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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: Digital Noise Cancelling with Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing, plus LDAC, aptX HD, DSEE HX and S-Master HX in one finished headset. It's a complete listening and calling tool.
• Sony Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: Up to 10 hours of battery with wireless noise cancelling on, and a behind-neck band that isn't for everyone. It's a headset, not an adapter, so it won't upgrade anything you already own.
• Middle Rabbit D1 — biggest strength: Plug-and-play aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, aptX HD, aptX and SBC over Bluetooth 5.4 with a Qualcomm chip, with latency as low as 40ms on the low-latency codecs.
• Middle Rabbit D1 — biggest trade-off: It is a transmitter, not headphones. It only helps if you already own aptX-capable headphones, it needs a USB-C port, and it won't work with Xbox or PS Portal.
• Who Sony is for: Anyone who wants one device that handles noise, calls and high-resolution audio without extra gear.
• Who Middle Rabbit is for: Anyone who already owns good aptX headphones and wants them wireless on a PS5, PS4, PC or Mac.
Sony's WI1000X is the "everything included" answer. Digital Noise Cancelling with Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing is the headline, and it's aimed squarely at flying — the kind of noise floor you actually want gone when you're taking a call from an airport lounge. Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control reads what you're doing (travelling, walking, waiting) and shifts the ambient sound settings for you, and you can fine-tune all of it in the Sony Headphones Connect app on Android or iOS. For meetings, the combination matters more than any single spec: you can hear the room, or shut the room out, without taking the headphones off.
On the audio side, Sony throws the full toolbox at it — LDAC, aptX HD, DSEE HX and S-Master HX, with a frequency response quoted up to 40,000 Hz on the high-resolution side. Supported formats are SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX and aptX HD. So if your source device can push aptX HD, this headset can receive it. A 9mm dynamic driver handles the low end and a balanced armature driver covers the highs, which is a genuinely unusual two-driver setup for this category.
Who should buy it: people who want one finished product for travel, commuting and voice calls, and who value noise cancelling more than anything else on the list. Who should skip it: anyone who already owns headphones they love and just wants them wireless, and anyone who can't live with a behind-neck band or roughly 10 hours of wireless ANC runtime. If battery endurance is your top priority, look elsewhere.
The D1 is a different animal entirely, and it's the more interesting one if you already own good headphones. It's a Bluetooth 5.4 audio adapter with a Qualcomm chip that plugs into a USB-C port and turns your existing Bluetooth headphones or speakers into a wireless audio setup for PS5, PS4, desktop or laptop PC. Windows and macOS are supported; Linux is not. No drivers, no setup ritual — plug it in, put your headphones in pairing mode, wait for the connection, and pick "Middle Rabbit D1" as your audio output.
The codec list is the reason it shows up in aptX HD searches: aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, aptX HD, aptX and SBC. The adapter automatically picks the highest codec both ends support, which is exactly the behaviour you want and rarely the behaviour you get. Latency is quoted as low as 40ms with aptX Adaptive or LL, around 60ms on standard aptX, and about 100ms on aptX HD. That's a real, honest trade-off: the best sound quality and the lowest latency are not the same setting, and you'll be choosing between them.
For meetings, there's a call mode you toggle with a triple-press on the adapter button. When it's on, your headset's microphone works and the adapter shows up as an input device — but audio quality drops significantly, which is why Middle Rabbit explicitly says not to use it during gaming or movie playback. Also worth knowing: it isn't compatible with Xbox or PS Portal, and it wants a front-facing USB-C port kept away from metal and 2.4GHz receivers.
Who should buy it: PS5, PS4 and PC users with aptX-capable headphones who want low-latency wireless audio and don't want to buy another headset. Who should skip it: anyone without a USB-C port, anyone on Xbox or PS Portal, and anyone who needs the adapter itself to be the headphones.
• Best for active noise cancelling → Sony Noise Cancelling. The D1 has none. It can't; it's a transmitter.
• Best for using headphones you already own → Middle Rabbit D1. That's the entire point of the product.
• Best for high-resolution codec support out of the box → Sony Noise Cancelling. LDAC, aptX HD, DSEE HX and S-Master HX are built in, no accessories needed.
• Best for low-latency gaming audio → Middle Rabbit D1. Down to 40ms with aptX Adaptive or LL.
• Best for battery life → Sony Noise Cancelling, but check the number carefully: up to 10 hours with wireless noise cancelling active. The D1 draws from the host device, so runtime depends on what you plug it into.
• Best for travel and flights → Sony Noise Cancelling. Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing and Adaptive Sound Control exist for exactly that scenario.
• Best for meetings at a desk → Middle Rabbit D1, as long as you accept the call-mode audio quality drop and keep it on a front-facing USB-C port.
• Best for someone who owns nothing yet → Sony Noise Cancelling. The D1 assumes you already have aptX headphones.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd buy the Sony Noise Cancelling. I want a single device that handles noise cancelling, aptX HD audio and voice calls without me assembling a chain of accessories, and for meetings on the move that's worth more to me than flexibility. That said, if you already own a pair of aptX headphones you like and your meetings happen at a PS5 or a PC, the Middle Rabbit D1 is the smarter buy — it costs you a dongle instead of a whole new headset. In my opinion, that's the honest split: buy Sony if you need the headphones, buy the D1 if you only need the wireless.
which earbuds support aptx hd
Sony's WI1000X supports aptX HD, and its listed formats are SBC, AAC, LDAC, aptX and aptX HD. The Middle Rabbit D1 isn't an earbud — it's an adapter that supports aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX LL, aptX and SBC. In both cases the headphones on the other end must support the codec too.
No. It's a Bluetooth 5.4 audio adapter that plugs into a USB-C port on a PS5, PS4, PC or Mac and makes your existing Bluetooth headphones or speakers wireless. It's compatible with AirPods, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and others, but it isn't compatible with Xbox or PS Portal.
Yes. Sony lists hands-free calling with vibration notification, and the headset supports the Google Assistant with an update. The noise cancelling and Ambient Sound mode are what make it practical for meetings — you can hear essential sound without taking the headphones off.
Because sound quality and latency pull in opposite directions on this adapter. Middle Rabbit quotes roughly 40ms with aptX Adaptive or LL, about 60ms with standard aptX, and around 100ms with aptX HD. Use the low-latency modes for games and calls, and aptX HD when you're listening rather than reacting.
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