Sony WF-C710N review: More than midrange

Forget all that hype about Sony’s 1000X series earbuds. In reality, they will make you feel robbed. The LinkBuds series packs a punch and is $100 cheaper than the WF-1000XM5. Sony also has some budget friendly options below $150, like the new WF-C710N ($120). Prepare for premium comfort, a plethora of features, and surprisingly strong noise cancellation. But hold up! There are a few things you need to know before you hit purchase.

Sony

Sony WF-C710N

The WF-C710N outperforms similarly priced competitors in several areas, but don’t expect flagship-quality audio at this price.

Pros

Compact and comfortable design
Lots of convenient features

Cons

Sound is good, not great
Battery life is shorter than expected

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$90 at Target$90 at Best Buy

$88 at Amazon

What’s good about the WF-C710N?

The WF-C710N comes to the stage as the descendant to the WF-C700N of 2023, a marvel of the mid-range category with the virtue of being small and packing useful features. The successor did not see any radical change, but a few clever touches enhance the user experience: touch controls are now placed within inviting concave circles, making them very easy to find. However, what really grabs one’s attention is the enchanting transparent blue option that reveals the inner parts of the earbuds with a similar finish to that of the Beats Solo Buds and Studio Buds +. To be frank, give me more of that transparency-anything that peels back the fancy gadgets is a plus.

Forget heavy-weight earbuds that felt like they were putting you down. Almost invisibly, the C710Ns, with their compact design, fit so snugly in the contours of your ear that you’d almost forget an unbalanced sensation was associated with them. Sony remained obsessed about all-day wearability. I practically lived in these while performing the battery tests, something a large, cumbersome design would rarely be able to afford. Comfort? Check.

Forget “midrange.” At $120, the C710N earbuds are feature-packed overachievers. Just imagine: exceptional active noise-cancelling, one of the better ambient sound modes controlled to your preference, and a graphic EQ of your choosing, presets, or sliders. Connect two devices at once and juggle between the two easily. Reprogram the touch control commands. Take your earbuds off; music pauses.

That is just the appetizer. Sony C710N has Adaptive Sound Control-a feature adapted from Sony’s very high-end models that transform the sound depending upon where you are and what you are doing. If you want to create your own soundstage, give a shot to the custom EQ, and 360 Reality Audio immersive experience. Give DSEE upscaling for an extraordinary oomph to compressed audio. Want to chat fast? Quick Attention cuts volume streaming in the surroundings for you.

The only missing piece is Speak-to-Chat, that conversational feature that works on hands-free procedures. And really, at that price, I guess nobody’s complaining. The C710N indeed offers a really rich experience at a bargain price.

The noise cancellation of the C710N is some sort of underdog! Neither think about the price nor consider that these small earbuds render distractions into silence. I put them against a high-caliber test: the never-ending buzz of conversations around me. The outcome? Pleasant near-silence bubbles. Okay, maybe nottotalsensory deprivation, but enough to handle even the most annoying chatterboxes. Almost deafening fans turned whispering just because of these earbuds. In a realm of wallet-friendly earbuds with subpar ANC, the C710N lands a knockout.

What’s not so good about the WF-C710N?

You can expect up to eight and a half hours of battery life with ANC on.

Billy Steele for Engadget

The C710N earbuds offer a laudable sound quality in this densely crowded midrange. Bassheads will find their groove in the tight, agile bass that kicks the beat in. But that bass sometimes hogs the limelight, causing a blanket of muddiness over hip-hop, rock, and metal tracks. Even the lighter genres, such as bluegrass, find it hard to shake off the grasp of bass. The highs do glisten periodically, and with a bit of tweaking in the mids using EQ, a whole new layer of sonic texture can be unlocked, especially with DSEE turned on. In simpler words: Are these the budget-friendly doorways to heaven? Indeed. Will they take away the throne from the current champions WF-1000XM5s? Not really.

Sony claims the C710N earbuds can run for a solid eight and a half hours with noise cancelling on. In reality? I managed to drain six and a half, give or take seven, mixing noise cancelling and ambient sound. It’s decent, but a full workday might be pushing it. And forget about adding your commute to the mix: these earbuds may just tap out before you do.

The C710N’s “Capture Voice During a Phone Call” is really more of a whisper than a shout. So much for the promise from Sound Connect app for clear audio-the voice sounds muffled with an echo of your own voice. Even if you crank the ambient sound, you’ll have to shout, making this a bad idea for a natural conversation. Better forget about Sony’s claim of “crystal-clear calls”-you’ll sound “ok”, but not great. The C710N silences the world quite well, but at a cost: your voice becomes a big enemy to noise cancellation. The end result is-your precious voice becomes a collateral damage. These earbuds kind of make for a last-resort option for users in a pinch for calling, but if voice clarity is your priority, then set these as your last option. Your voice deserves better.

Final verdict on the WF-C710N

Sleep on the audiophile-grade sound; C710N earbuds are quite utilitarian in spirit. Comfort, convenience, and affordability-all words that adorn their wallet-friendly price tag. Sound-wise, it doesn’t quite blow you away-but still perfectly listenable for most. Battery life? Now that’s the tricky part; it does not live up to Sony’s claims, which is quite upsetting. BUT-if there’s one big but to this-is that you’re being offered a fantastic experience for a mere $120 that just blows competition out of the water. Consider these a wiser investment than the budget-priced Beats Solo Buds, even with Beats dropping theirs at a comparable, if not cheaper, price point.