Sony WI-C600N wireless earphones review: A practical daily driver

Sony has a wide range of audio products to attract serious audiophiles out there. With each product catering to the different needs of users, consumers won't return disappointed – Sony makes sure of that. Of all the earphones and headphones Sony has to offer, one particular model is worth considering.

Sony WI-C600N wireless earphones were recently launched in India for Rs 10,990, expanding the company's robust noise cancelling range of headphones. Sony C600N packs an interesting bunch of features that will appeal to the audiophiles and easily justify the asking price.

After having used Sony's latest wireless earphones for a little over a week, it seems clear why Sony has an unshakeable reputation in the audio gears industry. The WI-C600N is an all-rounder with a few flaws that can be ignored at the cost of what's being offered.

Design

Sony WI-C600N wins big in the design. The earphones are super light and the fine material choice in the neckband is certainly icing on the cake. Even wearing the earphones for long hours doesn't cause any sort of skin irritation (even in scorching summer heat).

The magnetic earbuds stick together to stay in one place, preventing the C600N from falling off. They remain intact while riding a bike and even working out. The in-ear design of the earphones makes the final touch of perfecting the WI-C600N's design. They fit perfectly in the ear whether you're jogging or cycling. In fact, streaming TV shows while lying in bed and turning on either side doesn't cause any irritation, which is something worth noting for those night owls.

There are controls on the earphones such as pause/play/answer calls in one, volume control and power button  - all of them on the left side. On the right is a button to seamlessly switch between NC and ambient, so I did not have to go to the app every time I wanted to switch. The left end of the neckband also houses NFC, which is the most useful and efficient way to pair with smartphones with a single tap. This is one of my best features in Sony headphones.

If I have to recommend the most comfortable earphones, Sony WI-C600N is one of the top choices.

Performance

I have reviewed some of the best Sony headphones, including the 1000XM3 and 1000XM2, and I couldn't be more impressed with the audio quality. Sony extends that magical touch, at least a piece of it, to the C600N.

Sony C600N earphones are going to feel right for most of the music genres as it perfectly balances those lows and mids. The high frequencies are also not distorted. The only area where improvement could be made is the bass, but it's not a deal breaker seeing C600N's complete package.

I was not completely blown away by the audio performance, but I wasn't disappointed either.

Pairing is spontaneous and I never had a problem with that, so kudos there. NFC is indeed a lifesaver, but I did struggle initially to find the right spot where I need to tap the phone to connect. Google Assistant integration is another nifty addition, but I didn't usually rely on the virtual assistant for my tasks. For the little time I did, I wasn't disappointed.

Despite all that, Sony WI-C600N is not devoid of flaws. Even though there's HD voice integration, I expected better call quality over the earphones. I was able to hear very clearly, but I often got complaints from the people on the other end of the line. My voice on call seemed distant on the other end and it was almost impossible to answer the call and make myself audible while riding a bike. Sony got me on the safety standard there.  

Noise cancelling

This is where things get interesting. There are a lot of wireless earphones with neckband style, so the competition is pretty tough for Sony. Most of these earphones are a lot cheaper, but Sony makes up by throwing in its critically-acclaimed noise-cancelling into the mix.

There are three modes: Normal, Voice and Active Noise Cancelling. Normal mode is all those ambient sounds are let in, this is more of a safety feature and works well in busy marketplaces. Then there is the Voice mode, which only allows voices while shutting off other sounds and I found this particularly interesting as it worked most of the time. Finally, the active noise cancelling is the showstopper as it does the best it can in an in-ear wireless earphone department.

Naturally, the noise cancelling wasn't as good as 1000XM3 or even 1000XM2, but it was good enough for the price range C600N fall in. So as far as justifying that price tag goes, the active noise cancelling feature should get a shout out.

The Sony Headphones Connect app support also gives extra control over customising sounds to each and everyone's preference.

Battery

Now, Sony says the WI-C600N can last 6.5 hours on a single charge. That's not much, but with my rigorous testing, I managed to get 5.5 hours of continuous use – either while streaming TV shows on Prime or listening to music with ANC on. Leaving the earphones idle can give you those extra hours, but I managed to draw full power whenever I took them off my backpack.

To recall, the 1000XM3 gave me 26 hours of playback time and what C600N offers is only a fraction. But both these headphones are from a different category, so the C600N is right in offering what it is.

I have no major complaints with the battery as Sony thoughtfully threw in a USB Type-C to quickly charge the earphones.

Verdict

Sony WI-C600N is a worthy package if you consider everything that you get with it. For me, they served really well as a daily driver. From the most comfortable designs to reliable audio performance and fancy features like noise-cancelling, Sony won me over. But there are many affordable neckband earphones out there, some even retailing below Rs 5,000, but what Sony offers is worth its asking price.