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The Sony WF-C510
The Sony WF-C510
The Sony WF-C510

Sony

Sony WF-C510 Review: A Decent Entry-Level Offering with Mixed Results

The Sony WF-C510 earbuds are the newest entry-level addition to Sony’s lineup. Priced at $100, these earbuds are targeted at users seeking a simple, everyday option for commutes or workouts, without unnecessary features or a hefty price tag. Positioned as successors to the WF-C500, the C510s retain a no-frills approach but introduce improvements like a smaller, lighter design, longer battery life, and multipoint connectivity. However, they lack features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and in-ear detection, which are increasingly common in similarly priced competitors. Let’s dive deeper to see if they justify an upgrade or hold their own in a crowded market.

The Sony WF-C510

Sony WF-C510

The WF-C510 are the latest entry-level earbuds from Sony. These are the no-frills option for someone who just wants a simple pair of earbuds for the everyday commute or workout without having to shell out a fortune on features they don’t need.

Design and Comfort

One of the most noticeable upgrades in the WF-C510 is its design. These earbuds are significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessors, with Sony claiming they are the company’s smallest in-ear model yet. The compact charging case is equally impressive, being one of the tiniest available on the market. This makes the C510 incredibly portable and easy to carry around.

Available in four colors—white, black, blue, and pastel yellow—the matte finish adds a soft, muted look to the earbuds and case. While the new design prioritizes minimalism, it does come with a few drawbacks, particularly in the battery department, which we’ll discuss later.

The earbuds feature physical buttons that take up a large portion of the exterior. While the buttons are functional, their size and placement lead to accidental presses, especially when adjusting or inserting the earbuds. Moreover, pressing these buttons pushes the earbuds deeper into your ear, causing discomfort after repeated use.

Speaking of comfort, the WF-C510 feels comfortable for extended wear, but the lack of a pressure-relief mechanism in the ear tips can cause discomfort when inserting or removing them. Twisting the earbuds slightly while inserting or removing helps alleviate the pressure, but this could be a dealbreaker for some users.

Despite being an entry-level model, the WF-C510 feels sturdy and well-built, with an IPX4 rating, making them splash-resistant and suitable for workouts or light rain.

Features and Software

The WF-C510 is compatible with Sony’s Sound Connect app, which offers several customization options, albeit with a somewhat cluttered interface. While the app looks streamlined, many options are buried within menus, adding unnecessary steps to the setup process.

Notably, the C510 lacks advanced features such as ANC, which many competitors in the same price range now include. However, it does have a transparency mode called Ambient Sound Control, which can be toggled on or off, or adjusted for intensity. There’s also a voice passthrough mode that prioritizes human voices, making it easier to hear conversations without removing the earbuds.

The app also includes a manual EQ with five frequency bands and a separate Clear Bass slider. Users can select from presets or create up to three custom profiles. Additionally, Sony has introduced a new feature that helps users fine-tune their sound preferences by offering a series of five sound options, from which users can choose their favorite. This process repeats until an optimal EQ profile is generated.

Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, a 3D surround sound feature, is also supported. However, its usefulness is limited by the lack of apps offering content in this format, and it doesn’t support more widely used formats like Dolby Atmos. Additionally, the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) claims to restore lost detail in compressed audio but is largely ineffective at higher bitrates and offers no discernible improvement for users streaming from platforms like Spotify.

One of the major downsides is the lack of basic features like in-ear detection, which automatically pauses or resumes playback when the earbuds are removed or inserted. While this feature is found in cheaper models like the OnePlus Nord Buds 3, its omission from the WF-C510 is puzzling.

The C510 also supports multipoint connection, allowing users to connect the earbuds to two devices simultaneously, which is a handy feature for switching between, say, a phone and a laptop. However, Sony has not included high-quality audio codecs like LDAC, limiting the audio quality to SBC and AAC, even though it developed LDAC.

Audio Performance

The WF-C510 houses a 6mm dynamic driver with a 20Hz-20,000Hz frequency response. Audio is transmitted via Bluetooth 5.3, with support for SBC and AAC codecs.

In terms of sound quality, the WF-C510 continues Sony’s tradition of offering a mellow, warm sound with a balanced but conservative bass. The bass is not overly emphasized, which may be a plus for listeners who prefer a more neutral sound profile. However, the low-end lacks the deep thump or rumble expected from modern earbuds, leaving bass-heavy genres like electronic music or hip-hop somewhat lacking in impact.

The midrange performance is solid, with the mids and upper mids offering good clarity and presence, especially in vocal-heavy tracks. The treble, however, is underwhelming, with a subdued, flat response across the range. There’s no sparkle or energy in the high frequencies, giving the sound a somewhat dull character. While this makes the WF-C510 less fatiguing over long listening sessions, it lacks the dynamism needed for more intricate or technical music.

Despite these shortcomings, the sound is still enjoyable for older or brighter recordings, such as tracks from the 70s and 80s. The restrained bass and rolled-off treble complement these genres well, making the WF-C510 a good choice for listeners of classic rock or pop music.

One area where the WF-C510 excels is imaging and soundstaging. The earbuds are adept at placing instruments and sounds within a defined soundstage, creating a more immersive listening experience.

Microphone and Call Quality

The microphone performance on the WF-C510 is adequate, delivering clear voice quality in most environments. While voices sound a bit quiet, they remain natural, with minimal distortion from noise-canceling algorithms. The noise-canceling function does a good job of filtering out background noise, making the earbuds suitable for phone calls even in noisy environments.

Battery Life

Sony claims the WF-C510 offers up to 11 hours of battery life on a single charge, with the charging case providing an additional 11 hours. In real-world testing, the earbuds exceeded expectations, delivering over 14 hours of continuous playback without recharging. This impressive result makes the WF-C510 one of the longest-lasting wireless earbuds in its price range.

However, the compact case only holds one additional charge, which means that while the earbuds themselves last long on a single charge, the total battery life is limited to about 25 hours. Competing models with larger cases may not last as long on a single charge but provide more total playback time when factoring in case recharges.

Conclusion

The Sony WF-C510 earbuds are a solid, if somewhat mixed, offering in the entry-level wireless earbud market. They excel in portability, battery life, and comfort, with good microphone performance and reliable passive noise isolation. However, the lack of ANC, in-ear detection, and more advanced audio codecs is a significant downside, especially when competitors like the OnePlus Buds 3 offer these features at a similar or lower price point.

While the audio performance is pleasing in certain genres, the sound can feel flat and lacking in energy, especially with more complex or technical music. Overall, the WF-C510 is a decent choice for users who prioritize comfort, battery life, and brand recognition over feature-rich alternatives, but it faces stiff competition in an increasingly crowded market.

Pros:

  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Long-lasting battery life
  • Good microphone quality
  • Effective passive noise isolation
  • Multipoint connectivity

Cons:

  • No active noise cancellation
  • Lacks in-ear detection
  • Subdued treble and bass
  • Limited total battery life with case

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