AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: which wireless earbuds are best for you?

If you're looking at buying premium earbuds from big names, one question on your mind is probably AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4 – the battle between high-end from two of the best in the business.

Sony's superb WF-1000XM4 have been the best true wireless earbuds since they launched, thanks to phenomenal noise cancellation, excellent sound, fantastic features, and regular price drops. Even the arrival of the newer Sony WF-1000XM5 didn't knock them off their perch, owing to a higher price and less improvement than we expected. But the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen have been wildly popular since their launch, delivering improved sound quality and noise cancellation over the original version, with a smart Adaptive Transparency mode too – and now they have USB-C charging.

So how do the two compare? Let's dig into it.

AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Price and release date

The AirPods Pro 2nd Gen were released on September 23, 2022 originally. The newer version with USB-C were launched on September 22, 2023. Their official price is $249 / £229 / AU$399.

The Sony WF-1000XM4 were released in June 2021 with an official price of $279 / £250 / AU$449, although they’re now widely available for considerably less – usually less than AirPods Pro 2. You can find the current latest prices below, though we should also note they're becoming hard to get hold of – though as of February 2024, Sony has told TechRadar that they haven't officially been discontinued.

AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Features

The Sonys connect via Bluetooth 5.2 and promise eight hours of play time with a further 12 hours from the charging case. There’s Sony’s LDAC codec for streaming higher-resolution audio from compatible devices, and Sony’s DSEE Extreme processing, which promises to upsample middling digital audio (ie, Spotify) to something more involving. Multipoint pairing means then be connected to two devices at once, for instant seamless switching. They charge using USB-C wired charging or Qi wireless charging.

There’s fast pairing for Android and Windows devices, and Sony’s clever “speak to chat”, which can detect when you’re having a conversation and pauses the music or podcast accordingly. The headphones app is very good, with extensive customisation options. You can also use photos of your ears to optimise 3D audio for Sony’s 360 Reality Audio. This spatial audio is very impressive, though support is limited – Tidal includes it, though. There's also support for Google's Find My Android system, so help locate them if lost.

The AirPods Pro 2 connect over Bluetooth 5.3, although there's no support for higher-res audio streaming, which is frustrating. They support Qi charging, Apple's MagSafe wireless charging, or even from the Apple Watch Magnetic Charger – and USB-C for wired charging. You get six hours of battery life from the buds, and a further 24 hours from the case. So, less in each charge than the Sony, but longer overall.

You get fast pairing with Apple devices, and a new Adaptive Transparency mode that's smarter about what noises are let through when you're in this mode. They also have a customization option where you scan your ears using an iPhone's 3D face recognition sensor to improve their Dolby Atmos spatial audio. This spatial audio works with lots of movie sources, as well as Dolby Atmos in Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. It can also 'upscale' stereo to spatial audio. There are lots of customization options for AirPods Pro 2, but they're mostly hidden deep in the iPhone's settings, and aren't as easy to tweak as Sony's.

The Find My support here is very impressive, with each earbuds and the case all able to be located separately. The case has a chip that means your iPhone can literally point you towards it if you're close enough, and it can make a noise even if your AirPods aren't in it.

Apple supports seamless switching between Apple devices with the AirPods Pro, and that can be loads of devices potentially – but it's not true multipoint pairing, so it only works with Apple devices, whereas the Sony can do it between an iPhone and a Windows laptop, or any other combination.

AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Audio performance

We love the sound of Sony’s earbuds. In our review we noted their “substance, texture, and an absolute stack of detail” explaining that “there’s drive and momentum to spare here, but the WF-1000XM4 never lose the run of themselves – there’s an equal amount of poise to go along with it.” The Sonys are beautiful sounding headphones with the default EQ, and you can adjust it to suit your own preferences too.

But AirPods Pro 2 excel in this area too. In our review, we said that "the sound quality is so good that we just found ourselves wanting to put them on to drift off into a beautiful sonic world." We praised "a strong ability to reproduce bass, a crispness in voice especially" but we also noted that "it makes it even more maddening that Lossless audio isn't supported here."

Both support active noise cancellation, and we give AirPods Pro 2 the edge here. We called it "mind-blowing" in our review, and even now it ranks up there with the best in class. The Sony, however, we called "B+" for noise cancellation even at the time – very good, no question, but one step down the from the very best. (The very best for this, as the same price as these earbuds, is the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II.)

AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Design & fit

Sony’s earbuds aren’t exactly small, and aren't light for true wireless earbuds. They weigh a good 40% more than AirPods Pro 2, and while that only equates to 2g, that's a lot for something that relies on contact with your ear canal for stability. 

They can be a little fiddly to insert and don’t feel as deeply set in your ears as some other earbuds, but once they’re in they sound excellent, which indicates a good fit and seal. The touch controls are easy to use.

The AirPods Pro 2 are more suited to smaller ears, or anyone who just prefers a light bud for comfort. They come with four sizes of in-ear tips, and while the stick design isn't loved by all, it does mean the center of gravity is close to your head, helping to keep them secure. The case is also smaller, meaning they're less bulky to slip in a pocket.

The AirPods Pro 2 include touch controls on the sticks: you can squeeze to play/pause/skip tracks, or to switch noise cancellation modes. This works with gloves on, which is useful. To change volume, you swipe up and down the sticks – this doesn't work with gloves on, but works fine overall.

AirPods Pro 2 vs Sony WF-1000XM4: Conclusion

We've rated the Sony as the best wireless earbuds for most people for a long time, because of their all-round quality, cross-platform skills, and evolving good value. And if you can still find them for price under £200 / $200, they still represent that great value.

But if you're all-in on Apple, the AirPods Pro 2 are probably the better-value buy. You can make the most of their features across all your devices, and you get better noise cancellation.