Home Wireless Earbuds Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4 Review

Last updated on Aug 18, 2024   16 minute read
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Sony WF 1000XM4

Sony WF 1000XM4

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF 1000XM4

Overall Score 8.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 4 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

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Reasons why you might like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Overall Score 7.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4 Review In Summary

Category Features Sony WF 1000XM4 Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IPX4
weight 7.1g 10.6g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 6mm 11mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 40,000Hz 20,000Hz
sound pressure level 105dB/mW
POWER battery life 8hours 6hours
battery life of charging case 16hours 24hours
charge time 1.5hours 1hours
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.3
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
has aptx hd
MICROPHONE number of microphones 4only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value represents protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).

Having a value of IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd 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. In comparison to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), Sony WF 1000XM4 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 The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We consider a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are easier to carry.

The Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g are lighter than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with a difference -3.5g True wireless devices have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this matter since they have no wires. This is a major difference since wireless earbuds have wires connecting the 2 earbuds . Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires linking the two earbuds . Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are resistant to sweat Sony WF 1000XM4's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, what this means is that Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience. Both Sony WF 1000XM4 and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers Active noise cancellation makes use of more advanced kind of tech to actively cancel noise.

ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 which results in a reduced level of noise.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have Active Noise Cancellation making both devices ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and Sony WF 1000XM4 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the noise cancellation type that suits your commute or that enhances your relaxation time. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down background noise while preventing the earbuds sound from leaking out . Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which implies that they tone down ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, the unit size corellates with the sound made by the device. Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter, which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 5mm , as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.



However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not indicate that they deliver better quality sound. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Sony WF 1000XM4's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices can produce equal bass The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device produces high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal while at it.

Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that Sony WF 1000XM4 produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd 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 usually given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings. Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 2 hours . Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time.

The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to. This is given by the vendor, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case has a charge of 24 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 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 8 hours It requires 1 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery. It is recommended to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods. Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery, more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 0.5 hours The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging.

To charge the earbuds, you simply place down on a supported charging pad. Sony WF 1000XM4 also support wireless charging, always look out for the charging standard of a device. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery.

Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Sony WF 1000XM4 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, older than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Newer versions provide faster data transfers. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth. Sony WF 1000XM4 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio.

It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work fine with your MacBook.

If you are planning 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 1000XM4 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.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones. While the Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 2 . More microphones result in better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out noise from the earbuds' sound.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a noise-canceling microphone. Especially useful in noisy areas. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises to still be heard even when wearing them The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but would still want to hear traffic.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears . The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience. When misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a find earbuds feature. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have the find earbuds feature.

You can use the device app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to find them. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to charge a device.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. The Sony WF 1000XM4 have a multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Bluetooth multipoint comes in handy when you can be on one call and not miss notifications coming from another connected device.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they support the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The Sony WF 1000XM4 also support the mute function. The mute function means that you can turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.

With the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support voice prompts.

Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection. Sony WF 1000XM4 also support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge them. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with a special pouch.

Carrying earbuds openly, or placing them in your bag without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony WF 1000XM4 also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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