The Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are entry-level noise cancelling earbuds. Aside from their active noise cancellation (ANC) feature, which cuts out background noise to help you focus on your music, these buds have much in common with the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. They have the same sleek design and lightweight build well-suited for commuters and casual listeners. They're also rated IPX4 for protection against water splashes, making them durable enough for brisk jogs and hikes outside.
The Sony WF-C700N are decent for neutral sound. Their default sound profile is slightly warm and has enough bass to provide ample thump and rumble to hip-hop and EDM. Voices and instruments sound clear and detailed, but an underemphasized treble range makes the mix sound veiled and lispy. Fortunately, the companion app lets you change the sound to your preferences via graphic EQ and presets.
The Sony WF-C700N are good for commuting and travel. Their lightweight build won't put undue pressure on your ears, and their long battery life will last you a long bus ride or flight. Their in-ear design also won't leak any audio to passengers around you. While their ANC does a good job of isolating you from background conversations, it's less good at isolating you from the rumble of a loud bus or plane engine.
The Sony WF-C700N are great for sports and fitness. Their lightweight build and stable in-ear fit will keep them in place during a brisk jog or moderate workout. They don't have stability fins, so more intense workouts will displace their fit, requiring readjustment to make them sit comfortably again. Their battery lasts nearly eight hours, and they have an IPX4 rating against water splashes, so you can take them on long hikes without worrying about damage. Their ANC doesn't do a great job cutting out ambient noise from loud traffic or passing buses and trucks.
The Sony WF-C700N are decent for use at the office. They barely leak any audio, and their ANC does a good job of cutting out coworker chit-chat and whiny PC fans. Their lightweight and deep in-ear fit makes them comfortable enough for all-day wear, but using the control scheme can create a suction-like feeling in your ear canal, which can be annoying. Depending on use, it's not likely that their roughly 8-hour battery will make it through a whole shift without needing a recharge.
The Sony WF-C700N are Bluetooth-only headphones; their latency is too high for wireless gaming.
The Sony WF-C700N are truly wireless Bluetooth headphones; you can't use them wired.
The Sony WF-C700N are okay for calls. The mic makes your voice sound clear but a little thin. However, the mic tends to pick up background noise and make your voice sound distorted. While they don't leak much audio, meaning others won't hear your call if you're talking on a loud bus or train, their ANC doesn't do a great job isolating you from said vehicle noise. However, they're much better at cutting out noisy office noise, like co-worker chit-chat and whiny PC fans.
The Sony WF-C700N come in four color variants: 'Black', 'White', 'Sage Green', and 'Lavender'. We tested the 'Black' variant, and you can see our unit's label here. If you come across another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
The Sony WF-C700N are noise cancelling wireless Bluetooth earbuds. Essentially, they're an upgraded version of the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless, with better controls and ANC. While they perform well for their price, more expensive earbuds in Sony's lineup, like the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless, still have better ANC and longer continuous battery lives. Ultimately, battery power is where they show their weakness. While the WF-C700N only have one charge in the case, other mid-range buds, like the Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless, have three.
If you're interested in a pair of wireless earbuds, check out our articles on the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds, the best earbuds for running, and the best noise cancelling earbuds.
The Beats Studio Buds True Wireless and Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are both geared as value-driven earbuds with noise cancelling, although neither have exceptional ANC. Both are comfortable, use buttons for controls, and have IPX4 ratings against water splashes. The Beats have a more neutral sound profile with better clarity for vocals and cymbals, but less boom and thump, and you can't customize the EQ in their more basic app. The Sony also has multi-device pairing, which the Beats can't do. You also get more control via the Sony app with a comprehensive equalizer. The Sony's continuous battery life is much longer than the Beats, although you get close to the same amount of total battery life if you include charges stored in the case of both.
The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless are better than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. The LinkBuds S' ANC does better to cut out low-frequency noise, like a passing truck or loud bus engine. They're also more comfortable since their touch controls don't require as much pressure to activate them, unlike the WF-C700N's physical buttons, which can create a plunging feeling in your ear canal. While both buds last around the same time on a single charge, the LinkBuds S have just over double the extra charges in their carrying case. The WF-C700N have a deeper bass extension by default, so genres like hip-hop and EDM have more thump and rumble to please your ears. Both headphones' mixes can be changed via the companion app's graphic EQ and presets.
The Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless and the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are extremely similar headphones. Their design and build quality are nearly identical, but the WF-C700N has active noise cancellation (ANC). This lets them cut out more background noise than the WF-C500 can passively. However, this impacts their battery life, and the WF-C700N only lasts half as long on a single charge as the WF-C500.
