In this post, we are comparing the Sony WF XB700 vs Galaxy Buds plus vs Airpods Pro, which are competitive products from some of the most popular brands in the market today!
If you are an audiophile, you will find it a great option to go with the best TWS earbuds or True Wireless headphones. While Sony has been a dominant player when you come to think of an excellent audio experience ever, that should not mean other players such as Apple Airpods Pro or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus are less competitive in any way.
We already looked at Galaxy Buds with Apple Airpods on a different post. See the table below:
Galaxy Buds+ vs Galaxy Buds vs Apple Airpods
If you want to check out the key features where specific earbud scores over the other, read along in the section below. For now, let us check out a head to head in the following comparison chart for a better understanding.
| Features and Particulars | Galaxy Buds
|
Galaxy Buds+
|
Apple Airpods (2nd Gen)
|
| Color availability | Black, White, Yellow | White, Black, Blue, Red, Pink | White |
| Physical Dimensions | Earbud: 17.5 (W) x 19.2 (D) x 22.3 (H) mm / Case: 38.8 (W) x 70 (D) x 26.5 (H) mm | Earbud – 17.5 x 22.5 x 19.2mm
Case – 38.8 x 70 x 26.5mm |
AirPods (each):
Charging Case: 1.74 x 0.84 x 2.11 inches (44.3 x 21.3 x 53.5 mm) |
| Weight | Earbud: 5.6g per earbud / Case: 39.6g | Earbud – 6.3 grans
Case – 39.6 grams |
AirPods (each): 0.14 ounce (4 g)
Charging Case: 1.34 ounces (38 g) |
| OS / Connectivity | RTOS
Bluetooth 5.0
Android 5.0 or higher & RAM 1.5GB above |
RTOS
Bluetooth 5.0 Profile: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP Codec: Scalable (Samsung proprietary), ACC, SBC |
Bluetooth 4.2 (Gen 1)
Bluetooth 5.0 (Gen 2) W1 Chip – Gen 1 H1 headphone chip (Gen 2)
iOS 12.2, watchOS 5.2, macOS 10.14.4 or later (Gen 2)
|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Proximity, Hall, Touch, Ear on/off detection | Accelerometer, IR, Hall, Touch |
|
| Speaker | 5.8pi Dynamic Driver | Dual dynamic speaker | – |
| Battery | 58mAh – Earbud
252mAh – Case |
85mAh – Earbud
270mAh – Case |
– |
| Water resistance | IPX2 | IPX2 | None |
Coming back to our original topic, we will check out the three competing products viz Sony WF XB700, Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, and Apple Airpods Pro and find how do they fare against one another.
Sony WF-XB700 – An overview
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The Sony WF XB700 is one of the newest earbuds coming from the house of Sony. They are a little bulky and comparatively affordable, yet offers a powerful experience in terms of an exceptional audio experience.
While the earbuds are priced at a notably affordable price tag, they do offer a few features that really exceed the cost of the product. Of course, the buds do not substitute for the flagship device, the WF 1000XM3. But, you will definitely find it one of the prime options for the latest in True Wireless offering.
The sales package comes with a pair of earbuds, a charging case, a charging cable, and extra ear tips. The earbuds come with support for Bluetooth 5.0 technology. We could not come across any issues concerning the connectivity, or rather a consistency in connectivity.
The comfort in wearing the buds is quite great. Sony makes use of what it calls tri-hold structure, which makes contact with three different parts of your ear and offers a secure fit. A great seal around ear canals should further be an excellent level of comfortability when it comes to wearing it for prolonged hours.
The buds have two buttons built int them. The response offered by the buds is quite impressive. The IPX4 waterproofing should be yet another plus point that should ideally make it one of the great options to go with. That would make it a perfect choice for listening to music during workouts.
The buds offer a backup of nine hours per charge. A mere ten minutes inside the case would provide you access to an hour of reserve. Voice assistant integration is offered on the earbuds, which you can summon through the button on the right bud.
As for the sound quality, you can get access to the best that an affordable earbud can offer you. If you are looking for refined sound quality, this may not be the right one for you. The sound is more fun than being refined. If you are someone looking for a smooth and refined sound, the WF XB700 should not be the right choice for you.
Bass performance is one of the excellent advantages, but the rest of the features may not be worth the experience. Lack of support for audio codecs such as aptX may be something you would find rather unimpressive. And yes, you would find no active noise cancellation options on these set of earbuds.
Pros
- A perfect battery life.
- IPX4 water resistance properties
- A best in class option for low-end sound.
Cons
- Design is a little bulky and obtrusive.
