APPLE v SONY
Two tech giants and two great pairs of in-ear headphones – Apple and Sony go head to head
Should you fancy a new pair of true wireless earbuds, your options include the Apple Airpods Pro – the all-new premium Airpods with active noise-cancelling technology.
But they face stiff competition. We’ve tested a plethora of true wireless earbuds and while all have strengths and weaknesses, we’ve found the Sony WF-1000XM3S particularly impressive.
Like the Airpods Pro, Sony’s rangetopping buds offer advanced noisecancelling tech and a superb sonic performance. So the big question is, Apple or Sony? Airpods Pros or WF1000XM3S? Which is better in terms of sound, fit and features? We’ll delve into the detail to help you make the most of your budget.
NOISE-CANCELLING
The Sony WF-1000XM3S were one of the first pairs of true wireless buds to boast active noise-cancelling tech. At the heart of each earpiece lies a Sony QN1E HD noise-cancelling processor – it’s virtually identical to the chip found in the Awardwinning Sony WH-1000XM3 over-ear headphones, and it’s extremely effective.
While these buds can’t match the performance of a proper pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, it’s difficult not to be impressed.
The newer Apple Airpods Pro also feature cutting-edge active noisecancelling tech. Apple claims it is continuously adjusted 200 times per second to ensure maximum efficiency. In our test, noises such as a train are almost completely eradicated, while less predictable sounds such as office chatter are reduced to a whisper.
Both buds have a ‘transparency’ mode, which allows sound in from the outside world – handy when jogging or cycling. And both achieve a fine balance between your music and the environment.
Overall, Apple’s noise-cancelling tech does its job well, but we think it affects the timing and rhythmic ability of the buds too much.
Winner Sony WF-1000XM3
BATTERY LIFE
This area is key for any wireless earbuds – of course, the added convenience isn’t much use if the battery doesn’t last a decent length of time.
The Airpods Pros claim 4.5 hours battery life, plus another 19 hours from
the included wireless charging case. Switch off noise-cancelling and the buds stretch to five hours playback per charge.
Sony’s WF-1000XM3S are the clear winners when it comes to battery life. You get six hours of playback as standard, while the case has enough power for an extra three charges, giving a total of 24 hours when using Bluetooth and noise-cancelling together. Turn off the noise-cancelling function and the battery life jumps to eight hours, with the case bumping it up to an impressive total of 32 hours.
Caught short? Both buds offer rapid charging. Ten minutes of charge breathes 90 minutes of life into the Sonys, but the Airpods Pros are even better in a hurry. Just five minutes of charging gives them an additional hour of playback.
Winner Sony WF-1000XM3
SOUND
Apple has certainly stepped up its audio game with the launch of the Airpods Pros. The midrange is where these buds shine, with plenty of detail and no hint of brightness. Rich and full, they’re the best-sounding Airpods to date… but they’re no match for the WF-1000XM3S.
Despite being older than the Airpods, the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless buds put together all the ingredients required to create a wonderfully musical sound.
Instruments sound natural, believable and expressive. They display a fantastic rhythmic quality and produce an impressive amount of quality bass too. In fact, the WF-1000XM3S are the best-sounding wireless buds we’ve tested at this kind of money.
Winner Sony WF-1000XM3
COMFORT
As with any headphones, comfort is king – the last thing you want is a painfully pressurised and uncomfortable fit.
The Pros are the first Airpods to offer a customisable fit with silicone tips in three sizes. Apple will even help you find the best fit thanks to the built-in ‘Ear Tip Fit Test’ which you can run on your phone once the headphones are in place.
Sony provides seven different sizes of earbud: four ‘hybrid silicone’ buds and three ‘triple-comfort’ buds, which feel slightly thicker than the standard ones. It’s a superb selection, and we find them a comfortable, balanced fit – snug without being too intrusive.
Finally, while neither of these in-ears is aimed specifically at sporty types, the Airpods Pros have an IPX4 rating which means they’re sweat- and waterresistant. The Sonys offer no such rating.
Winner Draw
CONTROLS
The Airpods Pros are primarily designed to be voice-controlled via Siri, Apple’s personal voice assistant. If you aren’t keen on talking to yourself, Apple has included force sensors on both stems. Squeeze to switch noise-cancelling modes, skip tracks, pause music and answer calls. We find it a bit fiddly when jogging or cycling, though.
Neither pair implements touch controls flawlessly, but Sony has done a decent job. Each bud has a control pad: the left one is for turning noisecancelling on or off and engaging the transparency mode; the right is for playback controls; or tap and hold to start a conversation with your virtual assistant of choice – Siri and Google Assistant are both supported.
In both cases, removing the buds automatically pauses your tunes. Neither set has a dedicated volume control, so you’ll have to issue a voice command or dig your phone out of your pocket.
Winner Draw
CONNECTIVITY
Thanks to Apple’s powerful H1 chip and Bluetooth 5.0, the Airpods Pros offer flawless wireless performance. We haven’t experienced dropouts with the Airpods and find Apple’s automatic pairing (insert an earphone and it instantly connects to your phone) to be predictably quick and responsive.
The same goes for the Sonys, which boast a new Bluetooth chip that delivers a robust connection and improves communication between both the headphones and your music source.
Unlike the Pros, the Sonys support NFC connectivity, which means they’ll pair faster with an Android device than the non-nfc Airpods.
Winner Draw
VERDICT
It’s a close call – the Sonys outclass the Airpods for sound quality and battery life – and they’re more than £20 cheaper. But the Airpods are slightly sleeker looking and offer impressive noise-cancelling that gives the Sonys’ tech a real run for its money. If you own an iphone or ipad, they could quite easily get your vote. However, the Sonys have a much broader appeal and, perhaps even more importantly, a better sound quality. They’re still the best wireless earbuds we’ve heard at this price.
If you’re still torn, check out the full-length reviews of the Apple Airpods Pros and Sony WF-1000XM3S online at whathifi.com to find out more.