The Sony WF-C710N TWS earbuds launched a few months ago and are the successor to the WF-C700N. Designed as a budget-friendly option, the WF-C710N features a few upgrades from its older counterpart, namely improved ANC and longer battery life.
Given that these aren’t Sony’s top-of-the-line offering, one should not expect them to be particularly mindblowing. That said, there are a couple things these buds do pretty well, and if you like bass, they sure do not disappoint.
What Am I Looking At?
As you might have noticed, these earbuds and their case feature a translucent design, which gives them a somewhat retro feel. Though if you’re not a fan of the see-through look, these buds do come in opaque Black, White, and Pink. Aesthetics aside, the case does feel a bit flimsy and cheap. The lid doesn’t close very tightly, and it feels like the slightest pressure could break it.
The buds themselves are a bit on the chunky side, with a lot of surface area for the touch controls. They feature 5mm drivers, Sony’s Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), and support Bluetooth 5.3. There are also a couple of eartips in different sizes just in case the default ones aren’t a good fit. The WF-C710N works with Sony’s Sound Connect app, which offers some extra features like Adaptive Sound Control.
What’s Good About It?
The immediate thing that stood out to me upon putting these earbuds on is the hard-hitting bass. It’s solid, hefty, and arguably one of the WF-C710N’s strong points. Nine Inch Nail’s Closer and Head Like A Hole sound delightfully dark without being muddy.
The mids and highs are also not bad, although they’re not as impressive as the lows. There are also no signs of breaking, even with the volume turned all the way up, although given that this is a Sony product, it would be alarming if that wasn’t the case.
The sound does lean more towards warm, while vocals are clear and aren’t drowned out by the heavy bass. On the other hand, the violins in Hozier’s Eat Your Young feel a bit subdued. Though, I should mention that the Sony Sound Connect app has an EQ with presets, some of which are designed to accentuate the highs.
The ANC is pretty good at filtering out most noises, although what does come through has a muffled quality that can be a touch unsettling. Meanwhile, the passthrough mode does a decent job at picking up voices even from afar.
The battery life also deserves praise, as the WF-C710N can last quite a while without needing to charge. As per Sony, these buds last 8.5 hours with ANC and 12.5 hours without, with the case offering an extra 30 hours of battery life. I can spend a day in the office with the buds without worrying and before the low battery prompt comes about, so I would say the numbers are pretty accurate.
Additionally, the earbuds can be connected to two devices at the same time. It’s a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, but being able to easily switch between my laptop and phone is something I never knew I needed.
What’s The Catch?
For starters, the sound staging could be a whole lot better. While there is some amount of depth, the earbuds don’t quite deliver the immersive experience audiophiles are looking for. The instruments in Strauss’ The Blue Danube sound fairly close together, so you don’t get the concert hall feeling.
Also, these earbuds are not particularly comfortable to wear, so you can’t really put them on and forget about their existence. They also have the tendency to slip, so I wouldn’t recommend using them for exercise or in situations where you will be moving around quickly and constantly.
The touch controls are great in theory, but the implementation could be a lot better as some of the functions can be quite annoying to use. A particularly egregious example is needing to tap four times to adjust the volume. And in case you’re wondering, you can’t change it to say, just a double tap.
Should I Buy It?
If you’re a casual music listener looking to get a decent pair of earbuds without investing too much money, then yes, the WF-C710N is a solid choice. For RM499, you’re getting good ANC, long battery life, and pleasing audio, as long as you don’t mind the bass-forward approach. And if you’re getting the Glass Blue version, the distinctive look is also a bonus.
Of course, the buds do come with quirks that one may or may not be able to live with, like the cumbersome touch controls. But I’d say that’s not a significant enough drawback, and the WF-C710N does just fine for what it’s meant to be.
