The Apple AirPods Pro are among the best pairs of true wireless earbuds you can buy right now. With excellent noise cancellation, an improved design (compared to the original AirPods), and a snug fit, they're hard to beat, especially if you're a fan of Apple products. However, the AirPods Pro are not perfect. They are expensive and even the new and improved design doesn't mean they aren't prone to slipping from time to time. That's why, when it comes to the best wireless headphones on the market, Sony's WF-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones currently take our top spot. We gave Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones 5 out of 5 stars when we reviewed them in late 2019 for their better noise cancellation, solid audio performance, and minimal looks. But since they're similar to the Apple AirPods Pro in many ways, the big question is: which pair of true wireless earbuds should you buy? Of course, the answer will be different for everyone, depending on their priorities and their style. But below, we've weighed up the pros and cons of each pair of headphones based on key factors like design and sound performance. Read on to find out which pair of true wireless earbuds reigns supreme.
AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: price
The Apple AirPods Pro are $249 / £249 / AU$399. That's quite a price difference when you compare them to the 2019 AirPods, which are $159 / £159 / AU$249 (with standard charging case) and €199 / €199 / AU€319 with wireless charging case. This means that they are not supposed to directly replace the 2019 AirPods. But is this price hike worth it? When we compared the Apple AirPods Pro to the Apple AirPods, we found that there was a lot more to offer with the Pro model, including noise cancellation and active equalization. But that doesn't mean many of us can justify the price. By comparison, the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones are €230 / €220 / €250 (Ireland) and €400 AU. They are available in plain black and champagne silver. Sure, the Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones aren't much cheaper than the AirPods Pro, but it should be noted that they're about a third less expensive than Sony's WH-1000XM3 in-ear model: which shares the same noise-canceling technology. noise. They're also competitively priced compared to competing wireless headphones, including the $30 Bose QuietControl 299 headphones, which also offer active noise cancellation. It should also be noted that there are some great Sony WF-1000XM3 deals currently out there, right now AirPods Pro deals are a bit rarer, but you can still find them if you're looking really tough. We've done the work for you, and you can check out the best prices for both models below: Sony WF-1000XM3 Industry... Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless... Sony - WF-1000XM3 True...AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: design
The design of a pair of true wireless headphones often depends on your personal preferences. Do you want a bulky pair to pop out of your ears to let everyone know you have them? Or do you like something discreet and minimalist? Although slim and fairly minimal, the Apple AirPods Pro have a distinctive look when you wear them. The Pro's bars may be smaller than the original AirPods, but they're still Apple products. Although the shorter stem may look attractive, in practice it has taken some getting used to. That's because there's a "capacitive force sensor" in the bar, which is a little ridge on each of the AirPods Pro that you can press to activate noise canceling/transparency mode, or skip and pause tracks. The shorter stem makes activating this ridge a bit trickier, but we've found it to have become second nature within a few weeks. In contrast, Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds have a simple design and sit just outside the ear rather than dangling like the AirPods Pro earbuds. This makes them very unobtrusive, especially since their design is generally very simple with lines minimal and clean.
AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: battery life
Battery life is important for a good pair of true wireless earphones. What's the point of going wireless if they die after a few hours? In our tests, we found the Sony WF-1000XM3 Wireless Headphones to last about 6 hours on a single charge. If you forego noise cancellation, you can claim a couple more hours, which, combined with the charging case, gives you 24 hours in total. They come with a smart rechargeable case, which also acts as a battery and has a fast charging mode. Plug in for ten minutes and you'll get another 90 minutes of juice. This is perfect if you need a quick boost before a flight, and the case charges via USB-C in around three hours. By comparison, the AirPods Pro last 4.5 hours with noise cancellation and around 5 hours without. The AirPods Pro charging case will give you over 24 hours of listening time when fully charged and it also has a fast charging mode. So in terms of battery life, the Sony WF-1000XM3 far outperforms the AirPod Pros, at least when it comes to earbuds, with the included charging cases both models will give you around 24 hours of battery life. from the battery. Listening altogether.
AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: noise cancellation
Both headphones feature advanced noise canceling technology, which begs the question: which wireless headphones are the best in terms of audio performance and noise canceling intelligence? Sony has a great heritage of noise canceling technology. The Sony WF-1000XM3 headphones were among the first pairs of true wireless headphones to use active noise cancellation, thanks to a noise-cancelling Sony QN1e HD processor. It's the same processor you'll find in the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, which have always been our pick for the best headphones you can buy since they launched in 2018. Because they're truly wireless rather than over-ear, the Sony WF headphones The -1000XM3 doesn't quite match up to the WH-1000XM3 when it comes to noise cancellation, but they're not far behind. Though we've found that they haven't muffled the sounds you hear on a plane (like takeoffs, announcements, etc.), so they might not be the best bet for long-distance travel, where Sony's noise-canceling really set the tone for the ride. diary. Whether by train, tram or bus, noise cancellation is high. They're also very effective at eliminating nearby chatter, thanks to two noise sensors on each button. We also found that it was virtually impossible to carry on a conversation with the active noise cancellation feature turned on, which is a good thing, especially if you work in a busy office environment. Although Sony may have a history of noise-canceling devices, the AirPods Pro come with Apple's latest noise-canceling technology. We have found that when active noise cancellation is turned on, there is a strong and noticeable effect. Likewise, it won't block out all other sounds around you - if you're in an office and music is playing, a small amount can still get through. But if you're walking down the street, the AirPod Pros cut out almost all motorcycle noise, and any constant noise (like a fan or steady wind) is cut nicely, too. We also found that they worked well on a train, which made a world of difference when the mode was on and off.
AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: sound quality
The two headphones may be similar when it comes to noise cancellation, but how do they compare in terms of sound quality? The Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless headphones have 6mm drivers that we found to be clear and rhythmic. They serve up a wide and expansive soundstage, with believable spatial detail, which is great with buds this small. When listening to podcasts, the midrange is fluid. If you'd rather rock out, they roll with the best of them - guitars have an edge, drums are tight and hard. The bass sounds good, but if you want a very pronounced sound, better use the headphones anyway. With AirPods Pro, Apple introduces its custom drivers, enhanced bass, and an adaptive equalizer. What does this mean in terms of sound quality? Well, when we tested the AirPods Pro with a variety of tracks, we found that the vocals were often very rich, and the bass in particular was more punchy than the AirPods 2. This carried through acoustic, indie rock , electro, pop and hip-hop, but also in these genres, the separation between high, medium and low was only average. There is always the feeling that the sound is "gated", which means that it sounds as if the music is coming from your head. It's not ideal, and high-quality headphones tend to make it sound like sound is coming from all angles. We also found that compared to over-ear headphones (or some true true wireless headphones, like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 and, yes, the Sony WF-1000XM3), it was harder to hear all musical details on the AirPods Pro. That being said, vocals in pop music clearly came through with rich, balanced mids. But classical music seemed a bit more boring than it should be. One additional feature worth mentioning here is that the AirPods Pro send exact volume levels to your iPhone so you can see if you're listening to things that are too loud. It's a small but important step in hearing health that might appeal to some people.