Sony has a wide range of audio accessories from speakers to headphones and compact earphones. The newly-launched WF-SP700N noise-cancelling wireless earphones are Sony's answer to Apple's AirPods.
Sony has priced the WF-SP700N earbuds almost same as the AirPods, making them close rivals. While the reviews for AirPods have widely been reported, here's our analysis of how good (or not) are the Sony's WF-SP700N wireless earbuds.
Design
Sony has focused a lot on the looks and comfort of its WF-SP700N earphones. After using the earphones continuously for a week as my primary audio gear, I did not miss the alternative. Sony's earphones not only look cool but fit really well.
The unit I tested was yellow, which added a unique flavour to otherwise dull earbuds that are available in the market. The in-ear plugs made a lot of sense for me, especially during workouts and running. While wearing the WF-SP700N earphones, they do not protrude and seamlessly cover the shape of your ear.
I was impressed by the overall design. Even though they may look bulky to some, they're extremely light and it won't matter if you are wearing them till the battery runs out. There was no discomfort or any issues of them falling out even when worn during workouts.
The earphones have just one button on each to turn them on and switch between noise-cancelling and ambient modes. The single button on the earbuds works universally for pausing and playing music, answering and ending calls, skipping tracks with single, double or triple clicks. But we missed the volume control function on the earbuds.
Audio quality
With the Sony earbuds, I mostly relied on them for listening to music with noise cancelling, which was perfect for me considering the alternative was to carry the bulky over-ear headphones. It's impressive how Sony delivers on the audio front with the WF-SP700N earbuds.
While the ambient sound mode wasn't ideal for me personally, as it failed to balance the music ambience sounds. But the noise cancelling worked perfectly.
The earbuds had a very balanced audio output and did not break the bass in highs or lose most details in the lows. I had no major complaints with the audio clarity and overall performance of the WF-SP700N.
Calls and connectivity
The main purpose of owning a pair of earbuds is to manage calls without having to take out the phone. With Sony WF-SP700N, I was able to do it without a problem.On some occasions, the person on the other end of the call wasn't able to hear me, but the problem occurred only in noisy places. For most part, the Sony earpods did a fairly decent job, and the convenience is just an added advantage.
While music playback was seamless, I experienced audio delay while streaming videos on certain apps, which isn't ideal case.
Battery life
What I found impressive about the Sony WF-SP700N is the battery. With a lot of music playback (with noise cancelling on most of the times) and calls, I was able to get 6 hours. Not impressed? The tiny case that comes with the earbuds were life-saver for me. Not only they fit perfectly in my jacket pocket, they doubled as a charging pod when the earbuds ran out of juice. I was able to charge the earbuds twice with a fully-charged case.
They auto turn on and off when the earbuds are docked into the case actually helped me preserve battery when not in use. I was able to extensively use the earphones easily for two days with the backup power in the charging pod. Sony has done a great job at making it so convenient for someone who's always on the run.
Verdict
Sony WF-SP700N are perfect AirPods alternative, who want a sporty and a comfortable design. The noise-cancelling feature is a major USP for this and works perfectly in shutting out the ambience sound. I was impressed by the earphone's overall features and battery solution. If you're looking to buy anything other than the Apple Airpods, Sony SP700N are highly recommended. In fact, if you're into fitness, these tiny earbuds are perfect during workouts, which isn't ideal case for Apple AirPods.
