First impression

This comparison is based on my first impressions of Apple Airpods Pro compared to the headphones I use (most) currently: Sony WF-1000XM3.

Size

The first impression is of course that it is impressive that Apple has managed to keep the size of both the case and the earbuds down. This is despite the fact that the case has wireless Qi charging, which Sony lacks. However, Sony has NFC, which should be added even if it's not the same thing.

Sound

On a first listen, it is clear that there is a significant difference in the bass of Airpods Pro. It is heavier, stronger, and better. It's like night and day, and I'm starting to wonder what Sony is actually doing. To Sony's defense, it should be said that the first test was done without any settings. With the "Bass Boost" sound mode, the result becomes more comparable, although I still prefer the bass in Airpods as it doesn't feel as "stifled". That the difference is due to Airpods' "vents" is a reasonable assumption. Because the difference is there. I'm no audiophile and I like good bass, and here Airpods Pro clearly wins.

Noise cancellation

I haven't been able to test the noise cancellation (ANC = Active Noise Cancellation / NC = Noise Cancellation) "for real" yet and have had to settle for testing at home in various ways. There isn't a huge difference between the two, but Apple's noise cancellation is still a bit better.

Fit

Thanks to the Airpods Pro being significantly smaller and lighter, they fit better than Sony's WF-100XM3.

Battery life

The battery life of Sony's headphones is 6h and Airpods Pro 4.5h. With the case, both should last 24h. The fast charging is 30 minutes faster on Airpods and it's strange that Sony couldn't squeeze out more than 24h considering the size of the case.

Pairing & connection

From day one, I've hated Sony for their poor pairing and connection. Thanks to a number of updates, it has improved but is still an annoyance now and then when they lose connection with the phone. Both for one earbud but sometimes both. In the beginning, I was very tempted to return the earbuds. It's too often I've had to go in and actively activate Bluetooth, fiddle with the settings, and despite the earbuds being in, I get:

Price

Apple Airpods Pro cost 3190kr and Sony WF-1000XM3 2590kr . If you look at earbuds in this price range, the extra hundred dollars shouldn't make much of a difference. Especially not when you consider the resale value of Apple products.

Apple fanboy?

Yes, I am an "Apple fanboy" and have been since the beginning, but I am still critical. But with products like Airpods Pro, Apple shows where the bar is set, in my opinion. If Sony's headphones had been better, I would have continued to use them, but now they will be replaced, and maybe they will work better with an Android phone (then you can also utilize NFC, at least). No matter how you twist and turn it, Airpods Pro are better in all aspects. At least for everyone who doesn't use Android and/or are audiophiles.

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