Apple’s new AirPods Pro stick out from the regular AirPods in a few ways. They offer active noise cancellation, a pass-through audio feature so you can easily hear what’s happening around you, and customizable ear tips, all of which are improvements over the standard AirPods model.
Comparing Apple’s two headphones against each other is fairly simple to do, but it gets a little bit more tricky if you’re trying to pick between other brands. The Beats Powerbeats Pro have the same H1 wireless chip, which makes them just as easy to pair with an iPhone, and just as responsive to “Hey Siri” hands-free commands, and those are usually $50 cheaper than the new AirPods Pro. Amazon’s new Echo Buds offer active noise reduction (not quite the same as cancellation), but at nearly half the cost, they might be the best choice for you. Sony’s WF-1000XM3s have excellent noise cancellation and charge via USB-C, though their case is rather hulking.
There are a lot of specs to sort through, from water resistance and general earbud size, to what sort of cable comes included with each set, and of course, price. We’ve built a table with a handful of popular options to help make your buying decision a bit easier.
AirPods Pro spec comparison
| Features | Apple AirPods Pro | Amazon Echo Buds | Sony WF-1000XM3 | Beats Powerbeats Pro | AirPods (second-generation) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Apple AirPods Pro | Amazon Echo Buds | Sony WF-1000XM3 | Beats Powerbeats Pro | AirPods (second-generation) |
| Active noise canceling / reduction | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Pass-through / transparency audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Earbud size (mm) | 30.9 x 21.8 x 24 | 22 x 23 x 24 | Undisclosed | 55 (width, depth undisclosed) | 40.5 x 16.5 x 18 |
| Case size (mm) | 45.2 x 60.6 21.7 | 57 x 77 x 29 | Undisclosed | 77 (width, depth undisclosed) | 53.5 x 44.3 x 21.3 |
| Earbud weight (g) | 5.4 | 7.6 | 8.5 | about 10 | 4 |
| Case weight (g) | 45.6 | 70 | 79.3 | Undisclosed | 40 |
| Battery (earbud) | up to 4.5 hours | up to five hours | up to eight hours | up to nine hours | up to five hours |
| Battery (case) | more than 24 hours | up to 20 hours | up to 24 hours | up to 24 hours | more than 24 hours |
| Water resistance certification | IPX4 | IPX4 | N/A | IPX4 | N/A |
| Wired charging | Lightning connector | Micro USB connector | USB-C connector | Lightning connector | Lightning connector |
| Wireless charging | Qi-certified chargers | No | No | No | Yes (via optional Qi-ready case) |
| Charging cord included | Lightning to USB-C | Micro USB to USB-A | USB-C to USB-C | Lightning to USB-A | Lightning to USB-A |
| Price | $249 | $129 | $229 | $249 | $199 |
| Custom chips | Apple H1 | Intel Dual Digital Signal Processor with Inference Engine | HD Noise-Canceling Processor QN1e | Apple H1 | Apple H1 |
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https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/29/20938176/apple-new-airpods-pro-truly-wireless-earbuds-comparison-sony-wf1000xm3-echo-buds