We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a neckband headphone with on-board noise cancelling and a wired fallback for flights and long listening sessions, choose Sony Noise Cancelling; if you need tiny true-wireless earbuds that combine aptX Lossless, adaptive hybrid ANC and a kid-safe listening mode in one box, choose EarFun S1. Both are aptX HD earbuds in the broad sense — they both lean on Qualcomm's high-bitrate codec family — but they scratch that itch in completely different shapes, and the "which one" answer really comes down to how you wear headphones, not which spec sheet looks shinier.
• Sony Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: Digital Noise Cancelling with Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing plus a full high-resolution audio chain (LDAC, aptX HD, DSEE HX, S-Master HX). Biggest trade-off: it's a behind-neck in-ear design with around 10 hours of wireless ANC playback, not a pocketable charging-case earbud.
• EarFun S1 — biggest strength: adaptive hybrid ANC rated up to 50dB with aptX Lossless over Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, wrapped in a design that also includes an 85dB volume-limited kids mode. Biggest trade-off: the higher-fidelity wireless codecs depend on a compatible Snapdragon Sound phone, and the spec sheet is thin on battery and build details.
• Who Sony Noise Cancelling is for: frequent flyers, commuters and home listeners who want an app-driven ambient-sound system and a 3.5mm cable as a backup.
• Who EarFun S1 is for: people who want the smallest possible earbuds, lossless-grade Bluetooth audio on a supported phone, strong adaptive ANC, and a second life as safe listening gear for a child.
• If you're torn on value: check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding — the feature gap is real, but so is the difference in what you're getting for your money.
The Sony WI1000X is a behind-neck in-ear headphone with Active Noise Cancellation built in. The interesting part isn't just that it cancels noise — it's how it decides to. Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing is aimed squarely at flying, where cabin pressure changes can throw off noise cancelling, and Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control uses the Sony Headphones Connect app to detect whether you're travelling, walking or waiting, then shifts the ambient sound setting to match. Ambient Sound mode lets you hear announcements or a conversation without pulling the buds out. If you've ever wrestled an earbud back into your ear with a bag on your shoulder, that neckband starts to look like a feature rather than a quirk.
On the audio side, this is a genuinely stacked chain. LDAC, aptX, aptX HD and AAC are all supported, DSEE HX upscales compressed sources, and S-Master HX is there to reduce distortion. Sony pairs a 9mm dynamic driver with a balanced armature driver, so you get the dynamic driver's bass and mids working alongside the armature's highs. Frequency response runs 20 Hz–20,000 Hz over standard Bluetooth and up to 40 kHz with LDAC at 96 kHz / 990 kbps. There's a 3.5mm jack too, so you can run it wired with the unit on or off (97–101 dB/mW sensitivity depending on that state). Battery life is up to 10 hours with wireless noise cancelling active, and there's vibration notification for incoming calls.
Buy it if: you fly, you want the app to handle ambient sound automatically, you like the idea of a neckband you can drop around your neck, or you want a wired option as insurance. Skip it if: you want something that disappears into a jeans pocket, you need more than roughly a workday of ANC playback, or you're shopping for a child — this is an adult-oriented headphone.
The EarFun S1 is a stranger beast than its name suggests, and that's the whole point. It's a true-wireless earbud built around the Qualcomm QCC3091 SoC with Snapdragon Sound certification and aptX Lossless Audio, plus LDAC, LE Audio and LC3 support. In plain terms: on a phone that speaks Snapdragon Sound, this is one of the few earbud designs positioned to send lossless-grade audio over Bluetooth rather than re-compressing it. EarFun also claims Hi-Res Audio support and describes the tuning as robust bass, articulate mids and sparkling treble.
Then there's the noise cancelling. Adaptive Hybrid ANC rated up to 50dB, driven by QuietSmart 3.0, with the earbuds detecting your individual ear canal shape to tune cancellation to your ears. That's the same philosophy as Sony's adaptive approach — sense the situation, adjust — just applied at the earbud level rather than through a phone app and an activity profile. Call quality gets six microphones, AI algorithms and Qualcomm cVc 8.0 noise reduction, which matters a lot if you take meetings on the move.
And the twist: the same product carries an 85dB volume limit safe-listening design aimed at kids. So the pitch is genuinely dual-purpose — serious adult audio gear during the day, a volume-capped option for a child's tablet or homework session when needed. Buy it if: you're on a Snapdragon Sound phone and want aptX Lossless, you want maximum-ANC earbuds, or you're buying one product that can serve an adult and a kid. Skip it if: you need a wired connection, you're not on a compatible phone and don't care about lossless codecs, or you want published battery figures before you commit — the sheet doesn't give them.
• Best for high-bitrate aptX HD-style listening → both qualify, but EarFun S1 goes furthest with aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound; Sony gives you aptX HD plus LDAC and a wired path.
• Best for flying → Sony Noise Cancelling, thanks to Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing and travel-aware adaptive sound.
• Best for the strongest raw ANC number → EarFun S1, rated up to 50dB adaptive hybrid.
• Best for hands-free ambient awareness → Sony Noise Cancelling, with its app-controlled Ambient Sound mode.
• Best for phone calls in noisy places → EarFun S1, with six mics, AI processing and Qualcomm cVc 8.0.
• Best for a wired backup → Sony Noise Cancelling, which has a 3.5mm jack.
• Best for family use → EarFun S1, because of the 85dB kids volume limit.
• Best for a known battery figure → Sony Noise Cancelling at up to 10 hours with wireless ANC; EarFun's sheet doesn't state one.
• Best for pocketable true-wireless convenience → EarFun S1.
If I were choosing for myself, I'd take the Sony Noise Cancelling. The combination of a documented 10-hour ANC runtime, a 3.5mm wired fallback, and an app that reshapes ambient sound around what I'm actually doing is exactly the package I want for commuting and flying. In my opinion the EarFun S1 is the more technically ambitious product — aptX Lossless, 50dB adaptive ANC, six mics and a kids mode in one set of earbuds is a lot of ground covered — and if you own a Snapdragon Sound phone and live in true-wireless earbuds, I'd recommend it without hesitation. But I value the neckband's all-day wear, the wired option and the transparency of the spec sheet, and that tips it for me.
FAQ
which earbuds support aptx hd
The EarFun S1 quotes a bigger figure: adaptive hybrid ANC up to 50dB with QuietSmart 3.0, tuned to your ear canal. Sony's strength is context — Digital Noise Cancelling with Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing for flights and app-based adaptive ambient sound. Bigger number goes to EarFun; smarter travel behaviour goes to Sony.
For Sony, no — LDAC and aptX HD work across a broad range of Android devices, and there's a 3.5mm cable if you want to skip Bluetooth entirely. For EarFun S1, the headline aptX Lossless and Snapdragon Sound features need a compatible Snapdragon Sound source, so check your phone before buying.
They include a dedicated 85dB volume limit for safe listening, which is the feature that makes them usable for children. Note that the product's stated age range is adult, so treat the kids mode as a designed-in extra rather than a dedicated child product, and supervise younger listeners.
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