Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 comparison, as someone who has purchased both pairs of earbuds with my own money.
I’ve conducted thorough testing of both wireless earbuds, and I will break down a winner for each category including:
- Comfort and Fit
- Features
- Battery Life
- Microphone Quality
- Noise Cancelling Performance
- Sound Quality
- Value
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNOW YouTube channel with over 18,000+ subscribers and over 4 million+ views, where you can watch the video versions of all of our reviews and comparisons.
Let’s dive right in!
AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 Comparison in Short
The newer Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation narrowly beats out the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds in almost every category, including: sound quality, noise cancelling performance, mic quality, fit, and value. That said, the older XM5 earbuds are surprisingly still competitive today despite the XM6 having been released. If the price of the XM5 falls in the near future, then it makes for an excellent value.
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Comfort, Features, Microphone Quality, and Battery Life
Comfort
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 comes with 4 pairs of foam-infused silicone eartips.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 comes with 4 pairs of memory foam eartips.
Overall, I prefer the more ergonomic design of the AirPods Pro 3 over the Sony WF-1000XM5, as it seems to be more form-fitting and secure.
Sony did a good job of slimming down the XM5 earbuds from the previous WF-1000XM4, so it is more comfortable than before.
But I think my issue is with the memory foam eartips of the XM5, which are engineered for good noise cancelling and sound, but aren’t as form-fitting and secure as the hybrid material/shape of the AirPods Pro 3.
If for whatever reason the XM5’s stock eartips aren’t to your liking, I’ve really enjoyed using these aftermarket ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
Features
When it comes to features, both of these earbuds are some of the most feature-rich products in the category.
The real standouts for me are the high-res codec LDAC support for the Sony WF-1000XM5, which is noticeably higher resolution than the AirPods Pro 3, which doesn’t support any high-res codecs. For audiophiles, this is an important feature.
The XM5 earbuds also has native app support for both iOS and Android, while the AirPods Pro 3 is only truly managed on iOS devices like iPhone.
Two very interesting features of the AirPods Pro 3 is that it doubles as a clinical-grade hearing aid, and the “Live Translation” feature which is stuff from science fiction.
Now if you’re an Apple ecosystem user, the AirPods Pro 3 has a clear advantage when it comes to seamless connectivity and switching across multiple Apple devices.
The XM5 earbuds also have multi-point, but it’s limited to 2 devices and the switching/connecting isn’t as effortless as the AirPods Pro 3.
Microphone Quality
These are two of the best microphone options in the wireless earbuds class, despite the WF-1000XM5 being older.
The XM5 earbuds improved upon the XM4 by introducing bone conduction sensors, which are largely responsible for the XM5’s above-average mic quality.
That said, the newer AirPods Pro 3 makes a case for being the #1 in mic quality for a wireless earbud today, and Apple seriously cooked up some magic with its ability to filter out the human voice from background noise, while making it sound natural.
So if peak microphone quality is important for you, the AirPods Pro 3 wins here.
Battery Life
AirPods Pro 3 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 10 hours on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 20 minutes = 2 hours of playback
Sony WF-1000XM5 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 12 hours on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 3 minutes = 1 hour of playback
Both earbuds are pretty much tied for battery life when ANC is turned ON, with the Sony XM5 having a slight advantage with ANC turned OFF.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 9.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Performance Compared
Like with microphone quality, you are looking at two of the best wireless earbuds for noise cancelling performance on the market currently.
Apple claims that the AirPods Pro 3 has twice the noise cancelling effectiveness of the previous AirPods Pro 2, and my testing backs up that claim.
Believe it or not, I still find the Sony XM5 earbuds to have some of the best noise cancelling performance in the wireless earbud class today, despite its age.
But as with mic quality, I think the newer AirPods Pro 3 just edges it out due to advancements in technology.
These are two of the best options for ANC in the class, with the AirPods Pro 3 being a Top 3 option today.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.5 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Sound Quality
The Sony WF-1000XM5 is one of my surprise favorites to listen to, all things considered.
