Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6 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-1000XM6 Comparison in Short
The Sony WF-1000XM6 has the superior audiophile-level sound quality over the Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation. In addition, I slightly prefer the Sony XM6’s noise cancelling performance, although these are two of the best for ANC currently. The AirPods Pro 3 has the better comfort and fit, with superior mic quality, and is more feature-rich due to its Apple ecosystem connectivity, “Live Translation”, and doubling as a clinical-grade hearing aid. The AirPods Pro 3 is the better value at $80 to $100 cheaper.
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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-1000XM6 comes with 4 pairs of hybrid silicone-like and memory foam eartips.
Overall, I prefer the smaller and more ergonomic design of the AirPods Pro 3 over the Sony WF-1000XM6, as well as the eartip material.
The XM6 earbuds are noticeably bulkier in size compared to the streamlined AirPods Pro 3.
I simply find the AirPods Pro 3 to fit more “like a glove” into my ear canal, while I have to really push the XM6 in there to get them fitting correctly.
Also, the material on the XM6’s eartips is quite a bit stiffer, making it more challenging to slide into the ear canal.
If for whatever reason the 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-1000XM6, 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.
One advantage for the AirPods Pro 3 is its dust and water resistance at IP57 (dust and immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) versus the WF-1000XM6 that is rated at IPX4 (no dust, sweat and light splashes of water).
Two 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 XM6 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
Right now, these are two of the best microphone quality available for wireless earbuds in the market.
Both utilize AI for voice isolation and filtering of outside noise.
In addition to multiple microphones, the Sony XM6 also utilizes bone conduction sensors introduced in the previous generation Sony WF-1000XM5.
You can’t really go wrong with either choice, but I prefer the AirPods Pro 3’s microphone quality which is almost magical in its ability to sound natural while strongly filtering out unwanted noise. It’s a serious leap in mic quality over the average wireless earbuds.
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-1000XM6 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: 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback
Both earbuds are pretty much tied when ANC is turned ON, with the Sony XM6 having a slight advantage with ANC turned OFF.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 9.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 3
AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6 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.
But the truth is, the I consider the AirPods Pro 2’s ANC performance to be fairly average, and inferior to the previous Sony WF-1000XM5.
In fact, I still find the XM5 earbuds’ noise cancelling to be somewhat competitive with the AirPods Pro 3 today.
So enter in the newer XM6 earbuds, which improves upon the XM5, and I’m currently leaning towards the XM6’s noise cancelling performance as a whole.
But in reality it’s very close, and you can’t really go wrong with either choice here – I just slightly prefer the XM6.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, both the previous generations of these earbuds were some of my more favorite earbuds to listen to: the AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5.
The AirPods Pro 2 is beloved for its audiophile-friendly tuning, having a natural presentation and great tonal balance.
Surprisingly for me, I still enjoy the XM5 which is also tuned quite tastefully, and with LDAC support to keep it pretty modern.
This brings me to the first difference, which is high-res codec support of LDAC in the Sony WF-1000XM6, and none for the AirPods Pro 3. This simply means that the XM6 can receive higher resolution music files.
For the average consumer, this may not be a big deal. But for the audiophiles, it’s one of those things that can result in a ~5-10% boost in overall sound quality.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
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.
Starting with stock sound profiles, this is already where both earbuds differ greatly.
The AirPods Pro 3 is clearly the more consumer-friendly tuned, heavily focused on bass and treble, perhaps at the expense of the mids.
The Sony WF-1000XM6 is surprisingly balanced, neutral, and I’d argue the more “audiophile” tuning between the two. The bass is still present, but the mids are fuller and more natural-sounding than the hyped up AirPods Pro 3.
The AirPods Pro 3 has a more “exciting” sound than the XM6, while the XM6 is more refined and “relaxed” as a whole.
So right off the bat, those two opposing sound profiles are going to cater to different crowds and genres.
But if I had to choose one, the Sony XM6’s balance would make it the better all-arounder for every genre, while the AirPods Pro 3 excels for very modern music that is more digital and electronic.
To put it simply, the AirPods Pro 3’s tuning would be more polarizing, while the XM6 is less offensive.
Now that you have a general idea of how they differ in sound profiles, I also find the XM6 to be superior when it comes to pure sound quality and the audiophile technicalities.
This is where the LDAC support probably plays a small role in expanding the overall clarity, resolution, separation, and layering over the AirPods Pro 3.
Don’t get me wrong, the AirPods Pro 3 sounds quite detailed for not transmitting a high-res codec, but it’s that small marginal boost in detail that audiophiles will probably pick up in the Sony XM6.
When you combine the superior technical sound quality with that more audiophile-friendly tuning of the XM6 that focuses on a more realistic timbre, this is where I find myself gravitating towards the XM6 over the AirPods Pro 3.
AirPods Pro 3 Score: 8.1 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Score: 8.6 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM6
Value
The AirPods Pro 3rd Generation retails at $249 USD, but is currently available for $229 market price brand new.
The Sony WF-1000XM6 is a new release that retails at $329.99.
So depending on sales, we’re talking about a $100 price difference in favor of the AirPods Pro 3, which is substantial.
That should make the AirPods Pro 3 the clear winner for value, right?
Well, I actually think that the jump up in audiophile sound quality for the XM6 works a little bit to justify that price, as the earbuds it competes with on sound quality can fetch up to $500.
Also, I do slightly prefer the noise cancelling on the XM6.
The AirPods Pro 3 wins in comfort, features, and slightly better mic quality.
Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 is the better value, but depending on how much sound quality matters to you, it’s a lot closer than you think.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM6 Value Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Apple 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
- Best noise cancelling performance
- True audiophile sound quality
- One of the best mic quality
- Pricy
- Comfort could be slightly improved
Our Verdict: Sony WF-1000XM6
Despite the $80 to $100 price difference, the newer Sony WF-1000XM6 narrowly edges out the AirPods Pro 3rd Generation as a whole.
For me, it really boils down to the Sony XM6 earbuds being in a class above for sound quality over the AirPods Pro 3. It begins with the high-res LDAC-support, but the XM6’s tuning and sound profile is more balanced and “audiophile-worthy” over the very consumer-friendly AirPods Pro 3.
Also, the noise cancelling performance feels slightly superior which is arguably the second biggest priority behind sound quality, at least for me.
The AirPods Pro 3 is going to be a better value, with a slightly better comfort and fit, and the best mic quality on the market currently.
Not to mention, that convenience of that Apple ecosystem connectivity is a plus in daily usage.
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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