I don’t exactly remember when or how I became so interested in listening to guided meditation podcasts before bed. It’s been a couple of months now, and every night I tune in to a different meditation podcast with my earbuds on. It’s the last thing I do to help myself relax after a long day at work, especially in a profession like mine, where information overload can easily lead to anxiety.
During this time, I realised just how important a quality pair of wireless earbuds can be, which made me appreciate Sony’s new WF-C710N even more. They are great for travel, on planes, and whether I am working in the office or at home and need to focus, I love being able to shut out the outside world. Nothing comes close to the WF-C710N. They make me feel locked away from the chaos and completely immersed in whatever I am listening to. That’s exactly what I have always wanted from wireless earbuds.
What: Sony WF-C710N| Price: Rs 12,990
The transparent design got me on board the nostalgia train
I am a huge fan of translucent tech. I grew up in the ’90s and saw how brands, including Sony, experimented with see-through designs in their products, from the Walkman to the PlayStation. That aesthetic was all the rage back in the day, and now it’s making a comeback. It’s great to see Sony embracing the trend with its own modern spin.
Sony’s WF-C710N looks like a toy. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The WF-C710N comes in a glass blue, semi-translucent shell for both the buds and the charging case, clear enough to let you catch a glimpse of what’s inside. The design instantly reminded me of the “cool” gadgets I always aspired to own as a kid but couldn’t afford, like the Apple iMac G3 and the Game Boy, which I eventually bought years later. The see-through nature of these earbuds makes them distinct, personal, and nostalgic all at once.
The case design feels premium, exactly what you would expect from Sony but it’s also playful and fun to look at, almost like a toy. It felt cool to use and even cooler to show to friends, who were both delighted and a bit confused by its design. I love how the magnets inside the case hold the earbuds securely in place. The USB-C charging port is located on the back, along with the Bluetooth pairing button. There’s also a pairing/power indicator LED on the front and subtle branding on the top.
The case is not too big and not too small either, it’s somewhere in the middle, and light enough that I completely forgot I had it in my shorts during a run the other day. It does lack Qi wireless charging, however. That said, the earbuds come with a decent-sized battery that offers up to 21.5 hours of audio playback with ANC turned on.
The shape of the buds themselves is very Sony-like and quite different from AirPods. They have a unique design but sit comfortably in the ears. For some, the buds might feel a bit on the heavier side and may not be the best choice for running. I opted for a different size of eartips (Sony includes multiple sizes) to ensure a more secure fit, and they stay in place even during brisk walks. It’s always best to try them all to get the most secure fit as this will impact both the audio quality and noise cancellation. Each bud weighs 5.3 grams, and the earpieces have an IPX4 rating, so they will easily withstand splashes of water and sweat.
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The earbuds fit my ears well and are relatively lightweight. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
There are wear-detect sensors on each earbud, along with capacitive touch sensors that can be remapped in the app. You will notice two ANC microphones behind the grills, plus two voice pickup microphones: one on each side. By default, the left earpiece controls noise cancellation modes: a single tap cycles between Noise Cancellation and Ambient Sound (which lets you hear your surroundings), and a long press activates Quick Attention mode, which turns on Ambient Sound temporarily. The right earbud controls playback: a single tap plays or pauses audio, a double tap skips to the next track, a triple tap goes back to the previous track, and a long press activates your voice assistant.
Easy to use setup but basic app interface
Pairing with any Android smartphone is as simple as opening the case near the device and tapping “Pair.” For Apple products, just hold the pairing button for a few seconds, then select “Sony WF-C710N” in the Bluetooth settings. There’s a basic companion app available for both Android and iOS. The app interface is, to be honest, pretty minimal. I wouldn’t call it barebones, but it could definitely have more features and a more easy to use design. The app offers seven EQ presets: Balanced, Vocal, Mellow, Relaxed, Treble Boost, Bass Boost, and Speech. I found myself using the Balanced, Vocal, and Excited presets the most. You can also customise your own EQ using the ‘Find Your Equaliser’ feature.
Sony’s app is still basic. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
Uncompromised audio quality
I am no audiophile (maybe someday I will get there), but I have reviewed enough earbuds and headphones to tell the difference between a Rs1,000 pair and one that costs Rs12,999. That said, audio is still a very subjective experience, no two people hear or prefer sound in the same way.
I tested the buds with an iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy Z Fold 7 and generally liked what I heard. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
The WF-C710N sounds really good. I listen to a wide range of music, rock, hip-hop, R&B, pop, dance and the WF-C710N handles everything with ease. When listening to Jelani Aryeh’s I’m in Love, the track sounds rich, crisp, and natural. The stereo separation on these earbuds is excellent, and everything just sounds stunning, with a clarity that makes listening to music an absolute joy. They are not very bass-heavy, but you surely get deep bass. What truly sets these wireless earbuds apart, regardless of price, is the signature Sony sound.
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You get bold sound, with decent depth. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)
As I mentioned earlier, I listen to a lot of podcasts, whether it’s during my morning walks or meditation sessions at night. For spoken word content, the WF-C710N is absolutely terrific. These earphones make listening to anything vocal feel truly special. Watching movies and videos with these earbuds is also a pleasant experience, especially when viewing content on an iPhone or iPad. The WF-C710N supports only AAC and SBC codecs, and not the higher-resolution LDAC codec, unlike some higher-end Sony models.
Surprisingly good noise cancellation
The fit of the buds does a decent job of canceling external noise, especially higher frequencies and incidental sounds. The earbuds handle city traffic noise fairly well, which is something many of us deal with daily. The noise cancellation doesn’t eliminate noise as effectively as Sony’s high-end WF-1000XM5 or Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, but those options come at a higher price.
Music and podcast sound better with noice cancellation and ambient sound (I am not particularly fond of this mode on these earbuds) off. That’s my observation. I found microphones on the WF-C710N deliver clear phone calls. People on the other end said they could hear me clearly.
Should you buy the Sony WF-C710N?
I will confess, when I first started using the WF-C710N, they didn’t immediately impress me. It took a few good days to truly realise how well Sony designed these wireless earbuds. They aren’t the most high-end earbuds on the market, and that’s perfectly fine. You could argue that many other brands sell wireless earbuds at half the price what Sony offers. And I totally agree. However, the truth is, nothing quite comes close to the audio quality the WF-C710N delivers, especially with that neutral sound signature. It’s honestly hard to describe in words. Look, price doesn’t matter as much when you are getting this much value, and that’s true for any product. In the end, the choice is yours.
