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Sony WF-1000XM4 vs Apple AirPods Pro: Battle of the Best True Wireless Earbuds

There is no shortage of truly wireless earbuds in the market, and you can easily get a good-sounding pair for under $100. However, it is the sound quality, battery life, and features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, and more, that differentiate premium true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds from their affordable counterparts. The Sony WF-100XM4 (review) and Apple AirPods Pro have already set a high benchmark and impressed us with their sound quality and performance.

While the WF-1000XM4 is relatively new, the AirPods Pro was launched back in 2019, and it is a top contender in the TWS segment. The AirPods Pro is available for $249, whereas the XM4 is slightly more expensive at $279. We’ve been using both TWS earbuds for a few months now. Here’s our analysis of what differentiates the offerings of Sony and Apple.

Ecofriendly Packaging

Sony does not use any plastic in the packaging and the box is made from 99% paper using recycled and sustainable materials. Even the sections where the charging cable and ear tips are kept are made from paper. This highlights Sony’s philosophy of being more socially responsible.

Even Apple has a packaging box made from recycled paper. However, the box comes wrapped in a single-use plastic cover, unlike on iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks where there is no plastic used.

Comfort & Design

Comfort: AirPods Pro is more comfortable, but Sony offers a secure fit

When it comes to comfort and fit, it differs from person to person, and their ear structure. In my case, both the earbuds snugly fit my ears, but the AirPods Pro tends to slip out of the ear after a few minutes. Especially when working out and doing jumping jacks. I have a habit of watching some content while eating, and with this jaw movement, the earbuds come off easily.

The 1000XM4 fits perfectly and does not slip out whether I’m running, cycling, doing jumping jacks, or watching while eating. The foam ear tips on XM4 ensure a perfect and comfortable fit, compared to silicon ear tips on AirPods Pro.

However, with the bulky shape of these TWS earbuds and weight, which is on the heavier side, you start to feel a little discomfort after over two hours of continuous use.

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4: Unboxing & First Look

Earbuds Design & Charging Case

Both Sony and Apple have different approaches to design. The AirPods Pro earbuds have a stem, whereas the 1000XM4 comes with a stem-less design. The stem of the AirPods Pro features pressure-sensitive controls. Single press to play/pause music or answer calls, double press to skip music forward and triple press to skip backward. Pressing and holding the stem allows toggling between ANC and transparency modes.

The Sony WF-1000XM4, on the other hand, features touch controls on the surface of the earbuds. The working is a little different here – a single tap on the right earbud allows to play/pause music, and double and triple tap to skip tracks forward and backward. On the left earbud, single tap to toggle ANC and transparency modes, and double tap to receive or end calls. Tapping and holding on the left earbud enables Quick Attention Mode (transparency) and turns off as soon as you remove your finger.

Case Design: Sony’s Case with Matte Finish is better than Apple’s Glossy One

Talking about the case design, the AirPods Pro has a sleek, but slightly tall case. It is made from a polycarbonate material and has a glossy surface, which makes it a little slippery and more prone to scratches. Also, as the earbuds themselves are made from glossy plastic, they are a little difficult to remove from the case if your fingers are sweaty.

The Sony WF-1000XM case and the earbuds are also made from polycarbonate material. However, they both come with a matte finish which makes them easier to grip. Also, as the size of the earbuds is thick and bigger, they are easy to remove without any struggle.

Companion App, Connectivity & Gesture Control

Sony’s Companion App Offers More Features and Control over Apple

Both the Apple and Sony TWS can be connected and used with Android and iOS smartphones. You can also use them with macOS, Windows, and Linux-based laptops. Sony has a companion app called “Headphones” which is available to download from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The companion offers battery information for each earbud and the case. It also lets you customize and set the equalizer, adjust the level of ambient noise, and enable or disable features like Speak-to-Chat. Lastly, it also lets you customize the touch sensor functions (play/pause, skip tracks), quickly turn on/off ANC and ambient noise with a tap, and much more.

In the case of AirPods Pro, there is no companion app. But all the features that you would get in a companion app – to assign touch gesture controls, switch between ANC/transparency modes, and more, as built within the iOS or macOS. Here instead of tapping on the earbuds, you will need to press the stem of the AirPods Pro to play/pause music, skip songs, and more. All these settings can be customized after you connect the AirPods Pro with the iPad, iPhone, or macOS PC.

The AirPods Pro comes with Bluetooth 5.0, whereas the WF-1000XM4 comes with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. Sony has a Fast Pair feature which uses a Low Energy connection to automatically discover Bluetooth accessories to pair and connect. This eliminates the hassle of manually going to Bluetooth settings, searching for available devices, then connecting and pairing.

