Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).
Scoring IPX4, the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. Compared to the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen), Sony WF C500 have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust)
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a weight of 8.56g . We take in account a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are easier to move with.
Sony WF C500, at 10.8g
weigh more than the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by of 2.24g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the 2 earbuds .
Sony WF C500 also is true wireless since it has no cables connecting the two earbuds together. Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have sweat resistance
Sony WF C500's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both Sony WF C500 and Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have stereo speakers
ANC makes use of more advanced kind of tech to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) then producing -1 (counter sound by the device) giving 0 which results in a reduced level of noise.
The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) stay well in place, creating a sound covering that tones down your environment noise and also prevents the device sound from leaking out at the same. Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this means that they tone down ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass. The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, its size corellates with the sound made by the earbuds. Sony WF C500 driver unit is 5.8mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 5.2mm
, a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not imply that they deliver better quality sound. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal on its way through. Sony WF C500's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) produce a juicier bass than the Sony WF C500
The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component generates high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through.
Sony WF C500's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that
both devices can produce equal treble
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings. Sony WF C500's battery life is
more than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 4 hours
. Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time.
The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to. This is given by the vendor, and Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s case is said to have a full charge of 30 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging the case itself.
Sony WF C500's charging case has a battery life of 10 hours,
less than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 20 hours
It requires 0.3 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)'s battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Sony WF C500 takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
more than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 2.2 hours
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen), the device supports wireless charging.
To charge the device, you just place down on a compatible charging pad. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights show the charging state of your device and case.
Sony WF C500 too have a battery level indicator, these allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Sony WF C500 has a Bluetooth version of 5,
equal to that of the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth. Sony WF C500 have a maximum range of 9meters,
less than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 1meters
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps.
Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) will work well with your iPad. If you intend on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The Sony WF C500 support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have 6 microphones.
The Sony WF C500 microphones are 2,
less than that of Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) by 4
. More microphones result in better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out background sounds. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to filter out background sounds from the desired sound. Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused.
If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a find earbuds feature. Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds.
The Sony WF C500 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in thirty minutes.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) support multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect. Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Sony WF C500 also support this function. It means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice. The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.
Sony WF C500 also have a control panel on them. Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have a warranty period of 1 Years, the period of time that warrant free repair and adjustment services in case of a malfunction occurring under normal use that has followed instruction manuals. When covered under the manufacturer’s warranty it is possible to get a replacement a malfunction occurs.
Sony WF C500 have a warranty period of 1Years,
equal to that of the Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)
.
Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) have voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection. The Sony WF C500 too support voice prompts .i.e the device will notify you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the earbuds.
The Apple AirPods (3rd Gen) come with a special case. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them in your pockets without a casing may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony WF C500 also have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.
