Skip to main content

Sony’s latest wireless earbuds and headphones bring bass at a lower budget

This is not an April Fool’s joke. On April 1, Sony announced two new true wireless products — a set of headphones and a pair of earbuds.

The $199 WH-CH710N headphones and the $129 WF-XB700 earbuds have been added to Sony’s lineup of wireless listening devices, with both set to be available for presale this month. The WH-CH710N will be available in black, and the WF-XB700 will come in both black and blue.

Sony WF-XB700 earbuds
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The WF-XB700, the less expensive of the two new models, will feature Sony’s Extra Bass technology, which according to a Sony press release will “create precise, punchy rhythms that lift every track and maintain vocal clarity.” The buds offer up to 18 hours of listening with the included charging case, and a quick-charging feature provides an hour of playback after 10 minutes of charging.

The WF-XB700 will carry an IPX4 rating for water-resistance, giving them protection against splashes and sweat. In other words, these should come in handy at the gym.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sony’s new headphones will come with Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancellation. Sony says this feature will “constantly analyze environmental ambient sound components” and select the best noise-canceling mode for the surroundings you’re in. The headphones will have dual microphones, one feeding forward and another feeding back, in order to catch more ambient sounds.

Sony is boasting 35 hours of audio on a single charge with the WH-CH710N, and the same quick-charging feature as the WF-XB700. The headphones will also feature Near Field Communication (NFC), a one-touch method to start streaming music. They’ve also got an adjustable metal slider to ensure the right fit for all applications.

Many of us are looking forward to the next editions of Sony’s WH-1000XM3 and WF-1000XM3, but for now, it looks like we will have to wait. In the meantime, Sony is giving us a couple of pairs of more budget-friendly options.

According to Sony’s specs, they still seem to have some pretty solid features. We’ll have to wait until we can interact with these new products, but at first glance, the WH-C710N and WF-XB700 could be affordable alternatives to Sony’s top-tier listening devices.

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Woodard
Former Digital Trends Contributor
  As an A/V Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Nick Woodard covers topics that include 4K HDR TVs, headphones…
Skullcandy’s latest wireless buds charge from your phone
SkullCandy EcoBuds connected to a phone.

Skullcandy's new EcoBuds wireless earbuds take a novel approach to sustainability. Instead of using a rechargeable battery inside a charging case, the $40 EcoBuds come with a charging base with a short, built-in USB-C connector that's designed to draw power from the USB-C port on most smartphones, including the iPhone 15. The new earbuds are available starting March 5 at various retailers and skullcandy.com.

Skullcandy says that by eliminating the charging case battery and by building the buds from 65% certified recycled plastics, the EcoBuds achieve a 50% lower carbon footprint than comparable wireless earbuds.

Read more
Audio-Technica’s latest hi-res earbuds debut at CES 2024 for $199
Audio-Technica ATH-TWX7 wireless earbuds.

It's been a surprisingly quiet CES 2024 for new headphones and earbuds, but Audio-Technica (A-T) hasn't disappointed us. It launched its ATH-TWX7, a new set of hi-res, noise-canceling wireless earbuds that fill a big gap in the company's product lineup. The ATH-TWX7 come in black, white, or grey colors and are available starting January 9, for $199.

The ATH-TWX7 share a lot in common with A-T's flagship ATH-TWX9, but at $199, the TWX7 are a lot more affordable than the $299 TWX9.

Read more
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 debut with lossless audio, but skip the spatial trend
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 in copper/black.

Sennheiser has revealed its latest flagship wireless earbuds at CES 2024: the Momentum True Wireless 4. Though the company claims there are over a dozen upgrades and future-facing technologies onboard -- like lossless, CD-quality audio -- it has conspicuously side-stepped the spatial audio trend embraced by its biggest competitors.

The Momentum True Wireless 4 (MTW4) have been priced at $300 ($50 more than the previous generation) and will be available for preorder on February 15 in three colors: black copper, metallic silver, and graphite.

Read more