Apple AirPods 4 / Sony WH-1000XM5

Apple AirPods 4: AirPods 4 (2024), the basic model without active noise cancellation; USB‑C charging case. The same-design AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and the AirPods Pro models are separate.

Sony WH-1000XM5: WH-1000XM5; colours vary by region: black, silver, midnight blue, pink and platinum. The later WH-1000XM6 is a separate product.

Specification	Apple AirPods 4	Sony WH-1000XM5
Release year	2024	2022
Type	Open-fit (no silicone tips) wireless earbuds; USB‑C charging case This is the basic AirPods 4 without active noise cancellation. The identical-looking “AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation” is a separate product. Apple	—
Audio technology	Custom high‑excursion Apple driver, custom high dynamic range amplifier; Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ Adaptive EQ tunes the sound to the fit in the ear. Spatial Audio needs supported content; the personal profile is created with an iPhone that has a TrueDepth camera. Apple	—
Noise control	Vent system for pressure equalisation; active noise cancellation only on the separately sold ANC model At launch Apple offered two distinct models: AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. This model has an open design that does not seal the ear canal. Apple	—
Chip	H2 headphone chip H2 enables Voice Isolation, Siri Interactions with head gestures and Personalised Spatial Audio. Apple	—
Microphones and sensors	Dual beamforming microphones, inward‑facing microphone, optical in‑ear sensor, motion- and speech-detecting accelerometers, force sensor The speech-detecting accelerometer helps detect when you are speaking; the optical sensor resumes playback when the bud is put in. Apple	—
Controls	Press the stem: once to play/pause or answer, twice to skip forward or end a call, three times to skip back, press and hold for Siri; “Siri” voice activation; nod or shake your head to answer calls Apple’s control list does not include volume adjustment on the stem. Apple	—
Durability	IP54 dust, sweat and water resistance (earbuds and case) According to Apple this is for non-water sports and exercise; resistance is not permanent and may decrease with wear. Do not charge when wet. Apple	—
Battery	Up to 5 hours listening per charge; up to 30 hours total with the case; 5 minutes in the case ≈ 1 hour listening Apple measured these figures at 50% volume with Spatial Audio off. Apple	30 hours of music with noise cancelling on, 40 hours off; 24/32 hours of calls Times are measured under Sony’s test conditions; volume and codec change real-world runtime. Sony
Charging	Charging case with USB‑C port; USB‑C cable sold separately Apple says the case is more than 10 percent smaller in volume than its predecessor. Charging with an Apple Watch charger or Qi-certified charger is specific to the ANC model. Apple	Full charge in about 3.5 hours via USB; about 3 hours of playback from 3 minutes with a USB-PD adapter Quick charging requires a separately sold USB Power Delivery-compatible adapter. Sony
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 It works as a Bluetooth headset with Android and other devices, but Apple says functions may be limited. Full features require current iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS or tvOS. Apple	—
Size and weight	Earbud: 30.2 × 18.3 × 18.1 mm, 4.3 g; case: 46.2 × 50.1 × 21.2 mm, 32.3 g Apple	—
Accessibility	Live Listen, headphone levels, Headphone Accommodations Apple	—
Driver	—	30 mm dynamic driver, closed back, neodymium magnet Sony
Frequency response	—	Bluetooth: 20 Hz–20 kHz (44.1 kHz), 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC (96 kHz/990 kbps); wired: 4 Hz–40 kHz The wider frequency range applies only with LDAC and high-resolution sources; over AAC and SBC the upper limit is 20 kHz. Sony
Bluetooth and codecs	—	Bluetooth 5.2; SBC, AAC, LDAC; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; multipoint (two devices) Multipoint keeps the headphones connected to two devices at once. Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair offer quick pairing. Range is 10 m. Sony
Noise cancelling	—	Active noise cancelling; Integrated Processor V1 and HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; 8 microphones in total (4 noise-sensing per earcup) Auto NC Optimizer adjusts noise cancelling to fit and atmospheric pressure; Adaptive Sound Control switches modes based on the environment. Ambient Sound mode and Quick Attention let outside sound in. Sony
Call microphones	—	4 beamforming microphones; AI-based noise reduction, wind noise reduction Sony
Controls and sensors	—	Touch panel on the right earcup; NC/Ambient button on the left; wear sensor; Speak-to-Chat The wear sensor pauses music when the headphones are removed and resumes when they are put back on. Speak-to-Chat pauses music and turns on ambient sound when the user starts talking. Sony
Spatial audio	—	DSEE Extreme upscaling; 360 Reality Audio support DSEE Extreme aims to restore high-frequency detail lost in compressed music files by estimating it. Sony
Impedance and sensitivity	—	48 Ω when on, 16 Ω when off; 102/100 dB/mW The headphones can be used passively with a cable while switched off; noise cancelling does not work then. Sony
Weight and in the box	—	About 250 g; soft collapsible carrying case, 1.2 m L-shaped cable (3.5 mm), USB charging cable Sony
App	—	Sony Sound Connect: equaliser, shortcut settings, listening history, Safe Listening Safe Listening tracks sound exposure against World Health Organization guidelines. Sony