Sony WF-C700N review: The ultimate solution to falling earbuds
Image: Collected
On a recent trip to Mumbai, I saw a lady at the airport who was constantly adjusting her earbuds. The same day I spotted a guy in a mall who put his hands on his right ear to stop the buds from falling out while taking a call. Both instances made me realise how not all earbuds work the same way. And it’s not just about the sound, a tight seal and how they fit into your ears are equally important. Luckily, Sony’s WF-C700N earbuds not only have a comfortable in-ear fit, they seemingly have balanced sound and effective noise cancellation rivaling some of the pricier earbuds I have tested over the past few months. Here’s my review of the Sony WF-C700N.
Sony WF-C700N TWS price in India ( as reviewed): Rs 8990
What are the Sony WF-C700N wireless earbuds?
The Sony WF-C700N fall in the budget-to-mid-range true wireless earbuds segment. They come with 5mm dynamic drivers, support Bluetooth 5.2 connection and offer
Right fit
The WF-C700N look very similar to the budget Sony WF-C500. The difference is the availability of colours — the WF-C700N come in black, white, sage green (reviewed here) and lavender. I really liked the soft new pastel colour options for earbuds as they look and feel easy on the eyes, especially in the scorching Delhi summer. Each earbud weighs just 4.6g and sits pretty comfortably in the ear. Their distinctive design and shape allowed these to go deep into the ear canal and deliver optimal bass. Four sizes of silicone tips are included in the box. The medium size worked well as it provides a good seal and decent noise isolation.
They stayed in my ears securely during runs and not even once fell from my ears. It’s always important to get the right fit if you are like me someone who travels a lot and likes going for long evening walks. These Sony wireless earbuds are perfect for the gym and running as they support IPX4 against water and sweat.
The sides of the WF-C700N are not touch-sensitive, unlike AirPods 3 or Galaxy Buds 2. Instead, they have a large, physical button on each bud. This is a better way to pause/play music and adjust the volume by pressing the button over tapping and swiping the earbuds. I generally find touch-sensitive controls on earbuds frustrating to use. But I wish Sony hadn’t removed the ear detection sensors that would have allowed automatic play/pause like AirPods.
Compact case
The pill-shaped matte plastic charging case is compact and fits easily in the pockets of cargo pants. The case doesn’t feel cheap; it closes with a nice slap and the magnets keep the earbuds in place. You’ll find a USB-C charge port on the back but there’s no wireless charging capability. The battery lasts about 7.5 hours for playback with noise cancellation. But the case holds one extra full charge for a total playback of 15 hours which isn’t near the competition.
Setting up the WF-C700N
Connecting your earbuds to your smartphone is easy, especially if you are an Android user. The buds support instant pairing and syncing between Google devices. You can also connect the WF-C700N as you would typical Bluetooth earbuds. A small button on the back of the battery case, and pushing it for a few seconds or so will put them in pairing mode. Sony also offers a dedicated headphones app that makes controls and other settings accessible, which also includes battery widgets and audio features.
Improved audio all around
The WF-C700N sound more neutral than many of its competitors, offering an overall balanced sound with decent clarity. Even though these earbuds aren’t flagship-level, they do come very close to delivering Sony’s signature sound which in my opinion is a giant leap. Listening to “Boom Boom”, Nazia Hassan’s vocals have an oomph and another level of energy. Especially when it comes to bass, it feels more impactful in your ear, like it just feels more natural and there’s more clarity. When I was listening to David Guetta & Kelly Rowland’s “When love takes over,” the bass was nicely controlled with well-balanced treble and high tones. They produce crisp voices when listening to podcasts and shows. I watched the last season of Sex Education and the sound effect had satisfying details.
Other features and performance
Let’s be clear: the noise cancellation does not work like what you get with Sony’s flagship true wireless earbuds but the WF-C700N do manage to suppress rumbles and cancel background noise. I have taken many personal and work calls while at the airport, and the other person could hear my words without issue. Microphones do a good job of picking up my voice and cancelling out environmental noise.
Sony WF-C700N TWS price in India ( as reviewed): Rs 8990
What are the Sony WF-C700N wireless earbuds?
The Sony WF-C700N fall in the budget-to-mid-range true wireless earbuds segment. They come with 5mm dynamic drivers, support Bluetooth 5.2 connection and offer
Read More : Sony unveils controller for disabled gamers
Fast Pair on Android and Swift Pair via Windows. The Sony WF-C700N come with Noise Cancellation (NC) that constantly adjusts its performance to match your content and surroundings. They support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio spatial sound format as well as Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) which upscales lower-resolution audio formats.Right fit
The WF-C700N look very similar to the budget Sony WF-C500. The difference is the availability of colours — the WF-C700N come in black, white, sage green (reviewed here) and lavender. I really liked the soft new pastel colour options for earbuds as they look and feel easy on the eyes, especially in the scorching Delhi summer. Each earbud weighs just 4.6g and sits pretty comfortably in the ear. Their distinctive design and shape allowed these to go deep into the ear canal and deliver optimal bass. Four sizes of silicone tips are included in the box. The medium size worked well as it provides a good seal and decent noise isolation.
They stayed in my ears securely during runs and not even once fell from my ears. It’s always important to get the right fit if you are like me someone who travels a lot and likes going for long evening walks. These Sony wireless earbuds are perfect for the gym and running as they support IPX4 against water and sweat.
The sides of the WF-C700N are not touch-sensitive, unlike AirPods 3 or Galaxy Buds 2. Instead, they have a large, physical button on each bud. This is a better way to pause/play music and adjust the volume by pressing the button over tapping and swiping the earbuds. I generally find touch-sensitive controls on earbuds frustrating to use. But I wish Sony hadn’t removed the ear detection sensors that would have allowed automatic play/pause like AirPods.
Compact case
The pill-shaped matte plastic charging case is compact and fits easily in the pockets of cargo pants. The case doesn’t feel cheap; it closes with a nice slap and the magnets keep the earbuds in place. You’ll find a USB-C charge port on the back but there’s no wireless charging capability. The battery lasts about 7.5 hours for playback with noise cancellation. But the case holds one extra full charge for a total playback of 15 hours which isn’t near the competition.
Setting up the WF-C700N
Connecting your earbuds to your smartphone is easy, especially if you are an Android user. The buds support instant pairing and syncing between Google devices. You can also connect the WF-C700N as you would typical Bluetooth earbuds. A small button on the back of the battery case, and pushing it for a few seconds or so will put them in pairing mode. Sony also offers a dedicated headphones app that makes controls and other settings accessible, which also includes battery widgets and audio features.
Improved audio all around
The WF-C700N sound more neutral than many of its competitors, offering an overall balanced sound with decent clarity. Even though these earbuds aren’t flagship-level, they do come very close to delivering Sony’s signature sound which in my opinion is a giant leap. Listening to “Boom Boom”, Nazia Hassan’s vocals have an oomph and another level of energy. Especially when it comes to bass, it feels more impactful in your ear, like it just feels more natural and there’s more clarity. When I was listening to David Guetta & Kelly Rowland’s “When love takes over,” the bass was nicely controlled with well-balanced treble and high tones. They produce crisp voices when listening to podcasts and shows. I watched the last season of Sex Education and the sound effect had satisfying details.
Other features and performance
Let’s be clear: the noise cancellation does not work like what you get with Sony’s flagship true wireless earbuds but the WF-C700N do manage to suppress rumbles and cancel background noise. I have taken many personal and work calls while at the airport, and the other person could hear my words without issue. Microphones do a good job of picking up my voice and cancelling out environmental noise.
Source: https://indianexpress.com