Called the WF-SP700N, the new fully wireless earbuds will bring Sony’s excellent noise-canceling technology to noisy gym environments, allowing workout junkies to focus on their reps instead of their neighbor’s conversations. The large, curved in-ears come with a compact one-touch charging case, and will offer a relatively minimal three hours of battery life, though the charging case will offer two full recharges before it runs flat. The lack of extended juice can be forgiven considering the features the earbuds pack. The WF-SP700N are the first IPX4 water-resistant fully wireless earbuds on the market.
Sony is launching two other sets of banded wireless headphones aimed at strenuous activities. The new WI-SP600N and WI-SP500N models will both allow you to work out without a tangle in your pocket. The former has a sleek earfin-inclusive design and the same active noise-canceling tech offered on the fully wireless WF-SP700N, but with six hours of total battery life. The latter doesn’t have the noise-canceling capability, but does boast a total battery life of 8 hours for extended listening.
All three new sport models feature near-field communication and are compatible with the Sony Headphones Connect app, allowing you to customize your listening experience from a smartphone or tablet.
“Ready to jump into action when you are, the wireless noise-canceling WF-SP700N, WI-SP600N, and standard WI-SP500 headphones will be every listener’s favorite new workout buddy,” said Dunja LaRosa, Sony’s head of North American mobile audio business, in a press release.
Apart from the three sport-focused options, the company also announced a new iteration of its popular MDR-1AM over-ear headphones called the MDR-1AM2. The appropriately named follow-up features nearly identical looks to the original, but features refinements like a lighter weight for a more comfortable long-term fit, as well as fidelity-improving touches like a grill to aid with high frequency transmission.
All four of Sony’s new headphone models will be available to consumers in spring 2018. With a suggested retail price of $300, the MDR-1AM2 will be the most expensive of the bunch, followed by the WF-700N, WI-SP600N, and WI-SP500N, with suggested prices of $180, $150, and $80, respectively.
