Airpods Pro Vs Wf 1000xm3

A picture of a man wearing the Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) noise-canceling true wireless earbuds.

Apple caught plenty of flak for ditching the headphone jack and made sound enthusiasts livid with the first and second-generation AirPods design. The Apple AirPods Pro is what happens when a company yields to customers' priorities. They're a massive upgrade from the original pattern. There's no dubiousness that the AirPods Pro is smashing for iPhone users, but what well-nigh the rest of us?

We're pitting Apple confronting the Sony WF-1000XM3 to settle which truthful wireless earbuds command the noise-cancelling market place.

Update, March xix, 2021:This commodity was updated to address the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Jabra Elite 85t, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 equally alternatives.

Apple AirPods Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM3: Fit and hardware

A woman wears the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds and reaching for the touch panel of the left 'bud.

First affair's first, how does the AirPods Pro construction contrast the Sony WF-10s00XM3? Well, the former features an all-white outside with a minimalist design philosophy. Sony takes a more sophisticated swing at full wireless earbuds: black dominates the earbuds and case, and is complemented by copper accents. Both are plastic but simply Apple went the extra mile past getting the AirPods Pro IPX4-certified, which gives users the option to exercise in them without worrying about voiding the warranty.

Start here: Headphone ownership guide: A beginner's guide to all things headphones

The AirPods Pro has been completely overhauled from the original and second-generation AirPods, meaning the case is shorter, stouter, and the earbuds are outfitted with nozzles that create an honest seal to the ear canal. Not only does this passively isolate yous from noisy environs, only it's the reason noise-cancelling functions at all. The nozzles aren't angled as aggressively every bit the Sony WF-1000XM3, but whether this is a pro or con depends on your ear anatomy. Apple tree designers certainly did their homework when creating the silicone ear tips: rather than sliding each earbud collar over a plastic nozzle, y'all slide it into a moat-live divot surrounding the nozzle. This makes for a more secure hold while also making information technology easier to remove and re-identify ear tips.

If you intend to utilise your earbuds during intense workouts, play information technology prophylactic by getting the AirPods Pro.

Sony does have Apple beat out on the diverse ear tip array it provides listeners. While Apple tree provides standard pocket-size, medium, and large ear tips, Sony supplies an assortment of options that vary in size, density, and material (e.g. retention cream and silicone). You're more likely to observe a proper fit with Sony'southward earbuds.

On-board controls

Both headsets offer touch on controls, but operation is dissimilar. The Apple AirPods Pro use force-sensitive stems to register stem squeezes. Sony'due south true wireless earbuds sport glossy panels that require a combination of taps to control playback or cycle through listening modes. Both noise-cancelling units firm proximity sensors for machine-ear detection. The AirPods Pro automatic ear detection functionality is bars to iOS devices, while Sony'southward works beyond the board.

The AirPods Pro example supports wireless charging

The Apple AirPods Pro earbuds charging case in a man's hand.

Despite the whole Apple AirPower debacle, the AirPods Pro supports wireless charging with Qi-certified mats and includes a wireless charging instance to boot. That's right: y'all don't have to choose which AirPods parcel yous're going to go, nor do yous accept to pay an extra $xl for a characteristic we've seen broiled into cheaper options, such as the Samsung Milky way Buds Plus. If you don't care for wireless charging, you're limited to Apple'south Lightning cable; the Sony WF-1000XM3 charge by USB-C cable simply.

Read besides: The best Sony headphones you can buy

This is one of the more subjective portions of the Apple tree AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3 comparison, and then many of you are spring to experience differently about our decision. Since the Sony full wireless earbuds characteristic an elegant color palette, more natural command machinery, and vast aggregation of ear tips, we're giving the first round to Sony.

Which pair of earbuds is ameliorate for phone calls?

Apple continues to impress usa with its headset microphone quality, and the Apple AirPods Pro microphones are something to be proud of. Voices are reproduced slightly more accurately beyond the frequency range of the human voice when compared to Sony'due south integrated mics. Apple'southward beam-forming microphones work in conjunction with a speech-detecting accelerometer to filter out ambient noise more than finer than most earbuds.

Apple AirPods Pro microphone demo:

Sony WF-1000XM3 microphone demo:

Just because Apple tree's mics are great doesn't prevent Sony from also having groovy microphone quality. In fact, the Sony WF-1000XM3 are bang-up for personal and professional calls alike, only the AirPods Pro are better equipped to neutralize background noise and accurately relay your voice to the person on the other line. Either mic system is better than a standard telephone merely the AirPods Pro outdo the Sony WF-1000XM3 hither.

Connection strength and Bluetooth codecs

The Apple AirPods Pro menu on an iPhone with noise-canceling toggled on.

Both headsets use Bluetooth 5.0 firmware and support one high-quality Bluetooth codec: AAC, which is keen for iPhone owners, not so great for us Android fans. Information technology makes sense that the AirPods Pro don't support aptX, merely remains frustrating that Sony's don't. They do, however, have a QN1e fleck and DSEE HX processing, which let for 24-fleck audio point processing, which benefits any platform. Apple uses its proprietary H1 chip, limiting benefits to iOS users similar hands-gratuitous Siri admission, instantaneous autoconnect, and energy efficiency.

Do the AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM3 have better bombardment life?

Apple AirPods Pro Lightning input charging case

This category is the easiest to measure out. The Apple AirPods Pro supplies five.1125 hours of listening from a single accuse (noise-cancelling on), while the Sony WF-1000XM3 provides just 4.76 hours of listening (dissonance-cancelling on). Both are impressive given how tiny the battery cells are but the AirPods Pro is the clear winner. Plus, Apple's charging case affords more battery life when out and most: 24 hours total compared to Sony'southward 19 hours total. If you need to recharge in a pinch, yous can do so with either charging instance

The Sony WF-1000XM3 has improve racket-cancelling

The Apple AirPods Pro are undoubtedly the best AirPods to date, but they still tin't outshine the Sony WF-1000XM3 when considering racket-cancelling effectiveness.