Apple has a similar approach, simply opening the lid of the case; the iPhone, iPad, or a mac PC detects the AirPods Pro. Once detected, simply tap on “connect” and you’re done.

Performance: A Choice Between Better Audio or Better Mic

Codec Support: Sony one-ups Apple with support for LDAC codec

Performance-wise, both AirPods Pro and the 1000XM4 offer top-notch sound quality and noise cancellation, but Sony takes a lead here. And before we talk about sound quality, it is important to highlight the codecs situation first. Sony’s TWS supports SBC, AAC, and high-res lossless audio with LDAC codec (bit rate up to 990kbps, 32-bit/96kHz). But you will need a source that can transmit high-res audio.

Flagship Android smartphones powered by Qualcomm chipset featuring Snapdragon Sound tech support LDAC codec. Do note that the music files also need to be downloaded in high-res. Apple Music (on Android) supports downloading and streaming lossless audio. But if you are listening to music on Spotify, you will not get the same experience as it does not support lossless audio.

On iPhones, you can download lossless audio, but as Bluetooth streaming supports AAC codec, you will not be able to take full advantage when listening to wireless audio. The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, supports an AAC codec, so whether you connect it with iOS or an Android device, you will get a consistent audio experience.

Sound Quality: Sony Wins with Detailed Audio, Good Bass, and Wide Soundstage

The Sony WF-1000XM4 offers a stellar audio experience. I never had to turn the equalizer on, and at times when I felt a little punch is needed, setting the Clear Bass to Level 2 would do the job. Otherwise, the overall audio definition was crisp and immersive, especially when listening on Android smartphones with LDAC codec. But you can notice differences when playing music on iPhone with AAC codec.

The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, does a great job too with a neutral sound signature. But due to the lack of high-res audio, the listening experience isn’t as detailed as the Sony ones. The audio strength is also soft, and if you prefer strong audio, you can do that via Accessibility settings, and heading over to Headphone Accommodations > Balanced Tone > Strong.

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Sony Leads with Better Overall Noise Cancellation

Both Sony and Apple offer excellent ANC, but once again the XM4 takes a slight lead here. The AirPods Pro with its H1 processor, dual microphones and AI does a good job of cutting out AC and fan noises. It can even cut down the keyboard typing noise, but the noise canceling isn’t too strong when outdoors on a noisy road, a subway station or even cutting off human voices.

The XM4, on the other hand, with its V1 integrated processor and dual microphones, is not strong enough when it comes to cutting off AC and fan noise but does a great job of cutting outdoor and wind noise. In busy and crowded places like airports, subway stations, and outdoors; Sony does a much better job than Apple to zone out from the noise. It also effectively cuts human voices around you to a great extent.

Microphone: Apple Takes the Crown here

For mic quality on phone calls, recording, and even video calls on platforms like Skype, Teams, and Zoom, the AirPods Pro offers crisp and clear sound. The noise cancellation works well in even cutting out ambient background sounds, thus delivering crisp audio to the recipient.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 has a good mic, perfect for phone and video calls. However, it is not up to AirPods Pro level in delivering crisp audio. Sometimes on phone calls, recipients complained to me about muffled voices and echoes, especially when sitting close to walls or windows. But otherwise, there were no issues.

Battery life & Charging: Sony Edges out Apple with up to 30 Hours of Battery Life

The Sony WF-1000XM4 lead once again in the battery department. On a single charge, the earbuds last a little over seven hours with ANC on, and without ANC, the battery life stretches a little close to 10 hours. The case holds additional two charges. This means, depending on whether you use ANC or not, you can get between 20 to 30 hours of usage before the case needs a charge.

The battery life on the AirPods Pro is a little lower at around four-and-a-half hours with ANC on, and a little over five hours with ANC off. The case holds about four additional charges. This means you can get a battery life anywhere between 20-22 hours of total usage before needing to charge the case again.

The Sony case charges via a USB Type-C port, whereas the Apple case charges using a Lightning Port. Both also support Qi Wireless charging, and a fast-charging feature for TWS earbuds, where even five minutes of charging offers up to one hour of music listening.

Extra Features: Transparency, Spatial Audio & More

Sony WF-1000XM4: Speak-to-Chat and Voice Assistant Are Good Addition

The XM4 comes with impressive features such as bone conduction for Speak-to-Chat, voice assistant support (Google Assistant or Alexa), 360 Reality Audio, and DSEE Extreme to name a few. The Speak-to-Chat feature uses bone conduction technology to pick vibrations from your voice to temporarily pause music and start ambient noise. This feature comes in handy when you want to talk to someone while listening to music. But it is very sensitive and starts the mode even when you are humming the song.

