Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM5
Quick take: The Apple AirPods Pro 3 costs $58 less; only the Sony WF-1000XM5 supports multipoint (two devices at once).
| Spec | Apple AirPods Pro 3 | Sony WF-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $190 | $248 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (12,000) | 4.3★ (19,000) |
| Type | Wireless Earbuds | Wireless Earbuds |
| Noise Cancelling | Adaptive ANC | ANC |
| Battery (single charge) | 8 hrs | 8 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | 24 hrs | 24 hrs |
| Quick Charge | 5 min = 1 hr | 3 min = 1 hr |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3 |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Multipoint | No | Yes |
| Driver Size | — | 8.4 mm |
| Weight | 5.55 g | 5.9 g |
| Water Resistance | IP57 | IPX4 |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | Yes |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| App EQ | No | Yes |
Pros & cons
Apple AirPods Pro 3
- ✓ANC roughly doubled over Pro 2 — trades blows with Bose
- ✓8-hour ANC battery, up two hours over Pro 2
- ✓Foam-infused tips finally seal without third-party swaps
- ✓IP57 survives sweaty workouts and rain
- ✓Best-in-class transparency and call quality
- ✓Heart-rate sensing plus a genuinely useful hearing-aid mode
- ✗AAC only — Android loses hi-res and most features
- ✗No real EQ beyond Apple's presets
- ✗Slimmer case dropped total battery to 24 hours
- ✗Multipoint limited to Apple device auto-switching
- ✗Battery isn't user-replaceable — degradation gripes persist
Sony WF-1000XM5
- ✓LDAC delivers genuine hi-res from any Android phone
- ✓Rich warm 8.4mm Dynamic Driver X sound out of box
- ✓8 hours with ANC on beats Bose Ultra by two
- ✓Foam tips seal so well ANC feels stronger than measured
- ✓3-minute quick charge buys an hour
- ✓XM6 launch keeps pushing street prices down
- ✗Call quality falls apart in wind
- ✗Polished case scratches almost immediately
- ✗Some owners report uneven bud drain after a year
- ✗Enabling multipoint silently disables LDAC hi-res
- ✗App buries EQ settings three menus deep