Home Wireless Earbuds Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf C500

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf C500 Review

Last updated on Mar 30, 2024   7 minute read
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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
VS
Sony WF C500

Sony WF C500

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF C500

Overall Score 6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Battery Life of 10 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf C500 Review In Summary

Category Features Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Sony WF C500
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IPX4
weight 10.6g 10.8g
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 11mm 5.8mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 20,000Hz 20,000Hz
POWER battery life 6hours 10hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 10hours
charge time 1hours 2.5hours
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.3 v5
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 9meters
has aac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 6only 2only
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
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
warranty period 1Years
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Wf C500 Review In Detail

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) IPX4
Sony WF C500 IPX4

Ingress protection ratings is the level of protection given by a casing, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value means protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).

Having a value of IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating is read as, the first value of X denotes 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 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

Weight

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 10.6g
Sony WF C500 10.8g

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We consider a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.

The Sony WF C500, at 10.8g are heavier than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by of 0.2g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

True wireless devices have no cables linking any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a major distinction since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the 2 earbuds together.

Sony WF C500 also is true wireless since it doesn't have cables linking the 2 earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are resistant to sweat

Sony WF C500's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc

Has Stereo Speakers

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, what this means is that Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The Sony WF C500 also have stereo speakers

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

ANC makes use of more advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) then producing -1 (inverted noise) giving zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue since you don't have to crank up the device volume to overcome background noise.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay tightly in place, this creates a sound seal that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the earbuds music from leaking out .

Both Sony WF C500, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have passive noise reduction which implies that both limit ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 11mm
Sony WF C500 5.8mm

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass. The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the sound produced 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 Pro (2nd Gen) by 5.2mm , 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 yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 20Hz
Sony WF C500 20Hz

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio device produces low recognizable frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it.

Sony WF C500's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that both devices can make sound with equal bass

Highest Frequency

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 20,000Hz
Sony WF C500 20,000Hz

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio device produces high human frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF C500's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means that both devices produce equal treble

Power

Battery Life

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 6hours
Sony WF C500 10hours

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.

Sony WF C500's battery life is more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 4 hours . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 24hours
Sony WF C500 10hours

The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before having to recharge the case itself.

Sony WF C500's charging case has a battery life of 10 hours, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 14 hours

Charge Time

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 1hours
Sony WF C500 2.5hours

It requires 1 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge 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 Pro (2nd Gen) by 1.5 hours

Has Wireless Charging

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you just put down on a supported charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging status of your device and charging case.

Sony WF C500 too have a battery level indicator, these allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

The Sony WF C500 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Bluetooth Version

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) v5.3
Sony WF C500 v5

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 range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Sony WF C500 has a Bluetooth version of 5, older than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 10meters
Sony WF C500 9meters

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Sony WF C500 have a maximum range of 9meters, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 1meters

Has Aac

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC, a codec that is 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 a similar bit rate.

Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work fine with your iPad. If you intend on using these with Android , 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.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 6only
Sony WF C500 2only

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones.

While the Sony WF C500 microphones are 2, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 4 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out noise.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce noise from the desired sound.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even when wearing them

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support the find earbuds feature.

Supports Fast Charging

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge a device.

The Sony WF C500 support fast charging. It's very 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.

Multipoint Count

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 2only
Sony WF C500

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd 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 easily switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.

Has A Mute Function

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

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 C500 too support the mute function. It means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

With the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.

Sony WF C500 too have a control panel on them.

Warranty Period

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500 1Years

The Sony WF C500 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.

Has Voice Prompts

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.

The Sony WF C500 too have voice prompts meaning the earbuds will notify you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the device.

Travel Bag Is Included

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Sony WF C500

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with their own special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover can easily damage them.

Sony WF C500 too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.