The second generation AirPods Pro, released in late 2022, are Apple’s best fully wireless Bluetooth headphones for their powerful active noise cancellation and sound quality. But they are not the only TWS headphones on the market to take into account. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are its direct competition and also shine for its features, audio and design. Which ones should you buy? We put them face to face to compare them.
Features AirPods Pro (2022) VS Sony WF-1000XM4
specs | AirPods Pro (2022) |
Sony WF-1000XM4 |
---|---|---|
Dimensions and weight |
Earcups: 1.25″ high x 0.75″ wide, 0.95″ thick, 0.2 ounces | Case: 4.52 cm high x 6.06 cm wide x 2.17 cm thick and 50.8 grams in weight |
7.3 grams (each earphone), 41 grams approximately the case |
sound technology |
Apple Custom High Excursion Driver, Custom High Dynamic Range Amplifier, Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Ambient Mode, Slotted Pressure Compensation, Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking and Adaptive EQ |
Active noise cancellation, Ambient sound mode, Adaptive sound, Speak to chat, Hi-Res Audio, DSEE Extreme, DAC + ASP 24 bit |
sensors |
Two beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone, skin sensor, motion-sensing accelerometer, voice-sensing accelerometer, and touch control |
Three microphones, position detection |
Chip |
Apple H2 chip for earphones and U1 chip in MagSafe charging case |
V1 processor |
controls |
Press once to play audio, pause it, or answer a call; press twice to go to the next song; press three times to return to the previous song; press and hold to switch between active noise cancellation and adaptive ambient sound mode; swipe up or down to adjust the volume, and say “Hey Siri” to listen to a song, make a call, get directions, and more |
Gesture control (tap left earbud to go from noise canceling to ambient mode, long tap for quick attention, or double tap right to go to the next song), Alexa and Google voice assistant compatibility |
Sweat and water resistance |
IPX4 (headphones and case) |
IPX4 |
Autonomy |
Up to 6 hours of audio playback on a single charge (up to 5.5 hours if spatial audio is on), or up to 4.5 hours of talk time | With case you get up to 30 hours of audio playback or up to 24 hours of talk time. Five minutes of charging equals one hour of playback or conversation |
Up to 8 hours of playback per charge (up to 24 hours with case) | Quick charge of five minutes equivalent to 60 minutes of autonomy |
connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3 |
Bluetooth 5.2, Google Fast Pair, Swift Pair, multipoint connectivity |
Compatibility |
iPhone and iPod touch models with the latest version of iOS, iPad models with the latest version of iPadOS, Apple Watch models with the latest version of watchOS, Mac models with the latest version of macOS, and Apple TV models with the latest version of latest version of tvOS |
iOS, Android, Windows, macOS |
Price |
299 euro |
279 euros |
Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones WF-1000XM4 (up to 24 hours of battery life, stable Bluetooth connection, optimized for Alexa and Google Assistant, hands-free) Black
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
- Design: We start with the physical appearance. The second generation of the AirPods Pro inherits the design of the first, so we are not going to find appreciable changes in the headphones (although they do integrate volume controls, something that we will discuss later), although yes in the case, since it incorporates a speaker and the option of adding a cord on the side for better transport, place a carabiner to hang it on the backpack, etc. Sony’s headphones also stand out for their elegant and striking design, more button-shaped than Apple’s proposal and its characteristic “stick”.
- sound technology: AirPods Pro (2022) are going to get the most out of using them with Apple devices, as they have spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, which provides a more immersive experience. They also have active noise cancellation and ambient sound mode, as well as adaptive equalization. The Sony WF-1000XM4 also have ANC, ambient and adaptive sound, but also offer Hi-Res Audiothe Speak to Chat feature (a feature that makes the headphones mute the music or what is being played when they detect that we are speaking, with the aim of better capturing the voice of the person with whom we are speaking), as well as DAC + ASP 24 bit.
- sensors: Sony hardly provides information in this section, beyond the three microphones and position detection, which makes the headphones stop or resume music playback depending on whether we are wearing them or not. However, Apple does comment on its three microphones, skin sensor, accelerometer with motion detection, accelerometer with voice detection and touch controls.
- Chip: Apple has released a new chip with the AirPods Pro (2022), the H2, an element that improves active noise cancellation and connection stability. The charging case integrates the U1 chip, since it integrates with the Apple Search network so that it can be located in case of loss. The Sonys integrate the processor V1to offer a higher quality of noise cancellation while reducing consumption so as not to have such a negative impact on the battery.
- controls: The Sony WF-1000XM4 incorporates touch controls to switch between songs or sound modes, but they also have integration with voice assistants such as Alexa or Google to interact with content, make calls, etc. The second generation AirPods Pro are controlled by pressing, and as a novelty it is volume control by swiping a small touchpad. They are also compatible with “Hey Siri”, ideal for making calls, searching for a specific song in Apple Music, etc.
- Autonomy: AirPods Pro (2022) have also improved battery life, now reaching up to six hours of playback (5.5 hours with spatial audio active) and up to 30 hours with the case. The Sony promise up to eight hours of playback per charge and up to 24 hours with the case. Both headphones offer fast charging.
- Connectivity and compatibility– The connection of the second generation AirPods Pro with Apple devices is almost instant thanks to the H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3, since they can also be connected to Android devices or PCs, but many features are lost and the experience is not as good. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are more universal, since they can be used well on both iOS and Android, Windows and macOS. In fact, they offer Google Fast Pair to make the connection experience with Android smartphones and tablets similar to iOS, Swift Pair for Windows 10/11 computers, and multi-point connectivity so you can use them on two devices at the same time.
- Price: and we end with one of the points that usually has more weight. The price of the headphones is very similar, with an official difference of 20 eurosbut the Sony WF-1000XM4 have been available on the market for longer, around a year, and for this reason it is much easier to find them on sale, sometimes with discounts of more than 100 euros, which makes them very attractive.
AirPods Pro (2022) VS Sony WF-1000XM4, which ones to buy?
We are facing two of the best proposals on the market for totally wireless Bluetooth headphones. The AirPods Pro (2022) are the best in the Apple catalog, and the Sony WF-1000M4, the best of the Japanese brand. Both stand out for their active noise cancellation and sound quality. But you have to mention “buts” and go deeper.
AirPods Pro (2022) only unleash their full potential with Apple devices. So if you have gadgets running non-Apple operating systems, you’re not going to enjoy some cool features like spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. If you are immersed in the Apple ecosystem, they are the most recommended option.
If you have an iPhone, an Android tablet, a Windows computer, etc., the Sony WF-1000XM4 will better suit your needs. Because they have many connection technologies, such as Google Fast Pair and Swift Pair, and they do not have restricted features if they are not used with a specific operating system. Not to mention the price, since by carrying more time at a time they can be found on sale more often and with powerful discounts.
Sony Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones WF-1000XM4 (up to 24 hours of battery life, stable Bluetooth connection, optimized for Alexa and Google Assistant, hands-free) Black
AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
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