• Best overall

  Sony WF-1000XM5

  Brand

  Sony

  Battery Life

  8 hours / 24 hours with case

  Noise Cancellation

  Yes

  Bluetooth

  Bluetooth 5.3

  Microphones

  Six-microphone array

  IP rating

  IPX4

  The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds feature a more compact design than their predecessors while retaining excellent sound quality and active noise-cancellation (ANC). They support spatial audio, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, wireless case charging, and more. Any Android user will benefit from a pair of WF-1000XM5. 

  Pros & Cons

  • Sleek, stemless design
  • Solid battery life
  • Great noise cancellation

  • Pricey
  • Can be hard to handle

  $298 at Amazon
• Best for iOS

  Apple AirPods Pro 2

  Noise Cancellation

  Yes

  Bluetooth

  Yes

  Microphones

  Dual beamforming microphones, Inward-facing microphone

  Connectivity

  Bluetooth 5.3, Bluetooth multipoint

  IP rating

  IPX4

  Supported codecs

  AAC, SBC

  Despite their compact build, the AirPods Pro 2 pack in plenty of features, including ANC, Dolby Atmos content, and wireless charging. They have an impressively neutral sound profile that doesn't necessarily boost, and they automatically pair to any iOS device without the aid of an app. 

  Pros & Cons

  • Neutral sound profile
  • Solid noise cancellation
  • Excellent iOS connectivity

  • Call quality is just okay
  • Difficult to use with Android

  $249 at Amazon

A new contender has entered the ring, competing for the title of best wireless earbuds, but can they beat out some tough competitors to take home the crown? Released last month, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are the latest and greatest from Sony's True Wireless earbud line, delivering updated connectivity, improved sound, and a more comfortable design to the table. With all the improvements, can they stand up against the ever-popular Apple AirPods Pro 2, though? We are here to lay out the facts to help you decide which pair of premium earbuds are right for you.

Price, availability, and specs

Neither the AirPods Pro 2 nor the Sony WF-1000XM5 can be considered budget-friendly earbuds, but one pair is certainly way more expensive than the other. The Sony WF-1000XM5 retail for roughly $300, and because they're new, we don't expect them to go on sale soon. Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro 2 are priced at $249 but have been on sale at Amazon for as low as $199 — a $100 drop. Both pairs are easily available on their manufacturer's sites as well as popular retailers like Best Buy and Amazon, so you shouldn't have any trouble snagging the pair you want.

• 	Sony WF-1000XM5	Apple AirPods Pro 2
  Noise Cancellation	Yes	Yes
  IP rating	IPX4	IPX4
  Supported codecs	SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3	AAC, SBC
  Weight (earbuds)	5.3g
  Charging	USB-C, wireless via case	MagSafe, Qi wireless charging, Apple Watch Charging, or lightning connector
  Driver size	8.4mm	11mm
  Color	Black, Silver	White
  Spatial Audio	Personalized 360 Reality Audio, Head tracking	Yes

Design and fit

When it comes to appearance, the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 are fairly different. The AirPods Pro 2 maintain the classic white, stemmed design, while the Sony WF-1000XM5 forgo the stem with a smooth, rounded design that can be a little hard to handle but sit nicely in the ear. Both buds come with four ear tip sizes, with the AirPods featuring silicone tips and the WF-1000XM5 featuring memory foam. Generally, silicone will hold up better against moisture, and memory foam will add a bit of extra sealant to enhance noise cancelation. Both earbuds offer an ear tip fit test via your smart device.

The Sony buds come in black and silver, while the AirPods come in their traditional crisp white. Both earbuds have an IPX4 rating, which says they're protected from splashes, but the AirPods case is the only one that's also IPX4 rated. Both case models charge the buds, and Sony's is slightly larger at 65 x 27 x 40mm compared to Apple's at 65 x 27 x 40mm.

The Sony earbuds and Apple AirPods both have touch control capabilities but in slightly different capacities. The AirPods Pro 2 make excellent use of their stem design; you can play, pause, skip, adjust volume, toggle noise cancelation modes, and answer calls with a squeeze. You can also make hands-free commands when connected to an Apple Device by saying, “Hey Siri” and requesting adjustments. Plus, you can change these controls in the iOS Settings app.

The WF-1000XM5 require a series of taps to the earbud surface, which can trigger ANC, adjust volume, play/pause, skip, tap back, and access a voice assistant, including "Hey, Google" and Alexa on Android devices. Both earbuds also have auto wear detection to automatically pause music when you remove one bud. However, if you go with the AirPods Pro 2, you can only take advantage of this feature with iOS devices.

