Verdict
The Sony WF - C500 earbuds are a great pick for shoppers on a tight budget who do n’t require to compromise on clarity . These admittedly cheap in - ear headphones do an stupefying occupation for the damage – especially given they were released back in 2021 – with dynamic sound that ’s gravid on dialogue , instrumentals , and higher frequencies , whether you ’re listening to medicine , podcasts , or calls .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Sony WF - C500 earbuds are first-class true wireless earbuds from a manufacturing business that make some of thebest headphones out there , from the in - earWF-1000XM5to the over - earWH-1000XM5 .
But for anyone determined to spend under $ 100 on their newheadphones , the WF - C500 is in all likelihood the simulation you want .
What ’s singular about the WF - C500 is how low-priced they are : at just $ 70 / £ 50 , you ’d be forgiven for thinking these earbuds must underdeliver when it fall to audio quality , features , or design . And while the construction is certainly cheap , and you ’re lacking any of the premium features like Active Noise Cancelation ( ANC ) or touch - sensitive controls found on in high spirits - remnant manakin , these basic earbuds do their basal occasion ( euphony ! sound ! ) exceptionally well .
Design
The Sony WF - C500 earbuds are very simple in their twist , and rather summary , without the penury for button - free touch detection or a control surface covered in inputs .
There ’s just one circular clitoris on each earbud , which responds to a loose touch – no demand to push into your capitulum too arduous to get a reaction . A single detent on the right-hand earbud pauses or restarts playback , while a double click skips to the next song on your playlist ; a single chink on the left earbud activates your smartphone ’s voice helper .
My review sample came in a pleasing Coral Orange , and the WF - C500 are notable for their centre - catching colours , including an Ice Green model alongside more traditional black and white-hot colourways .
Each bud is very lightweight , at just 5.4 GB each , think of they can advert in the ear for a long time without progeny – an upside to the want of nimiety hardware . The rounded shape of the earbud fits well into the ear , with a choice of three ear tip sizes to ensure a good conniption ; they are n’t specifically fun earbuds or designed to stay in place during fast apparent motion , though we had no issues while walk , running , or plagiarise weight during our tests .
The charging showcase ( 35 gibibyte ) is also a simple affair , with a moldable construction and a transparent case chapeau that lets you see whether the earbuds are within at a quick glance . The cause charges via USB - C , though the included cable is offensively inadequate ( around 10 - 15 atomic number 96 ) which may confine how well you could charge it in certain placement .
Features
These earbuds are water tolerant , with anIPX4 ratingyou’ll also find on Sony ’s flagship true wireless earbuds , the WF-1000XM5 . The WF - C500 can treat light rain or little splashes of water , so you may walk in short atmospheric condition or get sweaty in the gymnasium , but a plunge in a pool or wearing them in the bathing tub would be inadvisable .
electric battery life caps out at 20 hours , which seemed plenty in my tests – I never quite ran out of juice from the charging eccentric . But the earbuds themselves last for 10 hours before needing to be recharged , which is another potential benefit of simpler hardware : their carrying into action is n’t quite as Energy Department intensive as flagship models .
A fast charging option offers up to an hour of playback after just 10 hour of charge – fancier role model might do the same in just three bit , but it ’s still a welcome feature here . You ’re suggest to charge for 2.5 - 3 hours to get the case ’s battery maxed out , too .
Each earbud pack in a single microphone , allowing for hands - free calls , and put down quality is certainly good enough for the intent – though I found that connection calibre dropped a little during calls , compare to regular utilisation . You are take do with theBluetooth 5.0standard rather than the latest 5.3 monetary standard , so do n’t expect the most advanced version of the wireless tech .
Sound Quality
At just $ 70 / £ 50 , you ’re not gravel agiotage driver or the sound diversion potential with Sony ’s more in advance WF-1000XM5 bud .
That said , the Sony WF - C500 earbuds do a swell problem within their limitation . Sound is lively , dynamical , and amazingly clear – without any of the rough sound or crackling output that ’s often potential on cheaper buds . The audio is held together bright , and the WF - C500 earbuds excel peculiarly with speech and instrumentals , whether you ’re listening to podcasts , motion picture soundtrack , or innovative pop .
The one matter that ’s nigh impossible to get within - ear headphonesis decent bass reproduction , and the WF - C500s are no exception . small frequencies are flattened out , lacking drivers that would reserve for square oscillation , despite a purported 20Hz – 20kHz frequency mountain range .
These earbuds for the most part get away with it , thanks to how well they recreate gamey and mid - range frequency : while bass may be abstracted , the present frequencies are produced with sang-froid , and you may still find out the ghost of what the bass was intend to be , or when it was meant to be hearable .
The uncloudedness of these earbuds also helps when competing with outside noise . There ’s little - to - no intelligent isolation in these compact , feature - Inner Light headphones , and sure enough nothing approaching ANC , which actively counteracts environmental noise to help you listen your music better . The precise audio output in the WF - C500s can cut throughsomenoise , but it ’s no alternate for either buffer earcups or ANC : if you ’re planning on fall apart these on a loud train journey , or in a bustling gymnasium that ’s blasting its own soundtrack over the talker , you might clamber to learn much , or end up pushing the volume past safe listening levels .
The Sony Headphones Connect app is deserving downloaded , due to its mix of EQ presets , which should help you tailor the sound output to your personal tastes . The initial Bright preset is proficient for making the speech sound a little livelier , while a laid-back or Relaxed preset should weaken the sound but make the earbuds more comfortable to wear for prospicient periods , and there are other option for play up speech and dialogue . For in - ear earphone like these , though , the Bass Boost option does n’t appear to impact much – what ’s there to boost ?
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Should you buy it?
The best matter about the WF - C500 is the cost , but it extend a great peck of clarity and detail aboard . A vivid deal for those shopping on a soused budget
If you ’re a gymnasium - goer or commuter , then these earphones may not be the right ones for you . Their clearness can cut through some outside interference , but there ’s a limit to what they can do without proper reasoned isolation or active noise cancelling features
Final Thoughts
The Sony WF - C500 earbuds are exceptionalbudget earbuds , with a clarity of purpose only gibe by the clarity of its sound . It take a crap do with minimal features on the whole , but it has enough going for it to click the most important boxes – effective audio , clean-cut voices , simple-minded operation , solid bombardment life , USB - C charging , and the ability to connect to a smart assistant .
If anything , this simplicity is part of the charm . There are better headphones out there , but not for such a sane cost .
Trusted Score
How we test
We examine every headphones we refresh good over an extended period of time . We use industry stock tests to compare feature the right way . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
chance out more about how we test in ourethics insurance policy .
FAQs
you may get 10 hour from a single bearing , with another ten hours available from the provenience .
