AirPods Pro 3 vs Sony WF-1000XM6

AirPods Pro 3 arrived on 9 September 2025, and Sony’s WF-1000XM6 followed on 12 February 2026 with the same kind of noise-cancelling claim. Apple claims Pro 3 blocks up to twice the noise of AirPods Pro 2. Sony says its new QN3e processor runs three times faster than the chip in WF-1000XM5, and Sony Europe claims 25 percent more noise reduction than that model. Each yardstick is the company’s own last model, and neither puts a decibel figure on it, so on paper there’s no way to call the quieter pair.

Side by side

Spec	AirPods Pro 3	Sony WF-1000XM6
Announced	9 September 2025	12 February 2026
US price	$249 at launch	$329.99 list
Processors	H2 in the buds; second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the case	QN3e and Integrated Processor V2
Music, noise cancelling on	Up to 8 hours	Up to 8 hours
Music, noise cancelling off	Not published	Up to 12 hours
With the case	Up to 24 hours, noise cancelling on	Up to 24 hours
Charging	Five minutes in the case gives about an hour	Buds about 1.5 hours; case about 2 hours over USB
Tips	Foam-infused, five sizes from XXS to L	Noise Isolation Earbud Tips, four sizes
Weight per bud	5.55 g	About 0.23 oz (about 6.5 g) with medium tips
Dust and water	IP57, buds and case	IPX4 buds; case not rated
Codecs	Not published	SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
Multipoint	Automatic switching between devices on your Apple Account	Yes
Hearing Aid	Yes, with Hearing Test and Hearing Protection	Not published
Heart-rate sensor	Yes, for workouts	Not published
Finding	Find My with the case speaker; iOS 27 or later	Not published
Colors	White	Platinum Silver, Black

Noise cancelling, and what you can adjust

On AirPods Pro 3 you get Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency and Adaptive Audio, and you swipe the stem to change volume. Sony gives you more to adjust: WF-1000XM6 pairs its Adaptive NC Optimizer with Ambient Sound and Quick Attention, and the Sound Connect app adds Speak-to-Chat and DSEE Extreme. Sony’s driver measures 0.33 inches, and the buds have volume control too.

Your phone matters more than the noise cancelling

Pro 3 is built around the iPhone. Hearing Aid, the heart-rate sensor (Fitness app, iOS 26 or later), Live Translation (in beta on an Apple Intelligence iPhone, not in every language) and Find My with the case speaker (iOS 27 or later) all need Apple devices. On Android, Apple says Pro 3 works as Bluetooth headphones with limited features. Sony lists neither a hearing-aid feature nor a heart-rate sensor for WF-1000XM6, so those two stay with Pro 3 whichever phone you use.

WF-1000XM6 gets more out of an Android phone. Sony lists SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3, and LDAC streams once you pick the sound-quality setting in Sound Connect on a compatible phone. Gemini features, including “OK Google,” need a supported Android phone, and 360 Reality Audio needs compatible content. Both use Bluetooth 5.3.

Multipoint is the other everyday difference. Sony lists Multipoint Connection, so the buds can stay connected to two devices at once. Pro 3 instead hands off automatically between devices signed in to your Apple Account, which only covers Apple’s own devices.

Battery: level with noise cancelling on, Sony ahead with it off

Both are rated for up to 8 hours of music with noise cancelling on and up to 24 hours with the case. Switch noise cancelling off and WF-1000XM6 stretches to 12 hours; Apple has no rating for Pro 3 in that mode. Apple’s other ratings for Pro 3 are 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and head tracking, 6.5 while the heart-rate sensor runs, and 10 using Transparency with Hearing Aid. Sony rates calls at up to 5 hours with noise cancelling on and 5.5 with it off.

For charging, five minutes in the Pro 3 case gives about an hour of listening. Sony quotes full charge times instead: about 1.5 hours for the buds and about 2 hours for the case over USB.

Fit, weight and water

Pro 3 gives you one more tip size to find a seal with: five foam-infused sizes from XXS to L, against four sizes of Sony’s Noise Isolation Earbud Tips, going by Sony Europe. Sony’s buds are a little heavier, and so is its case, at about 1.66 ounces against 43.99 grams for Pro 3’s.

Water resistance goes to Apple. Pro 3’s IP57 protects both the buds and the case from dust, sweat and water during exercise; Sony’s IPX4 covers the buds only. If your case lives in a gym bag, that difference counts.

Price and what’s in the box

Apple launched Pro 3 at $249. Sony lists WF-1000XM6 at $329.99 on its US store, and an archived copy of that store page from 16 March 2026 shows a $299.99 sale price against the same list. Sony Europe’s suggested price in February 2026 was €300; in the US, go by Sony’s US store. Prices move, so check Sony and apple.com on the day.

Pro 3’s box has the buds, the MagSafe case, five tip sizes and documentation, but not the USB-C cable; its case charges by MagSafe, an Apple Watch charger, Qi or USB-C. Sony’s box has the charging case, a USB cable, the Noise Isolation Earbud Tips and the paperwork, and its case charges over USB or on a wireless charger, with the Qi pad sold separately in Europe.

For less money and an open fit, AirPods 5 starts at $129, without Hearing Aid or LDAC; AirPods 5 vs AirPods Pro 3 compares it with Pro 3.