Sony makes some of the best wireless headphones on the market, but what if you can’t afford the flagship WF-1000XM4 headphones? Well, the company’s new budget headphones might be the answer to your prayers.
The WF-C700N (yes, Sony still has terrible product names) seem to be one of the best pairs of budget wireless headphones. They cost just £99/$119 but still benefit from various flagship features such as active noise cancellation (ANC).
Sony’s well-known ANC is described as “best in class” on the new buds and includes Adaptive Sound Control. This smart technology adjusts noise cancellation for you based on what you’re doing and can even be personalized based on the places you frequent, like your office or your favorite cafe.
Plus, Ambient Sound Mode lets you hear what’s going on around you while wearing the headphones. Sony also includes its DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) technology to improve the sound of compressed audio – although it’s not the Extreme version found on the XM4 buds.
The WF-C700N incorporates 5mm drivers in an “ultra-light and compact” design available in four colors: black, white, lavender and sage green. An ergonomic surface contact shape aims to hold the earpiece in place with minimal pressure on the ear canal while keeping protrusion to a minimum for less vibration.
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Meanwhile, the pill-shaped charging case is color-matched. You don’t get wireless charging at this price and the CF-700N is only rated for 15 hours of battery life, so that’s where some rivals are better.
There’s still plenty to tempt you, including multipoint connection, 360 Reality Audio, IPX4 water resistance, voice assistant support, wind noise reduction structure, and customization. through the Sony Headphone Connect app.
As with recent products, Sony tries to reduce the impact on the environment and therefore all packaging is plastic free. It would be nice to see all new models use recycled materials, like the LinkBuds S.
The Sony WF-C700N will go on sale in April for £99/$119. They will have to compete with the Google Pixel Buds A-Series, Nothing Ear (1) and Jabra Elite 4.
The company also announced a new Midnight Blue colorway for the flagship WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones. These will also go on sale in April, priced at £349 / $399.
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