With the voice assistant feature, you can quickly tap and hold the earbud to summon the assistant to perform various tasks like calling or texting someone, setting an alarm, adding reminders, and much more. The integrated V1 chip on the XM4 also enables Sony’s DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) feature that upscales low-quality music to a near-lossless level. It helps in offering an enhanced listening experience on old songs that are encoded in lower quality. But you may not notice any difference with the current music with high-quality encoding.

Sony also offers support for 360 Reality Audio via the Artist Connection app to experience spatial sound technology. It also supports other platforms like Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, and others. It tried the feature with the Artist Connection app and while you do get an immersive experience, the content is very limited. Also, it does not feature head tracking like the AirPods Pro, which we will talk about in a minute.

Lastly, the WF-1000XM4 also supports a transparency mode where you can stay aware of the ambient surrounding. While the feature works well, it does not sound natural, and feels more like the audio is filtered and amped up. But it is still quite useful when commuting on a metro or a bus.

Apple AirPods Pro: Impressive Spatial Audio with Head Tracking & Natural Transparency Mode

Similar to the XM4, the AirPods Pro also comes with an impressive list of features such as always listening, Siri Assistant, Spatial Audio with head tracking, transparency mode, and multi-point connection between Apple ecosystem devices. Talking about assistants, you can simply say “Hey Siri” and ask for weather updates, call contacts, add appointments, play music, and more. There is also an announce notification feature, after enabling it, Siri will announce the notifications you get from apps like WhatsApp, Messages, Teams, and more.

Spatial Head tracking is an interesting feature that offers an immersive, theatre-like surround sound experience. You can set up this feature by heading over to Settings > Bluetooth and then tapping on Spatial Audio. It works when watching videos on OTT platforms such as Apple TV, and Netflix, or when watching videos on YouTube on the Safari browser. The feature also works on Apple Music and Spotify as well.

Transparency mode allows users to stay aware of their surroundings. It works well on AirPods Pro and sounds very natural compared to the XM4. Lastly, the AirPods Pro also comes with a multi-point connection, allowing you to link more than one Bluetooth device with the TWS. The feature enables intelligent and seamless switching between devices (iPhone, iPad, mac) without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. For instance, if you are watching a video or listening to music on mac, and you get a call on iPhone, the AirPods Pro will automatically switch to iPhone while pausing media on mac. Once the call is complete, it will then switch back to the mac and playback will resume.

Conclusion

Selecting the best TWS between Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM4 is a little tricky. A lot will depend on the devices that you use (Android or iOS), and your music listening preferences. The Sony earbuds offer stellar audio thanks to the LDAC codec, impressive noise cancellation, and better overall battery life on earbuds between charges.

The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, offers good audio and noise cancellation, excellent mic and transparency mode, and an immersive Spatial Audio experience with head tracking. While the battery life of Apple earbuds is less, a little more than four charges that the case holds bring it closer to Sony. If you are within the Apple ecosystem, the multi-point connection for seamless switching is an added advantage for Apple compared to Sony TWS.

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

Sony WF-1000XM4 Review: Great ANC TWS Earbuds With Stellar Audio

The TWS hearables are one of the fast-growing segments in consumer electronics seeing a 24% YoY growth in 2021. OEMs removing wired headphones from smartphone packaging, and the work-and-learn from home scenario post-pandemic are some of the factors contributing to this growth. The wireless earbuds also have a higher attach rate than other accessories such as smartwatches. In 2022, we expect the trend to continue and the TWS earbuds market is expected to grow by another 24% YoY.

The personalized content consumption from music listening to podcasts, video streaming, and gaming has increased during the pandemic. Even video conferencing needs to connect & communicate with clients, colleagues’ school, and family has grown significantly. And these trends have catalyzed the need for reliable earbuds with features that include Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), great audio, mic quality, and chords free being increasingly preferred. While these features have been available in premium earbuds but with growing demand, scale and innovation are quickly trickling down to relatively lower price points. There are only a handful of OEMs those package all of the above features really well, and Sony is one of them carving out mindshare alongside Apple and Samsung.

Sony’s TWS earbuds in the 1000XM-series are very popular and have set a benchmark for features like ANC, superior audio quality, and design. Focusing on the premium market and limited distribution reach compared to Apple or Samsung, the Japanese manufacturer was still able to capture a 3% volume share globally in 2021. However, Sony is also expanding its TWS line-up and premium features for models in the mainstream $100-$200 segment which should help it gain more share in 2022.

