The Sony WF1-000XM4 are perhaps the competitor product to the AirPods Pro 2 that Apple really didn’t want – a big launch from a well-regarded competing company that has similar specs and features and pedigree in the audio space. Don’t get me wrong, the AirPods Pro 2 are excellent, but there are some great reasons to choose the Sonys instead. Apart from that name – Sony, you’ve really got to work on those naming conventions.
In all seriousness, though, there are loads of reasons to choose the Sony’s over the AirPods – enough to easily fill seven web pages. To keep things nice and short, we’ve kept it down to just three reasons – but we promise they’re good ones. Black Friday may now be over, but we are now seeing the best Cyber Monday deals – and we’re tracking them in our Cyber Monday live blog.
Reason one – Price
You could never call the AirPods Pro 2 unreasonably priced – that $249 price point is actually pretty competitive, and they offer plenty of bang for the buck. That price has even dropped a little recently, with up to $20 off at a few retailers. At the moment, however, in this Black Friday deal, the Sonys are an absolute steal. They have had $100 lopped off the price, making them a whole $50 less than the newest AirPods Pro – and for our money, they are absolutely worth it.
Of course, not to be outdone, the AirPods Pro 2 have now received their own price drop – a $50 price reduction that brings them down to $199. This is a great deal – but you’ll notice, not cheaper than the WF-1000XM4. For our money, the Sonys are still the better buy price-wise.
Reason two – aesthetics
Apple’s AirPods line is somewhat ubiquitous at this point. Those little white stems jut out of people’s ears all over the place, and no one will question or ask about your headphones if you’ve got a pair jammed in your ears. They don’t look bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but they do now look a little boring. No big problem – but one that might matter to you.
The Sonys on the other hand look mad. They’re a weird pair of small cylinders stacked, that sit in your ear and kind of outside it too. They look like nothing else out there, and that big surface on the outside makes the touch surface easier to find – and a little less hateful to use.
Reason three – sound quality
The AirPods Pro 2 sound good – if a little neutral. That means that all the high, medium, and low frequencies are fairly well represented, without too much boost to any one. This can make them sound a little boring, as they lack a certain amount of bounce and jump, making that neutral sound signature feel a little flat.
The Sonys don’t have that problem – there is a definite boost to the bass that many will love, but more importantly, they are a lot more dynamic. Music has more energy, and they sound a lot more fun than the AirPods Pro 2. Don’t get me wrong, both sound good – but the Sonys will make you smile on the bus trip home, while the AirPods Pro 2 will blend more into the background.
If you’re looking for the best AirPods deals and sales, then you’re in luck – we found them all for you. Don’t forget that there will be loads of Apple Black Friday deals too – so make sure you check those out as well.