Wireless earbuds are one of the hottest consumer product categories out there right now.  They are a product that nearly every consumer uses to some degree – me included.  As someone thoroughly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, I have been an AirPods user for many years and currently own sets of both AirPods Pro 2 and 3.  I use them while exercising, when traveling, and I use them extensively during summers spent by the pool.  I also occasionally use them when I’m watching content on my iPhone or iPad – particularly while traveling.

When I learned that Sony had released WF-1000XM6 earbuds, I was curious as the early “influencer” reviews seemed to point to these earbuds being legitimate challengers to Apple AirPods Pro 3 in many respects to include music sound quality.  So I ordered a pair of the Sony WF-1000XM6 and have been evaluating them against how I use my Apple AirPods Pro 3.

TLDR FOR ANDROID USERS

If you’re an Android user, this is a pretty easy decision – go with the Sony.  The biggest reason I say this is because of the broader range of audio codec options found with the Sony’s versus Apple:

• LDAC – Sony’s high-resolution wireless codec (highest quality Bluetooth option).
• AAC – Standard higher-quality codec for Apple and Android devices.
• SBC – The baseline Bluetooth codec all devices support.
• LC3 – Newer low-energy codec used with Bluetooth LE Audio (more efficient, potentially better battery/connection).
• DSEE-type upscaling (e.g., DSEE Extreme/Aura) is also supported — this doesn’t add a true new codec, but enhances compressed audio by smartly restoring detail.  

What that means in practice:

• LDAC can transmit much more data (up to ~990 kbps at 24-bit/96 kHz in ideal conditions) for better fidelity on supported sources/devices.
• LC3 is more about efficiency and connection quality, especially with newer phones that support Bluetooth LE Audio — not a higher-quality codec than LDAC, but optimized.

Apple only supports (for now) AAC.  So the Sony has an advantage here for Android users.  What most reviewers DON’T tell you is that there is a way to enjoy the higher fidelity LDAC codec on an Apply device – use an LDAC supported Bluetooth dongle like the Questyle QCC Dongle Pro Plug this small device into the USB-C port of your Apple iPhone or iPad, and it will transmit the audio signal with LDAC instead of Apple’s native AAC.  Yes, I bought one for testing purposes.  In my testing, I’d say only the most sensitive of audiphiles will be able to distinguish significant differences in music played back using LDAC vs. AAC.     

For the purposes of comparison testing, I used the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds without the LDAC dongle.  But just know that if you’re an Apple user who would like to experience higher bit rate LDAC sound reproduction, you have options if you purchase these Sony earbuds.

TLDR PRICE

If you’re just looking for the best earbuds for the price,  Apple AirPods Pro 3 has the clear advantage – odd as it is to advocate for an Apple product based on price.  The regular retail price of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 is $249.00, while the Sony WF-1000XM6 are $329.00.  The kicker here is that the Apple AirPods Pro 3 have been out close to six months as of this writing, and are regularly discounted at most retailers.  I’m currently seeing them at just $229 on Amazon.  Will the Sony’s be discounted eventually?  Likely yes but again as of this writing in terms of street price, there’s $100 difference between these two which is more than significant.  Neither of these earbuds are exactly “budget” options, but the Apple Airpods has the clear price advantage between these two models.

COMFORT

This is a tough category to test because everyone’s ears are so different.  For me, the Air Pods Pro 3 are quite comfortable and I can wear them for hours – on a flight, or laying by the pool.  I do feel like I have to keep pushing my Airpods into my ear from time to time to maintain a good seal – particularly if I’m on the treadmill.  I’m able to get them in quickly.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds aren’t quite as comfortable and I found them tricky to get oriented correctly in my ear – the price you pay for the  snug fit I suppose.  I will say that the ear tips on the Apple Air Pods Pro 3 are pretty easy to wipe off and keep clean.  The Sony’s are far less so because their ear tips are made of memory foam.  Plan on buying extra ear tips.

Keep in mind that if the factory ear tips aren’t to your liking that there are aftermarket options available for both the Apple and Sony earbuds that will likely meet your personal needs.  Whether it’s me or another reviewer talking about comfort you really have to take the commentary with a grain of salt because they are talking about their personal ears.  With this in consideration, as well as aftermarket options to improve comfort I probably wouldn’t rely heavily on comfort as a deciding factor in making this choice.

BATTERY LIFE

Battery life is more or less about the same, depending on settings.  Sony does have a slightly better with a fast charge – 5 minutes gets you about one hour of playback.  I could see this being very handy on a flight.  I will say the Apple AirPods Pro 3 case is considerably thinner and sleeker making them a bit more comfortable to pocket:

I did appreciate the fact that the Sony case still has a physical button on the case to initiate Bluetooth discovery mode:

SOUND QUALITY

Here’s what you’re getting for the extra price of admission with the Sony WF-1000XM6 .  The original AirPods were criticized for lacking base punch, and Apple did improve on that somewhat with the Air Pods Pro 3.  For many, the Pro 3’s are considered reference standard for wireless earbuds – no one is likely to be unhappy with the AirPods Pro 3.

That said, the Sony WF-1000XM6  are legitimately better, thanks to beefier drivers and EQ flexibility.  If you’re the type that wants a no-fuss listening experience, you may not notice a tremendous difference between the Apple and Sony earbuds out of the box (though the Sony bass has more punch).  If you like the flexibility to customize your listening experience, then Sony has the clear advantage here with their EQ software (though similar 3rd party apps offer the same functionality if you really want to go down that rabbit hole.

Which is better to your ear will depend a great deal on personal preference.  I’m closer to the audiophile side of things, and have long grown out of the need to hear thumpier bass.   Apple still has the advantage, IMHO when it comes to pure sound experience due to their unbeatable spatial audio algorithms.  This is particularly true when using the Apple AirPods Pro 3 while watching video content.  Apple still maintains a clear advantage here.

CALL QUALITY/NOISE CANCELLATION

I think the Apple Airpods Pro 3 is the clear winner here.  My sense is that the microphones are better on the Airpods than on the Sony WF-1000XM6.  I also think active noise cancellation is stronger on the Sony earbuds – perhaps at the expense of accurate voice reproduction depending on conditions.  If you constantly find yourself making phone calls in loud environments, the Sony will ultimately do a better job of silencing  that noise and just transmitting the sound of your voice.  With the Airpods, I feel like the person you’re speaking with may hear a bit more noise or a little wind for example, but your voice won’t sound appreciably different than when you’re speaking into your phone.

THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM ADVANTAGE

When used within the Apple ecosystem, Air Pods Pro 3 have considerable advantages over the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds with a number of of features which go well beyond sound reproduction and noise cancellation, including:

• Find My
• Live Translation
• Heart rate monitor

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’re an iPhone user, there’s really no context here – particularly if you prefer the more reference quality and spatial audio experience provided by the Air Pods Pro 3.  Yes, the Sony ear buds have some slightly beefier and upgraded hardware which gives them some advantage, but Apple maintains the overall experience advantage with software.  If you’re not an iPhone user, and are serious enough about your wireless earbud experience that your willing to pay the extra cost of the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds, then the choice is easy.  Me?  Make mine Apple.