- WF-1000X (or "the Sonys") shipped dead out of the box. Not a particularly good way to start (AirPods/Charging Case shipped with 75% battery in each to start - Disappointing as I wanted to do a comparo right away.
- Sony packaging is somewhere between the great Apple experience and the action figure packaging typical of Sennheiser. The good news is, it leans toward Apple quality instead of Sennheiser.
- Case is super finicky. The AirPods just fall into place. Sonys need to snap in, which is annoying because I waited an hour to try these things only to find out they were dead.
- The USB cable that connects the case to power is comically small. I don’t have a good place to really plug them in. My rMBP has no USB-A ports.
- There are so many earpieces, it’s a bit difficult to keep straight, but I figure once I find one I like, that will be it.
- Small earpiece for me, which, once in my ear, wouldn’t come out until after I was dizzy.
- Walk test. Time to get the dogs to exercise: It’s currently in the mid 40s in Austin and I tend to have the most trouble with earbuds in this weather. AirPods felt like they would fall out of my ears immediately and they did in my house once. Sonys are much tighter and much less of a concern once they're in my ears.
- The controls on AirPods aren’t great, but the WF-1000X controls are such small buttons that they’re not that much more useful.
Test Songs list
- Kendrick Lamar - ELEMENT.: Bass in AirPods don’t hold up here. It’s not a bad sound by any means, but Sony’s offering has a very strong bass sound.
- Lorde - Homemade Dynamite: Significantly more mids with Lorde. Here, the AirPods hold up nicely. Still lacks some of the fullness.
- Perfume Genius - Slip Away: This is the first time I might actually like the AirPods better. The noise cancelling is a little noticeable on the Sonys but if the AirPods volume are right, there’s really nothing wrong with them and not a ton lost.
- LCD Soundsystem - How do you Sleep?: The soundscape section to open the song heavily favors the Sonys. On the low end, there is just so much more texture.
- The War on Drugs - Pain: Less emphasis on the bass is making me prefer the AirPods almost 100% of the time now. That being said, the ANC in Sony shines in these situations
- Run the Jewels - Don’t Get Captured: Sonys. Hands down. AirPods sound pretty good, but straight hip-hop favors the more isolated, bass-centric sound of the Sonys.
- Queens of the Stone Age - The Way You Used to Do: Sonys again. QOTSA is closest to my favorite kind of music, and this heavily favored the Sony sound quality.
So far, I'm not sure which way to go. It feels like the Sonys might be my preferred choice, but the AirPods still hold up pretty well. Verdict: unclear