The Jabra Elite 4 True Wireless earbuds are better than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. The Jabra's ANC does a better job at isolating you from office-type noise, like chatty coworkers or loud AC units, though they struggle just as much as the Sony at cutting out bassy noise from transit vehicles. The Jabra also have a higher IP rating for better protection against the elements during outside runs and a better-balanced sound profile, making them more versatile for listening to different audio content. That said, even with the ANC off, they have a high noise floor, so audio won't sound as clear during playback. However, the Sony last longer on a single charge, though the Jabra's case holds more extra charges and has a longer total battery life.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless are better by most measures than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. The WF-1000XM5's noise cancelling and isolation performance is in a different class and handily reduces plane and bus engines well, alongside chatter and clinking glasses. They use touch controls instead and are a bit chunkier in size, although not large. Of the two models, only the WF-1000XM5 supports the LDAC codec for higher quality audio. Both have the same IPX4 rating and use the same app, although the WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless have an expanded feature set for customizing controls. The WF-C700N have a less bassy default sound, although you can tune both earbuds for similar sounds in the app. They use button controls instead. They have similar continuous battery lives, although the WF-1000XM5 case stores an extra full charge. Both are comfortable to wear and stable.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC Truly Wireless and Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are both budget friendly noise cancelling earbuds with the same IPX4 rating against water. The Anker have more effective ANC with adaptive modes. They sound more excited by default but have EQ in the app to adjust to taste. Their controls are touchpads. Their case is chunky, but shorter, and the buds have stems. The Sony are light with fewer charges in their case. Their companion app has a virtual soundstage which is more capable than the Anker's, but requires compatible streaming service support. The default sound is less bassy and more balanced, and you can use the EQ in the app. They use buttons for the controls instead of touchpads. Their ANC, unfortunately, is less impressive, but it isolates high-pitched noise well.
The Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless and Samsung Galaxy Buds FE Truly Wireless stand as value-driven options with noise cancelling features. The Sony include a greater IPX4 rating against water, a longer continuous battery life, and straightforward controls alongside a virtual surround sound feature. Their default sound is warm, with a good amount of boom and clear lead instruments. Included is multi-pairing for up to two devices. However, their noise cancelling isn't as strong as the Samsung earbuds' ANC. The Samsung also sound good, but with a more rudimentary EQ. They include Samsung's proprietary adaptive codec for use with the brand's phones. Their built-in stability fins are great for ensuring a secure fit for some people's ear, but aren't enough for everybody. They also have a lesser IPX2 rating and a shorter battery life to a single charge, but more charges stored in the case than the Sony.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Truly Wireless and Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless are both very portable with balanced default sound profiles, virtual surround sound, and noise cancelling in common. The Samsung sound a bit brighter by default, and their app only has EQ presets. They filter more low, rumbling engine noise and midrange traffic sounds than the Sony. They also use touch controls instead of buttons, and with compatible Samsung devices, they can connect using the brand's proprietary codec. On the other hand, their continuous battery life is significantly shorter than the Sony's but is similar overall if you include the charges. The Sony have a warmer sound profile, and the app's equalizer is more comprehensive. While their noise cancelling is useful, it's not as effective. Their case is a bit more fiddly to open, too. The buds use buttons that are harder to accidentally trigger than the touch controls on the Samsung, but they can also push the earbuds in deeper when you use them.
The Jabra Elite 4 Active True Wireless are better sport earbuds than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. Both buds are comfortable, lightweight, and well-built, but the Jabra are more resistant to the elements thanks to their IP57 rating, which protects them against brief immersion in water. The Sony's IPX4 rating only protects them against splashes, and they can still get damaged if briefly dropped in a nearby puddle. While the Jabra and Sony have the same continuous battery life, the Jabra's carrying case holds three charges compared to the Sony one, meaning you can use them for longer before recharging their case.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless are better earbuds than the Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless. The Sony WF-1000XM4 have a better build quality, better-performing ANC, and a longer-lasting battery, and they come with multi-device pairing. However, if noise cancellation isn't a priority to you, there are advantages to the less expensive WF-C700N that still make them worth considering. They have a better-performing mic, a more intuitive control scheme, and a much more neutral default sound profile, which some users may prefer.
These earbuds have a similar design to the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless. They're round buds with a sleek design and minimalist profile that doesn't protrude much from your ear. They come in four color variants: 'Black', 'White', 'Sage Green', and 'Lavender'.
The Sony C700N are decently comfortable. While they're lightweight and fit deep in-ear, using the control scheme can put extra pressure on the buds and create a suction feeling in your ear canal. Fortunately, they come with three ear tip sizes to help you get the best fit possible.
The control scheme is easy to learn and intuitive. The buttons have good clicky feedback; you can use them to switch between tracks, play and pause audio, and answer, reject, and end calls. Control remapping is done in their companion app but is limited to exchanging current inputs for ambient sound and volume controls. Additionally, the buds only give input chimes when using ambient sound controls.
