Sony WF-C710N

Introduction

Sony’s recent efforts in the headphone space has seen it launch about a billion models in less than two years. Wired headphones, wireless over-ears, true wireless – a bit like a car boot sale, Sony has something for everyone.

And if you’re looking towards the budget end of the true wireless market, then Sony has a few options. There’s the excellent WF-C510 for less than £50, but above that is the WF-C710N for £99.

Featuring noise-cancellation, ambient mode, and longer battery life than its predecessor, Sony has designs on offering value and performance.

Sony’s recent run of headphones is pretty enviable, and if you were hoping for a shock, then you’re in the wrong place as Sony is once again the class of the field.

Design

• IPX4 rating
• Snug, comfortable fit
• Translucent version

If, based on the strength of this review, you were to consider a purchase of the WF-C710N; it comes in four colours: Black, White, Pink and Glass Blue.

Glass Blue is the sample I have, and in my opinion, it’s the only version of the C710N to get. With a transparent design, Sony has gone all Nothing/Beats in terms of the look, and it makes for a fetching appearance as you can see the earphones’ innards. It’s très cool.

The fit is very snug, and while initial attempts did create an oily feel, that feeling went away. The shape of the earbuds is very ergonomic, sliding into the ear extremely well. There’s no sense of discomfort, and once they’re in, the C710N don’t feel as if they’d slip out easily.

The IPX4 rating is expected, protecting the earphones from some splashes of water but not much else.

The touch controls are a change from the C510’s physical controls but they prove responsive to use with incorrect taps few and far between. There’s volume control from the off too, with four taps raising or decreasing the volume depending on the earbud.

The charging case is compact and just as translucent as the earbuds. It makes the other colours look a touch boring, but at least Sony has added more colours from the start instead of going for the usual black and white options.

Battery Life

• 30 hours of battery in total
• No wireless charging

Sony claims around 8.5 hours of battery life with the WF-C710 and carrying out my usual battery test by streaming a Spotify playlist, the headphones fall 10% with an hour’s use. That’d suggest 10 hours of battery life, at 50% volume with noise-cancellation; which is a very good result.

Granted, volume levels and what you listen to can have an effect on the battery life, but that’s up there with the longer-lasting efforts such as Sony’s own C510.

With ANC turned off, Sony says it’s 12 hours; while the charging case holds 21.5 hours. All told, that’s 30 hours on tap for the WF-C710N but I reckon you can get more than that.

A five minute quick charge provides an extra hour of playback. There’s no wireless charging but quite frankly, I don’t think you really need it unless you really demand it from your true wireless headphones.

Features

• Bluetooth multi-point
• Sound Connect app for customisation
• 360 Reality Audio spatial audio

Bluetooth 5.3 support equals SBC and AAC streaming – there’s no LDAC streaming which shouldn’t be a surprise but given the likes of EarFun and other affordable brands have it, you’d hope Sony might include it. But sound quality isn’t just about Bluetooth codecs.

There’s Bluetooth multi-point for connecting to two devices at once, plus built-in sensors can pause music when they sense the earbuds have been taken out of your ear. Don’t want to have both earbuds in your ears at the same time? You can have one earbud in and the other in the case.

The Bluetooth performance is strong and reliable with no problems in terms of a shaky connection encountered on a walk through Waterloo train station.

There’s Google Fast Pair for quickly connecting to Android devices, as well as Microsoft Swift Pair for an instantaneous connection to Windows devices.

There is, of course, the Sound Connect app is where you can update the headphones, play around with the Equaliser (or create your own by having music played to your ears).

There’s plenty of room for customising the touch controls, Bluetooth performance, adapting the noise-cancelling performance (though the Adaptive Sound Control feature). The DSEE feature (apparently) restores detail that’s lost through compression, though I find it hard to hear much of a difference with it on or off.

You’ve also got services that get your music up and running with a tap, such as Amazon Music Play Now and Spotify Tap. The Sony 360 Reality Audio feature is also there to bring immersive audio for apps that support (which is dwindling to be honest).

