Sony has been absolutely killing it in the last couple of years when it comes toheadphonesand earbuds. From their more premium line like the WH-1000XM5 and the WF-1000XM5with incredible ANCto their budget offerings like the WF-C500, Sony has been delivering stellar audio quality across the board. Now Sony has returned this year with an even more intriguing budget set of earbuds, theWF-C510, that comes in at the low price of $60!
While the WF-C500 and the new WF-C510 might look pretty much the same at a quick glance, Sony was able to shave off 20% of the size and 15% of the weight, making these some of the smallest wireless earbuds Sony has ever made. But don’t let their smaller size trick you; they still deliver quite a powerful punch. The C510 will support Sony’s headphones app, which allows you to tweak the EQ and more premium settings like 360 Reality Audio and DSEE upscaling. Most of you have probably used 360 Reality Audio or spatial audio before, but DSEE is exciting to see on a budget pair of earbuds.
DSEE, or Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, is a Sony technology that allows you to upscale and recover details lost to compression. Because everyone is streaming music nowadays, there is a fair amount of compression even when using HiFi streaming services; DSEE essentially acts like RTX but for your earbuds.
These earbuds do not have ANC, but Sony added a transparency mode, which makes them much easier to use for workouts or commuting with both earbuds while still allowing you to hear your surroundings. Why more earbuds don’t do this is baffling. Nothing is worse than missing out on a stereo listening experience because you must keep an earbud out to hear your surroundings.
Sony has also extended the battery life on the C510 from 10 hours to 11 hours of continuous playback with the earbuds themselves. With the case, the earbuds can get another full charge without needing to be plugged in. With quick charging, you can get an hour’s worth of battery life in just five minutes of charging. If you are not using these earbuds all day, you can quickly get through a week of reasonably frequent use with these headphones without needing to plug them in.
At the time of writing, these earbuds are only available via pre-order, but they are slated to ship in early September, so you won’t be waiting long for these awesome budget earbuds.
Sony WF-C510
Let your music live longer. Colorful and compact, the Sony WF-C510 is equipped with features designed for excellent sound quality anytime and anywhere. Choose your style for sound that matches your style with up to 11 hours of battery life and a comfortable fit. For just $60, these earbuds punch way above their weight class.
FAQ
Q: What is DSEE Sony WF c500?
DSEE is essentially RTX for your earbuds. It takes compressed audio—pretty much all music streamed, especially over Bluetooth—and unpacks it and upscales it to a higher resolution more equivalent to CD quality.
Q: What does Sony WF stand for?
Sony is known for its odd naming conventions across all of its products. While it can sometimes be annoying to tell the generations apart, all these letter combinations stand for something. WF, for example, stands for wireless freedom.
