The Sony SP600N Wireless are decent in-ears for most uses but are a better choice for sports and working out. They have good build quality, an easy-to-use and decently stable design, and they're portable enough to easily carry around on your person. They isolate sufficiently well in noisy conditions to be suitable for commuting, despite their comparatively weak active noise cancellation, and they don't leak much. Unfortunately, they have a relatively short battery life, and their sound quality is a bit too bass-heavy, which won't be ideal for every listener.
Our Verdict
The Sony SP600N are fair for mixed usage. They have a good build quality and easy-to-use controls. They also isolate well in noisy conditions despite having comparatively weak noise cancellation. They're also stable and portable enough for sports. Unfortunately, the slightly bulky in-line remote does reduce their stability. They also have a relatively short battery life when using the noise cancelling feature. Their sound quality is also a bit too bass-heavy, but on the upside, they support the Sony | Headphones Connect app, unlike the SP500, so you can somewhat EQ their sound profile to better cater to what you're listening to.
- Very low leakage.
- Breathable and stable enough for sports.
- Simple and compact design.
- Poor microphone quality.
- Overly bass-heavy.
The Sony SP600N are passable for neutral sound. They pack a lot of bass, which some listeners may like, but unfortunately, it also tends to drown instruments and vocals in the mid-range. This gives them a boomy sound quality that's further emphasized by the slightly recessed mid and treble ranges. They won't sound as clear or detailed on most tracks, and they have a few peaks in the higher frequencies that will sound a bit sharp on some S and T sounds.
The Sony SP600N are decent for commuting. They isolate decently well against ambient noise, they're portable, and they have an easy-to-use control scheme. They should be suitable for most commuters but would be better if they had a longer battery life with better power-saving features. The noise cancellation feature isn't as strong, but since they block a good amount of noise passively, it shouldn't be much of an issue.
The Sony SP600N are very good for sports. They have a stable and compact wireless in-ear design that you can easily carry around on your person and should be stable enough for running and working out. They also have a good control scheme that's easy to use. However, they lack proper cable management and have a slightly bulky in-line remote.
The Sony SP600N Wireless are okay for office use. The Sony SP600N block a decent amount of noise and barely leak, so you will rarely distract your colleagues even if you like to listen to your music at higher than average volumes.
The Sony SP600N Wireless are disappointing for gaming. They have a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They're also not as customizable as most gaming headsets and aren't compatible with most consoles via Bluetooth. They also have a mediocre-at-best mic for gaming.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 27, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Sep 13, 2018: Review published.
Check Price
Compared To Other Headphones
The Sony WI-SP600N are very good sports headphones. They have a good build quality and a compact design that's easy to carry around on your person. They're also stable enough for running and working out, although better cable management and a smaller in-line remote would have made them even more stable for sports. Unfortunately, they have relatively short battery life. Their sound quality is also a bit too bass-heavy, but on the upside, you can customize their sound profile with their companion app, which makes them a bit more versatile than the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless.
See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless earbuds for iPhone, and the best noise cancelling headphones under $100.
The Jaybird X3 Wireless are better sports headphones than the Sony WI-SP600N Wireless. They're a bit more compact and easier to carry around since they come with a pouch. They also block a bit more noise passively with their in-ear fit than the active noise cancelling SP600N. They have a slightly better default sound, but north headphones can be EQed. On the other hand, the Sonys have a durable and premium-looking design. They also noise cancelling so they handle low-frequency noise a little better than the Jaybird, even if the Jaybirds' passive isolation is a bit better overall. The Sonys also have NFC, which makes pairing them with mobile phones a little easier.
The Sony WI-SP600N Wireless have about the same performance as the Fitbit Flyer Wireless, but they're more customizable. The Sony have a better companion app, which gives them a lot more options and features you can tweak to better your listening experience. They're also noise cancelling, so they do a bit better for commuting. On the other hand, the Fitbit are a bit more stable for the gym with a smaller and easier to use in-line remote. The Fitbit also have a longer battery life and offer slightly better value for your money if you do not mind not having an EQ.
