Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) vs Sony WF-1000X

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AirPods Pro (1st generation) compared with WF-1000X

	AppleAirPods Pro (1st generation)	SonyWF-1000X
Overview
Released
Released	October 2019	September 2017
Sound
Type
Type	In-ear	In-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	Yes
Driver size
Driver size	–	6 mm
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	–
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	SBC and AAC
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	No	–
Chip
Chip	H1	–
Drivers
Drivers	Custom high-excursion Apple driver and high dynamic range amplifier	Closed dynamic 6 mm drivers with CCAW voice coils and neodymium magnets
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Outward- and inward-facing microphones; noise cancellation adjusts 200 times per second; pressure-equalising vents	Active noise cancelling and Ambient Sound Mode with normal or voice settings; Adaptive Sound Control changes modes according to the paired phone's movement sensors
Audio features
Audio features	Adaptive EQ; Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking added after launch; Audio Sharing; AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs (What Hi-Fi?)	Sony Headphones Connect provides sound-quality/connection-priority settings and equaliser presets; the launch maker page dates equaliser support to a later October 2017 app update
Hearing health
Hearing health	Conversation Boost, Live Listen, headphone levels and Headphone Accommodations	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 4.5 hours	Up to 3 hours
With the case
With the case	–	Up to 9 hours
Wireless charging
Wireless charging	Yes	–
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Up to 5 hours with ANC and Transparency off; more than 24 hours of listening with case recharges (Apple's claim)	AAC playback up to three hours with noise cancelling, Ambient Sound Mode or both off; SBC up to two hours with noise cancelling or ambient sound, or 2.5 hours off. Maker press release states nine hours total with two case recharges. Standby figures of eight or 35 hours are not playback life.
Charging case
Charging case	Original Wireless Charging Case supports Qi and Lightning; MagSafe Charging Case added in 2021 also supports MagSafe	Micro-USB charging; earbuds approximately 1.5 hours, charging case approximately three hours for a full charge according to the Japanese maker specifications; NFC pairing built into the case
Fast charging
Fast charging	Around 1 hour of listening after 5 minutes in the case	Maker help guide states approximately 70 minutes playback after 15 minutes charging; TechRadar's 75-minute claim is not substituted
Design
Weight (each earbud)
Weight (each earbud)	5.4 g (better)	6.8 g
Water and sweat resistance
Water and sweat resistance	IPX4	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.0	4.1
Controls
Controls	Force sensor for playback, calls and switching ANC/Transparency; “Hey Siri”; no stem volume adjustment	Left button controls power, pairing and sound modes; right button controls playback, tracks, calls and voice-assistant activation; no earbud volume adjustment
Microphones
Microphones	Dual beamforming and inward-facing microphones; dual optical sensors, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers	Omnidirectional electret-condenser microphone; hands-free calls use the left unit and call audio is heard from the left only
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	Silicone tips in S, M and L; Ear Tip Fit Test	Long Hybrid silicone tips in SS, S, M and L; Triple-comfort tips in S, M and L; fitting supporters in M and L
Case weight
Case weight	45.6 g	Approximately 70 g; maker earbud weight is approximately 6.8 g each
Dimensions
Dimensions	Each earbud 30.9 × 21.8 × 24.0 mm; original case 45.2 × 60.6 × 21.7 mm (height × width × depth)	–
Water resistance detail
Water resistance detail	IPX4 earbuds; Wireless Charging Case and MagSafe Charging Case are not sweat or water resistant	Maker manual states the headset is not waterproof; no IP rating published
Works with
Works with	Apple devices with current iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS or tvOS; Bluetooth audio with older Apple software and non-Apple devices, with limited features	Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP; remembers up to eight paired devices, but the manual states music plays from one paired device at a time. Sony warns that Bluetooth playback can lag video or games. Maker US availability was September 2017; Japanese first sale was 7 October 2017. Sony announced a connection-stability update on 30 November 2017 to reduce audio interruptions; review observations are retained without asserting that every dropout was resolved
Colours
Colours	White	Black or Champagne Gold
In the box
In the box	AirPods Pro, charging case, three sizes of silicone tips, Lightning to USB-C cable, documentation	Earbuds, charging case, approximately 50 cm Micro-USB cable, silicone and Triple-comfort tips, fitting supporters and documentation