Sony is one of the undisputed leaders in the music industry, not only because of its discography, Sony Music, but also because it is one of the companies that offers products with great audio quality at a very interesting price. However, since 2016, Apple has been breaking into the headphone market with the launch of the AirPods and in 2022, Apple launched the second generation AirPods Pro, a clear demonstration of intent for Sony and its WF-1000XM4, but What is the best option for this summer of 2023? Let’s see it below:
Design and Comfort
Apple AirPods Pro have a minimalist and elegant design, reflecting the way Apple works in the launch of each product. In this sense, AirPods count five silicone pads so that your unit fits perfectly with your ears, so that it is much easier and more comfortable to wear. In the previous generation they had fewer pads, preventing many users from enjoying this product.
Continuing with the design, the WF-1000XM4 headphones have a more “Made in Japan” design, a design that shows Japanese trends, giving it a much more serious and less youthful touch than Apple’s AirPods Pro. Therefore, here the tastes and the type of user who you are is going to make a difference. Apple’s AirPods have a much more design minimalist and elegant, compared to the design of the Sony, much more robust. Of course, if you are looking for headphones that are not noticeable when you go down the street, the Sony are the best option, since Apple continues to maintain the design of the 2016 headphones, and which, it is commonly said, has “two legs”
Sound quality
Along with comfort, quality is the other great point to consider. In this sense, the Sony WF-1000XM4 is considered by specialized critics to be one of the best on the market, since, it has integrated a variety of technologies, including its V1 integrated processor (the same as the WX-1000XM4 headphones) and the possibility of listening to high-resolution audio, that is, the lossless audio of AirPods.
The AirPods Pro, fulfilling the essence of Apple, indicate that it is a closed product and, therefore, all the configuration parameters are determined by Apple, although it offers the minimum possibility of modifying the equalizer, it offers little customization capacity, an aspect where Sony hits the table.
The Japanese firm has developed its own audio customization appwhich is available on all platforms for free, which will allow you customize music in multiple ways to deliver the sound you need.
Noise cancellation and battery life
Both devices have active noise cancellation very good where it is able to block out most ambient sounds. However, Sony, the result of years of experience in the development of headphones, specialized criticism determines that it is one step above those of Cupertino. Still, it’s perfectly adequate for most everyday environments.
Regarding the battery, this is where it wins apple by differencenot because they have better autonomy than AirPods Max, but because there is the possibility of being able to replace battery of Apple headphones and be able to give it a second life, an aspect that is not possible to do with AirPods Max. It is clear that if I can have new headphones for a much lower price than new ones and they have a good performance, why am I going to change them? In this sense, Sony should reach agreements with its suppliers to offer this type of support, above all, because they are not cheap.
Conclusion: Which is the best for you?
We have already seen the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Apple headphones and, as an initial conclusion, we highlight that they are two incredible headphones. Of course, if we have to opt for one of them, we have to take into account two aspects.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 have a better audio quality and noise cancellation, but they have a design made in Japan, that is, a more complex and less thin design than Apple’s TWS headphones, although, if the design is secondary to you or you simply like the look they have given it, you have to add it the great personalization to be able to listen to your ideal music. On the other hand, Apple AirPods have best design and above all, they have the apple ecosystem whose integration is perfect. If we have to summarize this comparison, the question is the following: Quality or customization or design and ecosystem?
