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

We love the Sony WF-C700N. These mid-rangers are among the best noise-cancelling headphones you can buy, winning not only a What Hi-Fi? Award for two consecutive years, but the coveted Product of the Year gong for both years. That doesn't happen very often.

And now there's a sequel. The Sony WF-C710N promise more advanced noise cancellation and a better battery life, among other improvements. And having now thoroughly tested the C710N, we can now give our definitive verdict on how they compare to their award-winning predecessors.

The good news? Sony has managed to elevate the performance of its budget earbuds to another level. Read on to see how.

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: price

The WF-C700N launched in April 2023 for £100 / $120 / AU$200, but have since dropped much lower than that. At time of writing, they can be found for just £70 / $78 / AU$119.

Thankfully, the WF-C710N have the same launch price of £100 / $120 / AU$189 (that's actually slightly lower in Australia).

That's welcome. But bear in mind that with the C700N being end of life, more discounts are likely, so they could end up quite a bit cheaper than the new model.

Winner: Sony WF-C700N

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: design and comfort

The WF-C700N are sleek and compact, thanks to their 5mm driver, which is smaller than that used in some other Sony wireless earbuds.

They're comfy too. Just twist them and they slide into place. This makes them easy to use for long periods or while moving around a lot during exercise.

Like many other wireless earbuds, they attach to their charging case using magnets, so you don't have to be too exact in how you place them.

Your colour options are black, white, lavender and sage green.

The WF-C710N come in the same black and white finishes, but replace lavender and sage with pink and a transparent 'glass blue' that lets you see the innards. Which helps them stand out from the crowd.

We confess, we are a little bit in love with this finish. Just look at it!

The newer C710N buds feature touch controls, rather than the C700N's click buttons. The earbuds are also a little bigger and heavier than their predecessors – and noticeably so. The WF-C700N were some of the dinkiest earbuds we've tested, and the WF-C710N buds feel like a clear step up in size. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though – some users might find them easier to grip out of the case and manoeuvre into place.

The carry case is also a little chunkier than the C700N's. It immediately looks and feels bulkier, which hints at the improved battery capacity inside. The silicone eartips appear virtually identical to those used on the WF-C700N, and you get three sizes supplied in the box – XS, M and XL.

While the glass blue finish looks cool and fresh, giving you a peek at the inner workings, we'd recommend keeping an eye on how the plastics hold up over time. The transparent material feels nice and smooth, but scratches and scrapes could stand out, especially when they catch the light.

Winner: Sony WF-C710N

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: features

For a pair of the best cheap wireless earbuds, the WF-C700N have plenty of features.

They support the SBC and AAC codecs (but not the more advanced aptX HD and LDAC).

Through Sony's Sound Connect app (previously called Headphones Connect), you can customise the button functions and choose to prioritise either sound quality or a more robust wireless connection.

It also lets you activate Sony DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) which upscales low-res digital audio files to higher quality.

Sony's Adaptive Sound Control feature lets the 'buds automatically switch listening modes depending on your location. You can connect to two devices and switch between them using Bluetooth Multipoint.

You also get Sony's Wind Noise Reduction Structure for silencing gales when you're on a call.

The WF-C710N offer all this and more.

One of the biggest improvements should be in noise cancellation. The 'buds feature dual noise sensor tech – with two mics in each bud, Sony is promising a significant improvement over the C700N.

We’re happy to report that in practice, these dual sensors do make a difference. You can hear the earbuds increase the intensity of the ANC and extract an extra layer or two of noise, especially in the lower mid and bass frequencies. While they're not as accomplished as more expensive rivals such as Sony's own WF-1000XM5, the ANC on the WF-C710N is a definite step up from the WF-C700N.

Like their predecessors, they support Sony's 360 Reality Audio, but they also gain the wearer detection feature. This automatically pauses the music when you take the earbuds out of your ears and resumes when you pop them back in. In testing, this feature worked reliably, though there is a slight delay between pressing the touch control and the transparency mode fully activating.

Another big improvement is in battery life. The C710N last 8.5 hours from the buds, plus another 21.5 hours from the case, making a total battery life of 30 hours with ANC turned on. That's twice as long as the C700N's battery life.

Turn off ANC, and that extends to 40 hours from a single charge. Impressive.

The C710N also promise to make calls clearer thanks to precise voice pick-up. This uses artificial intelligence (AI) to isolate your voice and filter out unwanted background noise. In our tests, this proved impressively effective – voices come through better defined and clearer, while background noise – including gentle gusts of wind – was suppressed noticeably better than on the C700N.

The touch controls on the C710N are also relatively hassle-free, with the slightly concave touch-sensitive surface helping to guide your finger into place. You can control volume, playback and sound modes, as well as activate your virtual assistant. However, we would prefer more customisation options, particularly for volume control – repeatedly tapping to adjust volume can feel a bit intrusive compared to the press-and-hold method used by some competitors.

The Sonys support Bluetooth 5.3 (the previous model was 5.2), and feature the same IPX4 water resistance rating as their predecessors, making them suitable for workouts and light rain.

Winner: Sony WF-C710N

• What is aptX HD Bluetooth? What devices support it?
• LDAC: what is it? How can you get it? 
• What is Bluetooth Multipoint? How does it work?

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: sound

Having thoroughly tested the WF-C710N, we can happily confirm that Sony has managed to improve on the already excellent sound quality of the C700N.

The new model delivers a weight, solidity and fullness in the bass that makes the WF-C700N sound lightweight and a little top-heavy by comparison. Bass is tightly defined and punchy, with impressive weight that remains nicely balanced within the overall presentation.

Detail retrieval is also fantastic for earbuds at this price point. The WF-C710N extract an impressive amount of texture and definition across the frequency range, with crisp but not overcooked highs and natural, expressive midrange performance.

Sony's trademark musicality is present in spades too – the WF-C710N maintain excellent timing, and stay fleet-footed even when dealing with complex rhythmic patterns. They don't get bogged down in dense musical passages and maintain composure throughout.

The sonic performance too, has been notably enhanced. While the C700N were already impressive in the bass department, the C710N take this to another level with fuller, more controlled low frequencies while maintaining excellent detail throughout the frequency range.

That’s not to say that the C700N don’t sound fantastic. They would have to, to win the Product of the Year Award two years running. They're particularly impressive in the bass department, and the bass never overwhelms the sound. It's a nicely balanced presentation that doesn't overly favour any one part of the frequency range. Their sense of timing and organisation is also impressive, especially at this price level.

Having said that, the newer WF-C710N build successfully on this award-winning performance, delivering an even more refined and capable sound signature while maintaining the balanced approach that made their predecessors so appealing.

Winner: Sony WF-C710N

Sony WF-C710N vs WF-C700N: verdict

Better noise cancellation, longer battery life, added wearer detection, and the same winning design – the WF-C710N looked like a decent improvement on the multi-Award-winning C700N when they were first announced, and having thoroughly tested them, we can confirm that the improvements are meaningful across the board.

Sony has managed to elevate the performance of its budget earbuds to another level – the WF-C710N improve on their predecessors in several key areas, including ANC performance, call quality, and most importantly, sound quality.

While the earbuds and case are larger than before, Sony has wrapped it all up in an attractive package for the same price as the original model, which is seriously impressive. The transparent 'glass blue' finish also adds a distinctive visual appeal that will appeal to many users.

If the C700N drop further in price, they could be the better buy, depending on your priorities. However, the C710N are the better all-round performer, and worth the investment if your budget stretches to their full retail price.

Winner: Sony WF-C710N

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