- Codec support is much limited.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus – A Concise Overview
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Before we get into the details, let us refer to the spec sheet first. See the table below:
| HEADPHONE TYPE | Closed Dynamic |
| DRIVER UNIT | 12 mm |
| MAGNET | Neodymium |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE (Bluetooth) |
|
| Waterproofing | IPX4 equivalent |
| NFC | No |
| BATTERY CHARGE TIME | Approx. 2.5 hrs |
| BATTERY LIFE (Max) | 9 hours approx |
| Stand-by | 200 hours – Max |
| BATTERY LIFE(CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION TIME) | Max. 5 hrs |
| BLUETOOTH® VERSION | 5.0 |
| EFFECTIVE RANGE | Line of sight approx. 10 m |
| Profile & Formats |
|
| Weight | Approx. 46 g |
A slick and simple design coupled with a monster battery life – that should make it one of the prominent options ever. The packaging is minimalistic. You would find a more compact, pill-shaped charging case with the buds placed neatly inside. You have additional paraphernalia that includes a USB charging cable, two extra pairs of ear tips, and sports fans.
The setup of your earbuds is rather simple and easy to go with. You may perhaps want to download the Samsung app if you need to but isn’t required much as such. The construction and aesthetics should be one of the best when it comes to handling your Galaxy Plus earbuds. The non-stem design is one of the most unique and futuristic. The multicolor availability and dedicated Spotify control should further be an added advantage.
The Galaxy Buds Plus offers you a unique touchpad option. A single touch lets you play or pause the music, while double-tap skips the tracks or lets you answer a call. That apart, you also have access to a host of other options in terms of touch controls. You can choose which earbud controls which function. The functions include handling voice commands, turning ambient sound on or off, switching the playlists on Spotify, and turning the volume low or high.
Coming to sound quality, you will find it offering dual dynamic driver features. You get a woofer and a tweeter along with a new speaker and microphone option. Samsung claims that the earbuds produce a studio-quality sound. The soundstage is impressive. You can also get a better bass performance. You would also get plenty of equalizer options. However, there is no active noise cancellation functionality available on the earbuds.
The battery backup is extremely impressive at 11 hours per charge. The carry case will offer you one single charge, which would mean an additional 11 hours. You can also charge it wirelessly with a Samsung device.
Pros
- A whopping battery life
- A very comfortable and lightweight design
- You can opt for additional accessories if needed
- The option of a companion app
Cons
- Charging case carries only one charge
Apple Airpods Pro – A Sneak Peek
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Next on is the Apple Airpods Pro and provides you with a decent performance. The Apple offering has been one of the excellent options for almost all your needs. But, the design us something you would find rather weird. The plastic build is something that would perhaps be a huge letdown. While the world is moving ahead towards a non-stem design, Apple still sticks to the stem design, which would make it one of the excellent options ever.
Comfort level is yet another area where the Apple Airpods Pro takes a hit. You would need to take off the buds once in a while to reduce the pressure on some points in your ear. You may not be able to use the earbuds for more than a few hours. The battery is not replaceable, and that should be one of the highlighted issues you would come across.
The battery life is not much impressive. You would get around 4 or 5 hours of backup per charge. The charging case comes with a total of 24 hours of battery backup.
As for the sound quality, you would find it offering a truly magnificent performance and efficiency. The bass is one of the best, but not necessarily overbearing. Even the midrange is also quite impressive. The same can be stated about treble and transition. The noise cancellation functionality is yet another huge plus point that would make the Apple Airpods Pro a perfect winner. You would get an enhanced and improved efficiency when you look at the active noise cancellation ever.
Apple Airpods Pro offers you the same degree of water and dust resistance as on the Sony WF-XB700. The IPX4 rating of IPX4 should be something great when you compare it to the Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, which offers you only IPX2 rating.
Pros
- A clear and engaging sound efficiency
- A perfect noise cancellation performance
- A superior call clarity
- Wireless charging case
Cons
- Some users have questioned long term battery life.
The Comparison Chart – Sony WF XB700 vs Galaxy Buds plus vs Airpods Pro
Well, having checked out the best features offered by the three competing earbuds, let us compile the features and functions through a comparison chart.
| Features and particulars | Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus
|
Sony WF XB700
|
Apple Airpods Pro
|
| Colors | White, Black, Blue, Red | Blue and Black | White |
| Battery life | 11 hours – 22 hours with the case | 9 hours – 18 hours with the case | 5 hours – 24 hours with the case |
| Size | 0.7 x 0.9 x 0.8 inches | 9.10 x 9.10 x 9.10 inches | 0.7 x 0.7 x 1.6 inches |
| Water and Dust Resistance | IPX2 | IPX 4 | IPX 4 |
| Features | Ambient Sound, EQ Modes | Ergonomic design, Extra Bass | Active noise cancellation |
The Closing Remarks
Well, that was a complete comparison between the best features and functions offered by each of the products. Of course, each of them comes with their advantages and points. Among the three choices, we would treat the Airpods Pro to be one of the perfect options ever.
Of course, it does come with a few issues – but even then, we found it one of the impressive options ever. While Sony’s offering has been remarkable, it does not beat the level of efficiency observed on the Samsung galaxy Buds Plus and Apple Airpods Pro.