Sound and call quality

Both earbuds supply pretty top-notch sound quality. The AirPods Pro 2 have a wonderfully neutral sound profile, ideal for those listening to a wide variety of content. Lows and mids come through loud and clear, while highs are crisp and sometimes a little quiet. Additionally, Adaptive EQ means the AirPods constantly monitor what you're hearing and respond in real-time to adjust frequencies.

AirPods bring you spatial audio, giving the impression that sound is coming from all around you for a 3D experience. The WF-1000MX5 also sound good; however, they have a slight bass boost. This boost will either excite low-end enthusiasts or slightly irritate those who don't need enhanced thumping. Regardless, Sony's in-app EQ customization means you aren't stuck with the bud's out-of-the-box sound.

When it comes to call quality, it's hard to say who comes out on top, but the WF-1000MX5 might slightly edge out the AirPods Pro 2. Both models feature three microphones on each earbud to handle active noise cancelation (ANC) while aiding call clarity. The AirPods Pro 2 employ an inward-facing mic with voice enhancement algorithms, which we generally find to be successful. The AirPods occasionally struggle with isolation over windy or noisy environments, something the WF-1000MX5 work hard to mitigate with wind noise reduction and an AI machine-learning enhance reduction engine. The Sony buds also come with a bone conduction sensor to identify when you're speaking versus when the mics are picking up external sounds.

Finally, there's ANC For Sony, which has a new processor to control the six microphones and suppress surrounding sound. In comparison, the AirPods Pro 2 incorporate Apple's newer H2 chip which works with optimized mic placements and acoustic vents to block out noise. In our experience, the AirPods Pro 2 excel at reducing mid-range frequencies, while the WF-1000XM5 are better at canceling low, sub-bass frequencies. More on ANC coverage when we discuss the software below.

Software

The WF-1000XM5 utilize the Sony Headphones Connect app to make adjustments to the earbuds; the app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. On the app, you'll find a five-band custom equalizer with a stock of presets to choose from. You'll also be able to customize tap controls and trigger Ambient sound mode, which allows external noise to pass through — or you can select DSEE mode, which will attempt to enhance low-quality audio files. Other app features include the ear tip fit test, Adaptive Sound Mode settings which adjust to the ambient intensity, and Speak-to-Chat toggling for pausing ANC and triggering Ambient sound when your voice is detected. Overall, we like that the Sony app functions the same on any device, but we find the AirPods to have more developed features.

The AirPods Pro 2 are designed to pair specifically with iOS devices, and adjustments are made in Settings. You can adjust touch controls, take an ear tip fit test, adjust automatic ear detection, and enable Adaptive Transparency Mode, which lets certain sounds in but reduces anything that exceeds 85dB. While you can use AirPods on Android devices, you'll have to download a third-party app for control — not ideal.

The AirPods Pro 2 also let you control a host of accessibility features, playback volume, channel balance, and more. On an iOS device, you can set up Find My for your AirPods to locate the case and each pod individually. You can also trigger an alert sound from your phone that tells the case to chirp, so you can easily find it when you inevitably let it slide inside your couch cushions. On the other hand, the Sony buds can be found with Google's Find My Device, but that system isn't as intricate as Apple's Find My, and it's generally less reliable.

Both Sony and Apple offer spatialized audio with these earbuds, incorporating specialized head tracking. Sony's is just called 360 Reality Audio.

Battery life

The AirPods Pro 2 can last up to 6 hours (5.5 hours with Spatial Audio enabled and 4.5 of talking time). A fully charged case will provide an additional five charges to the pods themselves, while 5 minutes in the case can offer a full hour of playback. The Sony WF-1000XM5 last up to 8 hours on a single charge with an additional 16 hours of battery provided by the charging case. Three minutes of quick charge time results in an extra hour of listening time.

Once again, we have a veritable tie when it comes to a battery life winner. Both cases support Qi wireless charging, and Apple's works with MagSafe accessories as well. The WF-1000MX5 provide greater single-use listening time, while the AirPods Pro 2 deliver more juice overall due to the extra hours provided by the case. However, we value the longer single-charge time, so we give the winning title to the WF-1000MX5, but that's a personal preference.

Which one should you buy?

We tried our best to deliver a clear winner, but this one comes down to the operating system. Both pairs are really solid, delivering high-quality audio with customization options. Android users will be very happy with the WF-1000XM5 performance, and iOS fans will appreciate the seamless integration of the AirPods.

It's true that the WF-1000MX5 work with Android and iOS, and because of that, it scoots ahead in the race. Users who oscillate between their Galaxy phone and MacBook, for example, won't have any trouble using this pair of earbuds on all of their devices. Plus all the updates make for an excellent experience in general.

If you are exclusively an Apple user, you should get the AirPods Pro 2. Available at a lower price point with impressive iOS-specific features, an AirPods Pro 2 purchase makes the most sense.