Sony brings more premium features to its budget wireless earbuds

Sony has announced a successor to its budget-minded WF-C700N wireless earbuds from 2023. The new WF-C710N still lack a memorable name but introduce improvements like upgraded active noise cancellation and features borrowed from Sony’s more premium earbud offerings. And despite the rising cost of many electronics, the WF-C710N are available for preorder today for $119.99 — the same price as their predecessors.

One of our biggest complaints when we reviewed the WF-C700N was their lackluster ANC, which was really only capable of removing very low frequency hums and rumbling. Although we haven’t tested the capabilities of the new WF-C710N, Sony says it has improved the performance of both the ANC and ambient sound mode through the use of dual microphones. However, it doesn’t look like Sony is using the dedicated ANC processors found in its premium earbud offerings.

Better battery life is another reason to consider an upgrade. With ANC turned on, the WF-C700N offered up to 7.5 hours on buds alone, or up to 15 hours when paired with a charging case that offered just a single full charge. For the WF-C710N, battery life is expanded to 8.5 hours for the buds, or up to 30 hours when paired with their charging case. With ANC turned off, Sony says battery life maxes out at up to 40 hours.

Quick charging has also been improved. Once the WF-C710N buds have died, just five minutes in their charging case — down from 10 — is enough to revive them for an hour of playback.

Premium features that have finally trickled down from Sony’s more premium earbuds include a sensor that will automatically pause playback when the WF-C710N are removed from your ears. Sony has also switched from physical buttons on each earbud to touch sensors whose function can be configured in a mobile app. They can be used to control music playback, answer calls, adjust the volume, or launch your preferred music app. The earbuds are also IPX4 water-resistant (splashes are okay, but a complete dunking is not) and can connect to two Bluetooth devices for easy switching.

But if all you care about is how your earbuds look, the Sony WF-C710N are available in black, white, pink, and a new transparent blue color that makes the upgrade even more tempting.