Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and WF-1000XM5, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in driver size and weight per bud, while the WF-1000XM5 wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the WF-1000XM5 scores 60.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (58.3 vs 60.5). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if you care most about driver size and weight per bud. The biggest gaps in its favor are driver size, weight per bud, water resistance.
Pick the WF-1000XM5 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.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, spatial audio, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Driver size — 19.05% more. 10 mm vs 8.4 mm.
- ▲Weight per bud — 1.60 g less. 4.3 vs 5.9.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - WF-1000XM5 wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 60.00% more. 8 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 20.00% more. 24 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 5.9 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| 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-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 8 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 24 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | true | true |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - WF-1000XM5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| 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-1000XM5?+
WF-1000XM5 lasts 8h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or WF-1000XM5 support multipoint?+
WF-1000XM5 supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or WF-1000XM5?+
Both have active noise cancellation.
Spec-level deep dives
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