Like many iPhone users and Apple acolytes during the Black Friday deals frenzy, you’ve probably been eyeing up a pair of the five-star AirPods Pro 2. I can see why, as at their low price of £179 at Amazon and with one of the biggest names in audio behind them, they’re some of the most popular and alluring pairs of wireless earbuds in the world.
And yet… as we head into Cyber Monday, they’re not the ones I’d go for if I had that kind of money to spend. Much as I respect, admire and can see the appeal of the AirPods Pro 2, there’s a pair of price-rivalling alternatives that I think have them licked. For a similar but slightly lower price of £175 at Amazon, you can nab a pair of the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 – and that, to my mind, is a more attractive proposition. Let me explain why.
Best Sony WF-1000XM5 and AirPods Pro 2 deals
In terms of in-ear models, the AirPods Pro 2 are the best Apple headphones we’ve tested and one of the rare sets of the iconic brand’s earbuds to gain the full five stats during testing. I absolutely see their appeal, especially for iPhone and iPad users, as the Pro 2 are designed to offer a smooth, intuitive experience with iOS devices that often bypasses even the need for an extra app. Load ’em up, connect them to your iPhone and you can control most key features such as volume, noise control modes and spatial audio directly from your iPhone home screen. Easy.
They’re also the best-sounding wireless earbuds Apple has ever made, and that includes the newer AirPods 4 with ANC. Apple has always impressed us with the clarity and tonal neutrality of its products’ audio quality, coupled with a knack for getting voices sounding natural and expressive, but the AirPods Pro 2 add new and powerful ingredients to the sandwich. The flagship AirPods offer satisfying weight, greater detail and an enhanced impression of dynamic punch and subtlety. This is Apple operating at its best, and it’s set a high bar we hope it can continue to replicate and push forward in the future.
I also understand how attractive the buds’ spec sheet is. 30 hours of total battery life is a decent figure, the noise cancelling is excellent, and Apple’s Adaptive Audio sound modes, which adjust the ANC depending on your environment, only add to their seamless usability. The complete package, right?
Sure, but ‘complete’ doesn’t mean ‘perfect’. At a similar deal price of £175, you can now get a pair of the Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5, something I believe is an even better deal. Cristiano Ronaldo is a ‘complete’ footballer, but he’s not, to my mind, as good as Lionel Messi. See the difference?
If Messi has magic in his boots, the XM5 have magic in their buds. I’ve never come across a pair of wireless earbuds that sound so good at this level, and I’ve heard a mini mountain of contenders from B&W, JBL, Jabra, Philips, Bose, EarFun and more try to take them on. The way that the XM5 meld refinement and detail with excitement and musicality is breathtaking, and as you listen you’ll notice how many elements, textures and layers are being revealed by the outstanding Sony flagships. The AirPods Pro 2 are nimble and nuanced, but side-by-side with the XM5, they don’t quite match the astonishing level of detail, openness and power of the Sonys. Across the full musical spectrum, Sony’s champions take on allcomers like Neo fending off infinite Agent Smiths in The Matrix: Reloaded.
They’re great for features, too. Unlike the Pro 2 that have premium features dedicated to iOS users only, the Sony XM5 will work just fine with any smartphone platform you use. The Sony earbuds impress across the board thanks to their exceptional ANC, 24-hour battery life, multipoint Bluetooth and clever ‘Adaptive Sound Control’ and ‘Speak-to-Chat’ features that make using them versatile and easy on the go.
My only caveat with the XM5 would be their fit, which isn’t quite as instantly comfortable or as secure as the AirPods. It’s not a dealbreaker, but you may find you have to work a little harder to get those firm-but-squidgy tips nestled into your ears in a way that works for you. It’s worth persevering, though, because once they’re where they should be, the WF-1000XM5 will give you a sonic performance that’s unmatched at this level. And with the current Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal they’re on, the Sonys are my clear choice over the AirPods this weekend. If I had £175 to spend, I’d be happy to spend it on these fantastic XM5s.
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Should you buy AirPods? Are Apple’s headphones worth it?
I’m picking the best Black Friday hi-fi deals as they go live