Sony WF-C700N Review

The WF-C700N is one of Sony’s more affordable alternatives to their flagship, the WF-1000XM4. However, it still comes with ANC technology and a handful of extra features. How does the WF-C700N perform in terms of functionality and sound? And does it approximate the performance of the pricey WF-1000XM4?

What’s In the Box?

Look and Feel

The Sony WF-C700N earphones have a sleek and minimalist design, seeming to focus entirely on simplicity and functionality. The earbuds are small and compact, and I had no problems with comfort. They have button controls that allow you to adjust volume, skip tracks, and answer calls. The charging case, while not particularly fancy, is small and portable enough. The earbuds and charging case are made of simple matte plastic, but they feel reasonably sturdy and durable. No complaints here.

Design and Functionality

ANC

Compared to Sony’s more expensive WF-1000XM5, the ANC on the WF-C700N may not be as robust. It is effective at reducing low-frequency noise from sources such as heaters or computers, but it may not completely eliminate sounds like typing or coughing.

Battery Life

The WF-C700N provides a 7.5 hours of single playback, with an additional 7.5 hours of charge in the charging case. Compared to Sony’s more expensive flagship model, the WH-1000XM5, which offers up to 30 hours of battery life, it seems the WF-C700N is a little lacking in this department.

Call Clarity

I didn’t encounter any issues with call clarity on the WH-CH720N. Both ends of the call were clear and audible. While it may have been a bit more challenging to communicate in noisy environments, I did not experience any dropped signals during my usage.

Bluetooth and Audio Codecs

The WH-CH720N utilizes one of the latest Bluetooth codecs, version 5.2, which should, in theory, result in fewer dropped signals and smoother transmission overall. In my personal experience, I did not encounter any signal interruptions even while using the headphones in the busy streets of Manhattan. However, it’s worth noting that these headphones only support the SBC and AAC codecs and do not offer more advanced options such as LDAC or aptX.

IPX Rating

The earbuds are IPX4 rated, meaning they are water-resistant and sweat-resistant, making them suitable for use during workouts or in rainy weather.

Extra Features

Similar to other Sony wireless earphone models, the WF-C700N comes with a dedicated companion app that enables users to control a few settings, such as toggling between ambient and ANC modes (which can also be done using the earphone buttons) and enabling voice assistant. The app also includes a feature known as “Adaptive Sound Control,” which detects the user’s activities and automatically adjusts the ambient sound filtering accordingly. For instance, the amount of ambient sound that you’ll hear while working in an office will differ from the amount you’ll hear while traveling on a train.

The equalizer is possibly the best and most practical feature of the accompanying app. Similar to the WH-1000XM5, you have the option to customize your equalizer settings or utilize the recommended presets.

In addition, Sony offers a Reality Audio feature that delivers a more immersive, three-dimensional soundstage. However, it should be noted that this function is only compatible with select apps such as Tidal and Peer Tracks. Users of Spotify and other unsupported apps will not be able to use this feature. Despite this limitation, the Reality Audio feature is quite impressive and definitely worth trying out.

Sound Impressions

Soundstage

The WF-C700N delivers a reasonably engaging soundstage for wireless earbuds at this price point. Although instruments aren’t placed at soaring heights, there is a bit of depth to the stage, which feels intimate, while providing enough space between instruments to make it feel dimensional and immersive.

Low-End

The low-end is characterized by a deep and punchy, yet clean bass response, without any noticeable muddiness or bleeding into the higher frequencies. Listening to bass strings in this range, they presented as smooth, rather than finely detailed. But the warmth and richness of the overall profile is certainly a crowd pleaser.

Mids

Quite an even-keeled balance here. The low-mids give body to the song, while the high mids avoid protruding out of the mix. So, vocals never sound harsh or too forward, it’s an easy listening profile overall. The mids also present a good level of clarity here, delivering cleanly defined instruments and decent transparency.

Highs

The highs convey a smooth and non-fatiguing sound, without any noticeable peakiness. This range feels rich and weighty, particularly in brass and vocal performances, with a velvety feel that adds a sense of depth to the sound. Despite this richness, the highs still provide enough detail to acoustic instruments, revealing nuances in timbre and tone. Don’t expect it to be super sparkly in this range. The high treble is slightly rolled off. But again, this makes for an easy listen.

Summary

The sound profile on the WF-C700N is engaging and well-balanced, with a punchy and clean low-end, even-keeled mids, and smooth, non-fatiguing highs. It may not have the resolution and ANC effectiveness of Sony’s flagship the WF-1000XM4, and the battery life could be better. But overall, the WF-C700N offers impressive features and performance for the price. 

You can buy the Sony WF-C700N at Audio 46.