Sony WF-C510 review: I’d pick these cheap earbuds over more expensive AirPods 4

Sony
WF-C510:
Two-minute
review

Sony
is
one
of
the
biggest
players
in
the
audio
market
but
its
focus
has
always
seemed
to
lean
towards
the
elite,
top-quality
premium
earbuds
or
over-ears
market.
The
Japanese
tech
giant
doesn’t
need
to
break
a
sweat
to
keep
on
top
of
the

best
budget
earbuds
market
though,
if
the
new
Sony
WF-C510
are
anything
to
go
by.

The
company’s
follow-up
to
2021’s

Sony
WF-C500,
and
a
newer
and
more
affordable
alterative
to
the
top-rated

WF-C700N,
these
new
earbuds
come
at
a
time
when
there’s
more
and
more
competition
at
the
low-end
of
the
market.
I’d
name
some
competitors
but
I
don’t
really
need
to
– not
when
Sony’s
offerings
are
this
good.

In
fact,
I
think
the
WF-C510
could
draw
some
fans
away
from
the
top-end

Sony
WF-1000XM5
and
the
new

sans-ANC
entry-level
AirPods
4.
Who
needs
to
pay
double,
triple
or
even
quadruple
the
price
when
cheap
and
cheery
gets
you
this
far?

I
really
liked
the
sound
of
the
new
Sonys;
I
prefer
sound
that
prioritizes
clean
treble
over
thumping
bass,
and
so
the
Sony
WF-C510
tick
all
my
boxes
and
then
some.
Home-brewed
Sony
algorithms
and
a
reasonably
responsive
equalizer
just
add
to
my
enjoyment
of
the
audio.

The
design
is
stellar
too
–
the
buds
stuck
in
my
ears
like
the
Abba
songs
they
played
stayed
stuck
in
my
head.
Thanks
to
the
nice
grippy
material
used
for
the
tips,
and
each
earpiece
weighing
less
than
5g,
never
once
did
a
bud
fall
from
my
ears.
I
even
cycled
confidently
with
them
and
completed
a
full
workout
at
the
gym
without
gravity
doing
its
thing
to
them.

This
lightweight
design
extends
to
the
case
too,
which
is
tiny
and
can
easily
disappear
into
a
pocket.
Unfortunately
this
does
contribute
to
one
of
my
gripes:
the
case
only
offers
11
hours
of
extra
listening
time,
which
is
much
less
than
basically
any
rival
on
the
market.

That’s
extra
listening
time
over
what
the
buds
offer
by
default,
but
contrarily
you
can
go
11
hours
with
these
without
needing
to
return
them
to
the
case.
This
is
a
fantastic
amount
of
listening
time,
and
the
WF-C510
would
be
my
first
port
of
call
over
pricier
rivals
for
long
trips.

Part
of
the
reason
for
this
long
battery
life
is
that
the
Sonys
don’t
have
ANC
(Active
Noise
Cancellation),
which
is
something
I
can’t
knock
the
buds
for
as
it’s
a
feature
that’s
never
guaranteed
at
this
price.
Instead,
they
have
an
ambient
mode
which
is
pretty
commonplace
in
wireless
earbuds,
but
it’s
only
useful
in
certain
situations
so
I
didn’t
use
it
much.

Noise
cancellation
isn’t
the
only
feature
that
the
WF-C510s
lack:
wear
detection,
low-latency
mode,
‘find
my’
locaters
and
a
few
other
more
premium
perks
don’t
rear
their
heads
here.
Again,
the
price
justifies
this,
but
it’s
something
I’d
be
remiss
not
to
flag
–
if
you’ve
got
a
certain
mode
or
feature
you
love
to
use,
you’d
better
check
that
the
Sonys
offer
it.

Given
that
this
is
a
two-minute
review,
I
probably
don’t
have
time
to
go
into
lots
of
detail
about
the
other
great
parts
of
the
Sony
WF-C510,
but
between
the
responsive
and
easy-to-use
touch
buttons,
the
useful
eartip
fit
test,
the
range
of
color
options
and
the
audio
avoiding
all
the
pitfalls
I
usually
see
in
budget
earbuds,
I
feel
comfortable
recommending
these
over
some
of
the
much
pricier
competitors
I’ve
tested
this
year.

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Price
and
release
date

• 
  Released
  in
  September
  2024
• 
  Cost
  $59.99
  /
  £54.99
  /
  AU$109

The
Sony
WF-C510
were
released
in
September
2024
as
the
new
entries
in
Sony’s
WF-C
line
of
low-cost
earbuds.

