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Sony WF-C700N review What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. Sony’s wireless earbuds combine comfort, ANC and sensational sound quality We found the WF-C700N (left) more comfortable than Sony's more premium WF-1000XM4 (right). (Image credit: Future) As always when testing earbuds or headphones, the Sony WF-C700N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.
Make sure you have the latest firmware updated on your headphones so any bug fixes and improvements will be applied.
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Audio Performance
Said button is a great solution. Depress it, and you know you've done something (unlike so many touch-based solutions) and I find myself neglecting my phone to answer calls, scroll through ANC profiles (on the left earbuds) and pause my music (on the right, but this can be customized in the app). Of course, your typical listening volume and codec choice will affect your real-world results. Out of the three, only the case for the XM5 supports wireless charging. Like most of Sony’s headphones range, the WF-C700N benefit from impressive hardware and equally robust software. The C500 (the dear old nanna in this scenario) offer phenomenal value for money, providing more features and far better audio fidelity at the price than almost any other rival on the market today. They're also so well made they'll probably continue giving you that same great sound decades from now.
Both the XM5 earbuds and LinkBuds S support multipoint pairing for simultaneous connections with up to two devices. Did I mention that the build quality and battery life are bang-on too? There's less protrusion than with Sony's more affordable buds ( Sony WF-C500, all eyes on you), because they're37% lighter and 38% smaller than the top-tier WF-1000XM4 . The truth is, both models represent five-star value for money, so you're unlikely to get either of them home and feel as though you've been ripped off. If we're going on which pair is cheaper and, when discounts are factored into the equation, which looks like a better deal, then the bargain-boosted WF-C500 just about take the cake. Let's be honest, though; both offer great value at their particular place in the market. Objectively then, the C700Ns are better – in the same way that Marco Pierre White's signature lobster thermidor is 'better' than your nan's cottage pie. But your dear nanny doesn't charge you 75 quid a head and a 15% service charge as standard, does she? Does she...? Tested for two weeks, listened against the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 Plus, Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 and even the Audeze Euclid
Sony LinkBuds S vs. WF-1000XM5 vs. WF-C700N: Battery Life and Charging
Sony's DSEE, bolstered by the company's very own, custom 5mm drivers, has been designed to deliver "powerful bass and stunningly clear vocals", according to the company itself. On that front, the C700N have lived up to their own hype: bass is hefty and vocals convey emotion and refinement with confidence and ease. A real triumph. As stated above, the C700Ns come equipped not only with Sony's excellent ANC system but also Adaptive Sound Control that adjusts depending on your location and surroundings. They're also utterly at home making voice calls, as Sony's Wind Noise Reduction Structure makes a noticeable difference if you're on the phone in blustery conditions. Voice calls on the C700N sound clear, natural and transparent, adding another feather to the earbuds' sizeable cap of clever features.
Tuning my ears to the trebles on “Dust Shuffle” by Brian Eno, I found plenty of detail in the oscillating industrial beat patterning, though things sounded a little sharper and more precise on the Redmi Buds 4 Pro. Boosting higher frequencies in the graphic equaliser successfully increased their prominence but you’ll want to avoid increasing them too much as this left the buds sounding slightly unbalanced. The addition of Bluetooth multipoint support, the ability to adjust touch controls and, most crucially, the inclusion of active noise cancellation, mean the gaps in the WF-C500’s repertoire are filled and then some. Impactful equaliser options mean they’re a more customisable proposition than similarly priced rivals like the Redmi Buds Pro 4 and the Huawei Freebuds too, even if touch control customisation options could be more extensive.Usage hours may be different from the time described depending on the setting for the headset functions and usage conditions. All three models include quality mic arrays that work fine for calls and voice commands. That said, the XM5 earphones offer one of the best voice mic arrays I’ve tested. A bone conduction sensor helps them recognize when you are speaking and the mics subsequently filter out everything else, including other voices. It's a very sophisticated setup that works exceptionally well. When the headset is placed in the charging case, the indicator (blue) on the charging case flashes 10 times.
IPX4 water resistance means the WF-C700N are protected against water splashing from any angle so they should make for fine gym buddies or equally be at home in the great outdoors. For this level, I think it would be churlish to ask any more from your earbuds. Call-handling? A breeze –but not literally; Sony has worked hard on neutralizing wind-interference (there's a new mesh structure surrounding the microphone) and the fact that the units are much more flush with your ear does promote clearer calls. Once Bluetooth devices are paired, there is no need to pair them again, except in the following cases: If the prices above made you double-take, well done you. Yes, Sony has challenged in this territory before, (see the sporty IP55-rated Sony WF-SP800N which feature a degree of noise-cancellation, or the budget friendly Sony WF-C500, if you can live without ANC) but never with quite this level of skill and accomplishment.Operate the device on which the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app is installed to establish a Bluetooth® connection with the headset. I'll speak plain: for features, design and most-importantly sound quality, these cannot be bettered for the money. In fact, you'd have to double your outlay to do so. Within the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app, go to [System], then turn on the setting “Connect to 2 devices simultaneously”. Most true wireless in-ears offer a stable fit and these three are no exception. That said, the earpieces can sit in a range of positions in your ear and still feel secure, which is good. With the XM5 and C700N models, however, this variability affects the ANC (active noise cancellation) performance. The C700N earbuds deliver their best ANC, for instance, when you jam the eartips into your ear canal, whereas the XM5 earphones can make helpful ANC adjustments if you simply twist them slightly.
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