. I'm sure if you use them a "normal" amount of time, they will work fine. If you've got long hair and use them constantly (i.e. college students in a dorm, traveling for a living, etc) and are exposing them to long hair, sweat, and dirt, you will probably run into problems.

[@stevewhite-sl5fc]

On the subject of noise cancelling, I watch your video's with headphones on and there is often sound from what I guess is your kitchen. it sounds like someone washing up, preparing food and people chatting. Funny really.

[@torbster]

Cleaned mine for the second time and it appears to have worked. I still get the odd pop a bit like when you ears pop when you change altitude. The only thing I have noticed is that the sound cancelling is no where near as good as when I first got them.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

On a job not too long ago, we were asked if we could use a speaker system for noise cancellation. Not headphones or earbuds, a set of 3D surround speakers. After a few hours down that rabbit hole, I replied, "How badly do you want us to fake it?", because noise cancellation is insanely complicated on earbuds, where you can predict where the ears are. Not so much for a set of fixed speakers around someone's head.

[@Boogie_the_cat]

I cleaned me ears after watching. I don't wear headphones or earbuds, but i cleaned my ears. This video has proven to me that ears are gross and should be abolished. Also, I like the red mat. Especially with the black headphones, the red causes other items to "pop" well against that color.

[@gainsey95]

They are HiLetgo Electret condenser microphone 52dB 6×2.2mm

[@HypoCat.]

is it working?

[@iam6514]

No, those do not appear to be the correct microphone. They are through hole and have a green back, I would be surprised if they even fit in these headphones

[@HypoCat.]

@@iam6514 I have ordered the orig mic from Ali. and actually it is working fine but 5 usd for each item it is painfull

[@martexl]

Ive got the xm4 headphones and i noticed sweat marks appearing on the fabric of mine too (mine r the grey/beige ones) so i put extra oval foam inserts in n tucked them under the leather padding, it covered the window in the left headphone but that only sees light when u remove headphones and pauses the music/youtube so im not bothered about that feature. Mine r over a year old n ive never had a problem.

[@barrieshepherd7694]

You used noise cancelling mic inserts which are designed to only pick up sound in the immediate vicinity of the capsule (e.g. as in a close mouth mic on a headset) For the headphone (external) noise cancelling to work the mics have to pick up the ambient sounds around you, that are leaking into the earcup. The capsules you used probably picked up zero from outside of the ear cup because of their noise cancelling nature. Hence the less than stellar performance. Looking at the capsule orientation I suspect you should have used used unidirectional mics so that they picked up more from the downside of the headphone, where external sound will leak in, and less from the loudspeakers (which are at 90 degrees to the mic so off axis and attenuated) Omni capsules would pick up sound all around the capsule and outside so would not discriminate between sound leaking in and that from the local loudspeakers. All the above said these capsules are pretty robust and I strongly suspect that the real problem is cleaning and dirt/hair. All the dirt and hair, especially around the capsule, will change the mic pick up charastics. The screech is local feedback, and that is probably because the detritus in the eachphone is changing it's overall acoustic performance along with the dirt on the capsule cover and any that has got into the capsule. The small black cover itself is probably an important part of the capsule design. Dirt blocking small holes, and hair, will compromises the unidirectional performance of the capsule. This leads to local signals entering the noise cancelling circuitry (DSP) and creating the classic howl round noise. You could get some uni direction capsules and try again but I suspect that as you have removed all the detritus and cleaned everything back there will be no problems in the future. BTW these capsules are electret units and need the correct polarising polarity. The screen wire should be connected to the main body (as you did the first time) and the hot wire to the connection pad that appears to stand alone.

[@technixbul]

Those electret microphones have polarity because they have one transistor inside, the case is the ground and when you look at the back side you will see that one of the pins is connected to the case. The mic in the HP should be replaced with Unidirectional one. Yup dust can mess up the noise canceling systems. To cancel the noise you have to put in the drivers the same sound but with phase turned at 180 deg acording to source, and magically they cancel each other. Too many things to say, too many words to type ... ask for aditional info 😉

[@Mymatevince]

You are the fountain of all knowledge when it comes to fixing things technixbul. You truly are great. Thank you😎👍👍👍

[@ogh.w.6832]

Great video vince!!

