While Sony’s more affordable wireless earbuds are not as well-known as the Japanese company’s premium options – such as the WF-1000XM4 – there are some genuine gems in this segment. Take the Sony WF-C700N: not only does it have active noise cancellation (ANC) now, it has Sony’s signature sound quality too.
Of course, given its affordable nature, the WF-C700N does have some drawbacks here and there. But for only RM549, the value proposition of the earbuds is very good. I would happily recommend it to folks who are looking for a pair of budget-friendly wireless earbuds without much compromise.
What It Is
ANC is really one of the main highlights of the WF-C700N. This feature is not typically found on Sony’s budget earbuds, which is a good selling point for the WF-C700N…even if the ANC performance isn’t particularly great. More on this further down the review.
Aside from that, the WF-C700N also features up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge – down to 7.5 hours with ANC activated – a charging case that holds one additional charge, Bluetooth 5.2, as well as an IPX4 water resistance rating.
Retailing at RM549 in Malaysia, the WF-C700N is offered in four distinct colours here: Black (the model pictured in this review), White, Sage Green, and Lavender. Quite a colourful lineup.
The Good Stuff
The sound quality of the Sony WF-C700N surprised me quite a bit when I first listened to it. It can produce nice, punchy bass without bleeding into the mids, and vocals have a good amount of body too, though female vocals do have a tendency to sound a tad too thin for my liking. I would’ve preferred more sparkle in the treble region as well.
Nonetheless, the WF-C700N’s winning quality is the fact that it has Sony’s warm, “fun” sound signature that I really like. Not only does it complement catchy tunes like pop music very well, it also makes for a more…engaging listening experience, if you will.
Beyond that, the WF-C700N is quite long-lasting too. With ANC activated, I can comfortably get about seven hours of use on a single charge, which is close to Sony’s quoted battery life. This is quite a bit better than most wireless earbuds in the market now that typically offer between five to six hours of use (at most).
I’m also quite a fan of the WF-C700N’s lightweight design and comfort. Each bud weighs only 4.6g, and wearing these earbuds for long periods of time proved to be quite comfortable. Its IPX4 water resistance allows me to wear it while working out without worries too.
Last but not least is the value proposition of the WF-C700N. Priced at RM549, the sound quality, battery life, and comfort that the wireless earbuds offer are great. Much better than other earbuds at this price point, I’d say.
That being said, it does have some notable shortcomings, which I’ll get to in the next section.
The Bad Stuff
While most wireless earbuds use touch controls, the WF-C700N uses physical buttons instead, and they are…not great. Not only does the buttons feel cheap to click on, I find myself accidentally triggering them when I just wanted to adjust the earbud’s fit in my ear. The plastic shell of the earbuds don’t feel as solid as it should be either.
And then there’s the ANC performance of the WF-C700N, which is decidedly middling. While it can cancel out lower frequencies adequately well, it doesn’t provide much noise cancellation as a whole. This doesn’t come as a surprise, of course, given the budget-friendly nature of the earbuds.
Is It Worth It?
For RM549, the Sony WF-C700N is a great pair of affordable wireless earbuds. While you won’t get the best ANC performance or build quality, you can do a lot worse at this price point. Plus, you’d be hard-pressed to find an alternative that sounds as good as these earbuds, especially when it comes to bass quality.
Pleasant sound quality, good comfort, long battery life, and great value for money are the WF-C700N’s winning qualities. If these are what you look for in a pair of affordable wireless earbuds, the WF-C700N is certainly worth considering.