Sony WF-C710N review: Reliable TWS earbuds with unique design elements

Sony WF-C710N costs Rs 8,990 (MRP: Rs 12,990) in India and comes in four colours-- glass blue, pink, white, and black.

Sony earlier this month launched a new pair of budget WF-C710N Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) series earbuds in India.

They come with visually unique design elements and promise to deliver clear and crisp audio output. I have been using them for close to a week, and here are my thoughts on Sony's latest offering.

Design and build quality

From afar, the earphones look like any other light coloured ear buds and case, but only upon a closer look, one will notice the unique see-through design language.

We can see all the internal components of the charging case, including the small magnets, which, by the way, are very strong and hold the lids closed tightly. The compact transparent cylindrical case with the earbuds is very light to hold, and when kept in the pocket, you can barely register its weight.

Each earbud weighs just 5.3g. However, they are made of sturdy materials. I have dropped it a couple of times from knee height from the sofa, and the case has managed to stay intact without any cracks as such.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds.

Like the charging case, the earbuds also have a see-through design. Only the top part, which houses the sensor that registers the tag gesture, is opaque. The rest of the body is transparent.

Our review unit is glass blue. The company also offers WF-C710N in three other colours-- pink, white, and black. It should be noted that the latter three do not come in a see-through design.

Sony pre-fits medium-sized hybrid silicone tips. They manage to hang on to my ears perfectly, and also even while walking briskly and in crowded spaces like in a bus during peak rush hour, I did not feel anxiety of losing them. The retail box comes in two other sizes-- extra small (XS) and extra large (XL)-- as well.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds.

The earbuds come with an IPX4 rating, meaning they can survive heavy sweating during workouts at the gym or even accidental water splashes or light rains. However, make sure the wet earbuds are placed in an open space to dry them completely and then keep them in the case for charging.

User interface and performance

Setting up Sony WF-C710N is really easy. It barely took three minutes to connect with the iPhone. The user can connect them with Bluetooth or install Sony's Sound Connect app to pair the devices. It supports both Android and iOS smartphones.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds can be paired with devices using Sony Sound Connect app.

Also, it can pair with two devices and switch between them seamlessly. If you are connected to the tablet, watching a TV series and get a call on the phone, it will automatically switch to the handset, and he/she can instantly answer the call.

With Bluetooth 5.3, the earbuds can support a stable wireless connectivity with devices such as phones and tablets for up to 10 metres.

Also, the sensor on the top of the earbud is very sensitive. It registers single tap, double tap and three tap gestures pretty quickly and helps operate the earbuds quite easily.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds can controlled with tap gestures.

As far as the key aspect, such as audio output, is concerned, it works amazingly good.

Each earbud houses a 5mm driver and boasts Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) processing to deliver well-balanced tuning and reproduce powerful bass and clear vocals.

Be it Carnatic classical music or hip-hop genre, it can deliver a clear and crisp sound. Also, with Sound Connect app, it offers equaliser feature with multiple presets such as Treble Boost, Vocal, Bass Boost, Speech, Manual, Relaxed, Mellow, Excited, Bright, in addition to two custom options, which the user can manually adjust the frequency to match their listening taste.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds.

Also, it boasts of Adaptive Sound Control feature. It is capable of automatically switching between noise cancellation mode and ambient mode based on moving or not. Also, if it senses someone is speaking close to the user, it turns on ambient mode so that the user does not need to take out the earbuds to hear the opposite speaker.

However, it doesn't work in scenarios. For instance, if I am travelling in a bus during the peak rush hour, many people do talk, and the earphones mistake it as if they are speaking to me. The sensors are super sensitive and turn on ambient mode. So, I had to disable it while travelling in mass transit vehicles.'

But, it is great indoors, such as in the office.

Each earbud features dual microphones to detect surround noise and deliver improved noise-cancelling function compared to its predecessor.

Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor technology filters exterior sound using two microphones, leaving users to experience their music without distractions. It works great while travelling in the bus. I was able to listen to the music without many distractions. Even while answering calls, my voice was clearly picked up and passed on to the other side of the call. I didn't have to talk loudly. That's one of the best aspects of owning the WF-C710N.

With a full charge, it can deliver up to 40 hours of battery life with the charging case.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds.

It also supports fast charging; listeners can get an extra 60 minutes of play time with just 5 minutes of charging. The earbuds take around 90 minutes to get fully charged in the case. The latter will take around 3.5 hours, through USB cable, which by the way comes free with the retail box in addition to two pairs of hybrid silicone earphone tips.

Final thoughts

Sony WF-C710N delivers good on audio and noise cancellation aspects, and thanks to the unique see-through design language of the glass blue variant, the Sony earphones stand out among the peers under the Rs 13,000 price range.

It costs Rs 8,990 (MRP: Rs 12,990) in India and comes in four colours-- glass blue, pink, white, and black.

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