[@holdon4992]

Interesting. I had the squeal too but only when I used the noise canceling mode. I got used to not using the noise canceling mode and it was fine. In the meantime, the original ear cups were wearing out so I got replacement ones (fabric instead of leather or faux leather or whatever) that came with new inside foam. Once I replaced them, the screech is no longer happening with the noise canceling mode on. So, maybe the OEM cups were dirty or something and affected the microphones. It’s only been a few days but so far, so good. So maybe try removing the ear cups and clean them first before buying new microphones. Thanks.

[@mandragor85]

7:30 i guess big area = ground and smaller area = positive and i think i see red and black around the solder points.

[@aldo9923]

I got these headphones. They’re great up until they fail. For the price of them they shouldn’t be failing so quickly and so often, it’s ridiculous. When working these are amazing everyday headphones but that’s a BIG when with these. The replacement they sent me also broke within a month. Ridiculous. Great video Vince and the red mat is definitely better than the yellow. Blue is still the superior mat though ;)

[@michaelcook1923]

Vince is there 4 microphones in each pair of headphones two inside and two on the outside otherwise how do the headphones know what sounds to cancel out is the outside microphone as well as the inside ones playing up. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@jub8891]

my first linkbuds s developed this issue and never recovered, it made a windy sound on one side.. also my old xm3 earbuds did the screeching once .. the xm3s are okay now though..

[@abdu4729]

Could you please provide a follow-up? It's been almost a year-was the issue really fixed just by cleaning the mic? This has happened to me twice: The first time, I was lucky to find another wrecked XM4, but the mics were still good. Now, those mics have also given out, and the noise is painful, to say the least

[@davestrong5717]

I've got a set, probably had them about a year and a half, I wear them at work in a noisy factory for 12 hours at a time 4 days a week. I've had no problems, still working fine, as other have said maybe something to do with hair, I'm completely bold, perhaps that why mine are still working fine. 😂

[@sbrader97]

I have this similar issue sometimes on my bose qc35 II but on mine i just turn them off and on and it fixes it again but yeah I think its from sweat since it only occasionally happens after wearing the headphones for a long time

[@glynnbaldwinBladders]

My kids had a pair of XM3's each and they used them for hours every day for about 2 years. They were in a disgusting state at the end (stained foams from what looked like earwax (however it got there I dont know - the foams are a good 2 inches away from the inner ear)) and cracked / bent sliders etc but they worked perfectly for all that time. They now have XM$s each and I have XM5s and worked flawlessly all that time. Do you think the older XM3s might be worth anything for spares / repairs? Battery and all internals still faultless...

[@dodgydruid]

I bought a Morphy Richards "return" breadmaker as my poor old Amazon one is getting a bit worn out, arrived today in good order, set it up for a new bake and started off lovely then crack, belt snapped and boy what a journey that was until I found on a video comment about why mess about dismantling this very difficult machine to dismantle, just dremel off the belt guard on the underside plastic then belt changed, just zip tie or screw or hot glue it back in place... so its done all ready for a new belt, have greased up the very dry bearings on the knead axle and hopefully a fix. Also fixed my 1930's Portass lathe, all up and running just waiting on some accessories and now have in my kitchen my soon to be fixed Startt 3d printer.

[@Kurckie]

I have its predecessor, and although it has decent noise cancelling and luckily isn't screeching, the head strap did break. For the price you pay, I expected a bit more robustness/longevity. And if I look at the XM4, it seems to have the exact same thin plastic head strap pieces 😬 Hopefully they fix that and the screeching in XM5?

[@zedmanatutube]

I have these headphones when mine squelch I clean the cloth cup my hand and kind of pump like creating pressure fir a few seconds and so far thus has always worked for me

[@luckydan6148]

I had a similar problem with my Sennheiser Momentum 3's (tws not over ear headphones). I found the mesh covering driver ports (the same mesh as on your microphones) had a build up of ear wax which effectively blocked the ports / microphones. Cleaning the mesh stopped the feed back/ screech which has not come back.