The Bose SoundSport Wireless are a slightly better wireless headset than the Sony WI-SP600N Wireless. The Bose have an earbud fit, which makes them a bit more comfortable for most listeners than the Sonys. They also have a longer battery life and a better-balanced sound that caters well to most music genres. They're also a tad more stable for the gym. The Sonys, on the other hand, have a better isolation performance which makes them a bit more suitable for other uses, like commute and travel. They also have a slightly more premium and durable design with better controls. You can also EQ the Sonys via their app, which you can't with the Bose.
The Sony WI-SP600N Wireless are a better wireless in-ear than the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless. The SP600 have a more consistent sound and fit than the SP500 model. The SP600 also block more noise thanks to thief in-ear design and noise cancellation, so they're a bit more suitable for commuting and traveling as well as sports. Their fit a bit more stable thanks to the wing/stability fins, and overall they're easier to use with a more traditional inline remote. On the other hand, the SP500 have slightly longer battery life. They also have a unique earbud design that's a bit more comfortable when you get the right fit. They also have a unique look and feel that some may prefer over the SP600's design.
Test Results
The Sony WI-SP600N have a fairly typical wireless in-ear design that will work for most and looks fairly premium. They have a thick, rubberized audio cable and dense earbuds. The buds are a bit large but not as bulky as the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless. Unfortunately, they also have a fairly big in-line remote, which may be bothersome for certain listeners, but should be okay for most. On the upside, the remote looks and feels well-built, and their design overall is decently high-end and durable. They also come in a couple of flashier color schemes like pink and yellow which some may prefer.
The Sony WI-SP600N have a common in-ear fit but come with four tip options. They're lightweight and come with stability fins, so once you get the right fit for your ears, they should be decently comfortable. However, the fairly large remote does pull a bit on the left earbud depending on the activity, and if you're not a big fan of in-ear designs, you'll get some of the same issues with these headphones. They'll be comfortable enough for most but may not be the ideal headphones to wear for really long listening sessions. If you prefer a more earbud fit than typical in-ears, check out the slightly lower-end model, the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless.
These headphones have a good control scheme that's fairly easy to use and provides good functionality and feedback. They have a simple volume rocker, a multi-function music, and call management button, as well as an ANC button on the side of the in-line remote to enable/disable the noise cancellation feature as well as activate the ambient sound mode. They also have a separate power button to turn the headphones on and initiate the pairing procedure. The controls all have decent feedback and are fairly easy to use once you get accustomed to the layout.
The Sony SP600N are very breathable headphones. Like most in-ear designs, they won't make you sweat more than usual during physical activity, and your ear will remain relatively cool throughout. The stability fins and in-ear fit trap a small amount of heat within the notch of your ear, but it's not a very noticeable difference and shouldn't change much to your workout routine.
Like most wireless in-ears, the Sony WI-SP600N are very portable. They're compact and will easily fit into your pockets or bags. Unfortunately, they don't come with a carrying pouch or case, like most wireless in-ears at this price range, which is a little disappointing.
The Sony WI-SP600N have a good build quality that feels decently high-end. The cable is thick, rubberized, and feels durable. The earbuds and the in-line remote also feel well-made with a polished design and dense plastic that won't get damaged if you accidentally drop the headphones once or twice. They're also certified IPX4 water-resistant, making them a decent option for sports, although they may not be as sweatproof as some of the other wireless in-ears we've tested, like the Anker SoundCore Spirit X Wireless.
The Sony WI-SP600N are stable enough for running and working out. They come with two sets of stability fins and have a fairly typical in-ear design that goes deeply into the ear canal so they won't easily fall out of your ears. The slightly bulky in-line remote does tug a little on the left earbud and may cause it to slip out occasionally, but it doesn't happen that often especially if you get the right fit for your ears with the provided tip and stability fin options. They should be stable enough for most sports but won't be as stable as ear-hook designs for more intense workout routines.
- Sony WI-SP600N Wireless headphones
- Earbud tips (4x sizes)
- Stability fins
- USB charging cable
- Manual
The Sony SP600N have outstanding frequency response consistency. Assuming the user can achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with them, they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time.
