Sony’s New Earbuds Gives Apple’s AirPods 2 A Run For Its Money

Sony’s newest truly wireless pair of earbuds are out to give Apple’s second-gen AirPods, and other like audio devices, a run for their money.

While some are wondering whether to get Apple’s new second-gen AirPods or the new PowerBeats Pro, Sony has been busy putting its highly acclaimed noise cancellation technology into a new pair of truly wireless earbuds that can be expected to become everyone’s favorite.

Sony recently released its new WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones, a handy little pair of wireless headphones that boasts of industry-leading noise cancellation and very long battery life. Forbes noted that those who love the noise canceling features of the over-ear WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones but long for a smaller, more portable model will love this one.

Engadget noted that this paired is actually the newer version of an earlier Sony wireless headphone (WF-SP700N), equipped with the HD Noise-Canceling Processor QN1e similar to the one working to give the WH-1000XM3 its acclaimed noise cancelling feature.

Here’s a quick rundown of the WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones’ features.

Noise cancel

The WF-1000XM3 features two microphones —one feed-forward and one feed-back— on the surface of each headphone. These microphones work to catch ambient noise from the user’s surroundings, then feeds them into the QN1e processor to create a sound that offsets the noise from outside. The result is more music, less noise.

Long battery life

MacRumors noted that according to Apple, the new AirPods 2 offers up to five hours of battery life on a single charge, plus an additional 24 hours of battery life using the AirPods charging case.

Sony’s latest offering, on the other hand, offers up to six hours of battery life, plus an additional 18 hours using the charging case. While this might seem a bit short compared to the AirPods’ offering, the fact is this is when the Noise Cancelling feature is turned “on.” With Noise Cancel turned off, the WF-1000XM3 can go up to 32 hours.

A good fit

Engadget noted how Sony worked on the WF-1000XM3 to provide it the perfect balance of features -- including a good fit. While some wireless headphones deliver good quality audio, they tend to fall easily. The WF-1000XM3, on the other hand, is longer and now features a rubber surface to help it stay in the wearer’s ears. And with seven pairs of tips, users are sure to find the perfect fit.

These are but some of the features of Sony’s WF-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones, in addition to good quality sound. These headphones can be preordered from Amazon for $229.99.