Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro 2

Nearly two years old, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is not messing around. You get great active noise canceling (ANC) and plenty of control over these buds. While it’s clear the WF-1000XM5 are some of the best wireless earbuds for Android phone owners, it will take a lot to pull iPhone owners away from their precious AirPods. Let’s compare the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro 2 to find out which buds offer the best value for your needs.

What’s it like to use the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)?

Sony and Apple’s earbuds look nothing alike. The WF-1000XM5 have a more traditional, rounded shape, while the AirPods Pro 2 have dangling stems. Although the last-gen WF-1000XM4 fit uncomfortably for many listeners, the WF-1000XM5’s comfort impressed our team.

Sony’s housings have a more contoured, slim shape. Plus, the buds now weigh 6g each, which is slightly heavier than the 5.3g weight of each AirPods Pro 2 earbud. Something to note: Apple’s iconic design makes it easier to handle the buds without fumbling them.

Apple and Sony supply four sets of ear tips, including extra-small, small, medium, and large sizes. With the WF-1000XM5, you get memory foam ear tips that Sony redesigned to make them easier to squeeze and fit. Silicone ear tips are included with the AirPods Pro 2. I prefer this material for exercise because it doesn’t absorb sweat and is simpler to clean. The drawback of silicone tips is that they don’t block out as much noise as memory foam.

Speaking of which, you can exercise with either set of buds, as both have an IPX4 rating. This means the earbuds can endure water splashes from any direction. That said, only the AirPods Pro 2 case also has an IPX4 rating.

Both companies use horizontal cases to hold and charge the buds. Sony’s case measures 65 x 27 x 40 mm, which is a bit larger than Apple’s at 65 x 27 x 40 mm. Despite occupying more room in your pocket, the WF-1000XM5 case weighs about 13g less than the AirPods Pro 2 case.

Sony offers two color options: black and silver. The AirPods Pro 2 are only available in white. The AirPods Pro 2 debuted for $249, and the WF-1000XM5 debuted for $298.

How do you control the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen)?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2 support different types of touch controls. To control the WF-1000XM5, you’ll administer a series of taps to either earbud. Unlike the WF-1000XM4, the WF-1000XM5 has volume controls like the AirPods Pro 2.

Sony WF-1000XM5 controls:

Controlling the AirPods Pro 2 is a slightly different affair. You can squeeze the force sensor on either earbud to skip tracks, change listening modes, and more. Swiping up or down on either earbud’s stem changes the volume. I prefer Apple’s force sensor controls over Sony’s because it’s easier for me to perform a squeeze gesture when exercising than a precise series of taps.

AirPods Pro 2 controls:

When wearing the AirPods Pro 2, you can say, “Hey, Siri,” with a compatible Apple device. Removing the AirPods Pro 2 pauses playback, and inserting them automatically plays media. Auto wear detection with the AirPods only works on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. With the WF-1000XM5, auto pause/play works on any device. The Sony WF-1000XM5 also has “Hey, Google” or “Alexa” on Android.

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation): App features

Sony’s earbuds come with a complementary app (Sony Headphones Connect) that works on Android or iOS. The app experience is identical regardless of your phone’s operating system. With the AirPods Pro 2, you need access to the iOS Settings app to set up the earbuds and access firmware updates. Let’s start with Sony’s app experience.

The Headphones Connect app is where you’ll find a five-band equalizer to customize the sound. If you don’t want to tinker too much, you can cycle through a handful of EQ presets instead. Dig deeper, and you can customize the touch controls and enable Ambient Sound mode or DSEE Extreme — the latter of which is Sony’s algorithm for upscaling lossy audio files. Ambient Sound is Sony’s name for pass-through audio, and it relays external noise through the earbuds. There’s an ear tip fit test in the app, too.

The app also lets you toggle Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Sound Control. With Speak-to-Chat on, the earbuds register when you’re talking and instantly pause playback and initiate Ambient Sound mode. Once you stop talking, the earbuds resume your media. Adaptive Sound Control adjusts the Ambient Aware intensity based on your environment and activity level. Apple is releasing similar features for the AirPods Pro 2 this fall, and it will call them Conversation Awareness and Adaptive Audio.

