I've tested every pair of Sony earbuds — here's the ones I'd buy with my own money

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

Sony's extensive selection of earbuds starts all the way down at $50, and works its way up to $299 in a range of different earbud options. I've tried every single one in some capacity or other, and after some careful consideration and a lot of chin scratching, I know exactly which pair I'd take to the checkout.
Without any further ado, allow me to re-introduce you to the Sony WF-C710N, my pick for the Sony earbuds that you should really buy.
Sony's lowest-priced ANC buds are also some of the best around. They outperform options more than double the price, with loads of battery life, a comfortable fit, and excellent noise canceling. The XM5 might be better, but they're not worth nearly triple the price.
I'll admit that I'm very lucky — I get to try out some of the most expensive earbuds and headphones on the planet. I love them, I want them, I covet them, yet, I'd never buy them. They're too much, too expensive and too scary.
If I'm going to get something that I can happily take on the train, or the bus, or an intercontinental flight, I want something that doesn't cost too much.
But, of course, I also want something that sounds good. I still want to use them, after all. The Sony WF-C710N give me close to exactly what I want for something that I'd actually spend money on.
They cost $120. That's half the price of the AirPods Pro 2, $180 less than the flagship Sony WF-1000XM5, and $40 less than the LinkBuds Fit. In my eyes, that's the perfect price for something that forever runs the risk of disappearing into a bus seat, falling out of my pocket, or being sat on because the person next to you on the plane didn't look before placing themselves down.
If you want the most features, you can opt for the Sony WF-1000XM5. No one would blame you – they're excellent earbuds with loads of stuff going on under the hood to make them that bit more compelling than the rest of the line. But you don't need any of their really fancy features.
The package offered by the WF-C710N is a remarkable one for the price, and it solidifies their place at the top of my Sony earbuds buying list.
The WF-C710N have everything you could ever need, and the features they do have work very well indeed. Excellent noise canceling to block out that kid at the back of the bus? Check. Great sound so that Benson Boone sounds his Benson Booniest? Also Check. An app so that you can control everything, including a customizable EQ? Check again, we're in "everything you need" territory now.
Sure, the constantly shifting and adjusting ANC of more expensive buds is very impressive, and some of the extra fidelity in sound quality is very nice to have. But then it all comes back to price again.
The package offered by the WF-C710N is a remarkable one for the price, and it solidifies their place at the top of my Sony earbuds buying list.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 last for 8 hours of playback, and their case boosts that up to 24 hours. That's some good battery life. Thanks, Sony, now I can listen to the entirety of Gojira's From Mars to Sirius a grand total of seven times, and then make my way to Unicorn on my eighth listen.
The WF-C710N, despite their lower price, last for 8.5 hours on a charge. That means I can now listen to From Mars to Sirius a total of eight times, all the way through. I'm not very good at math, and even I know that's more times.
The case is slimmer than both the LinkBuds Fit and the WF-1000XM5, making it easier to slip them into a pocket when I leave the house. The ANC is on par with the LinkBuds Fit, somehow, and the fit is more comfortable thanks to a lack of fitting wings — although the Fit are better for those looking to exercise.
OK, so taking my argument to it's logical conclusion that "I want something cheap for the bus that I won't mind breaking or losing", you could easily assume that the even cheaper WF-C510 might be closer to the top of my list. But that's not the crux of my reasoning behind my slightly more expensive choice.
The WF-C510 are a great pair of buds. If you're looking to spend a bit less and still get great sound and comfort, they're a solid in-ear option. But I want something that balances a lower price with sound quality and feature set — and, as Anubis places the buds on his scales in the great deserts of the underworld, the heart and features of the WF-C710N measure perfectly against the feather of their price.
So. If if I was to spend my actual money on a pair of Sony's earbuds right now, it's not going to be the top of the range kings or the budget heroes — it's the buds that are only middle of the road in terms of price. Because everything else makes them a very tempting in-ear option indeed.
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