Versus Engine
Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6
Specs, price and the one trade-off that actually decides it — Apple AirPods Pro 3 against Sony WF-1000XM6, side by side.
Cheaper to start
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Starts about $80.99 lower.
Rated higher
Sony WF-1000XM6
9.3 vs 9.2 on our design scale.
Standout
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Optical heart-rate sensing built into the stem
Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple's flagship earbuds at $249, adding heart-rate sensing and IP57 to best-in-class integration.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Optical heart-rate sensing built into the stem
- IP57 rating makes sweat and rain a non-issue
- Best-in-class handoff across Apple devices
Cons
- Eight hours with ANC is solid, not class-leading
- Most of the value evaporates outside Apple's ecosystem
- Easy to lose, and single-bud replacement is expensive
Specifications
- sensorsOptical heart rate in the stem
- case_chargingUSB-C, Qi wireless, MagSafe, Apple Watch charger
- battery_anc_on8 hours
- water_resistanceIP57
- battery_with_case24 hours
- battery_transparency10 hours
- driver—
- processor—
- microphones—
- equalizer_bands—
- audio_processing—
- battery_buds_anc—
Sony WF-1000XM6
Sony's flagship earbuds at $329.99, with a redesigned driver and eight-microphone cancellation.
Where it wins, where it doesn't
Pros
- Bone-conduction voice sensing gives unusually clean call audio in noise
- Strong cancellation for the form factor
- Gemini Live integrated rather than bolted on
Cons
- Assistant features assume Google's ecosystem
- Isolation still trails over-ear models
- Fit is tip-dependent and fatiguing over long sessions
Specifications
- sensors—
- case_charging—
- battery_anc_on—
- water_resistance—
- battery_with_case24 hours
- battery_transparency—
- driver8.4mm
- processorQN3e
- microphones8
- equalizer_bands10
- audio_processing32-bit
- battery_buds_anc8 hours