Sony’s WF-C700N earbuds offer a lot of features at an affordable price of $119.99. That’s always been the case with the company’s underrated entry-level wireless earbuds, dating back to 2020’s Corkscrew-like WF-XB700, and Sony has progressively added more features with each version. . The WF-C500 bud has switched to a more conventional design and added support for Sony’s companion smartphone app. And just a few weeks ago came his new WF-C700N earbuds, the first to bring noise-cancelling functionality to Sony’s budget range.
But in the last few months, I’ve come to really enjoy Sony’s mid-range LinkBuds S. Incredibly light, almost imperceptible in the ear. Could the C700N Bud still stand out in the company’s lineup?
What always impresses me most about this series is comfort and stability. Sony consistently does a great job with the in-ear fit, so I’ve never had to worry about these earbuds coming loose or falling out. Tightly sealed, it naturally blocks out a lot of ambient noise even before proper ANC is put in place. There’s a lot to like, and the C700N earbuds seem poised to continue the company’s momentum at this price point—even if I have one small gripe about the changes Sony has made.
And that detail is visible as soon as you take it out of the box. Both the XB700 and C500 earbuds had a translucent carrying case lid. This makes it easy to see the charging status of each earbud and the case itself as all three LEDs are visible. But now Sony has switched to a fully opaque case, probably a necessary trade-off to use more recycled plastic in manufacturing, and you no longer get the benefit of seeing the LEDs on the earbuds. In fact, Sony has completely removed them, leaving only one indicator his light on the front of the case.
That one gripe aside, the case doesn’t feel cheap at all. The hinge action is smooth, clicks shut, and the magnets that hold the earbuds in place are strong enough. There’s no wireless charging, but at this price, it can be omitted. The pill-shaped case makes him longer than the LinkBuds S and 1000XM4s, but I think it’ll still fit easily in your pocket.
As for the earbuds themselves, the C700N has a similar design to its predecessor, borrowing some elements from the LinkBuds S. The circular mesh-covered mic cutout is in the same location on both products. At just 4.6 grams per earbud, these affordable earbuds offer a light feel similar to the LinkBuds S. You can easily wear them for hours without ear fatigue or discomfort. It also has enough grip for running or gym workouts, so you don’t have to worry about getting wet. As it stands he is rated IPX4 against water and sweat.
Setup is easy. To speed up the process with as few taps as possible, Sony conveniently includes support for Fast Pair on Android and Swift Pair support on Windows. Multipoint connectivity isn’t available at the moment, but the company says a firmware update this summer will allow him to pair with two devices at the same time. Sony has delivered on similar promises with his 1000XM4s and his LinkBuds, so there’s no reason to doubt it will come true. And it’s nice to see multipoint gradually seep into lower-priced earbuds and (eventually) make it this far.
The C700N earbuds don’t support Bluetooth codecs beyond standard AAC and SBC, so you’ll need to step up to LinkBuds S if: Must Equipped with Sony’s LDAC for higher bitrate playback. (The iPhone features his AAC, so only her Android users need to consider codec support.) But the Headphones Connect app offers a wealth of his EQ controls. You can choose from Sony’s presets, or tweak your own if the out-of-the-box sound profiles aren’t what you expected. I didn’t feel the need to change anything, but there’s also a slider for layering extra bass which can be useful for certain music genres.
The sound quality is a step below the LinkBuds S, but if you’re not comparing the two side-by-side, I don’t think the C700N earbuds will disappoint. It delivers full bass along with pleasant mids and highs. The overall sound balance is a notable upgrade from the C500, but it doesn’t match the resolution or dynamics of Sony’s high-end earphones. Higher frequencies can sound a bit flat compared to the brilliance other pairs can achieve.
Where Sony has made undeniable compromises is noise cancellation and transparency mode. The company doesn’t make big claims about how effectively the C700N blocks out distractions, but for good reason. It’s nowhere near the level of his flagship 1000XM4 earphones, and even less powerful than the LinkBuds S. Sony technical specs only. Both the 1000XM4s and the LinkBuds S share the same dedicated chip for noise-cancelling purposes, while you’re referring to the “noise sensor technology” in these earbuds. it makes a difference.
The C700N can filter out a few low hum/rumbling frequencies, but other than that you won’t notice much difference between noise canceling on and off. Part of the reason is that passive noise isolation is already pretty effective. Similarly, transparent mode is also useful. Far from the worst I’ve heard, good enough for short conversations, but not as natural as the LinkBuds S or 1000XM4s. Voice call performance is good enough, but nothing special. No need to take important calls on the C700N.
Like the C500, each earbud has a clicky physical button for control. I’ve always preferred physical buttons to gestures, but they can be difficult to navigate in certain weather conditions, and even more frustrating if you’re wearing gloves in the winter. You can remap the function of the button like this: Several But Sony doesn’t offer as much flexibility as some manufacturers. You can use one earbud to adjust volume and assign track controls to the other, but then you lose the easy way to toggle noise cancellation.
The C700N lasts up to 7.5 hours on a single charge, somewhere between the LinkBuds S (6 hours) and the 1000XM4 (8 hours). However, the case only holds one additional full charge for him, so you’ll only get about 15 total hours of listening between plugging it in and recharging it. Another way Sony has tried to save money is by removing the ear detection sensors so that autoplay/pause is no longer possible.
Looking straight at the $120 retail price of the C700N earbuds, we think these cost-cutting measures add up to direct most people to Sony’s meson, the LinkBuds S. They sound good, have good noise-cancelling abilities, and sound slightly better. Supports higher fidelity LDAC codec in a compact case. However, I suspect many retailers will frequently drop prices on Sony’s entry-level earbuds. If you can find one for under $100, there’s still plenty to like. The fit remains rock solid, and you can explore Sony’s many software features, such as location-based sound settings. Multipoint will be the centerpiece when it hits the market this summer.
At this price point, there is constant competition from Jabra, Skullcandy, JBL and other earphone makers. But Sony fans tend to be pretty loyal. If you’re just looking for relatively cheap and easy earbuds (and you don’t need strong noise cancellation), the C700N clears that hurdle without a hitch.
Photo: Chris Welch/The Verge