With an iPhone, the Settings app allows you to customize the press-and-hold command of either earbud. You can take an ear tip fit test, toggle battery optimization and automatic ear detection on or off, and enable Adaptive Transparency. Adaptive Transparency is more advanced than Sony’s Ambient Sound mode because it reduces the loudness of sounds that exceed 85dB before they reach your ears. This makes for a more pleasant listening experience when you want to hear your music and surroundings all at once.

I appreciate all of the accessibility features that Apple includes on the AirPods Pro 2. Those with dexterity issues can adjust the press speed/press-and-hold duration, and if you have hearing impairments, you’ll find plenty of features, too. With the app, you can enable ANC on just one earbud, adjust the alert volume, change the channel balance, and more.

The AirPods Pro 2 also works with Apple’s Find My app, which is the most advanced earbud tracking app I’ve used. You can individually locate the left bud, right bud, and case from the app. There are various ways to find each item, and you can navigate to them on a map, too. The AirPods Pro 2 case has a speaker, and you can prompt it to emit a sound, making it easier to locate within a room. Sony’s buds work with Google’s Find My Device app, but it’s more basic.

Sony and Apple’s earbuds have personalized spatial audio with head tracking. Sony calls it 360 Reality Audio, and Apple calls it Spatial Audio. To tailor the experience, photograph your ears through the Headphones Connect or iOS Settings apps. Remember, spatial audio requires support from the source device and streaming service (e.g., Apple Music or Disney Plus). Any earbuds can work with spatial audio, but what makes the WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2 unique are their personalization and head-tracking features.

How do the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and Sony WF-1000XM5 connect?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2 connect via Bluetooth 5.3. They also support Bluetooth LE Audio for low-latency streaming from compatible source devices. The WF-1000XM5 can stream over the SBC, AAC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs, while the AirPods Pro 2 only have SBC and AAC.

Thanks to Google Fast Pair, Pairing Sony’s earbuds on Android is a one-step process. Likewise, pairing the AirPods Pro 2 on Apple devices is a one-step process. Bluetooth multipoint enables the WF-1000XM5 to connect to multiple sources simultaneously. This is a good feature if you need to listen out for incoming phone calls while using your laptop for a Zoom meeting. Instead of multipoint, the AirPods Pro 2 have automatic switching across Apple devices.

What’s the battery life like on the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro 2?

In our testing, the Sony WF-1000XM5 lasted 9 hours and 32 minutes of continuous playback with ANC enabled. That’s one of the longest runtimes we’ve seen from flagship ANC earbuds and nearly doubles what you get from the AirPods Pro 2. The XM5 case provides about three additional charges, for a total of roughly 24 hours of listening time.

The AirPods Pro 2 last 5 hours and 43 minutes with ANC on, slightly below Apple’s 6-hour claim. The case adds another 24 hours of playback time or 19.5 hours of call time. Both cases support wireless charging, but Apple’s adds MagSafe and Apple Watch charger compatibility, whereas Sony sticks with Qi.

Fast-charge performance is similar:

• Sony WF-1000XM5: 3 minutes = ~51 minutes of playback
• AirPods Pro 2: 5 minutes = ~60 minutes of playback

Sony clearly wins for standalone battery life, while Apple offers the more flexible charging case.

Do the Sony WF-1000XM5 have better noise canceling than the Apple AirPods Pro 2?

Yes. The Sony WF-1000XM5 are among the strongest ANC performers we’ve ever tested. Their combination of improved ear tip isolation, Sony’s Integrated Processor V2 + QN2e chip, and dual-feedback microphones allows them to cancel over 30dB of low-frequency noise along with exceptional mid- and high-frequency attenuation. High-frequency noise can drop by up to 50dB, similar to dedicated earplugs.

The AirPods Pro 2 also deliver very effective ANC, reducing between 20–30dB depending on frequency. Their strength lies in midrange attenuation, where Apple’s silicone tips and H2-driven ANC handle voices and city noise well. Adaptive Transparency also softens impact noises above 85dB, something Sony’s Ambient Sound mode doesn’t do.

