This article is part of our series Battle of the Brands, in which we compare category-leading products to their counterparts to determine which are actually worth your money.
The battle we’ve anticipated for months has finally commenced. On one side is the Sony WF-1000XM5, a new flagship that outperforms many of the best true wireless earbuds in key areas such as active noise cancellation (ANC), battery life and sound. On the other side is the critically acclaimed AirPods Pro 2, a sequel that lives up to the hype with noteworthy improvements in the same performance categories.
Both models share upscale features such as ANC, ambient listening, spatial audio with head tracking and wireless charging. They also come with top-tier call quality and plenty of features to go along with their hefty price tags.
After weeks of thorough testing, we can officially determine the better true wireless investment. Here’s our in-depth comparison of the Sony WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2.
Sony WF-1000XM5 vs. AirPods Pro 2 at a glance
The Sony WF-1000XM5 are the better overall wireless earbuds, offering superior sound, special features, noise cancellation and battery life.
The AirPods Pro 2 are the best choice for Apple users, offering excellent integration across your iPhone, Mac and Apple TV while delivering good overall sound and immersive spatial audio.
Quick comparison
| Active noise cancellation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Ambient noise | Yes (transparency mode) |
| Battery life (rated) | 8 hours (ANC on); 12 hours (ANC off); 24 hours (with case and ANC on); 36 hours (with case and ANC off) |
| Wireless charging | Yes |
| Sweat and water resistance | IPX4 (earbuds) |
| Ear tip sizes | XS, S, M, L |
| Software support | iOS, Android |
| Special features | Adaptive ANC and sound, Bluetooth multipoint, DSEE upscaling, LDAC, quick charging, spatial audio, voice controls |
| Colors | Black, silver |
| Weight | 0.21 ounces |
| Active noise cancellation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Ambient noise | Yes (transparency mode) |
| Battery life (rated) | 6 hours (ANC on); 7 hours (ANC off); 30 hours (with case and ANC on); 34 hours (with case and ANC off) |
| Wireless charging | Yes |
| Sweat and water resistance | IPX4 (earbuds and case) |
| Ear tip sizes | XS, S, M, L |
| Software support | iOS |
| Special features | Personalized Spatial Audio, active noise cancellation, lanyard loop case with Find My, volume touch controls |
| Colors | White |
| Weight | 0.19 ounces |
Hi-fi sound or spatial audio?
The Sony WF-1000XM5’s impressive audio specs include 360 Reality Audio, Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec support, customizable audio settings, DSEE upscaling and a new Dynamic Driver X unit. That’s an amalgamation of high-powered sound technologies that no true wireless model can match.
DSEE remains Sony’s unsung feature, boosting fidelity on lo-fi recordings — something incredibly useful for those who still listen to ripped MP3 files downloaded from their LimeWire days. The built-in EQ offers multiple well-engineered presets that complement their respective categories, though you have the option to create your own by manually adjusting frequencies. There’s also a Find Your Equalizer feature that tailors sound to your hearing based on a series of listening tests. Sony’s QN2e and V2 chips work together with the Dynamic Driver X unit to deliver 24-bit audio processing and lower distortion for clean audio reproduction. LDAC runs smoothly for hi-res audio streaming on Android devices.
360 Reality Audio pumps out great 3D sound, especially on streaming services like Tidal. If only the head-tracking technology were executed better; it struggles to register movements.
The AirPods Pro 2 are a respectable audio competitor. Apple’s sound profile benefits from a new low-distortion driver and custom amplifier that produce richer bass and clearer presentation. You have audio-enhancing features at your disposal, such as EQ via iOS and Headphone Audio Customization to create a sound profile based on hearing preferences. However, it’s Personalized Spatial Audio that showcases the buds’ sonic capabilities. This 3D audio format is still the best way to consume 360-degree sound on wireless earbuds. The ear-scanning process makes sound clearer and accurately places it on the soundscape. Precise head tracking brings an immersive feel to Dolby Atmos-compatible content on Apple Music and Apple TV.
TL;DR: Go with the WF-1000XM5 if you want audiophile sound, or pick the AirPods Pro if you desire class-leading spatial audio.