You
can
pick
them
up
for
$59.99
/
£54.99
/
AU$109,
and
at
that
price
point
they’re
in
contention
with
our
list
of
the


best
cheap
earbuds.
In
fact,
as
of
their
launch,
they’re
Sony’s
cheapest
true
wireless
earbuds,
drastically
undercutting
the
$119
/
£89
/
AU$199


WF-C700N
(which
we
gave
five
stars
to
in
our
review).
The
WF-C500
aren’t
officially
ranged
by
Sony
any
more,
but
they
launched
for
$99
/
£89
/
AU$149
three
years
ago,
and
have
seen
price
cuts
from
third-party
retailers
since.

The
cheap
earbuds
market
is
a
competitive
one,
with
fresh
competitors
hitting
the
market
all
the
time;
in
the
months
before
this
Sony
proposition
I’ve
also
tested
the
likes
of
the


Earfun
Air
Pro
4
and


CMF
Buds
Pro
2
for
the
same
price. And
the
WF-C510
is
my
pick
of
the
bunch. 

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Specs

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Features

• 
  In-bud
  battery
  life
  is
  great
  – but
  the
  case
  less
  so
• 
  No
  ANC,
  but
  there
  is
  ‘sound
  control’
• 
  Headphones
  app
  brings
  some
  extra
  features

Something
I
both
love
and
hate
about
the
Sony
WF-C510
is
the
battery
life. 

The
buds
themselves
have
a
fantastic
battery
life:
8
hours
with
sound
control
on,
and
11
hours
with
it
off,
makes
these
Sonys
some
of
the
longest-lasting
earbuds
I’ve
tested
recently.
However,
the
case
itself
only
offers
one
extra
charge-up,
while
basically
all
others
on
the
market
give
you
at
least
two
extra
charges.
As
a
result,
these
buds
gave
me
more
battery
anxiety
on
trips
than
most
others
I’ve
tested.

That
11-hour
figure
is
Sony’s.
In
my
testing,
with
sound
control
turned
off,
the
right
bud
lasted
for
10
hours
and
42
minutes,
while
the
left
one
was
still
somehow
blasting
out
music
40
minutes
later
when
my
phone
ran
out
of
charge.
Gaping
inconsistency
aside,
that
averages
over
11
hours,
so
I’ll
concur
with
Sony’s
estimate.

Audio
fans
might
be
wondering
why
I’ve
referred
to
‘sound
control’
and
not
active
noise
cancellation
–
this
is
because
the
Sonys
don’t
have
ANC,
but
do
offer
noise
cancellation
in
the
form
of
an
‘Ambient
Sound
Control’
mode.
This
amplifies
sounds
around
you,
so
you
can
be
aware
of
what’s
going
on
regardless
of
how
much
noise
would
otherwise
be
drowned
out
by
your
music.
It’s
a
fine
mode,
with
results
that
are
more
subtle
and
nuanced
than
the
similar
equivalent
that
many
rival
earbuds
have,
but
ambient
modes
are
generally
quite
situational
so
I
didn’t
find
myself
using
it
a
whole
lot.

Of
course,
ambient
noise
control
isn’t
the
same
as
noise

cancellation
–
it’s
ANC
you
may
want
at
home
–
but
the
passive
noise
cancellation
offered
by
the
ear-tips
was
enough
to
make
me
happy.

For
the
rest
of
the
feature
set
we’re
going
to
have
to
boot
up
Sony’s
Headphones
app,
which,
while
a
great
addition
at
this
level,
has
a
logo
so
generic
that
I
kept
losing
it
on
my
phone’s
menu.

Using
said
Headphones
app,
you
can
see
the
battery
life
of
the
earbuds,
arrange
which
devices
they’re
connected
to
(up
to
two
– yes,
there’s
multi-point),
toggle
ambient
mode
off
or
on
to
a
variety
of
intensities,
play
with
an
equalizer
(including
a
test
to
find
the
best
preset
for
you,
and
another
to
detect
which
eartips
are
best
for
you),
set
up
360
Reality
Audio
(Sony’s
version
of
spatial
audio),
change
what
the
buttons
do,
and
enable
Spotify
Tap
which
basically
makes
Spotify
play
by
default.

The
equalizer
gives
you
quite
a
few
presets,
with
the
ability
to
modify
them
too,
and
lots
of
the
rest
is
par
for
the
course.
However,
I
found
the
EQ
test
quite
confusing
–
unlike

Nothing
Ear’s
fantastic
automatic
detection
test,
you
basically
have
to
‘blind
test’
some
presets
to
see
which
you
prefer.
I
found
the
difference
between
many
of
them
inaudible,
and
sometimes
I
liked
two
equally.
Ultimately,
the
mode
is
fine
for
people
who
know
the
sound
they
want
(or
the
parts
of
recordings
they
usually
augment),
but
for
everyone
else
it’s
perhaps
not
worth
bothering
with,
although
it
does
add
value
at
this
level.

