Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 32 h |
| Driver size | 10 mm | 8.4 mm |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 g | 5.4 g |
| Multipoint | false | true |
| Water resistance | IP54 | IPX4 |
Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and WF-1000XM6, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in driver size / weight per bud, while the WF-1000XM6 wins on battery — buds / battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 71.1 and the WF-1000XM6 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The WF-1000XM6 edges ahead on the Mars Score (71.1 vs 74.5), but the 3.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if you care most about driver size / weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, weight per bud, water resistance. The single most decisive one: Driver size — 19.05% more. 10 mm vs 8.4 mm.
Pick the WF-1000XM6 if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds, battery — with case, multipoint. The single most decisive one: Battery — buds — 60.00% more. 8 h vs 5 h.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC or Sony - WF-1000XM6?
Sony - WF-1000XM6 leads the current Mars Score by 3.4 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare driver size, battery — buds, weight per bud against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC if…
Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC has the measurable edge on driver size mm, weight per bud g, ip rating.
Choose Sony - WF-1000XM6 if…
Sony - WF-1000XM6 has the measurable edge on battery life buds h, battery life case h, has multipoint.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Driver size — 19.05% more. 10 mm vs 8.4 mm.
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.10 g less. 4.3 vs 5.4.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - WF-1000XM6 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 60.00% more. 8 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 60.00% more. 32 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 5.4 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mmlead | 8.4 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | true | true |
| Transparency mode | true | true |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 8 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 32 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM6 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.4lead |
| Codecsⓘ | AAC,SBC | LDAC,LC3,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | true | true |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods 4 with ANC or WF-1000XM6?+
WF-1000XM6 lasts 8h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or WF-1000XM6 support multipoint?+
WF-1000XM6 supports multipoint pairing; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or WF-1000XM6?+
Both models have active noise cancellation.