However, Sony’s memory-foam-style ear tips provide materially stronger passive isolation, especially at higher frequencies, which gives the WF-1000XM5 the overall advantage — particularly in loud transit environments or against sudden noises like screeching trains.

How does the Sony WF-1000XM5 sound quality compare to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)?

Both earbuds sound very good, but the latest test data shows them excelling in different ways.

MDAQS Results

The Sony WF-1000XM5 post one of the highest MDAQS overall scores we’ve seen (4.9), driven by strong timbre accuracy and excellent spatial performance. The tuning is bass-forward by default — emphasized from 30–300Hz — which some listeners will love and others may want to tame using Sony’s built-in EQ. Sony’s wide soundstage and immersive stereo imaging stand out among in-ears.

Objective measurements

The AirPods Pro 2 align more closely with our preference curve through the bass and mids and score a strong 4.8 overall. Adaptive EQ adjusts the sound in real time for your ear canal, giving them a neutral-leaning, consistent presentation most people will like. Treble is slightly under-emphasized above 8kHz, making vocals and instruments smooth but less airy than Sony’s buds.

Overall:

• Sony = higher technical sound score + EQ customization
• Apple = more “plug-and-play” tuning aligned to preference curve

What’s the microphone quality like on the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro 2?

The Sony WF-1000XM5 has finally finalized its microphone performance, and it’s a clear upgrade over previous generations. Sony’s beamforming mics and noise-reduction algorithms keep voices intelligible in office, street, and reverberant environments. Wind reduction is especially strong thanks to Sony’s mesh-covered mic ports.

The AirPods Pro 2 offer good voice clarity in quiet rooms, but background noise can cause the algorithm to over-correct — sometimes muting parts of speech entirely. Windy environments are particularly challenging for Apple’s mic system.

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM4 microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation): Price and availability

The Sony WF-1000XM5 was released on July 27. It costs $298 at Amazon and is available in black or silver.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 debuted on September 23, 2022, and is available in white. They cost $99 at Amazon.

Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation): Which buds should you buy?

If you own an Android phone, get the Sony WF-1000XM5 instead of the AirPods Pro 2. These earbuds open the door for far more software features than using the AirPods Pro 2 on Android. Sony did a lot of work to improve the comfort of the WF-1000XM5 over the WF-1000XM4, and the new buds rival the AirPods Pro 2. Listeners who value customization will find the WF-1000XM5 offers everything you could want.

The choice is a little muddier for iPhone owners because the WF-1000XM5 has similar ANC and sound quality as the AirPods Pro 2. Sony’s multipoint connectivity and custom EQ are enticing. However, the AirPods Pro 2 remain the best earbuds for iPhone because they’re so easy to use. Switching audio playback from an iPhone to a Mac and back is effortless. Further, Apple’s battery optimization extends the life of your AirPods, helping them last longer than other flagships. We also like the accessibility features that you get with the AirPods Pro 2.

If none of these things matter to you, the WF-1000XM5 is also top-notch for iPhone and is an extreme value whenever it goes on promotion.

What should you get instead of the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)?

For excellent sound quality, even better ANC, and future-proof features, grab the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 ($269.95 at Amazon). These earbuds support aptX Adaptive, Auracast and LE Audio, and come with a wireless USB-C charging case. They are also suitable for exercise due to their IP54 rating and interchangeable wing tips.

If you don’t want to shell out almost $300, the older Sony WF-1000XM4 ($278 at Amazon) are great too. Sony’s last-gen flagship earbuds have many of the same perks as the XM5 buds. The main feature you miss out on is head tracking. The WF-1000XM4 isn’t as comfortable as the WF-1000XM4 either, but this is subject to your ear anatomy.

Alternatively, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro ($179 at Amazon) are still the best ANC earbuds for Samsung devices, even over the newer Galaxy Buds 3 Pro. With the Buds 2 Pro, you can automatically switch between Samsung devices, say, “Hey, Bixby,” and more. These earbuds are very comfortable and have an IPX7 rating, making them more durable than Apple or Sony’s earphones.

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