Home Wireless Earbuds Huawei Freebuds 5 Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

A Review By Comparison of the Huawei Freebuds 5 Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

Last updated on Apr 20, 2023   8 min 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 7.9 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
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5

Reasons why you might like the Huawei FreeBuds 5

Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP54
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 5 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features Sony WF 1000XM4 Huawei FreeBuds 5
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IP54
weight 7.1g 10.8g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has an earbud foam
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 6mm 11mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 16Hz
highest frequency 40000Hz 40000Hz
sound pressure level 105dB/mW
has a neodymium magnet
POWER battery life 8hours 5hours
battery life of charging case 16hours 25hours
charge time 1.5hours
battery power 40mAh 42mAh
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.2 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
has aptx hd
audio latency 40ms
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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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony WF 1000XM4 IPX4
Huawei FreeBuds 5 IP54

IP ratings is the rank of protection offered by an enclosure, against solids and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value means protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (sweat).

Scoring IP54, the Huawei FreeBuds 5's rating for solids indicates that ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety, 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 Huawei FreeBuds 5, Sony WF 1000XM4 have a rating of IPX4 meaning that no data available to specify a protection rating and that of liquids is that, they both have the same rating against liquids

Weight

Sony WF 1000XM4 7.1g
Huawei FreeBuds 5 10.8g

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a weight of 10.8g . We take in account a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are easier to transport.

The Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g weigh less than the Huawei FreeBuds 5 by -3.7g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

For a device to be true wireless it should have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Huawei FreeBuds 5 are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is an important difference since wireless earbuds have wires linking the 2 earbuds .

Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless since it doesn't have cables linking the pair of earbuds together.

Sweat Resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have sweat resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc

Has An Earbud Foam

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The earbud foam is designed to be ultracompact and lightweight, with almost no interference with earrings, spectacles, hats, or hairstyles. The Sony WF 1000XM4 have an earbud foam to some it is more comfortable than the in-ear foam.

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Huawei FreeBuds 5's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

Both Sony WF 1000XM4 and Huawei FreeBuds 5 have stereo speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Active noise cancellation makes use of more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and then generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) then producing -1 (inverted noise) to make zero which results in a reduced level of noise.

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too have ANC which makes both earbuds ideal for plane rides and rush hour travels. Each operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting that suits your travel or that enhances your chill time.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Sony WF 1000XM4 sit well in place, this creates an acoustic seal that tones down background noise and also prevents the device voice audio from leaking out .

Driver Unit Size

Sony WF 1000XM4 6mm
Huawei FreeBuds 5 11mm

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a unit size of 11mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size corellates with the loudness of the device.

Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter, which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 5mm , many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 20Hz
Huawei FreeBuds 5 16Hz

Huawei FreeBuds 5's lowest frequency is at 16Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component 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 Huawei FreeBuds 5 can make sound with a juicier bass than the Sony WF 1000XM4

Highest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40000Hz
Huawei FreeBuds 5 40000Hz

Huawei FreeBuds 5's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high human frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.

Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that both devices can generate equal treble

Sound Pressure Level

Sony WF 1000XM4 105dB/mW
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Sony WF 1000XM4's measurement is 105dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Sony WF 1000XM4 have neodymium magnets, when used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help produce music at quite a high sound pressure level, using high magnetic flux.

Power

Battery Life

Sony WF 1000XM4 8hours
Huawei FreeBuds 5 5hours

The Huawei FreeBuds 5's battery life is 5 hours, these last less than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is more than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 3 hours . Each time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony WF 1000XM4 16hours
Huawei FreeBuds 5 25hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and Huawei FreeBuds 5's case has a full charge of 25 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before having to recharge the case itself.

Sony WF 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours, less than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 9 hours

Charge Time

Sony WF 1000XM4 1.5hours
Huawei FreeBuds 5

It takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the Sony WF 1000XM4's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods.

Battery Power

Sony WF 1000XM4 40mAh
Huawei FreeBuds 5 42mAh

Huawei FreeBuds 5's battery capacity is 42mAh, battery power, shows the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery power is 40mAh. less than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 2mAh

Has Wireless Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Sony WF 1000XM4, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you just put down on a compatible charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights show the charging state of your earbuds and 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 the battery is running low.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics.

Bluetooth Version

Sony WF 1000XM4 v5.2
Huawei FreeBuds 5 v5.2

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have Bluetooth version of 5.2, 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, equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5 . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony WF 1000XM4 10meters
Huawei FreeBuds 5 10meters

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Sony WF 1000XM4 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5

Has Aac

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Sony WF 1000XM4 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.

Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Sony WF 1000XM4 will work fine with your MacBook. 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.

Has Ldac

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz. It is capable of a very high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.

Sony WF 1000XM4 support it as well, LDAC, can automatically change to a lower bitrate of 330kbps or 660kbps for stability.

Has Aptx Hd

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support APTX HD, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It supports high-quality 24-bit audio (at a bit rate of 576kbps).

Audio Latency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40ms
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Latency refers to the time it takes for the audio signal to be transmitted to your earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 have a latency of 40ms, a lower latency reduces audio lag and is particularly important when playing games or watching videos.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony WF 1000XM4 4only
Huawei FreeBuds 5 6only

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have 6 microphones.

While the Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, less than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 2 . More microphones record better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out noise.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to filter out noise from the earbuds' sound.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a noise-canceling microphone. This is useful in noisy areas.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises to still be heard even when wearing the earbuds

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but would still want to hear traffic.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .

Sony WF 1000XM4 support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life.

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

If misplaced in a room, or can't be found in your bag, the Huawei FreeBuds 5 support the find earbuds feature.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have the find earbuds feature. You can use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to locate them.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 support fast charging. Most often, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the time it takes to fully charge a device.

Sony WF 1000XM4 too 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 can be charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Multipoint Count

Sony WF 1000XM4 2only
Huawei FreeBuds 5 2only

Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 support multipoint count of 2, equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5 . Bluetooth multipoint comes in handy when you can be on one call without missing notifications coming from another connected device.

Has A Mute Function

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 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 unilaterally turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

With the Huawei FreeBuds 5, so you can easily 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.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

Huawei FreeBuds 5 support voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection.

The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge the earbuds.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony WF 1000XM4
Huawei FreeBuds 5

The Huawei FreeBuds 5 come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones without a case, or putting them inside your pockets without a casing may easily damage them.

Sony WF 1000XM4 also have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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