Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sony WF-1000XM5 vs AirPods Pro 2 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!
Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation Comparison in Short
The Sony WF-1000XM5 slightly edges out the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation for noise cancelling and sound quality, while the AirPods has the better comfort and microphone quality. Both are still excellent daily drivers today, although they’ve now been improved upon with the newer generation.
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Comfort, Features, Microphone Quality, and Battery Life
Comfort
The Sony WF-1000XM5 comes with 4 pairs of memory foam eartips.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation comes with 4 pairs of silicone eartips.
I prefer the more streamlined and ergonomic fit of the AirPods Pro 2 over the bulkier and rounder Sony WF-1000XM5. Also, the earbud shape combined with the memory foam eartip material on the Sony is not as secure-fitting as the AirPods overall.
I find the comfort of the XM5 earbuds to be average, and the AirPods Pro 2 above average for the class.
Both earbuds benefit from aftermarket eartips like the ones below.
If for whatever reason the stock XM5 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):
The AirPods Pro 2 has a different design than the XM5, but I’ve found great success using these aftermarket eartips instead:
Features
The biggest feature difference between these two for me is that the Sony XM5 has native app support for both iOS and Android users, while the AirPods Pro 2 is only fully-manageable on an iOS device like an iPhone.
You can still use the AirPods Pro 2 with Android and Windows devices, which I’ve tested just fine, but you won’t be able to update firmware or customize controls.
The upside to this for Apple users is that the AirPods Pro 2 has more seamless connectivity and device switching within the Apple ecosystem. This is very convenient for Apple users with an iPhone, Mac, and iPad for example.
The XM5 has multi-point connection but it’s limited to 2 devices and switching is not as seamless.
Aside from that, one big notable advantage for audiophiles is the Sony WF-1000XM5’s high-res codec LDAC support, while the AirPods Pro 2 does not support any high-res codec.
This increase in resolution should theoretically give a slight edge to the XM5 for sound quality, but we’ll discuss that in more detail soon below.
One unique feature of the AirPods Pro 2 is that it has a clinical-grade hearing aid feature.
Microphone Quality
These are two of the better options for mic quality in the wireless earbud class.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 introduces bone conduction sensors in addition to its multiple microphone array to help aid its mic quality.
The AirPods Pro 2 relies on a lot of software and AI to isolate the human voice, and this works better when paired with Apple devices.
Overall, both earbuds have above average mic quality, but I prefer the AirPods Pro 2’s ability to capture the human voice against background noise.
Battery Life
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
AirPods Pro 2 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 6 hours of battery life on a single charge / 30 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 7 hours on a single charge / 30 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has a significant battery life advantage over the AirPods Pro 2, especially on a single charge.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 9.0 out of 10
AirPods Pro 2 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Tie
Sony WF-1000XM5 vs AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Performance Compared
When it comes to noise cancelling performance, Sony has typically been the best brand in the space, alongside Bose.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 is still one of the best noise cancelling earbuds today, although there are a few superior options that happen to be newer.
The AirPods Pro 2 was decent upon release, but has now slid down towards average for the wireless earbud class that has become quite competitive in recent years.
Between the two, the Sony XM5 has the clear advantage for total noise-blocking across the frequency spectrum.
On the other hand, the Transparency modes are excellent on both earbuds, with a slight advantage to the AirPods Pro 2 as the XM5 has a slightly noticeable hiss when activated.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.5 out of 10
AirPods Pro 2 Score: 7.5 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5
Sound Quality
The AirPods Pro 2 and Sony WF-1000XM5 are two older earbuds that I still find rather charming to listen to, even with both now being officially replaced by the newer AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds.
Although I wouldn’t consider either earbud to be in my elite “audiophile” tier for wireless earbud sound quality, I think they actually exceeded my expectations for being two of the most popular wireless earbuds in the market.
Starting with sound profiles, I give the advantage to the AirPods Pro 2 which has one of the more impressive “audiophile-friendly” tunings that is surprisingly natural and refined.
Conversely, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is more of your typical “consumer-friendly” bass and treble sound signature, but I find that with its high-res LDAC support, it surprisingly works.
The end result is an exciting, fun, detailed sound that I enjoy even as an audiophile.
Now I give the tuning advantage to the AirPods Pro 2, but what about the actual sound quality itself?
Here is where I think the pendulum swings back towards the WF-1000XM5’s favor.
I’m not one to overemphasize codecs, as I think they maybe result in a 5-10% difference if I’m being generous.
But in this case, I do think that’s enough to give the XM5 the pure technical sound quality advantage over the rather “compressed” sound of the AirPods Pro 2.
Factor in the exaggerated V-shaped tuning of the XM5, and I’m simply hearing more detail and resolution on the Sony’s over the AirPods Pro 2.
Now, the plus side to the AirPods Pro 2 is that it sounds more natural in timbre, whereas the XM5 can sound detailed but artificial.
Overall, I give the slight edge to the XM5 using LDAC, but wouldn’t argue if you preferred the AirPods Pro 2 due to sound profile.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.1 out of 10
AirPods Pro 2 Score: 7.9 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5
Value
The Sony WF-1000XM5 retails at $329.99 USD, but is available market price for around $248 today.
The now-discontinued AirPods Pro 2nd Generation is in a bit of a weird place pricing-wise, as it’s only truly available Renewed or Used for around $160 USD.
Because we’re comparing New versus Used prices, this isn’t apples-to-apples.
I give the edge for Value to the AirPods Pro 2 which is competitive in most categories with the XM5, and can be found much cheaper due to being Renewed.
The XM5’s price is still elevated considering that the newer WF-1000XM6 is already out.
But if the XM5’s price were to come down, we would adjust scores accordingly.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Value Score: 8.0 out of 10
AirPods Pro 2 Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Pro 2
Overall Scoring Breakdown
- 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
- Nicely-tuned sound profile
- Natural sound signature with wide soundstage
- Good value for the money
- Apple ecosystem connectivity
- Average noise cancelling performance
- There’s better sound quality today
Our Verdict: Sony WF-1000XM5
Both of these last-generation earbuds still make for an excellent daily driver today, although I think their newer versions have improved upon both, respectively.
Between the two, I lean towards the Sony WF-1000XM5 due to its superior noise cancelling performance and slightly better sound quality.
Also, if you’re an Android user, Sony has native app support for both Android and iOS, unlike the AirPods.
But if you’re an Apple user, I wouldn’t mind picking up a Renewed pair of the AirPods Pro 2 for a better value.
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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