Talking about TWS growth in the high-end segment, Counterpoint Research Senior Analyst Liz Lee said, “The premium TWS earbuds segment saw robust growth in the second half of 2021 and we believe despite the recent macro-uncertainty due to the Ukraine crisis, lockdowns in China and inflationary climate, the demand for premium and mainstream TWS earbuds will continue to rise. Sony is expected to do well being the vanguard of driving key features such as ANC and audio experience in the TWS earbuds market.”

We have been using the premium Sony WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds for a few months now. The new XM4 version sports advanced features such as LDAC codec for higher bit-rate audio transmission, Speak-to-Chat using bone conduction sensors, ambient sound mode, and 360 Reality Audio support, vs the previous generation XM3 model. So, while the WF-1000XM3 was arguably one of the best all-round TWS, what has Sony done differently this time with the new 1000XM4 to take it to the next level?

Following is our detailed analysis of the new XM4 model right from packaging to performance after making it our daily driver for the last three months:

♻️ Plastic-free Unboxing Experience: A Move Towards Sustainable Future

Sustainability and efforts toward reducing the carbon footprint are becoming a key strategy for several tech companies and it’s good to see Sony going above and beyond.
The WF-1000XM4’s packaging does not use any plastic, and the box is made from recycled paper.
Sony also used embossed logos instead of printing the box with ink, a small effort without compromising the user experience.

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4 – Unboxing & First Look

Compact Design, Comfortable Fit

Compared to the 1000XM3, the new 1000XM4 comes with a more compact design where the charging case is now 40% smaller, and the earbuds are 10% smaller.
The compact case makes it even easier to carry in the pocket, whereas the earbuds also now fit well, without popping out of the ear, like on the predecessor.
The earbuds snugly fit in the ear and are comfortable to wear for hours, provided, you don’t push them too hard in your ears to get a tight fit.
Even when working out – like doing a few jumping jacks or high stepping, the earbuds were firmly secure in the ears.
Sony has done away with silicone ear tips, and bundled foam ear tips instead.
Foam ear tips are a good addition as they offer great passive noise isolation while fitting comfortably in your ears.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Specifications and Features

Hi-Res Audio Streaming, Quick Pairing

The earbuds come with 6mm dynamic drivers that support a frequency range of 20-40,000Hz.
With Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, the earbuds support AAC, SBC, and LDAC (bit rate up to 990kbps) codecs.
The pairing process is straightforward, and if you have an Android smartphone, the Sony WF-1000XM4 also supports the Google Fast Pair feature.
Though, the multi-point connectivity feature as seen on Jabra, Apple AirPods, and Samsung Galaxy Buds series, could have been a good addition.
The earbuds are sweat-resistant and come with an IPx4 rating, so you can wear them during workouts, or even in light rains when you go on a walk or run.

Companion App and Features

Both on Android and iOS, Sony has a companion app called “Headphones” which gives you can access to some core features.
You can adjust the equalizer, ambient sound control, ANC (Active Noise Cancellation), and more.
Once you set the equalizer, the profile is created and saved on the earbuds, which is a good differentiator over competitors.
So, even if you pair the earbuds with a new smartphone or a PC on which the “Headphones” app is not installed, you can still enjoy music with the equalizer profile you set using the app on another smartphone.

🎙Speak-to-Chat for Quick Communication

Speak-to-chat is an interesting feature that uses bone conduction technology to pick vibrations from your voice to temporarily pause music and start ambient noise.
This feature comes in handy when you are listening to music and want to talk to someone, say while commuting or walking on the road and asking for direction.
The feature works like a charm, but if like me, you too like humming to the tunes while listening to music, better to keep the feature off as the bone conduction is very sensitive in picking voice, and it activates the ambient sound while pausing music.
There is also a Quick Attention feature, where you can “Tap and Hold” on the left earbud to quickly pause music and activate the ambient sound mode, and it turns off as soon as you release your finger.

Sony WF-1000XM4 Performance: More Bang for your Buck

Ambient Sound: Stay Aware of Surroundings

Activating the ambient sound mode, you can hear your surroundings more clearly, thanks to the two noise-sensing mics on each earbud.
It lets you stay connected with the surroundings while listening to music, very useful when commuting on a metro or bus.
The app even lets you adjust the strength depending on the amount of ambient noise you want to let in.

🔇Excellent ANC: Zone Out from the Noise

Sony has included a new V1 integrated processor in the earbuds which powers ANC and LDAC Bluetooth codec support.
The V1 processor takes its noise-canceling capabilities even further than the predecessor by cutting off more noise at different frequencies.
We tested the ANC capabilities on a long-haul flight while traveling to MWC 22, and locally while traveling in metro and cabs.
With ANC ‘On’ and listening to music even at 50% volume, the earbuds block out ambient noise effectively while letting you immerse in the music.
There is also a wind noise reduction feature which worked very effectively in blocking out noise when sitting on a window seat on a local train.

