AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4 Sound 🔥 Hear the difference!
When I compared the Sony WF-1000XM4 to the first gen AirPods Pro, there were several aspects which the Sonys came out on top, it's got better battery, its fit is a lot more snug. But the biggest advantage the Sonys have is full app support and customization on both iOS and Android with the Sony Headphones Connect app. So you’ll have full access to EQ settings, software updates, whether you’re on iOS and Android.
Much of that is still true if we compare the Sonys to the 2nd Gen AirPods Pro. But the new Pros have been beefed up. It’s total battery life is now juicier than the Sonys with up to 30 hours in total with the case compared to the Sony’s 24. It also has some quality of life improvements which I do prefer over the Sonys, and in terms of performance the Pro 2s are a match, or in some ways, more than a match. That is something you’re going to discover later in this article when we compare them to the Sony’s sound quality, call quality and noise cancelling.
Sound Quality Comparison
Comparing their sound quality side by side, the first thing I noticed was that the Sonys are warmer in the mid-range frequencies, while the AirPods Pro 2 have more sizzle and crispiness in the upper midrange. And you can hear this especially with music that have female vocalists. The tone of their voice is different, they sound brighter on the AirPods Pro 2, and warmer on the Sonys. In terms of bass, it’s a pretty close fight. The gen 2 AirPods Pro has definitely improved in this area compared to the first gen. It’s now almost as full and authoritative as the Sonys. In terms of bass impact and extension is just as good, but despite what this chart (below) shows, the Sony’s bass extension is just a bit louder than the AirPods. It could most likely be the extra sound pressure from the Sony’s foam tips. In terms of detail retrieval and track separation, they are just as good but I noticed that the Pro 2s had more airiness in the soundstage. This does give the impression that it sounds a little more spacious than the Sonys. You can listen to the side by side comparison here.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality, the AirPods Pro is definitely better, my voice had more definition whether in quiet or noisy conditions. It was a little less effective at reducing background noise if I’m not saying anything, but it filtered the noise (background and wind) better when I’m speaking. I compared their call quality in a simulated environment under both quiet and noisy conditions. Listen to the samples here.
Noise Cancelling
The AirPods Pro 2 does cancel quite a bit more low frequency rumble than the Sonys, and it’s also able to deal with mid-range noises as effectively as the Sonys, but without using foam tips. And it does this by masking over mid-range noises with white noise. Overall, it is more effective at cancelling noise than the Sonys. You can can hear the difference here.
That being said, its actual noise cancelling power really depends on the fit. It does fit a bit better than the 1st gen AirPods Pro, but after using them for about a week I noticed that it’s still a looser fit after all compared to the Sonys, and does require occasional re-adjustment in the ears to maintain that noise cancelling power. For the Sonys, they’ve got foam tips that just plug right in, and it stays plugged in throughout so its noise cancelling power never drops. For a snugger fit, the Sonys are a better choice.
So, why choose the Sony WF-1000XM4?
Like I mentioned in the beginning, the main reason to pick the Sonys is the Sony Headphones Connect App. There is just a lot more freedom in the way you can customize these earbuds, like its sound, whether it be with EQ presets or a graphic EQ. You can also finetune its transparency, and customize its controls. And you can do all of that on both Android and iOS devices.
Of course, this also means you can update the Sony’s firmware on both of these platforms, while with the AirPods, you can only get them updated or customized on iOS devices. The Sonys are also hi-res certified. For audiophiles this means getting the most out of your hi-res music files by streaming over high bandwidth codecs like LDAC. Now, not everyone can hear the difference between regular Spotify music or MQA masters from Tidal, but it’s something that more demanding listeners will want if they’re spending x amount of money.
Why choose AirPods Pro 2 instead of Sony?
Most reviewers will simply say that if you’re in the Apple Ecosystem, you should go for the AirPods because it’s seamlessly integrated, and you get exclusive features with iOS like spatial audio with head tracking, seamless switching, sharing your audio with another AirPods user.
But, it’s not so straightforward, isn’t it? Even if the AirPods Pro 2 doesn’t have full app support on Android, it does perform better in terms of core functions like noise cancelling, microphone pickup, and its transparency mode is the best I’ve heard. With the Sonys you still get a little bit of hiss in its transparency. It’s barely noticeable but if you compare it to the Pro 2s, the Pro 2s are more clean, it’s like wearing nothing. And the Pro 2s are a lot more competitive now with its longer battery and volume controls.
Well, yes it’s not groundbreaking stuff, the Sonys do have volume controls too but I just prefer how Apple implements volume controls on the AirPods Pro 2 compared to the XM4s. For one thing, the controls are on both sides as opposed to just one side on the Sonys.
From a portability standpoint, the Sony’s case is small but the AirPods is just tiny. It’s thinner, and it slips into my earbuds pocket a lot easier (as illustrated above).
It’s pretty cool actually, how Apple managed to squeeze more battery in it without making the case bigger. So even if you are in the Android ecosystem, there are compelling reasons to look at the AirPods Pro 2 even if you’ll have to borrow someone else's iPhone to get the firmware updates and settings. But what do you think? Leave your comments below.
Oh, and if you haven’t watched me compare the Gen 2 AirPods Pro to Gen 1 yet, click here.
To check the latest prices or purchase them, you may visit their Amazon pages at the links below.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II - https://amzn.to/3gHBWmq
AirPods Pro 2 - https://amzn.to/3VbAmsW
Sony LinkBuds S - https://amzn.to/3xNMab7
Sony WF-1000XM4 - https://amzn.to/3zbNN12
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