Beyond
ANC,
there
are
a
few
features
not
present
in
the
WF-C510
that
some
might
miss,
although
I
can’t
hold
these
cheap
buds
to
blame
given
the
price.
The
major
one
is
wear
detection,
so
you
have
to
pause
music
manually
when
you
remove
the
buds.
There’s
also
no
low-latency
mode
which
is
quite
common
even
amongst
cheap
buds,
or
any
kind
of
‘find
my
buds’
feature.

Another
thing
I
should
note,
which
is
a
problem
I’ve
had
with
other
Sony
audio
products
too,
is
that
by
default
the
volume
sounds
incredibly
low
–
even
when
it
shouldn’t.
It’s
because
there’s
a
volume
slider
in
the
app,
separate
to
your
phone’s
one,
which
I’d
recommend
you
immediately
raise
to
near-full
intensity
and
rely
on
your
phone’s
volume
rocker
for
control.
The
first
time
I
used
Sony
headphones
I
thought
they
were
incredibly
quiet
until
I
noticed
this
feature
–
what
I
should
also
note
is
that
the
in-app
volume
resets
to
50%
if
you
pair
the
earphones
to
a
different
device
and
then
back
to
your
phone,
so
you’ll
need
to
rectify
it
manually.
This
is
an
irksome
feature
for
people
who
are
unaware,
but
even
for
those
of
us
who’ve
been
using
them
for
years,
it’s
an
unnecessary
extra
step
that
most
other
earbuds
don’t
require.

• 
  Features
  score:
  3.5/5

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Design

• 
  Incredibly
  lightweight
  case
• 
  Buds
  fit
  nice
  and
  snug
  – and
  don’t
  budge
• 
  Convenient-to-use
  physical
  button

The
Sony
WF-C510
charging
case
is
lovely
and
svelte
–
it’s
one
of
my
favorite
cases
for
slipping
into
my
pocket
or
bag. 

A
lozenge-shaped
slither
of
plastic,
it
measures
about
6.8
x
2.7
x
3.1
cm
(all
my
measurements
–
I
couldn’t
find
any
on
the
Sony
website)
and
weighs
“approx”
31g
(that’s
Sony’s
exact
wording).
Vague
measurements
aside,
it’s
really
slender,
with
basically
enough
space
for
the
buds
and
not
much
excess
(which
is
probably
why
it
doesn’t
provide
much
charge!).
Main
points
to
note
here
are
the
USB-C
port
for
charging,
a
small
button
for
pairing
and
an
LED
status
indicator.
All
par
for
the
course,
really.

I
liked
the
textured
plastic
case,
but
I
can
see
some
finding
it
a
bit
cheap-feeling,
and
it
does
creak
a
little
if
you
put
pressure
on
it.
That’s
the
trade-off
with
its
light
build.

The
buds
are
equally
light,
weighing
4.6g
each.
At
least
Sony
has
an
exact
measurement
for
that!
They’re
in-ear
buds
so
this
particular
figure
is
really
important,
as
heavy
in-ear
buds
(or
those
that
aren’t
shaped
carefully
to
distribute
said
weight)
sometimes
have
trouble
staying
in
the
ear.

No
issue
for
the
Sonys
though:
they
always
felt
rigid
in
my
testing,
never
once
falling
out
or
even
feeling
loose.
The
box
includes
larger
and
smaller
alternatives,
with
the
app
having
an
ear
fit
test,
if
the
default
tips
don’t
fit. 

The
fact
that
they
fit
and
stay
securely
in
my
ears
sounds
simple
enough,
but
so
many
competing
options
at
double
the
price
can’t
seem
to
do
it.
If
you
want
cheap
earbuds
that
don’t
budge
and
sound
good,
the
Sony
WF-C510
are
it. 

There
are
a
few
color
options
for
the
aspiring
fashionistas
out
there:
black
and
white
are
pretty
standard,
but
there’s
also
light
blue
and
light
yellow.
The
latter
hue
is
modelled
by
me
in
the
pictures.

One
feature
of
note
on
the
WF-C510s
is
a
button
on
each
bud
–
it’s
quite
big,
and
takes
up
most
of
the
body
of
each.
It’s
a
physical
button,
meaning
you
have
to
actually
depress
it
to
trigger
it,
but
I
found
it
sensitive
enough
that
it
was
easy
to
use.
The
size
also
ensures
that
you
don’t
have
to
keep
jabbing
at
the
bud,
and
shoving
it
into
your
ear,
to
trigger
the
function
(which
is
customizable
in
the
app).

