Sony WF-C710N review: More than midrange

Sony’s 1000x headphones can attract most attention to the company’s range, but there are gems to find on the list for less money. THE offer some For $ 100 less than the flagship product WF-1000XM5. There have also been convincing products of less than $ 150 from Sony, and recently published () also corresponds to the invoice. A comfortable adjustment, a long list of features and ancient performance superior to the average lead the positive points here, but there are a few warnings that you will have to consider before committing.

Sony

The WF-C710N surpasses competitors at a similar price in several areas, but do not expect a flagship quality audio at this price.

Pros

• Compact and comfortable design
• Many practical features

Disadvantages

• The sound is good, not great
• The battery life is shorter than expected

$ 88 on Amazon

What is good in WF-C710N?

WF-C710N is the successor to which made its debut in 2023. This set was a great competitor of mid -range in its own right, thanks to a compact design and practical features. Sony has not changed the global look too much for the C710N, but the touch panels for the controls are easier to find because they are now concave circles. The company has also introduced a transparent blue color option which allows you to see inside headphones and boxes. He gives And Vibes, but I’m absolutely for that. In my opinion, the most transparent gadgets, the better.

Compared to a large part of the competition, the smaller size of the C710N also means that it is more comfortable to wear for long periods. The headphones are well seated on the ridges of my ears, and there is no unbalanced and excessive weight in projection on the side of my head. It is clear that Sony refined ergonomics for use all day, and I had no trouble carrying them for all of my battery tests. This is not always the case with larger and larger headphones.

The C710N could be a mid-range at $ 120, but the long list of features allows headphones to hit above their weight. From the bases, there is an active noise cancellation (ANC), an adjustable ambient sound mode, a customizable equalizer (presets and cursors), multipoint connectivity, reconfigurable tactile controls and an automatic break when the buds are deleted from your ears. At the most advanced end of the specifications sheet, you get an adaptive sound control: the Sony brand tool which automates the modifications of the sound parameters according to the activity or the location. There is also a personalized EQ, a 360 reality audio support, an increase in DSEE and a quick attention function that reduces volume and activates the ambient sound for any short cat. The only notable omission here is to speak that automatically does the same thing as quick attention when you start talking, but I’m not surprised that a pair of $ 120 headphones have been left aside.

The performance of the ANC is remarkably strong on the C710N, a feat that generally escapes competition in this price range. In particular, I noticed that these headphones were doing a work greater than the average of the human voices blocking because I was able to considerably reduce the volume of chatter nearby in most cases. I do not speak complete, but the amount of noise blocking is higher than average when you are close to someone you prefer not to listen to full volume. Constant distractions like noisy fans are also reduced but not entirely thwarted, which is as better than what you will get many options at similar prices.

What is not that good in WF-C710N?

Compared to other mid -range headphones, the sound quality is slightly higher than the average on the C710N, but it could be good enough to satisfy you at this price. The bass is tight and impactful, but it often surpasses the mixture for hip -hop, rock and metal – essentially all kind with a driving beat. And when you go to something more soft like the Bluegrass, the low -end tone always limits the triple and the average range. Depending on the song, the tops can cross, but a boost in the middle of the equation would do wonders for the overall depth of the sound here (you will want to keep active). Is it good enough for someone looking to collect a set of headphones on a budget? Yes. Do audio performance compete with flagship options such as ? Not even close.

In my tests, the C710N did not last as long as Sony promised. The company says that you will get half past eight on an active ANC load. But, using a mixture of sound modes and its ambient, I only managed between six and a half and seven hours. This is a respectable quantity, but if you are looking to wear them for a whole day of work, you may not get there. This is especially true if you need it to stay for your journey.

Despite the possibility of “capturing the voice during a telephone call” in the Sound Connect application, the C710N does not reduce many things to you through the headphones in this scenario. Even with an active ambient sound, I always felt the need to speak more than normal, so voice and video calls were not as natural as they could be. Overall, Sony’s assurance of “crystalline calls” falls flat because you will seem decent, but not virgin. The C710N will prevent most background noise from passing, but in doing so, the quality of your voice suffers greatly. All this means that these headphones can be used for calls if you really need them, but if an understandable sound in calls is important, you will want to look elsewhere.

Final verdict on WF-C710N

If comfort and practical features are your main concern, the C710N will serve you well. The sound quality is not the best, but it is not bad either, so I have no doubt that many people will be satisfied. If I had been able to hit (or even exceed) the life of the Sony battery, these headphones would be easy to recommend. Despite this, they are always a solid option, especially at $ 120, because the company again exceeds its mid -range rivals with more practical tools that you will not find elsewhere. The C710N is definitely a better choice than the slightly cheaper which now cost $ 99.95 at a high price ($ 80 at launch).