ANC and call quality are greater on the WF-1000XM5
The AirPods Pro 2 are solid noise cancelers that can eliminate up to 90% of ambient noise. Lows, mids and certain highs (e.g., bird chirping, cymbals) will go unnoticed, though you can expect an ambulance siren or crying toddlers to grab your attention. Apple’s new Adaptive Transparency is the real highlight and keeps listeners more aware of their surroundings while reducing harsh environmental noise simultaneously. The results are terrific. I managed to communicate clearly with the missus from across the living room and hear cars coming up the block during walks. It’s also cool that Apple offers other unique ambient listening modes like Conversation Boost to emphasize vocals during chats and Live Listen for transforming your iPhone into a live mic that sends noises to the AirPods.
For all its greatness, Apple’s noise cancellation can’t see Sony’s upgraded ANC technology (cue the John Cena hand wave). Dual processors, extra mics and wind-resistant mesh grilles are an unbeatable combination that block out 95% of noise across the frequency spectrum. It’s going to take something incredibly loud to break your concentration. More impressive is the 20-level Ambient Sound mode for full control over how much noise you want to block out or hear. I had a little more fun using Sony’s version since the mics do a better job of picking up incidental sounds; hearing conversations from across the street is wild.
TL;DR: The WF-1000XM5 have superior ANC, though the AirPods Pro 2 are no slouch.
Integration remains Apple’s greatest asset
Apple’s ecosystem integration is just flawless. Its H2 processor communicates with iOS and macOS to instantly pair with iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV while executing common tasks instantly. Having all features tied to iOS makes personalizing these buds much simpler, especially through the AirPods’ dedicated menu in Settings and other shortcuts that are spread across the operating system. What I love most is being able to customize controls and enable listening modes on macOS through the menu bar. If only Apple afforded this user experience to Android owners.
Meanwhile, Sony programmed the WF-1000XM5 to work similarly across iOS and Android. Bluetooth multipoint means you can pair the buds to two devices at the same time. The Sony Headphones Connect app is available for download on either mobile OS, along with the Auto Play app that sends out audio notifications and links to Spotify, Endel or Apple Music to play music at preferred times. Sony relies on these apps for customizing performance. They also let you save adjustments and settings that carry over to any paired device and can be stored on your user profile. As serviceable as this is, it pales in comparison to Apple’s ecosystem.
TL;DR: Functionality is seamless on both sets of buds, but the AirPods Pro 2 are more in sync with platform-centric devices.
The WF-1000XM5 offer longer, better battery life
Sony rates the WF-1000XM5’s battery life at eight hours with ANC on and 12 with ANC off, which is accurate based on testing. I enjoyed a full workweek of moderate use (two and a half hours daily) before recharging, which has also been enhanced, generating one hour of listening time on a three-minute quick charge. The wireless charging case holds between 24 and 36 hours, depending how you use the buds.
We appreciate Apple boosting playtimes on the AirPods Pro 2: six to seven hours per charge on the buds alone and 30 to 34 hours with the wireless charging case. You can see these numbers fall short of their competitor, though Apple’s battery management system is still incredible at squeezing every bit of juice out before recharging. Quick charging is also weaker: A five-minute charge equates to one hour of use.
TL;DR: Expect the WF-1000XM5 to keep you entertained throughout an international flight, while you’ll have to recharge the AirPods Pro 2 halfway through.
Bottom line
The WF-1000XM5 beat the AirPods Pro 2 in the categories that matter most: audio, active noise cancellation, battery life, call quality and special features. Design-wise, Sony gave these buds a nice face-lift for a more premium look. Music and movies sound as amazing as they do on their over-ear counterpart, the WH-10000XM5. Powerful noise cancellation also keeps your listening experience distraction-free.
The AirPods Pro 2 are still excellent buds that deliver high-end performance and pair instantly to Apple devices. ANC and sound see noticeable improvements. The fit is better, thanks to the new ear tip kit. New additions like touch volume controls and the wireless charging case with Find My integration are unique features that add to their value as well.
Apple could have done a little more to make its latest buds more impactful, such as extend ANC battery life an extra hour or strengthen multi-platform support. Meanwhile, Sony equipped its buds with an excessive number of innovative features and more firepower, leaving its porcelain-dangling foes in the dust.