For many people, the AirPods Pro are the go-to choice for wireless noise-canceling earbuds. However, Sony also makes amazing audio products, and you shouldn’t overlook the WF-1000XM4 earbuds.
While Sony’s product naming doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, the WF-1000XM4 earbuds are some of the best on the market. But how do they stack up against the AirPods Pro?
We’re going to compare the AirPods Pro against the WF-1000XM4 to see which wireless earbud is worth your money.
1. Price
Let’s start with one of the most important factors: the price. The AirPods Pro cost $249, whereas the Sony WF-1000XM4 is priced at $279. That’s a thirty-dollar price difference, which is fairly insignificant in this price bracket—plus you need to consider your bang for your buck, which we’ll get to.
Of course, if you’re willing to wait, you can buy either earbud at a discount, either through a sale on a cheap electronics site or second-hand.
2. Noise Cancellation
When you buy an expensive pair of truly wireless earbuds today, you expect them to have good noise cancellation. Although both of these earbuds offer excellent noise cancellation, Sony trumps Apple in this department with the help of its integrated V1 processor.
There are two noise-sensing microphones on the surface of each earbud to analyze ambient noise better than the AirPods Pro. Additionally, it offers an automatic wind noise reduction mode via the Headphones Connect app. Plus, the foam ear tips that Sony uses do a much better job at noise isolation than the AirPods Pro’s silicone tips.
That said, both of these earbuds perform well when it comes to hearing ambient sounds. Sony calls it the Ambient Sound Mode, whereas Apple uses the term Transparency mode for its AirPods Pro.
3. Battery Life
Apple stands no chance against Sony in this department. The AirPods Pro offer up to 4.5 hours of music listening time with noise cancellation enabled, whereas the WF-1000XM4 lasts up to 8 hours with noise cancellation turned on.
The difference widens further if you turn off noise cancellation, with AirPods Pro lasting just five hours, whereas the Sony earbuds are rated for up to 12 hours of music playback.
When it comes to the combined battery life with the charging case, both these earbuds offer 24 hours of battery life. In addition, they both provide quick charging features, which give an hour of listening time with a five-minute charge.
4. Design
You either love or hate the AirPods Pro’s design. If you’re someone who dislikes the stem on the AirPods Pro, you have a clear winner in the design department. However, this boils down to personal preference.
Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds are 10% smaller than its previous generation. They’re still bigger than the AirPods Pro, but they don’t stick out of the ear like Apple’s offering. In fact, they sit flush in your ear.
As we mentioned earlier, Sony uses foam ear tips that can contract and expand according to your ear shape. Unfortunately, the AirPods Pro uses silicone ear tips, which don’t work similarly, so you may have trouble getting that perfect seal.
One of the major downsides of the WF-1000XM3 was its massive charging case. Thankfully, Sony has cut down the size of the charging case by half with the WF-1000XM4 earbuds. As a result, it’s now comparable to the AirPod Pro’s case.
5. Comfort
The AirPods Pro have a vent system to maintain the pressure on both sides of the earbud. This means you don’t get the feeling of air pressure build-up inside your ear, which is a common problem among in-ear buds.
While it’s true that the foam tips on the WF-1000XM4 create a much better seal than the AirPods Pro, it doesn’t do a good job at keeping you comfortable during long listening sessions because the earbuds lack a similar ventilating system. To add to that, these earbuds are also noticeably heavier. Therefore, Apple takes the cake when it comes to comfort.
6. Sound Quality
In the end, the deciding factor for most people is the audio quality. We’re pleased to say there’s a clear winner in this department.
If you want the best-sounding truly wireless earbuds out there, then look no further than the Sony WF-1000XM4. The reason behind this is Sony’s LDAC support, which is a high-resolution audio codec that has a three times faster transfer rate than regular Bluetooth audio. Its maximum throughput of 990kbps translates to a 96kHz sample rate, which is the requirement to meet the Hi-Res standard.
The AirPods Pro uses the Bluetooth AAC codec and lacks any kind of high-resolution audio support. It doesn’t have support for Apple’s Lossless audio, either. All it gets is Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos on Apple Music.
7. Additional Features
Both these earbuds bring many additional features to improve the listening experience. In typical Apple fashion, the AirPods Pro works seamlessly with Apple devices with features like one-touch pairing and automatic device switching. The earbuds also feature in-ear detection, which will automatically play or pause the music as you put them in or take them out of your ears.
The pairing experience is more complicated with the WF-1000XM4, but remains consistent across iOS and Android. These earbuds have automatic ear detection as well, just like the AirPods. However, the standout feature for Sony is the unique Speak-to-Chat mode that will automatically pause music playback as soon as you speak to someone.
Sony Has Produced the Wireless Earbuds to Beat
Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are expensive for a very good reason. These are the best truly some of the best wireless earbuds you can buy. They excel in sound quality, noise cancellation, battery life, and even design for many people.
If you own Apple devices, you still have valid reasons to go for the AirPods Pro. However, if you’re an Android user, the WF-1000XM is the obvious choice unless you’re really bothered by the price difference.