Even though I love the sound profile of the previous AirPods Pro 2, I find the overall sound quality better on the XM5 earbuds.
So how does the newer AirPods Pro 3 stack up?
Let’s start with the high-res codec support of LDAC in the Sony WF-1000XM5. Having LDAC support means transmitting higher resolution music to begin with, typically resulting in slightly more clarity and sound quality.
Now, the AirPods Pro 3 actually has a proprietary Lossless Audio support via a new technology called “SPR-AVS”. The only problem is that this protocol is only supported by the newest Apple devices, including iPhone 17 and newer.
By contrast, Sony’s LDAC is natively supported on almost all modern Android smartphones today, making it much more accessible. Plus, there is accessories that can unlock LDAC support like below.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC support:
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
Sound Profiles
Starting with sound profiles, I find the AirPods Pro 3 to be the more tonally balanced of the two.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has a fun, energetic sound quality that leans more consumer-friendly, but in a tasteful way.
Both earbuds sound pretty clear with good fidelity and detail as a whole.
Bass
Both earbuds have strong bass response, with the AirPods Pro 3 being a bit cleaner and tighter over the Sony WF-1000XM5.
I prefer the deeper sub-bass response on the AirPods Pro 3, whereas the XM5 is more of a punchy mid-bass.
Both are pretty satisfying in the bass department, but there are better options for bassheads.
Mids
The AirPods Pro 3 has superior mids to the Sony WF-1000XM5, resulting in more detailed and forward vocals.
The XM5 really favors its bass and treble over the mids, leading to a less realistic timbre for vocals and instruments.
Vocals and instruments simply have a more natural timbre with the AirPods Pro 3.
Treble
I find both earbuds to have nicely-detailed treble, with the AirPods Pro 3 being smoother, and the XM5 earbuds being more hyped and exciting.
I really think the XM5’s sound profile works well to create a purely fun listening experience, while the AirPods Pro 3 is a little better for critical listening.
The XM5 is pushing a lot of treble energy, which has the benefit of more detail but can sometimes border on a bit artificial-sounding.
Overall
Overall, it’s close. I think these earbuds are very competitive with each other in the sound quality department.
Despite the XM5 being older, its high-res LDAC support helps its sound quality to stay fairly impressive and relevant today.
I think the newer hardware drivers themselves are better on the AirPods Pro 3, leading to a slight edge in the audiophile technicalities over the XM5.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 8.2 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.1 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Value
The AirPods Pro 3rd Generation retails at $249 USD, but is currently available for $229 market price brand new.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has now been replaced by the newer WF-1000XM6, but it has a retail price of $329.99 and a typical market price of $248.
I’m expecting the XM5’s market price to continue to fall as the newer XM6 starts to take over.
For now, the newer AirPods Pro 3 is surprisingly cheaper than the WF-1000XM5, making it the better value as a whole.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Value Score: 8.0 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
Overall Scoring Breakdown
- World-class noise cancelling performance
- One of the most comfortable fits
- Excellent microphone quality
- Decent sound quality
- There’s better pure sound quality options
- No native Android app
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- One of the best mic quality
- Audiophile-friendly tuning
- Still a bit pricy for its age
- There’s better pure sound quality options
Our Verdict: AirPods Pro 3
Believe it or not, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is nowhere near obsolete in 2026. It’s kind of uncomfortable how the XM5 is still very much competitive in all categories today.
The newer AirPods Pro 3 just narrowly edges out the XM5 earbuds in most categories, including sound quality, noise cancelling performance, and mic quality.
That said, the AirPods Pro 3 is surprisingly cheaper than the XM5 as well, making it the better value as a whole.
One underrated factor would be if you’re an Android user, which the Sony has native support for unlike the AirPods. Also, most Android smartphones support LDAC to get the most sound quality out of the XM5.
If the price of the XM5 starts to fall as the newer XM6 starts to become the standard, then we may see a slight change in scores.
Overall, these are two of the absolute strongest all-arounders for the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class currently.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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