Each chart depicts the frequency response of either the Apple or Sony true wireless earbuds. The college up a line, the more that sure frequency range is cancelled out. By juxtaposing the charts, it'due south obvious how well the Sony earbuds attenuate low-frequency noises like aeroplane engines and distracting street traffic. When flying from Atlanta to San Francisco, the Sony WF-1000XM3 made my ii-legged trip a placidity ane: extremely low (sub-60Hz) frequencies are rendered 1-quarter as loud with Sony's ANC technology equally opposed to without it.

Related:Best racket-cancelling truthful wireless earbuds

Both earbuds offer unlike listening modes: noise-cancelling, Ambient Aware (or Transparency for Apple), and off. Ambient aware is useful for when yous're awaiting a train announcement or need to chop-chop answer to something. Regardless of which earbuds you go with, noise-cancelling protects our ears from noise-induced hearing loss by making us less inclined to increment book every bit a means of drowning out groundwork dissonance. If you want the best of what racket-cancelling true wireless earbuds have to offering, get the Sony WF-1000XM3.

Apple AirPods Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM3: Sound quality

In that location are plenty of horns each headset toots when it comes to their respective feature sets, but ultimately, we're comparing one pair of earbuds to some other. Both Sony and Apple's headsets are expensive, so you want to make sure you're getting the all-time bang for your buck when it comes to sound quality, too.

As with the previous section, we accept some charts to help illustrate SoundGuys' nerveless data. When it comes to frequency responses, the closer the line is to the red dotted 0dB SPL marker, the more accurate music reproduction sounds beyond the frequency spectrum. The Sony WF-1000XM3 drag bass notes with tempered emphasis to mids. This depression-end distension gives your music some oomph or "punch" to it. The response isn't neutral by any stretch of the imagination, but that can quickly be remedied via the Sony | Headphones Connect app, which lets users make granular EQ adjustments for a completely customized sound.

Android users don't benefit from the AirPods Pro's H1 flake, but all platforms do good from Sony's Q1ne chip and DSEE HX processing.

The closer a line hugs the dotted 0dB SPL mark, the more authentic music reproduction sounds. Let's look at the Sony earbuds first: bass frequencies are elevated most with some emphasis to midrange notes. This depression-terminate boost is what gives your songs that extra oomph. Information technology's by no means neutral only this response, and the AirPods, which nosotros'll come across in a moment, plays well to pop music genres such every bit pop, hip-hop, and rap. If y'all're into electronic music, y'all may desire even more than bass to your sound, in which case, this tin can be adjusted via the Sony | Headphones Connect app.

The Apple AirPods Pro besides exaggerate low notes, but not equally intensely as Sony'south 'buds do. Upper midrange and treble frequencies practise receive a substantial, 10dB boost, rendering them twice every bit loud as midrange frequencies (200-1500Hz), which is where almost instrumental fundamental frequencies fall.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds in the palm of a left hand with a beige book and leather watch on a table in the background.

On the whole, vocals sound really practiced with either headset. If you want a boomier sound, become the Sony earbuds and if you desire more accurate vocals and to be able to perceive more particular from high notes, get the AirPods Pro.

This comes downward to personal preference, just our objective measurements award the Sony (nine.5 sound quality rating) a higher score, giving them a slight 0.iii point edge over the AirPods (nine.2 sound quality rating).

Should you get the AirPods Pro or Sony WF-1000XM3?

Both the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds are excellent, and the fact of the matter is that true wireless technology has improved immensely over the past few years. While the Sony WF-1000XM3 are better than the Apple tree AirPods Pro on paper, it comes down to what you prioritize almost as a listener.

I'm more drawn to the Sony WF-1000XM3 design and on-board control functioning. Plus, I thoroughly appreciate the depression-end noise attenuation when flying or traveling by subway. That said, if you mainly need ANC to block out loud cubicle neighbors, the Apple AirPods Pro will prove more constructive as they quiet sounds from 100Hz-1kHz more effectively. Maybe your decision has nothing to do with noise-cancelling but rather with where you've already spent your money. Anyone beholden to Apple'southward ecosystem will be more than inclined to save for the AirPods Pro, which makes sense: they're designed to piece of work flawlessly with iOS products.

If the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Apple AirPods Pro aren't for yous

There are plenty of viable Apple AirPods alternatives flitting about, and in that location are even some splendid options that cost less than $l. If yous own a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro is as good a headset as it gets. Samsung's noise-cancelling technology is quite practiced (every bit long as you get a good fit), and the earbuds characteristic an IPX7 rating. As with previous Galaxy Buds iterations, the Buds Pro case supports USB-C and wireless charging. You can even toss it atop your Samsung Milky way smartphone and charge it that way.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds noise cancelling true wireless earbuds rest outside of the charging case on a table and in front of a stack of books.

Lily Katz / Android Authority

Another great pick for listeners who want the accented all-time that ANC earbuds have to offer: the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless ii. Sennheiser's dissonance-cancelling performance is bar none, and the design is as sleek as it comes. If you appreciate the finer things and want the ability to brand slight changes to the sound profile, these 'buds were made for you. Alternatively, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Jabra Elite 85t are also some of the all-time premium noise-cancelling options around.

If you're an iPhone user who wants something that fits even better than the Apple AirPods Pro and don't listen committing to a $250 budget, consider the Beats Powerbeats Pro for their ear hook design and x-hour battery life. You sacrifice noise-cancelling just it may be worth it for athletes looking to seriously invest in workout earbuds.