Sony WF-C710N

Sony adds another brilliant pair of budget buds to its arsenal

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When Sony announced the WF-C710N wireless earbuds, you could feel a wave of excitement wash over the review team here at What Hi-Fi? Towers.

These buds not only replace the WF-C700N, our reigning Product of the Year in the wireless earbuds category, but they also come in a truly eye-catching finish. The case and buds are transparent, and in a cool blue hue called 'Glass Blue' which looks rather lovely.

The buds' £100 pricing positions the WF-C710N nicely in a market where there are numerous rivals just above this level and below, including the Apple AirPods 4 (£129)and Sony's own WF-C510 (£55).

Before we talk about that Glass Blue finish, there's quite a lot new going on with the WF-C710N design. Unbox the buds, and the case immediately looks and feels bulkier and chunkier than that of the C700N, which is a big hint at what lies inside (although if you opt for the transparent finish, you can already see what's there!)

The earbuds are notably chunkier than their predecessors. The WF-C700N were some of the dinkiest earbuds we have tested, and the WF-C710N feel like a clear (pun intended) step up in size. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though.

Some members of our test team found them easier to grip out of the case and manoeuvre into place. Depending on the size of your ear's concha, they might also sit a bit more snugly than their predecessors. Obviously, this is down to personal preference, but those with smaller ears still might find the smaller pair a better fit. Worth trying out if you can.

We assume the increase in size is because Sony needs to make room for a couple of other design changes in the new model. The first is the inclusion of an extra mic for each earbud to help with noise cancelling. The second is the introduction of touch controls on the WF-C710N and, presumably, all the circuitry that goes with it.

Beautiful blue