The Sony WI-SP600N have poor bass accuracy. The LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 10Hz, which is excellent. The response throughout the range is flat and even but consistently overemphasized. It results in a thumpy and heavy bass, which could sound a bit muddy, but fans of heavy bass may like it.
The mid-range is great. The response is somewhat even throughout the range, but some overemphasis coming from the bass range seeps into the low-mid, resulting in muddy and cluttered vocals and lead instruments. However, the mid to high-mid is very neutral, so these same sounds are present and detailed in your mixes.
The Sony WI-SP600N have satisfactory treble accuracy. It's underemphasized across the range, resulting in slightly veiled vocals and lead instruments. Sibilants like S and T sounds are also dull and lispy. For more neutral-sounding in-ears, take a look at the AKG N200 Wireless.
The imaging is fantastic. The weighted group delay is at 0.18, which is very good. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay response is below the audibility threshold, suggesting a tight bass reproduction and a transparent treble. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our unit are well-matched in amplitude, frequency, and phase response, which is important for the accurate placement and localization of objects (voices, instruments, video games effects) in the stereo image.
The soundstage is terrible. Since creating a large and speaker-like soundstage is partially dependent on having a speaker-like pinna activation, and in-ear headphones bypass the pinna (the outer ear) and don't interact with it, their soundstage will be perceived to be small and located inside the listener's head. Their closed-back design also means that their soundstage won't feel as open as open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless.
The Sony SP600N's isolation performance is good. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sit, they achieve about 9dB of isolation with their ANC enabled, which is poor. In the mid-range, which is important for blocking out speech, they achieve a very good 21dB of isolation. In the treble range, where sharp and S and T sounds sit, they isolate by more than 32dB, which is also good. Unfortunately, their ANC system hurts the passive isolation of the headphones in the upper treble range, which is similar to what we observed with the Sony WF-1000X Truly Wireless and Sony WF-SP700N Truly Wireless but won't be very noticeable.
The leakage performance is great. These headphones don't leak in the bass and mid-range, meaning their leakage will be thin-sounding. A significant portion of their leakage is spread in a narrow band around 4KHz. The overall level of their leakage is low, too. With the music at 100dB SPL, their leakage at 1 foot away averages at 31dB SPL and peaks at 55dB SPL, just above the noise floor of an average office.
The recording quality of the Sony SP600N's microphone is disappointing. The bump around 90Hz makes these headphones prone to pops and rumbling noises, and the dip around 150Hz means speech recorded/transmitted with this mic may sound a little bit thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 2.5kHz results in a speech that's muffled and lacks detail.
The noise handling of the microphone is sub-par. In our SpNR test, it achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 10dB. This means they're best suited for quiet environments, as they may struggle to fully separate speech from ambient noise even in moderately loud places.
The Sony SP600N headphones have a sub-par battery performance. They last about 5.6 hours of continuous playtime at moderate volume with ANC enabled. It should be okay for most listeners as long as you remember to turn them off. Unfortunately, they don't have an auto-off timer when inactive (unless you disconnect your Bluetooth source), and you can't use them while they're charging. On the upside, they charge fairly quickly at 1.4 hours and provide more than an hour's worth of playback from a quick 10-15 minutes charge.
The Sony WI-SP600N support the Sony | Headphones connect app, which gives you a decent amount of customization options. You can EQ their sound with a graphic and preset equalizer. You can skip and rewind tracks directly within the app with the in-app player, and you get some noise cancelling options, but they're not as in-depth as when paired to the Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless. You also don't get room effects and multiple high-quality audio codecs. Still, overall, the app is well-designed, feels helpful, and adds a level of customization that felt missing on the Sony WI-SP500 Wireless.
The Sony WI-SP600N don't have multi-device pairing, but they do support NFC. Their hold-to-pair procedure is also not too difficult to use or not as frustrating as some Bluetooth headphones we've tested.
These headphones have quite a bit of latency at 174ms. This makes them poorly suited for watching videos and gaming and is a bit on the higher side for Bluetooth headphones.
These headphones have no wired option. If you want a good sounding wired in-ear, check the 1More Triple Driver.
The Sony SP600N don't have a dock. If you want headphones that are versatile and have a dock, try the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless 2017.