🔊Clean, Immersive Sound Quality

Sony has consistently delivered great personal audio devices, and the WF-1000XM4 is no different.
The earbuds are very well tuned to instantly get yourself lost in the groove.
It offers a versatile performance irrespective of the music genre you are listening to.
With most TWS, I prefer customizing the equalizer to suit my listening preferences, but with the XM4, I mostly kept the EQ off.
Though, at times when I felt like having some bass punch, I would set Clear Bass to +2, while keeping the rest of the frequencies flat.
Most of my listening is generally on iPhone with Apple Music as a source, and despite having songs in Lossless quality, the iPhones only support AAC codec.
Though audio on flagship Android smartphones sounds a little better due to support for LDAC codec.
The connectivity is stable too, as long as you are within a five-meter range.
Apple Music lossless, Tidal, or Prime Music on Android lets you take advantage of high-res audio listening, but the same is not possible with Spotify.
Mic quality on calls was good and recipients had no issues hearing me.

🔋Reliable Battery Life

On a full charge with mixed usage and ANC On, the WF-1000XM4 offered a good battery life of a little over six hours.
The charging case adds two full charges for the earbuds, so you get a total of 18-19 hours of battery life before needing the charge the case again.
The earbuds also support a quick charge feature where even five minutes of charging can offer up to 60 mins of playtime and during my testing, it worked for close to 50 mins, which is good.
The case takes about 90 minutes to fully charge with a wired Type-C fast charger.
There is also support for wireless charging, but it takes a little over three hours to fully charge.

Key Takeaways

The Sony WF-1000XM4 delivers excellent sound quality catering to audiophiles and general users.
The active noise cancellation (ANC) is among the best that we’ve tried on TWS earbuds.
Battery life even with ANC ‘On’ is not an issue with the 1000XM4, and with ANC ‘Off’, it covers you for almost the entire workday.
Additional features like saving the audio profile on the earbuds, IPx4 rating, and wireless charging, offer a value package.

Wishlist for WF-1000XM4 Successor

While the attention awareness feature using bone conduction technology is a good addition, the low sensitivity needs more refinements to not trigger aggressively.
In-ear detection could be better, currently, even if the earbuds are kept on the table, the music playback does not stop, and it continues to play.
Multi-point Bluetooth connection to quickly and automatically switch between devices will be a good addition, especially as most of us extensively use a smartphone and a laptop in our daily life.
Gaming latency could be better, as it will come in handy when playing games like BGMI or COD: Mobile on a connected smartphone.

Top

Ecofriendly Packaging

Comfort & Design

Comfort: AirPods Pro is more comfortable, but Sony offers a secure fit

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4: Unboxing & First Look

Earbuds Design & Charging Case

Case Design: Sony’s Case with Matte Finish is better than Apple’s Glossy One

Companion App, Connectivity & Gesture Control

Sony’s Companion App Offers More Features and Control over Apple

Performance: A Choice Between Better Audio or Better Mic

Codec Support: Sony one-ups Apple with support for LDAC codec

Sound Quality: Sony Wins with Detailed Audio, Good Bass, and Wide Soundstage

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Sony Leads with Better Overall Noise Cancellation

Microphone: Apple Takes the Crown here

Battery life & Charging: Sony Edges out Apple with up to 30 Hours of Battery Life

Extra Features: Transparency, Spatial Audio & More

Sony WF-1000XM4: Speak-to-Chat and Voice Assistant Are Good Addition

Apple AirPods Pro: Impressive Spatial Audio with Head Tracking & Natural Transparency Mode

Conclusion

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

♻️ Plastic-free Unboxing Experience: A Move Towards Sustainable Future

WATCH: Sony WF – 1000XM4 – Unboxing & First Look

Compact Design, Comfortable Fit

Sony WF-1000XM4 Specifications and Features

Hi-Res Audio Streaming, Quick Pairing

Companion App and Features

🎙Speak-to-Chat for Quick Communication

Sony WF-1000XM4 Performance: More Bang for your Buck

Ambient Sound: Stay Aware of Surroundings

🔇Excellent ANC: Zone Out from the Noise

🔊Clean, Immersive Sound Quality

🔋Reliable Battery Life

Key Takeaways

Wishlist for WF-1000XM4 Successor

ALSO READ: Other Strategic Reviews on Smartphones, Smartwatches, TWS & More

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