On the left earbud:
On the right earbud:
They have a good carrying case. It's small and, unlike the Sony Linkbuds S Truly Wireless' case, the plastic feels premium and durable. There's one LED on the front of the case to indicate battery level and a Bluetooth pairing button on the back. While the lid is a little hard to open, this can be advantageous as the buds aren't as likely to fall out during an accidental drop.
These earbuds are well-built. They're made from good-quality plastic and can survive a few accidental drops without significant damage. The ear tips, however, feel very thin and prone to tearing over repeated use. Fortunately, the buds are rated IPX4 for protection against water splashes, so they'll hold up if you get them a little wet.
The Sony C700N have a slightly warm sound profile. The bass range has plenty of thump and punch, while vocals and instruments sound clear, present, and detailed, though a little veiled due to an underemphasized treble range. It also makes sibilants, like cymbals, sound dull and lispy. Fortunately, you can fine-tune their sound using their companion app's graphic EQ and presets.
The Sony C700N's peaks and dips performance is decent. A small peak in the bass range adds extra thump and rumble to the mix. A mismatch in the L/R drivers following a dip in the mid-mid affects the left driver more than the right, and a peak in the high-mid is slightly more prominent in the right driver, though both are overemphasized. These issues in the mid-range push voices and instruments to the back of the mix and make them sound harsh. Most noticeable, though, is the peak in the mid-treble, which makes sibilants, like cymbals, sound piercing. There's also a dip in the high-treble. It's extremely severe compared to the rest of the response. However, it's very difficult to hear, and we lose sensitivity to this range over time.
Imaging performance is decent. Sony tends to have good quality control and ergonomics. While our unit's L/R drivers have phase and group delay mismatch in the high-treble, it's not noticeable with real-life content since this range isn't audible for most people. The small bump in the phase response's mid-mid isn't audible in real-life listening. Overall, they're well-matched in amplitude and frequency, which helps ensure a balanced and stable stereo image. For the most part, group delay is well-matched, too, ensuring tight bass, although the peak in the treble still has a small impact on imaging transparency. Keep in mind, however, that imaging varies between units.
These closed-back earbuds have a bad passive soundstage, which is expected with their design, as audio needs to engage with the outer ear to create a more immersive and open sound. It feels like audio comes from inside your head rather than all around the room.
These earbuds are compatible with Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature via their companion app. However, you must be subscribed to a compatible streaming service to use them, like Tidal or 360 by Deezer. When you use it, the app analyzes your ear shape and creates a virtual soundstage to create a more immersive listening experience.
These earbuds have reasonable weighted harmonic distortion performance. Distortion is present across the whole range, but it's only slight and not audible with real-life content. This is especially the case with the high amount of distortion between 10 and 20kHz. Fortunately, this range is difficult to hear, especially as you age and lose sensitivity to certain high frequencies, so you'll likely experience clean and pure audio reproduction in daily listening.
These are the settings used to test the Sony WF-C700N. Our results are only valid when used with these settings.
The noise isolation performance is decent. We measured a very similar amount of noise isolation between ANC on and off between 120 and 160Hz, meaning no noise was blocked. We tried to confirm this by playing isolated tones at 120 and 160Hz and recording the sound pressure level (SPL) on our testing rig. While our testing shows little difference between ANC on and off in this range, it's only during subjective listening that we can hear a difference between both modes, but only by about 2-3dB. As such, they can't isolate you from bass-ranger background noise, like rumbly bus or plane engines during a commute or trip. Fortunately, these headphones do a good job of cutting out background chit-chat, but they do a better job at passively cutting out treble-range noise, like a whiny PC fan, than they do with the ANC on.
The leakage performance is excellent. Escaping audio is mainly concentrated in the bass and treble ranges but is hard to hear unless you're in a very quiet environment. If you like to crank your tunes, you won't need to worry about disturbing coworkers or commuters.
Noise handling performance is unremarkable. In moderate and loud environments, background noise is still very audible and distorts your voice, which is annoying. Louder noise, like a passing train, drowns most of your voice out and distorts what's left even more.
The Sony WF-C700N's battery performance is reasonable. Sony advertises 7.5 hours of continuous playback time with the ANC on, and we measured around that. Their carrying case only holds one extra charge, less than the Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless. Thankfully, they feature an auto-off timer to save power. Keep in mind that battery life varies depending on use.
The Sony | Headphones Connect app is great. There are a ton of extra features available in this app. You can monitor the battery life of each bud and the case, adjust the mix via graphic EQ and presets, customize button functions and playback controls, and much more. You can see how some features work here.
The Bluetooth performance is great. Although these headphones have quite high latency on PCs, it's slightly lower on iOS and Android devices. However, you may still experience lip sync issues while watching a video on mobile. Keep in mind that some devices and apps compensate for latency, though. With firmware update 2.0.0, these in-ears now have Bluetooth multipoint compatibility, so you can pair up to two devices simultaneously. You can enable this feature in the app, under system settings.
These earbuds have full voice and audio compatibility with PCs via Bluetooth.