In
terms
of
waterproofing,
the
buds
are
IPX4
resistant
to
water,
which
means
they’ll
survive
splashes
from
any
angle,
but
not
jets.
That’s
what
the
rating
stands
for
but
in
real
life
the
difference
between
‘splashes’
and
‘jets’
isn’t
always
apparent
so
I’d
recommend
doing
your
best
to
keep
these
away
from
anything
wetter
than
rain
or
sweat.

• 
  Design
  score:
  4.5/5

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Sound
quality

• 
  Bright
  sound;
  some
  might
  miss
  bass
• 
  High-quality
  given
  price
• 
  DSEE
  improves
  compressed
  music

I
really
like
the
sound
of
the
Sony
WF-C510s
–
obviously
you
have
to
set
your
expectations
to
a
certain
level
with
low-cost
earbuds,
but
I
found
the
audio
high-quality
and
also
certainly
distinct
in
that
Sony,
“have
this
sound,
and
have
it
good
and
clear”
way.

This
is
possibly
thanks,
at
least
in
part,
to
Sony’s
DSEE,
which
stands
for
digital
sound
enhancement
engine
–
basically
it’s
tech
that
restores
the
range
of
the
compressed
audio
tracks
you’re
playing
from
your
chosen
streaming
service.
It
gives
Sony
earbuds,
including
the
WF-C510,
an
edge
over
similar
alternatives,
as
long
as
you
remember
to
turn
it
on
via
the
app.

The
driver
itself
is
a
6mm
unit,
so
not
necessarily
as
big
as
some
similar-priced
alternatives,
but
bigger
than
the
more
expensive
WF-C700N.

The
Sony
WF-C510s
have
a
slightly
forward
sound
profile
(and
I
say
this
as
a
compliment
rather
than
a
shortfall),
offering
clear
and
pronounced
treble
sounds
like
your
guitars,
vocals
and
piano
parts.
This
is
great
for
some
genres
of
music,
and
I
enjoyed
listening
to
songs
with
prominent
and
distinct
vocal
lines
that
were
beamed
into
my
ears.

The
flip
side
is
that
you
can’t
feel
the
bass

quite
as
much
in
certain
genres
of
music,
which
might
be
an
issue
for
people
who
like
their
bass
thumping
to
their
back
teeth.
You
can
rectify
it
to
a
degree
using
the
in-app
equalizer,
but
not
quite
enough
to
please
bass-heads.

I
was
surprised
by
the
lack
of
peaking
or
distortion
at
normal
listening
volumes,
and
I
had
to
really
push
the
buds
to
a
painfully-loud
volume
to
hear
any
crackling,
muddying
or
artefacts.

• 
  Sound
  quality:
  4.5/5

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Value

• 
  Look
  at
  the
  price
• 
  Seriously,
  look
  at
  it

I’d
consider
the
Sony
WF-C510
great
value
for
money
even
if
the
audio
was
only
‘fine’.
It’s
not,
though,
and
fans
of
Sony’s
typical
sound
profile
(that’s
most
of
us)
will
really
love
what
they’re
getting
here.

If
you’re
being
offered
the
Sonys
as
a
gift
or
bundled
with
another
Sony
product,
you
might
think
you’re
just
getting
some
cheap
buds
thrown
in
to
sweeten
the
deal,
but
trust
me
when
I
say
these
are
better
than
their
lowly
price
suggests.

• 
  Value:
  5/5

Should
I
buy
the
Sony
WF-C510?

Buy
them
if…

Don’t
buy
them
if…

Sony
WF-C510
review:
Also
consider

How
I
tested
the
Sony
WF-C510

• 
  Tested
  for
  two
  weeks
• 
  Tested
  at
  home,
  in
  the
  office
  and
  on
  trips

The
Sony
WF-C510
enjoyed
two
weeks
of
listening
time
for
this
review,
and
as
mentioned
earlier
I’ve
tested
a
string
of
their
closest
rivals
recently,
which
helped
with
the
comparisons.

I
tested
the
buds
while
they
were
paired
to
my
Android
smartphone,
and
I
connected
them
to
a
different
mobile
to
test
multi-point
pairing.
Mostly
I
listened
to
music
with
Spotify
but
to
fully
test
the
buds
I
also
tried
other
apps
including
games
and
streaming
services.
Testing
was
done
at
home,
in
the
office
and
on
various
trips
around
my
city,
including
walks
in
the
park
and
gym
excursions.

I’ve
been
testing
gadgets
at
TechRadar
for
over
five
years
now,
and
in
that
time
have
used
plenty
of
budget
earbuds
and
other
Sony
products.
Outside
of
reviewing
headphones,
my
trusty
Sony
WH-1000XM3
are
my
go-to
headphones
so
I’m
well
versed
in
Sony’s
audio
products
and
software.

• 
  First
  reviewed
  in
  September
  2024