Noise Cancellation

• Excellent ANC performance
• Improved call quality

The noise-cancelling performance is aided by the fit of the earphones, so get that right and you’re half way there to getting the performance Sony desires.

And that performance is pretty tremendous for the money. Walking around the Waterlook area and noise cancellation was excellent – I could barely hear what was around me both inside and outside the station. It doesn’t leak much sound through wherever I’ve used the WF-C710N.

On the Victoria Line Underground I didn’t have to push the volume at all to hear what was playing – that’s as good a sign as any for me that the fit and noise-cancellation are working well.

It’s not as good as the more expensive Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, but it is better than the LG Xboom Buds when I was carrying out a pink noise test at home.

The Ambient Sound mode does come across as a little noise when enabled, and that’s especially noticeable when no audio is playing. But overall, outside sounds come through clearly and are detailed enough to provide awareness of what’s happening. It’s not the clearest performance, but more than adequate for the price.

The one problem I did have was during power up when the earbuds kept switching to Ambient Sound mode. I’m not entirely sure if it’s deliberate, or whether it’s the way I hold it when I take the headphones out the case. Either way, it’s annoying.

Finally, the call quality; which I’ve not found to be the best on previous Sony wireless earbuds. Hopefully, the WF-C710N is a sign of things moving in a positive direction. The person on the other end couldn’t hear much noise around me aside from a few people close by.

The only problem they had was that my voice sounded robotic and artificial – maybe that’s just how I sound…

Sound Quality

• Subdued treble performance
• Smooth midrange
• Good bass presence

All the good work Sony has put into the design, features, battery life and noise-cancellation would be for nought if the WF-C710N didn’t sound good – but obviously it sounds good.

In general, bass is strong and highs come across as bright and clear. It’s not the sharpest or most defined sound, but that’s coloured by the smoothness that you get from Sony headphones.

Not unlike the WH-1000XM6, the WF-C710N achieves a good balance across the frequency range, and that’s especially surprising given the size of the driver is only 5mm.

Let’s start with the treble. This is the C710N’s biggest area of contention as the highs lack a sharpness and brightness. It tracks that need more bite from treble (let’s say, orchestral music), the C710N can struggle a little in reproducing that.

There’s some brightness and clarity to tracks such as Nicholas Britell’s Andante Risoluto from his Succession score or Greg Foat’s Symphonie Pacifique. The slightly rich tone means it’s not the most detailed with the highs, leading to something of a dulled and soft edge to treble notes. It’s fine but there’s room to improve in terms of clarity.

The bass is solid, strong even, and while it’s lacking the same level of depth and extension as much more expensive true wireless; you get bass punch and weight from the lows that’s not always a guarantee with a true wireless less than £100. There’s a richness to the bass that some might not like but I like.

It’s not the most energetic-sounding true wireless but with the WF-C710N I find that I don’ mind that so much. It’s steady and consistent across a wide variety of music genres. I could pick apart the areas where it’s not great, but in doing so I’m comparing it to true wireless that are twice, if not three times more expensive.

It’s the midrange that’s the most rewarding aspect of the C710N, especially it’s way with reproducing voices, which are fantastic. Voices are solidly isolated within the middle of the soundstage, the pitch of voices is nicely judged at this end of the market.

Few true wireless sound quite as natural and true in terms of recreating singer’s voices. Maye’s in La Cancion, Jacob Collier’s Sky Above, Natalie Imbruglia’s in Torn; there’s a smooth, lush tone to voices that works.

It’s not the most detailed, sharpest or defined presentation. It’s not as if your ears are missing out on any detail within the track, they WF-C710N lack the resolution and clarity of more expensive earbuds.

This isn’t necessarily a criticism, just a means of setting expectations. Compared to those hovering around its price – the Cambridge A100 or LG xboom Buds – there’s a musicality that neither of those buds can quite reach, even if they’re better in other areas than this Sony. And that is, in part, what helps to puts these Sony earbuds top of the budget true wireless heap.

Should you buy it?

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