5 things I’ve learned spending 24 hours with Sony’s WF-C710N wireless earbuds

In case you missed it, there was some huge wireless earbuds news from Sony this week.

After multiple rumours and leaks, the tech giant finally took the covers off its brand new budget wireless earbuds, the WF-C710N.

These new buds are the biggest headphones launch of the year so far in my book, not least because they are set to replace a current five-star favourite of ours, the WF-C700N.

Not only are they five stars, they’re also our reigning Product of the Year in the wireless earbuds category following the 2024 What Hi-Fi? Awards.

Sony sent our review sample in the post, and I was the first to pounce. In the past 24 hours, I’ve been taking the new arrival for a spin and have already made a handful of observations about the new mode, which I think might be of interest to anyone who’s been eagerly awaiting their arrival. So, without further ado…

The earbud design is different

Sony didn’t mention it in the press briefing we had before launch but the shape of the new buds is slightly different. From what I can tell from comparing the two in the flesh, the new model is a little more bulbous.

For me, this means they fill up the concha part of my ear a bit more than the WF-C700N, which still feel very small and dainty in comparison.

And so is the case…

Bulkier earbuds have translated into a slightly bulkier case too. The new case is squatter and taller than the case for the WF-C700N. The plastics used for both the case and earbuds feel smooth and solid to the touch and a step-up from Sony’s cheaper WF-C510 model.

First impressions of the touch controls are generally positive

The introduction of the touch controls has seen the shift from a convex physical button built into the outer part of the earbud to a concave touch-sensitive surface. So far I’m getting on okay with it.

The fact that the surface curves inward seems to help guide my finger into place a bit better and it feels a bit more precise than a flat surface. The new wear detection feature also seems to work well.

I’m a fan of the new finish

It’s not often you come across a finish that makes you a bit giddy, but Sony’s new Glass Blue colour is cool. Very cool. There was a fad back in the early noughties for transparent audio kit, and more recently I’ve seen transparent wireless earbuds from Beats and Nothing – but nothing that shows so much colour, and I think Sony has pulled it off.

What tech enthusiast wouldn’t be a fan of peering into the inner workings of their new wireless earbuds? Even the silicone eartips are colour-coded to match this new finish.

My only question is how the clear plastic fares over time, and will it show up scratches and bangs more than the other finishes available? The material on the WF-C700N might stand up to being bumped around in your pocket or bag better. It's something I'll keep an eye on.

Our review sample has a strange sonic quirk

I still need to listen to them more before I can make a call on their sound quality and active noise cancelling, but I have already stumbled across a little quirk, at least on this first sample from Sony. In the left earbud, I’m getting a sound which can only be described as a tiny, springy “boing”.

It tends to happen almost in time with my footsteps while walking or when I tap the earbud and sometimes when I move my jaw. It’s most noticeable when there’s no sound coming out of the buds, but it also intrudes when listening to podcasts. It happens with ANC on and in transparency mode, and is quietened to barely audible with both of these off.

It’s like the bud is generating the cable noise you get from a pair of wired headphones but, of course, there aren’t any cables rustling around here.

I’ve seen comments on some forums about a similar sound being heard when using other Sony earbuds in the past, so I’ve reached out to Sony, and we are getting a second pair in for review.

I’ll be spending more time with the earbuds in the coming days in the build-up to our review going online, so if you’d like to know anything else about my experience with the WF-C710N, let me know in the comments below.

MORE:

They’re official! Sony finally takes the wraps off its WF-C710N budget wireless earbuds

Sony WF-C710N: price, specs, features and everything you need to know about the new mid-range earbuds

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: what's the difference between these two pairs of wireless earbuds?

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