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AI-generated summary
In my previous review , the Sony earbuds blew me away in terms of sound quality — check out the full review here . I found the case a bit bulky and the hands-free kit pretty ridiculous, especially in noisy environments.
I wanted to test the AirPods Pro, which outclass their predecessors in build quality and sound. For me, sound quality is a priority above most things. On the other hand, I use my earbuds between my computer and my phone 📞, and I like being able to switch between them seamlessly. With the Sony, that switch is genuinely painful — you constantly have to disconnect from the first Bluetooth source before pairing to the second.
I don’t understand why Sony hasn’t fixed this.
Connectivity: Apple’s magic
Let’s start with connectivity. On this point, there’s simply no contest — AirPods, at least in an Apple ecosystem, are pure magic. You can switch from one source to another effortlessly, instantly, thanks to iCloud sync.
Want to listen on your Mac 💻? Just select them in the audio output settings. Want to listen through your Apple TV 📺? Nothing simpler!
In short, it’s a real advantage for anyone using their earbuds across multiple devices.
Winner: AirPods
Battery life
The Sony earbuds are the clear winners here — real camels 🐫. I can barely remember the last time I charged them, they hold up so well. I can listen all morning and charge them at lunchtime 🍽. Basically, your ears will want a break before the battery does.
That said, I still maintain they should have included a charge indicator on the case. You have to keep an eye on the single LED on the front, and when it starts blinking you charge them — a row of multiple LEDs would have been far more user-friendly.
The AirPods’ integration with the Apple ecosystem is great and lets you see the case’s charge level right from your phone 📱.
Winner: Sony
Ergonomics
Both models have gone all-in on touch controls for music 🎶 — which is a shame, in my opinion. Nothing beats real buttons.
On this front I prefer the Sony, even though I liked the taps on the original AirPods. I find the new system way too unreliable — it’s not unusual to pull an AirPod out of your ear while trying to activate a command. That never happened to me with the regular AirPods.
And since I mainly use my earbuds 🎧 during sport, a simple tap used to be enough to skip to the next track, whereas now I have to stop and take the time to properly press the earbud.
The AirPods do have a real advantage when it comes to charging: even though it’s still on the ageing Lightning port, you can charge the case wirelessly! For earbuds at almost the same price 🏷, the Sony gets absolutely destroyed on this point.
I was a bit disappointed by the quality of the AirPods Pro case — it’s less well-finished than the previous AirPods case. The lid has a slight wobble. I noticed in Nowtech’s video that they had the same issue, so I doubt it’s an isolated case. Some of you might think I’m nitpicking, but at almost €300 ⚾️ for a pair of earbuds, you’re entitled to a perfect case 😌!
Winner: Sony
Noise cancellation
First things first — what use is noise cancellation without the ability to turn it off? With the Sony, you do this via a dedicated app or a tap on the left earbud.
Starting with Sony: once noise cancellation is disabled, you have to disable it again every time you reconnect. The Sony doesn’t remember the last selected mode by default, which is genuinely frustrating! I regularly turn off noise cancellation because it introduces a hiss I don’t like when listening to music in a quiet place.
Sony lets you adjust the level of cancellation through the app, which adds more or less hiss depending on your setting. This feature is well thought out for people who use their earbuds in noisy or very noisy environments.
An important point for runners: you don’t need to disable noise cancellation when you go running 🏃♂️ with the AirPods Pro — they handle it extremely well automatically. This is an annoying point with the Sony, where you have to remember to turn it off, while the AirPods Pro just take care of it.
The AirPods do an excellent job, on a par with the Sony. The Sony has the advantage of an adjustable cancellation level via the app, while the AirPods just handle it on their own. I notice less hiss from the AirPods compared to the Sony.
I didn’t push the comparison far enough to declare a winner, but when I type on the butterfly keyboard of my MacBook 💻, I can hear the key clicks through the AirPods while I can’t with the Sony.
Who wins?
Winner: Sony
Miscellaneous
The Sony’s Bluetooth range is noticeably shorter than the AirPods with an iPhone. I can run around an entire house 🏡 without a dropout with the Apple earbuds 🍏, whereas it’s simply impossible to go more than 10 metres with the Sony.
In terms of connection stability, it’s another knockout victory for the AirPods. On my MacBook 💻, whenever CPU usage spikes, I regularly get dropouts in the Sony earbuds.
Sound 🎧
Saved the best for last — how do these AirPods hold up against the Sony?
Because they create less pressure in the ear canal than the Sony — only those who’ve worn in-ears will know what I mean — I actually prefer the sound of the AirPods. But in terms of sheer audio quality, the Sony is more alive.
The Sony is very well balanced and bass lovers are surely in heaven 😇. The equalizer is available in the app so you can fine-tune 🧅 the audio spectrum exactly as you like.
The Sony has a distinctive sound — you either love it or you don’t.
The AirPods are in line with the first generation aesthetically — they don’t surprise you at first listen. However, the new in-ear design means the sound is much more forward.
Winner: Sony
Conclusion
In short, I’m keeping the AirPods. The audio quality difference with the Sony is quite significant, but the simplicity of switching from one source to another is truly the biggest plus of the Apple earbuds. I don’t understand why Sony hasn’t implemented multi-point Bluetooth 🙈…
I also appreciate the transparency mode, which I missed when running with the Sony earbuds. It’s always preferable to hear what’s going on around you in traffic. On top of that, the aquarium effect with the Sony is unpleasant during a run 🏃♂️ — you can hear your own footsteps.
And then there’s the connection stability, which lets me exercise without worrying about how far I am from my phone — a real plus for Apple. I also appreciate 👍 wireless charging: I just drop the case on my desk charger and they charge themselves. No need to check the battery level to know whether to plug them in 🙃.
In short, if you’re not sure what to pick: for sound 🤩 — Sony; for simplicity 😍 — AirPods. And I’d add: if you’re on Android, the Sony is the better choice between the two.
If you’re looking for wireless earbuds with excellent audio quality and noise cancellation isn’t a priority, I’d suggest checking out the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 .
